Merchandising

lululemon athletica is at a turning point. It's been two years since the activewear company brought in Laurent Potdevin as chief executive officer. His task: cut the waste and expense of designing, making and distributing its garments, and rebuild customer trust after the 2013 recall of $98 yoga pants that became sheer when the wearer bent…

I like to remind folks that consumers are actually people who happen to shop once and a while and look for something beyond “stuff.” This past May, I talked about one retailer’s return to past glories, and what I saw for its brick-and mortar future. Here's why chic beats cheap every time. Cheap Chic Recaptivates…

Target is teaming up with SoulCycle on a 10-city tour that will include free cycling classes and pop-up shops, making good on two of the retailer's New Year’s resolutions — to get fit and be cool. SoulCycle is the gold standard for studio cycling, complete with candlelight, rocking music, and A-list devotees including Kelly Ripa…

This interactive webinar will seek to help retailers get the most bang for their buck from their data.

When Ron Boire was growing up on a dairy farm in upstate New York, helping out around the property for $2 an hour, he saw new books as an out-of-reach luxury. “We didn’t have any money, and my mother was a voracious reader,” he said. “I remember telling a friend, when I grow up, I want…

Consumers are getting comfy. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a shift in how consumers dress for both work and play. From casual tennis shoes and T-shirts at work to yoga pants at the local watering hole, fitness wear is moving beyond the gym and hitting the streets. According to NPD Group, "athleisure" clothing…

While Target is holding fast with its decision to market a controversial Christmas sweater, Nordstrom has buckled under the weight of social media criticism, pulling a potentially offensive Hanukkah version from its ugly holiday sweater lineup. The festive blue women's sweater by Faux Real features a large menorah and the words "Chai Maintenance" across the chest.…

Macy's and Luxottica Group, a leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of fashion, luxury and sports eyewear, today announced an agreement to bring the LensCrafters optical retail experience to as many as 500 Macy’s department stores in the U.S. over the next three years. The licensed department agreement builds on a successful relationship between the…

To the chagrin of some shoppers, a sweater that tried to capitalize on holiday cheer with a pun — OCD for "Obsessive Christmas Disorder" instead of "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" — is still being sold online and in stores at Target. Miffed by what they're calling a lack of empathy for people who suffer from the disease,…

The Shop.org Digital Summit in Philadelphia just wrapped up, and it’s becoming one of my favorite events to attend. Why? First, it's short and sweet. I love the two-day format! It brings everyone together in a condensed program and then lets the people carry the momentum, learning and energy from the conference back to their companies…