Branding

Here’s the thing about the retail industry: As much as you’d like to believe that your store is different from the one across the street, it's really the same — at least when it comes to branded selection. So much so that up to 98 percent of stores’ branded item assortment is also carried by…

Calvin McDonald, president and CEO, Sephora Americas, opened his keynote presentation yesterday at Shoptalk in Las Vegas with a simple question for the audience: Can a retailer truly be experiential? During the next 20 minutes, McDonald proceeded to answer that question in the affirmative, unsurprisingly naming Sephora as a brand that has become experiential for…

As retailers become more skilled at harnessing big data to build predictive intelligence capabilities, they will learn to create more personalized customer experiences and drive operational efficiencies throughout their organization. Savvy retailers already employ artificial intelligence (AI) to create distinctive and transformative shopping experiences. For example, the Amazon Echo, a hands-free, voice-controlled digital assistant, lets…

1-800-Flowers.com Inc. said Wednesday it agreed to sell its Fannie May and Harry London chocolate brands to Italian chocolatier Ferrero International S.A. for $115 million. Newsday reports the deal by Ferrero, one of the world’s largest chocolate confectionery companies, to buy the two brands is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close by May…

Make no mistake: ransomware will strike the retail industry in 2017. Retailers, big and small, should implement defense processes and emergency response plans that will adequately combat this impending doom, less they will suffer the harsh consequences of a breached operation.

There was a time when the merchandise within the four walls of a retail store dictated what shoppers could buy. Those four walls have come down. Digitally enabled shopping — from mobile comparison shopping to social recommendations — has launched a feverish quest to serve the new battleground of customer expectations by delivering shopping experiences…

A year after emerging from bankruptcy, surfwear brand Quiksilver has a new name and is reporting growth in key brands, the company said Wednesday. Boardriders, the new name of the parent company of Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes, will keep its branded stores as-is while expanding on its concept Boardrider stores. The Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Quiksilver filed…

A year after emerging from bankruptcy, surfwear brand Quiksilver has a new name and is reporting growth in key brands, the company said Wednesday. Boardriders, the new name of the parent company of Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes, will keep its branded stores as-is while expanding on its concept Boardrider stores. The Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Quiksilver filed […]

In episode 79 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Megan Grassell, founder and CEO of Yellowberry, a company designed to change the bra industry for young girls. The interview was conducted at last week's Total Retail Talks Live! event in New York City. Listen in as Megan discusses how she started the online…

A company that began as an online-only retailer now has an impressive direct mail presence.