Merchandising

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…

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…

In this interactive webinar, our expert speakers will address tips for creating seamless cross-channel shopping experiences and more.

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 […]

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…

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,…

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 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 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…