Optimizing Online

Consumers are spending more than ever on e-commerce items; online spending grew 14% in 2013, according to the analytics firm comScore.  But most shoppers look at apparel buying as an…

The Retail Network

Walmart first established the gold standard of supply chain planning when it used its size and power to reduce costs and offer competitive pricing. Fast fashion, too, embodied speed and…

Widening Margins

Holiday 2013 proved consumers were all about the bargain, shopping heavily over Thanksgiving’s “Black Weekend,” and then holding out until the end for super discounts.  Even with a steadily improving…

Online Goes Offline

E-tailers may have saved the 2013 holiday season, with online holiday sales increasing 10.3% year over year, according to IBM’s Digital Analytics Benchmark report.  Despite the strong growth, e-commerce remains…

A Slow Finish

If December determines store sales for the year, retailers should be cautious heading into this final stretch before Christmas. [quote]Consumer sentiment jumped more than 7 points, from 75.1 in November…

Fueling Discovery

Tech-savvy shoppers are increasingly making new discoveries through shopping sites or apps that hook them up with their favorite fashions.  But this field continues to grow, making it increasingly important…

Holiday 2013: A Cotton Clothing Carol

This holiday season, clothing retailers can heed the warnings of ghosts of purchases past to influence the present and the future sales. Customer reviews of clothing purchases will impact what…

Hedging on the Holiday

This year’s Back-to-School shopping season was not as strong as expected, leading many in the apparel retail industry to scale down expectations for a record-breaking holiday season.  But along with…

Homegrown Retail

Americans always have something to argue about, but one thing they all agree on is the importance of buying U.S-made products.  Enthusiasm for apparel that’s made in the USA continues…

From Mobile to Brick-and-Mortar

The average U.S. shopper may well be checking her cell phone while shopping for apparel in-store.  But she’s not necessarily showrooming for a better deal online.  Today’s savvy retailers are…