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With the 2023 holiday shopping season quickly approaching, retailers find themselves navigating uncertain terrain. Consumers face continued high prices and economic uncertainty, as well as the end of the student loan repayment moratorium which will further reduce disposable income. After depleting pandemic-era savings, shoppers will likely be more discount-driven than ever. In fact, Salesforce’s back-to-school…

Levi Strauss & Co, makers of the iconic jeans, faced some pretty serious belt-tightening earlier this year. In April, the company announced that “escalating costs of freight, labor and cotton, as well as lingering supply chain disruptions” and “bloated inventory” were decimating margins. The market was quick to respond, with shares dropping 16 percent that…

Shoppers are feeling the crunch. Analysts are anticipating just a minor bump in spending as we close out the year with interest rates and prices continuing to climb. Factor in the deluge of discounts and offers available to consumers — plus the expansion of omnichannel options for anytime, anywhere shopping — and winning wallet share…

The shapewear brand SKIMS announced it is debuting a men's line with apparel such as briefs, boxers, tanks and tees on Thursday. The menswear launch campaign will feature 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers; Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, who plays for the Brazil national soccer…

Following Amazon.com's Prime Big Deal Days, all eyes will be on the performance of the company. The 2022 Big Deal event didn’t generate the same amount of buzz as that year’s July Prime Day, as shoppers placed smaller orders and purchased lower-priced items, with inflation being cited as a major factor for shoppers. This year’s…

This week saw Amazon.com host its second Prime Day sale of 2023. The two-day sale event, which is exclusively for Prime members, is viewed by many as the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season. How did this most recent sale event compare to its predecessor in July, as well as year-over-year? Numerator, the consumer…

If you're involved in running an e-commerce site, you already know the importance of presenting your products in the best light possible. However, the visual experience you offer your customers goes far beyond mere aesthetics; it plays a pivotal role in building trust with shoppers, driving product purchases, and ultimately reducing return rates. The findings…

It’s time for retailers to rethink the adage, “the customer is always right.” This saying initially came from a desire to keep shoppers happy and ensure top-notch service. However, this practice leaves retailers vulnerable to unnecessary loss and fraud. On the contrary, overcompensating and creating restrictive policies to catch potential fraudulent returns can hurt loyal…

As inflation persists, consumers are continuing to be cautious and experience stress. Financial reports from large retailers indicate a transition from discretionary spending to a focus on essential needs, an indicator of monetary strains among consumers. A New York Times article, “U.S. Consumers Are Showing Signs of Stress, Retailers Say,” notes that despite the resilience of…

It’s only early October, but by the looks of current ad campaigns and the décor in retailers’ brick-and-mortar shops, it’s already Thanksgiving. It’s a signal to all that the holidays are approaching, and with them, the onslaught of holiday shopping, both in-store and online. Over the past few years, retailers have enjoyed particularly busy holiday…

Consumer desire for convenience, speed and the resultant increase in online shopping has dramatically altered the retail landscape. With greatly diminished foot traffic in stores and retail spending now strapped by inflationary pressure on consumer pocketbooks, we've seen record numbers of retail bankruptcies, restructurings, and associated store closures in 2023. When a retail operator goes…

The retail landscape is in a difficult place at the moment. Between economic stressors like high inflation rates, talent shortages and industry changes such as rapidly evolving customer expectations and surging demands, many retailers are scrambling to find a foothold in these uncertain times. They need to make every resource count. Merchandising teams are critical…

In 2023, a prevailing theme that has ensnared retailers is the phenomenon of consumer behavior. Both sentiment and spending have been unstable, leading business leaders through a whirlwind of changing strategies based on predictions that never quite came to fruition. Economists collectively anticipated that an impending economic downturn would dissuade consumers from depleting their savings.…

Engagement ring spending in the United States rose 9.2 percent in 2022 year-over-year, according to the latest data from The Wedding Report, and another 2 million-plus weddings are likely for 2023. As a result, there are going to be lots of young couples walking into jewelry stores with that gleam in their eyes, ready to…

Consumers' shopping expectations have skyrocketed. They effortlessly navigate through online channels, apps and websites to find the right product. They demand fast shipping, easy returns, sustainability and more, showing little loyalty and appreciation. According to McKinsey, these are today’s 'Zero Consumers.' In today's fast-paced world of online commerce, where every click and scroll counts, retailers…

Today’s fashion merchandisers probably grew up watching Rachel Green climb the ranks of Bloomingdales and Ralph Lauren in the culture-defining show, "Friends." In the last few years, the character’s iconic pleated trousers and crop tops have made an undeniable comeback, which got us thinking — what would Rachel’s job look like if the show were on…

Studies show that 90 percent of the information processed by the human brain is visual. What's more, the brain processes visual images 60,000 times faster than written messages. As the data shows, the human brain is drawn to pictures. With that in mind, it's no wonder that content creators who feature visual content increase traffic…

In today’s modern retail ecosystem, where retailers are deploying technology to deliver effective omnichannel offerings and curate high-quality customer experiences (CX), one challenge that still concerns many retailers is the returns dilemma. In 2022, returned retail merchandise amounted to almost $817 billion in the U.S., a 7 percent increase from $761 billion in 2021. Of…

Amazon.com did it again. Prime Day, which took place for 48 hours on July 11 and 12, generated record sales and a 6 percent year-over-year increase, wooing customers with steep discounts. With inflation hitting customers this year, a lot of retailers are looking to Prime Day to help guide their own discounting approach for the holiday…

Consumer shopping behavior is changing. Because of an uncertain economic environment and record-high prices, today’s consumers are changing where they shop, when they shop, and how they shop to save money. They're more reliant on existing tactics like loyalty programs and expanding the set of technological tools they use such as digital coupons, cashback rewards…