Product Sourcing

Burberry Sues J.C. Penney for Selling Knockoffs
February 10, 2016 at 12:11 pm

Burberry Group Plc, the British luxury fashion brand, sued J. C. Penney Co on Tuesday, accusing the U.S. retailer of trademark infringement for selling outerwear that featured exact copies of its famous "Burberry check" pattern. In a complaint filed in U.S. district court in Manhattan, Burberry accused J.C. Penney of illegally selling "quilted jackets" with the…

Amazon Expands Logistics Reach With Move Into Ocean Shipping
January 15, 2016 at 10:42 am

Amazon.com Inc's China arm has registered as an ocean freight forwarder, according to the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, a move that will give it more control over shipping products from Chinese factories to U.S. shoppers. The registration is the latest indication that Amazon plans to expand its logistics reach to cut costs for its retail business…

How Wholesalers Are Fueling the On-Demand Economy
December 15, 2015 at 10:12 am

Consumer expectations have never been higher. They want simple shopping experiences online, on their mobile devices, and in person — whatever is most convenient at any point in time. Most of all, they want to be able to purchase the exact item they’re looking for, and they want it delivered fast. For the last decade,…

Top Fashion CEOs Fear Rising Costs From Climate Change
December 4, 2015 at 9:57 am

The chief executives of seven top clothing companies, including Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), Gap, and Adidas, are calling on governments to agree to a strong climate change deal, saying they fear global warming will drive up their costs. Almost 200 nations are meeting in Paris until Dec. 11, trying to work out a deal to…

Amazon Considers Own Private Label Clothing Line
October 30, 2015 at 11:01 am

Amazon.com, which has been working hard for years to build up Amazon Fashion, anticipates selling its own private-label clothing brands, an executive said at a conference Tuesday. “For Amazon, we know our customers love brands, many of the brands in this room … and that’s where the lion’s share of our business comes from,” Jeff Yurcisin,…

Western Retail Giants Restrict Travel to Bangladesh After Attacks
October 19, 2015 at 11:01 am

Business executives from global clothing giants H&M, Inditex and Gap have canceled trips to Dhaka this month after the killings of two foreigners, industry sources said, causing anxiety for Bangladesh's $25 billion garment export sector. Bangladeshi suppliers to the world's top brands said they didn't expect the disruptions to hurt their orders for the year-end Christmas…

PETA Targets Urban Outfitters Over Angora Rabbit Fur
October 12, 2015 at 11:37 am

Fur will be flying. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is hopping mad at hipster retailer Urban Outfitters and its Free People clothing brand for selling sweaters, hats and dresses made from angora rabbit fur. The group is launching a campaign Monday targeting Free People and highlighting the cruelty it says is inflicted on rabbits…

Whole Foods to Stop Selling Products Made by Prisoners
October 7, 2015 at 11:09 am

Whole Foods will stop selling products made using a prison labor program after a protest at one of its stores in Texas. The company said the products should be out of its stores by April 2016, if not sooner. Whole Foods said it has sold tilapia, trout and goat cheese produced through a Colorado inmate program…

Alibaba’s Taobao Faces Call to Be Renamed a ‘Notorious Market’
October 6, 2015 at 12:24 pm

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Taobao shopping website should be put back on the U.S. government’s “Notorious Markets” list for failing to stop the sales of fakes, according to a group representing U.S. clothing makers. Taobao is synonymous with counterfeits and has been unwilling to make serious reform since it was removed from the list in 2012,…

E-Commerce, Sustainable Products Fuel Boll & Branch's Growth
October 5, 2015 at 11:58 am

By going direct to consumer, luxury bedding brand Boll & Branch has been able to keep its prices competitive without sacrificing the quality on which the brand has built its reputation (its products are made with certified organic cotton). In this episode of Total Retail Talks, Scott Tannen, co-founder and CEO of Boll & Branch,…