Merchandising

Outdoor retail operates differently than general retail. While many categories are dominated by national chains, outdoor shoppers cast a wider net, with heavier reliance on specialty stores for expertise and community. These shoppers are purchasing gear designed to help them stay comfortable or perform in real-world conditions. They often seek extensive guidance from staff who…

Analyze the structure of any retail organization and you’ll find multiple groups that influence the same outcome yet rarely operate as one system. Merchandising manages the margin at the point of purchase. Operations manages labor and daily execution. Facilities manages the environment that keeps products available and stores functioning. And supply chain is responsible for…

In large retail operations, category management teams spend significant time deciding which product goes onto which shelf and in which order. Shelf space is very expensive real estate in retail. According to Consumer Packaged Goods(CPG) Research, 10 percent improvement in shelf availability can drive a 5 percent sales lift. Shelf updates don’t happen frequently because…

Retail doesn’t have a markdown problem. It has an overassortment problem that shows up as markdowns. The distinction matters. Markdowns are the symptom: visible, measurable, and easy to budget for. Overassortment is the disease: harder to see, harder to quantify, and almost never owned by a single function. At its core, overassortment is a capital…

Generative artificial intelligence is quietly rewiring the product data supply chain. AI can now read, structure and reason over product information at scale, turning product data from a back-office burden into a strategic asset. Retailers still wrestle with fragmented product data arriving in multiple formats. Teams spend significant time normalizing attributes, resolving gaps, and rewriting…

Athletic apparel maker Fabletics is launching its first denim collection, the company announced Tuesday, signaling the once white hot athleisure category is starting to slow down, reports CNBC. The collection, launching online and in select stores on Thursday, will include 11 styles across three levels of stretch and seven washes across both women’s and men’s.…

Artificial intelligence promised to kill gut decisions in retail. Instead, it made guessing more expensive. Retailers have added more AI tools, more dashboards, more predictive models — all of which have created more noise. And it’s left retailers more uncertain about their decisions and further from their customers than ever before. The problem with retail’s…

Kohl’s has introduced “the Deal Bar” to all of its stores, a collection of items priced under $10, reports Yahoo Finance. The collection, located at the front of the store to draw attention, includes gifts, seasonal items and everyday essentials. Most recently, Kohl’s Deal Bar featured Valentine’s Day and Easter-themed items but will rotate to…

Resale is no longer a side story in retail. In fact, the global secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $367 billion by 2029, growing over two times faster than the overall global apparel market. As consumers lean harder into value, sustainability, and discovery-driven shopping, the thrift industry is heading into 2026 with momentum and…

Meet the Gen Z shopper: phone in hand, switching between TikTok and Instagram while moving through the world around them. Their attention shifts quickly, shaped by a constant feed of tailored content and instant recommendations. They value authenticity and newness, and they decide within seconds whether something feels worth their time. For retailers, this poses…