Merchandising

Reaching your target consumers is a challenge. Shifting consumer behavioral patterns and new shopping channels have complicated how marketers and brands approach shoppers. And while e-commerce has taken a big bite out of in-store sales and partnered with the pandemic to fuel headlines about a “retail apocalypse,” shoppers still walk, in vast numbers, into physical…

Target warned investors Tuesday that its profits will take a short-term hit as it marks down unwanted items, cancels orders, and takes aggressive steps to get rid of extra inventory, reports CNBC. The retailer slashed its profit margin expectations for the fiscal second quarter from around 5 percent to around 2 percent to account for a…

Today’s "Now Economy" demands unprecedented adaptiveness in retail planning cycles. In the era of “I see it, I want it, I’ve got it,” traditional seasonal planning can no longer meet accelerating shifts in consumer expectations. As a result, retailers are now adopting vendor-fulfilled models like drop-ship and marketplace — but while this represents a step…

On its May 26 earnings call, Gap Inc. announced its decision to scale back the groundbreaking accessibility of inclusive sizes launched by its Old Navy brand in August 2021, reports Glossy. It attributed the decision to a decrease in demand for larger sizes. Old Navy will continue to carry sizes 0-30 and XS-4X online, but dozens…

The most common excuse made in the world of business and commerce — often said defensively, in hushed tones and with no small degree of implied embarrassment — is, “it’s the way we’ve always done it.” Well, we’re only human, after all. Stagnation and stasis and the comfort of the known often keeps us from…

In episode 349 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Shawn Nelson, founder and CEO of Lovesac, the ultimate modern furniture store featuring high-quality bean bag chairs, sectionals and accessories. Nelson shares Lovesac's origin story, how the brand's products and business has evolved over time, and some of the factors that have fueled its…

In episode 347 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Lori Conley, general merchandise manager at BHLDN, a thoughtfully curated wedding shop brought to you by Anthropologie, part of the URBN portfolio of global consumer brands. Conley discusses how the BHLDN brand is unique in the bridal industry, her professional background in retail and bridal, and the…

It’s no secret that the pandemic changed the way many of us shop. In a more remote world, brands and retailers’ digital efforts have expanded by leaps and bounds in a short time due to necessity. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of this rapid expansion has been a misalignment of information across the countless…

Adding an effective search function to your e-commerce website isn't a routine "check it off" task — it's absolutely critical to your success. Online shoppers who use a search function are 1.8 times more likely to convert into a purchase, and 42 percent of those online shoppers begin their site visit by going to the…

In a session earlier this week at Shoptalk 2022 in Las Vegas, Sam's Club CEO Kath McLay detailed how the retailer is delivering better experiences for its members across both physical and digital channels. Sam's Club, the warehouse club owned by Walmart, has posted an impressive 27 percent growth in its e-commerce business over the…