Merchandising

Stage Stores, the company that purchased Gordmans out of bankruptcy in March, plans to turn the chain into an off-price retailer, comparable to TJ Maxx or Burlington Coat Factory. Gordmans’ current business model is a department store-off-pricer hybrid, with 80 percent of its merchandise being bought at full price. Stage Stores plans to shift this…

As we've seen lately in the retail industry, companies need to work harder to get shoppers into their stores. Some retailers offer experiences, others sales and discounts. DEBUT, a newly opened store at the Minneapolis-based Mall of America (MOA), offers a revolving collection of products to entice shoppers to walk through its door. “The goal…

Fast-fashion strikes again … Los Angeles-based women’s apparel and accessories brand Valfré is accusing Forever 21 and Rue 21 of stealing its designs. Valfré’s social media followers alerted the brand of the infringement. On Friday,Valfré served “cease and desist” demands on Forever 21 for allegedly copying the rainbow design of one of its phone cases. “If…

J.C. Penney is rolling out new home services in all 13 of its Dallas-Fort Worth stores. The Dallas Morning News reports the retailer started testing a heating and cooling system partnership with Trane and has expanded into bathroom remodeling, plumbing and window blind installation. Recently, J.C. Penney has tried moving towards bigger-ticket items in the…

For only $425 plus tax, anyone can look like they're "not afraid to get down and dirty," reads Nordstrom's product description for its new "muddy jeans." From the creators of the $85 pet rock in a leather pouch and high-waisted mom jeans with clear plastic knee “windows” comes blue jeans coated with fake mud for when you want…

J.C. Penney will launch Sephora beauty shops in 70 stores as it expands 32 existing locations, bringing Sephora to 650 of its 1,000-plus stores by the end of 2017. The beauty push comes as J.C. Penney de-emphasizes apparel, a weak link for merchants these days, save for off-price chains and Amazon.com, which have been gobbling up…

G-III Apparel Group is in trouble for manufacturing and distributing Ivanka Trump-branded apparel and labeling it with “Adrienne Vittadini Studio” labels. The clothing was sold at discount retailer Stein Mart without the knowledge of Ivanka Trump executives. A G-III spokesman offered no explanation for why the clothes carried the wrong label and declined to say…

Sweden-based furniture retailer Ikea is considering opening standalone restaurants in city centers, Fast Company recently reported. Despite specializing in furniture, Ikea stores that dish out Swedish specialties such as meatballs, smoked salmon and lingonberry juice have become a key reason customers visit the superstores. Ikea notes that 30 percent of its store customers are there just for the food.…

Zara recently withdrew apparel featuring a controversial cartoon image. The women's apparel retailer (owned by Inditex) has more than 2,100 stores in 88 countries, and is ranked No. 53 on the Forbes 2016 list of most valuable brands. The Washington Times reports Zara recently removed from its website a denim mini skirt with an image resembling Pepe the…

Consumers are growing more savvy, dictating trends and where/when/how they want to shop. Gone are the days when brands develop the merchandise that drives trends. “Because of these factors, it has become increasingly important for retailers to shift from a push model (where the retailer assumes they know what the customer wants) to a pull…