On The Up & Up

Nobody likes feeling tricked, least of all consumers. Which is why government officials are making sure apparel manufacturers know that rayon, by any other name, is still rayon. Recently, Amazon,…

Beyond the Deal

The Great Recession schooled most consumers in the art of the deal. Smartphone apps and coupon websites fed consumer zeal to save in-store or snag free shipping for web orders. …

Rules of Engagement

Not long ago, retail was convinced that online meant the end of regular offline stores, and omni-channel retailing was not yet part of the lexicon.  But “click-and-mortar” selling is transforming…

Rethinking High/Low

Capsule collections.  One-offs.  Affordable couture collaborations.  They are all products of high/low collaborations, but what used to seem unquestionably bankable has recently hit a few snags.   This retail formula has…

A Fight to The Finish

When critics were bemoaning the fact that retailers were ruining “family time” by opening up on Thanksgiving night, they may not have factored in how much retail therapy people need…

Making The Connection

Retailers are increasingly investing in their mobile commerce platforms, be it an app or a mobile web site, to encourage consumers to use them while out shopping.  But sometimes just…

Screen Time

Initially, smartphones and tablets were considered groundbreaking for checking email on the run.  Today, though, they are a hot retail platform that is growing as fast as stores can adapt…

Enhancing the Experience

Consumers may still shop at their favorite apparel stores, but increasingly they are hitting the Internet first. Some prefer to research the store’s offerings, or ask friends for their opinion…

Gearing Up for the Holidays

Making a Comeback

For years now, U.S. apparel makers have off-shored their manufacturing, affecting not only apparel workers in the States, but also entire local economies. Today, just 2% of apparel in U.S.…