You would like and be inspired by her, the 20-something founder of a women’s wear brand over whom everyone is going gaga. Yet, her concerns were more prosaic in our recent chat: wholesale opportunities are scarce as retailers play safe in a challenging environment – and that wholesale demands might overwhelm her Read more…
The beginning of May marks the end of the first fiscal quarter (February through April) and is a critical time to take stock of your business. How you respond to insights gleaned from the first fiscal quarter in the coming months can determine business performance for the rest of the Read more…
January marks one of the year’s hardest challenges for retailers as they seek to liquidate old inventory to make room for Spring-related goods. Excessive discounting risks diminishing a retailer’s brand appeal. Poor inventory forecasting in the Fall can result in severe losses in January, resulting in significant gross margin loss. Read more…
The department store was pronounced dying, if not dead, with the recent release of dismal first-quarter earnings, despite rising consumer optimism that saw increased consumer spending in six out of ten retail categories (US Dept. of Commerce). While the challenges are real, department stores also have significant potential to stage Read more…
Retailers are now getting ready for the transition to spring and the clearance racks are full of last season’s goods. A surfeit of goods marked for clearance even after repeated price reductions during the season is a sign of mismatch between supply and consumer want. In the apparel industry, one Read more…