Pricing

Tariffs: How Smart Retailers and Brands Are Handling the Trade War
February 19, 2019 at 11:24 am

The trade war with China has been cited as a primary cause of much of the recent economic volatility, from the stock market dive last fall to fluctuations in oil prices. While it's clear that tariffs are creating some level of instability as companies and investors try to guess what will happen next, many retailers…

Study Finds Markdowns Cost U.S. Retailers $300 Billion in Revenue
February 8, 2019 at 3:37 pm

In a survey conducted by Coresight Research and Celect, more than 200 senior retail decision makers shared their views on top areas of concern around inventory decisions and the correlation to key performance indicators such as full-price sell through, markdowns, stockouts and margins.

Best Retail Tips of 2018 to Drive Improved Performance This Year
February 1, 2019 at 9:10 am

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Joe Keenan shares a few of his favorite tips from Total Retail’s recently released report, 50 Best Retail Tips of 2018. This annual report highlights the best tips over the course of the past year, and provides a blueprint for how retailers and brands can leverage those insights to…

Vision for the Future: Zenni Optical's Plan for Owning the Online Eyewear Category
January 7, 2019 at 11:10 am

In episode 177 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at the 2018 Shop.org conference in Las Vegas, Bai Gan, chief product officer at Zenni Optical, an online eyewear retailer, discusses the brand's growth from humble beginnings (i.e., selling products out of the founder's garage) into a leading seller of prescription glasses and sunglasses. Zenni Optical currently owns…

6 Pricing and Promotion Tips to Capture Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers
December 17, 2018 at 12:16 pm

With Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday falling on the early side this year, there's a little longer shopping season — but an overwhelming array of choices. More time means more opportunities to compare assortment, prices and offers, which means loyalty may go out the window.  How can retailers craft engaging, relevant pricing and promotions…

UPS Announces General Rate Increase: Next Steps for Retailers
December 11, 2018 at 11:58 am

Tis the season. Bah humbug … After FedEx and the USPS delivered their version of coal in our stocking, UPS doubled down with its just released 2019 general rate increase (GRI). The GRI goes into effect on Dec. 26, 2018, leaving customers with less than three weeks notice during the busiest retail season to analyze,…

The Pricing Disconnect Between Senior Retail Executives and Consumers
November 15, 2018 at 4:45 pm

First Insight surveyed consumers and senior retail executives on consumer shopping habits, purchase behavior and influences driving decisions. The surveys revealed that while quality of products is most important to consumers, pricing plays a significantly more important role in how consumers make purchase decisions than senior retail executives realize.