Merchandising

Urban Outfitters is capitalizing on a presidential election year by violating the unwritten rule of retail: never get political. The retailer, which has a history of selling controversial items, is offering a range of merchandise bashing Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. That includes a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “IDK NOT TRUMP THO.” Total Retail's Take: Urban…

Frank + Oak made its reputation as a retailer of men's apparel, accessories and shoes, first selling online, then adding brick-and-mortar stores. The company is about to undertake another evolution as it prepares to sell womenswear. In episode 43 of Total Retail Talks, Eric Alper, chief marketing officer at Frank + Oak, discusses the company's…

We’ll share a series of techniques that have proven to deliver double-digit search traffic improvements and increased conversions.

CVS announced today the expansion of its healthier foods and beverages initiative to more than 2,900 stores nationwide. Throughout the year, 100 stores each week are being enhanced with a carefully curated selection of national and niche better-for-you brands that make healthier eating convenient and affordable. CVS launched the program as a 500-store pilot in…

Check out this session to learn why online marketplaces present an opportunity for both enterprise and SMB retailers alike.

lululemon posted first-quarter sales that topped analysts’ estimates, helped by new products like an expanded selection of women’s tops. Sales rose 17 percent to $495.5 million in the quarter ended May 1, the Vancouver-based company said in a statement Wednesday. Analysts projected $487.6 million, on average. The results signal that lululemon’s new merchandise is gaining traction. The yogawear retailer…

Nordstrom and Michael Kors are on the rocks. The Seattle-based department store is quietly dumping the designer’s handbags in more than half of its 121 full-line stores across the country, according to a research report on Tuesday. Nordstrom is also feeling squeezed by rival Macy’s, which has a glut of Kors bags, many of them on sale,…

Everyone knows big data. Everyone talks about big data. But you, as the e-commerce hero in this story, know that big data can be intimidating. It probably lives in various formats in multiple places across the organization, and trying to find meaningful pieces of intelligence seems virtually impossible. Rather than trying to solve the big data problem all at once, you know the real weapon at your disposal is rich data, or more precisely, product data.

There’s been a lot going on lately at Bluefly, the online seller of women's, men's and children's apparel and accessories, home furnishings and décor and beauty items from both high-end niche as well as up-and-coming brands. Earlier this spring, for example, Bluefly unveiled a new look, including a site redesign, new logo, new branding, and…

In an industry that saw a 15 percent drop in physical retail sales in 2015, one brand continues to grow profits. For the third year in a row, GameStop profits per store increased. The electronics retailer reported profits of $176,000 per store, on average, or nearly 15 percent for each of its more than 6,600…