Inventory Management

Holiday shopping may kick off even earlier for consumers this year. Recent spikes in new COVID-19 cases have many shoppers worried that brick-and-mortar stores will close again this fall. And that fear is driving consumers to their laptops and phones to check off items on their holiday gift lists. The retail industry’s unpreparedness for the…

Managing spend is a tall order for retailers today. As the workforce grows more geographically distributed, and as employees increasingly drive business spending from the bottom up, it's harder to track cash flow across multiple touchpoints — from sourcing and manufacturing to advertising and employee supplies. COVID-19 has intensified these issues, forcing retailers to make…

Long before algorithms, machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and even computers, retailers have depended upon demand planning principles to stay in business. Demand planning is the foundation for resetting retail. Fortunately, retailers can now use demand planning powered by AI and ML. It can help retail chains maximize profit even in times of external…

It’s a question worth discussing as the unprecedented pandemic continues to strain the retail industry. Take, for example, TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, which reported first quarter net losses exceeding $887 million after closing all of its stores and distribution centers over a two-month span in compliance with statewide lockdowns.…

At the onset of COVID-19, out-of-stocks plagued retailers. Their immense impact was amplified by the "Bullwhip Effect" to create tsunami-like waves in demand from retailers to brands and on to their suppliers. The vicious cycle of hoarding and resulting out-of-stocks fueling further hoarding forced brands to look beyond point-of-sale (POS) data as their ultimate demand…

As the calendar turns toward September, shorts, shirts and swimsuits must make way for sweaters and slacks in retail stockrooms. But with consumers everywhere staying home, some retailers’ inventories may be bursting at the seams with backlogged products. Whether they’ve slowed their buying to keep balance sheets in check or are simply reaching the end…

As stores reopen and people return to work around the globe, it's evident that the retail landscape will be different, perhaps permanently. COVID-19 has changed consumer behavior in stores, and CPG companies and retailers need to create new strategies to maximize potential and respond to the evolving needs of their customers. Brands and retailers must…

The retail landscape of America is undergoing an undeniable transformation. COVID-19 has catapulted e-commerce center stage, with online marketplaces taking over for brick-and-mortar stores amid safety fears and lockdown restrictions. This has proven just how crucial it is to cultivate a robust digital presence, particularly as retailers are facing economic devastation, with 2.1 million job…

In part one of this article, I examined the challenges that the retail sector has faced since the beginning of the pandemic, and its inability to rely on traditional historic consumer data when it comes to meeting consumer needs. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, however, could be the key to providing retailers with the…

As states around the U.S. cautiously begin to reopen, the reawakening of the brick-and-mortar retail industry will be a phased approach. But even when all restrictions are lifted, consumers may not be ready to dive right back into their old shopping habits. At-home delivery and curbside pickup will likely remain popular among customers who feel…