Pricing

Another quarterly earnings season is in the books, and while there were a few star performers, it was another dismal one for retailers. It seemed almost a daily occurrence — headlines littered with the next retailer that struggled under the weight of aggressive competition and changing consumer preferences. We’ve heard this story before, and same…

Rampant discounting in department stores has conditioned a great majority of consumers to wait for the "SALE" sign before even entering. And this is impacting how they make purchase decisions in other aspects of their lives. In fact, roughly 90 percent of the 750 consumers First Insight surveyed last month acknowledged that these discounts are…

The president of Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo threatened to close its U.S. stores if President Donald Trump creates a policy that forces the company to manufacture its products in the United States. Speaking in New York last week, Tadashi Yanai, chairman and president of Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, said he would “withdraw from the…

The president of Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo threatened to close its U.S. stores if President Donald Trump creates a policy that forces the company to manufacture its products in the United States. Speaking in New York last week, Tadashi Yanai, chairman and president of Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, said he would “withdraw from the […]

Russia's antitrust watchdog, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), found Apple guilty on Tuesday of iPhone price fixing in the country. The FAS said that Apple's Russian subsidiary forced 16 retailers to fix their pricing on iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 models, according to the Financial Times, which earlier reported on the ruling. The report even stated…

While traditional department stores, mall-based retailers and subscription commerce businesses have had their struggles as of late, there’s one retail category that's booming (at least relatively speaking): dollar stores and off-price brands (e.g., Ross, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx). However, that category's success hasn't translated online, as the business model of paying to ship inexpensive goods across…

Just one day after Wal-Mart announced its plans to cut grocery prices, Target said it will spend $2 billion this year and a total of $7 billion over three years to get more people into its stores. The plans include initiatives such as remodeling stores, launching more private label brands, price reductions and opening more small…

Wal-Mart is cutting prices in several markets as the chain prepares for German-based discount grocery chain Aldi’s expansion into the U.S., according to reports. Stores have lowered prices in key markets across 11 states, including Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The markets account for 56 percent of the company's revenue. The…

Wal-Mart is cutting prices in several markets as the chain prepares for German-based discount grocery chain Aldi’s expansion into the U.S., according to reports. Stores have lowered prices in key markets across 11 states, including Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The markets account for 56 percent of the company’s revenue. The […]

While large sellers are often blamed for driving prices low and commoditizing goods and services, the big guys aren’t always to blame when it comes to violations of minimum advertised price (MAP) policies. With regard to MAP, smaller retail sites are often the first ones to lower the price, which triggers larger sites and marketplaces to follow…