The Big Picture The retail environment continues to show resilience despite a mixed economic backdrop. U.S. GDP grew at a 2.0% annualized rate, while inflation climbed to 3.8%, driven largely

There’s a growing temptation in retail to believe that if you just plug your data into an AI system, it will handle inventory planning for you cleanly, objectively, and without

The Big Picture U.S. economic indicators are starting to soften. Inflation edged up to an annual rate of 3.3% last month, while consumer confidence fell by nearly 11%, signaling increased

Retailers often return from market energized. They are full of ideas, inspiration, and a clear vision for the season ahead. Fall assortments, in particular, tend to spark excitement. Rich textures,

The Big Picture The latest economic headlines paint a mixed picture. The job market appears to be tightening, GDP growth is cooling, and inflation continues to inch upward. And yet…

Headlines change, tariff percentages change, and political winds change, but your planning discipline shouldn’t. Retailers get into trouble when they try to predict what will happen instead of preparing for

The Big Picture Inflation cooled last month, and the job market picked up steam. But there’s a catch: 2025 job growth was revised sharply downward — from 584,000 new jobs

Inventory planning breaks down when retailers plan for products instead of planning for people. Customer profiles can help fix that. When retailers understand who buys from them, how those customers

The Big Picture Retail closed out the holiday season on a strong note. Overall sales jumped 1.2% month-over-month and finished 3.5% higher than last year. According to the National Retail

For independent apparel retailers, the difference between a strong year and a stressful one often comes down to planning. Too many promotions are created at the last minute, driven by