Merchandising

J.C. Penney has created a new fast-fashion brand to attract customers who swear by the Forever 21s and H&Ms of the world. Belle + Sky is a new women’s contemporary brand that Penney added online and, this month, to 100 stores. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison talked about private-label brands during a Goldman Sachs conference Wednesday in New…

Hasbro, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Lego are among the companies cashing in on The Force Awakens craze. When the original Star Wars hit theaters in 1977, unprecedented demand for action figures tied to the blockbuster movie caught toy maker Kenner Products off guard, and it was forced to sell IOUs to the brand’s earliest fanatics.…

As Racked reported yesterday, Lululemon just completely overhauled the way customers shop for leggings. Shoppers can now narrow down their leggings options based on "engineered sensation" or how they want their athletic pants to make them feel. Your options are Tight Sensation, Hugged Sensation, Held-In Sensation, Naked Sensation, and Relaxed Sensation. Lululemon's bottoms feature fancy,…

Hear from two expert speakers on best practices for implementing site search into the online shopping experience.

Merchandising in online retail is a whole new ball game compared to the in-store reality that most shoppers are used to. Luckily, there are a few distinct benefits to implementing an effective merchandising strategy online. One is the ease of personalization. Many shoppers want a personalized experience; the following tips will help retailers provide that,…

With its sales still slumping, J.Crew is going back to basics. After the company reported its latest financial figures on Thursday afternoon, a subpar performance marked by a 13 percent drop in J.Crew's sales during the second quarter of the year, CEO Mickey Drexler laid out some of the brand's plans for the near term, including…

The largest chain of specialty Halloween stores in the country is facing public outcry after announcing it would be carrying a Caitlyn Jenner costume for this year’s holiday. Advocates for transgender rights and everyday shoppers alike are calling on seasonal retailer Spirit Halloween to rethink its decision to sell a costume in Jenner’s likeness.  

Wal-Mart said on Wednesday that it would no longer sell high-powered rifles in its stores in the United States. The decision followed years of public pressure on the retailer to stop selling some of the most lethal weapons associated with many of the nation’s mass shootings. The move predated the fatal shootings of two TV journalists…

The Apple Watch appears to be a hit at Best Buy. To capitalize on that demand, the electronics retailer plans to carry the smartwatch in all its stores by the end of next month. Best Buy will sell the Apple Watch in 900 stores starting September 4, CEO Hubert Joly said during the company's earnings call…

Back-to-school (BTS) is the second-biggest event of the year for most retailers. It’s estimated that this two-month period generates more than $70 billion in revenue, with roughly a third of that being spent online. While BTS shopping is similar to holiday shopping, BTS shoppers aren’t as willing to open up their wallets and pocketbooks —…