Merchandising

Understanding the Basics of Merchandise Planning
April 11, 2017 at 10:11 am

What is merchandise planning? Every planning professional or retail executive knows the answer to this question, right? However, merchandise planning means different things depending on the retail sector, the origin and the history of the company. There's no singular approach to merchandise planning. For a fashion specialty, it’s about encapsulating the product strategies and trends…

Abandoned Carts Shouldn't Mean Abandoned Hope
April 5, 2017 at 4:05 pm

A full 88 percent of consumers say they’re more likely to shop with retailers that deliver personalized and connected cross-channel experiences. If you didn’t already know, that stat says it all: Personalization is critical to winning in today’s ultracompetitive online retail environment. Consumers demand that the retailers they purchase from know who they are, what […]

You’re the Same as Everyone Else: Here’s How to Fix It
March 24, 2017 at 11:53 am

Here’s the thing about the retail industry: As much as you’d like to believe that your store is different from the one across the street, it's really the same — at least when it comes to branded selection. So much so that up to 98 percent of stores’ branded item assortment is also carried by…

How Ulta Succeeds in the Competitive Beauty Category
March 24, 2017 at 9:44 am

In an industry that's ridden with store closures and bankruptcies, one retailer is a bright spot. Ulta Beauty, one of the fastest-growing beauty retailers, saw net sales increase 23.7 percent in 2016 and earnings per share soar 30.9 percent. Earlier this week at Shoptalk in Las Vegas, Dave Kimbell, Ulta’s chief merchandising and marketing officer,…

4 Keys to Rebecca Minkoff's Millennial Success
March 21, 2017 at 11:57 am

Rebecca Minkoff is a millennial-owned brand focused on attracting millennial customers. Uri Minkoff, co-founder and CEO of Rebecca Minkoff, spoke about his plans to “future proof” the company during the session “Future-proof: Building a Fashion Brand for the Millennial Consumer” at Shoptalk yesterday. Minkoff gave four key ways he sees this happening within the Rebecca…

J.C. Penney Expanding Into Home Services
March 10, 2017 at 12:17 pm

J.C. Penney is going to expand its home services by testing six new programs in 100 stores. Starting later this month, shoppers will see signs in J.C. Penney home departments and on its digital storefront for services in bathroom remodeling, home heating and cooling systems, quick-ship and installed blinds, whole home water solutions, awnings, and smart…

Dick's Sporting Goods Dumps 20% of its Suppliers
March 9, 2017 at 11:40 am

Dick's Sporting Goods will dump about 20 percent of its vendors and stock more of its own brands as it looks to fortify itself against the market forces that killed its defunct rivals like The Sports Authority. The abandoned brands will be made up of minor labels rather than its 10 best-selling brands like Nike and…

Total Retail's ‘Grab Your Wallet’ Survey
March 8, 2017 at 3:33 pm

The Grab Your Wallet campaign, which encourages shoppers to boycott retailers that sell Trump-branded merchandise, is getting a lot of attention in the media right now. The campaign, which is often referred to as a movement, was started by digital marketing specialist Shannon Coulter, who became enraged by a video that emerged last October of President…

An Online Dollar Store to Hollar About
March 3, 2017 at 11:11 am

While traditional department stores, mall-based retailers and subscription commerce businesses have had their struggles as of late, there’s one retail category that's booming (at least relatively speaking): dollar stores and off-price brands (e.g., Ross, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx). However, that category's success hasn't translated online, as the business model of paying to ship inexpensive goods across…