Product Sourcing

Signet Jewelers Ltd., owner of the Kay, Zales and Jared chains, denied systematically switching customers’ gems for lower-quality stones after reports alleged the company repeatedly engaged in the practice. "We strongly object to recent allegations on social media, republished and grossly amplified, that our team members systematically mishandle customers’ jewelry repairs or engage in ‘diamond swapping,’"…

Don and Jin Sook Chang, the billionaire owners of Forever 21, seemed to have it all in recent years — a happy marriage and one of the hottest retail chains in the country. Now both may be on the rocks. The fast-fashion retailer, which for years was busy opening ever-larger stores around the globe, is late paying…

Gap Inc. is pulling T-shirts displaying the names of two indie rock bands from store shelves after the musicians accused the retailer of selling the items without their permission. The two groups, Cold War Kids and The Shins, discovered the items last month and notified fans that the apparel chain wasn’t authorized to sell the shirts.…

Total Retail Talks is Total Retail’s podcast channel, and it features interviews and insights with some of the leading minds in the retail industry. Please check out our podcast channel page for all episodes, show notes and additional information. Also, you can access Total Retail Talks episodes on iTunes and Stitcher. We hope you’ll join us! Jodie Fox, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Shoes…

Everyone loves a comeback story, but they're notoriously rare in the apparel, luxury and fashion worlds. Of course, just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it can’t be done — just look at Coach and Ray-Ban, two of the most exciting comeback stories in luxury retail. As an investor, it’s worth understanding the why and how…

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. has made its private labels a key part of its strategy to capture market share and continue to improve its results. J.C. Penney shares are up 15.4 percent in Friday trading in the wake of its fourth-quarter earnings release on Thursday and management commentary on the higher-margin private label approach.

Certain types of laminate flooring made by Lumber Liquidators have a greater risk of causing cancer or other health problems than previously believed, U.S. health regulators said Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that exposure to formaldehyde in the flooring was greater than it had calculated earlier this month, meaning people who purchased…

Struggling discount department store Kmart will begin selling merchandise from bankrupt retailers, liquidations and "other opportunistic situations," the company said Wednesday. "The path to making Kmart great again starts with sourcing truly brag-worthy deals," Kmart President Alasdair James said in a statement. "Just as when we brought back Bluelight Specials last year, we continue to find…

Honest Co., the online shopping company co-founded by actress and model Jessica Alba, was accused in a lawsuit of fraudulently labeling dozens of home and personal care products as natural, plant-based or chemical-free, causing consumers to overpay. The complaint filed on Friday night by Brad and Manon Buonasera in U.S. District Court in Manhattan targets Honest’s…

Apparel chains, finding it tough to coax more dollars from their customers, are now looking to pick the pockets of their vendors, The Post has learned. After a weak holiday season and a challenging year for sales, a growing number of chains are asking their suppliers to fork over discounts. The reason? Suppliers have super-sized their margins because…