Merchandising

J.Crew came under fire on Tuesday following reports that the specialty retailer is now offering items in size 000 — the equivalent of a XXXS. Blogs, including the well-known website Racked and the less high-profile Capitol Hill Style, called out the new size — which compares to a size zero in the U.K. or Australia — as a signal that vanity sizing has gotten out of control.

Nearly 2,000 Home Depot stores in the U.S. began offering a wide range of connected home devices that run on the Wink platform on July 7. The Wink platform unites close to 60 devices, creating the broadest set of connected home products in one ecosystem, with 15 leading manufacturers of home products ranging from light bulbs and locks to window shades, irrigation systems and water heaters, according to Wink and Home Depot.

Wal-Mart, Amazon.com and Sears came under social media fire from consumers over the holiday weekend for selling a commemorative poster featuring a photo of one of Nazi Germany's concentration camps. Online shoppers were horrified to learn that an image from Dachau's main gate was being sold as a piece of home decor. The offending item was listed on the Wal-Mart page with the description: "Gate with inscription Arbeit Macht Frei, Dachau Concentration Camp, Dachau." Wal-Mart also promised that the poster "would make a great addition to your home or office."

Wal-Mart named 13 executives to its U.S. merchandising operations, marking the latest shake-up since CEO Doug McMillon took the reins in February. As part of the changes, Scott Huff will be promoted to executive vice president overseeing merchandising operations for the U.S., according to a company memo sent by U.S. Chief Merchandising Officer Duncan Mac Naughton. Huff has been at Wal-Mart since 1994, when he started as an intern. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company also named new executives to oversee everything from consumables and sales innovation to baby products and adult beverages.

Heather Thomson sat down with Retail Online Integration at the recent Women in Retail Leadership Summit to share the inspiration behind Yummie by Heather Thomson, what's next for the brand and how her experiences on "The Real Housewives of New York" affected her business.

Some sellers believe it's bad enough that eBay includes ads for other products and services in their product listings, but when the ads are of an adult nature, it takes those concerns to another level. An alert reader sent EcommerceBytes a link to a listing on eBay for a record album that showed images of "toys" in the shape of male organs in the Sponsored Links section — a section the seller has no control over. The title of the listing: "The Shocking Blue Original Colossus LP in Shrink 1970." 

Brands these days want their customers to know that there are real aficionados behind their product doors, dreaming, creating and delivering unique and carefully curated goods they hope will be spot on for their customers. Brands tout this as "By and For," as in created "by teachers for teachers," "by chefs for chefs" or "designed by fashionistas for fashionistas." These merchants and brand builders are full-time users of the products they bring to market. A brand's By and For strategy cannot be faked.

Collectors can now turn to Amazon.com to buy collectible coins with the launch of a new collectibles store on Wednesday. Featured on the Amazon Collectible Coins Store homepage are coins ranging from an 1882 Morgan dollar listed for $105 to an 1893 Barber half dollar listed for $8.9 million (with free shipping). The new store joins Amazon's other "Collectibles & Fine Art" categories: Sports Collectibles (launched in 2012) and Entertainment Collectibles and Fine Art (both launched last year). 

The merchandising masterminds that keep J.Crew ticking across the U.S. — the world, at this point — have recently expanded into the world of premium denim. Interestingly, they gave the product extension its own name, Point Sur Denim, differentiating it from the existing J.Crew denim styles. "We're always looking for those things that excite us, that make our hearts beat faster, and denim kept coming up," Tom Mora, head of women's design at J.Crew, explained to Racked. "It felt like the right thing to have this brand that's part of our company but stands on its own, its own name."

Columbia Sportswear, a maker of jackets and other outerwear, agreed to acquire PrAna Living LLC for $190 million, adding yoga and rock-climbing clothing that's designed to be environmentally sustainable. Columbia is buying the brand from Steelpoint Capital Partners and other investors in a cash transaction, according to a statement today. PrAna, founded in 1992, is expected to top $100 million in sales this year, with an operating margin in the low double-digits, Columbia said. The move will help Columbia lessen its reliance on winter clothes and target socially conscious, "free spirited" consumers, according to the statement.