Merchandising

More shoppers are starting their buying journey by asking an artificial intelligence assistant instead of typing into a search bar. They ask ChatGPT which running shoe suits flat feet, or have Gemini compare two coffee makers. The AI answers in a few sentences, names a handful of products, and the shopper moves on, often without…

Ordinary retail is simple: the store sells other companies' brands. The shopper wants TIDE, NIKE, RAO'S, or LA ROCHE-POSAY, and the retailer earns a margin for making it available. Private labeling changes that relationship. The retailer places its own mark on the goods and asks consumers to trust its judgment and consistency even when the…

At some point in business growth, a retail catalog becomes too large to manage the same way. More products enter the system, supplier input becomes uneven, and the team looks for control without adding people every time the assortment grows. With artificial intelligence now part of almost every automation conversation, it naturally enters this one…

Brand used to guide choice. Increasingly, price is becoming the dominant decision influencer. Zappi’s 2026 CPG Mega-Trends report shows brand-name-only buying has dropped from 21 percent to just 10 percent in less than a year. At the same time, nearly one-third of shoppers (32 percent) say they will buy the cheapest option that meets their…

Consolidation has long been a key growth strategy across retail and CPG. Big companies have spent decades buying up competitors, acquiring niche brands, and expanding into new categories. Why? Ideally, a large, varied portfolio would drive scale, diversification, market share, consumer trend alignment, and business growth. But as the industry evolves, are portfolio cracks starting…

In episode 506 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kathy Gagliano, executive vice president of merchandising at Books-A-Million, the second largest bookstore retailer operating more than 220 stores in the United States. The discussion begins with the history of the company, dating all the way back to 1917 (0:55). According to Gagliano, the…

In today’s retail market, the hottest item isn’t always the original product. Increasingly, it’s the dupe. Across social media, influencers regularly spotlight lower-cost alternatives to luxury and premium products, and consumers eagerly pursue these “dupes,” turning imitation into a viral shopping strategy. But for retailers, the dupe economy raises an important question: When does an…

Your next most valuable customer isn't a person. It's an artificial intelligence agent, and it's already shopping. Whether through personal assistants or retailer-embedded tools, AI is shifting retail from search-driven discovery to intent-driven commerce, where the sale is won before a consumer starts browsing. Think that's just wishful thinking from people who work in tech?…

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…