Retail Trends

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) jewelry companies have flourished by cutting out the middlemen—wholesalers, distributors, and traditional retailers—allowing them to offer high-quality jewelry at a lower price point. By selling directly to customers

The Big Picture The Federal Reserve took a big swing last week, chopping interest rates by a half point instead of the quarter point that was expected. This was probably

You’ve probably read about the Great Wealth Transfer, but what will it mean for fashion and our stores? The $84 trillion that is predicted to change hands over the next

The Big Picture After a lull in June, sales made a comeback last month, notching up 1% overall and beating analysts’ expectations. Consumer spending also increased in July as inflation

Sales of activewear and outdoor apparel and accessories have slowed in recent years. Let’s look at what is affecting growth in these categories, and how they compare to other faster

The Big Picture The U.S. economy picked up in the second quarter, growing by 2.8%, after a 1.4% increase in the first quarter. Meanwhile, inflation is cooling, and unemployment is

Providing new styles and products is part and parcel of being a merchant, but which factors should you take into consideration when it comes to adding new classes or categories

The Big Picture Although U.S. economic growth for the first quarter was revised downward, from 1.6% to 1.3%, recent jobs numbers indicate that the economy is still running at a

While successful retailers often scrutinize their sales reports to improve their performance, some only look at the top-line numbers, which can lead to missed opportunities. “I’ve seen merchants scan the

The Big Picture Some analysts are describing the U.S. economy as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, since the top line numbers don’t exactly convey the underlining strength. For instance, GDP