Merchandising

Michael Kors, increasingly coveted by women from Sante Fe to Shanghai, is going after guys. The design house, which reported yet another quarter of growing sales and profits, said yesterday that it sees potential for up to 500 company-owned stores selling nothing but menswear. More immediately, one floor of its soon-to-open Manhattan flagship store will only have clothes aimed at men. The company will also launch a new cologne for men next month, along with a "thrilling TV spot reminiscent of an action movie." 

Hindu critics say Urban Outfitters new duvet cover featuring Lord Ganesh is insensitive to their faith and have asked that the item be pulled. The cover, available online for $129-$169, depicts the elephant-head Hindu deity who symbolizes wisdom. Criticism of the retailer comes barely a week after Wal-Mart, Amazon.com and Sears came under fire for selling a commemorative poster featuring a photo from the Dachau concentration camp's main gate. Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, has asked Urban Outfitters to take the duvet cover off the market.

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).