Project, Liberty Fairs, Agenda and Capsule offered retailers innovative brands and trend-right merchandise.

By Jean E. Palmieri and Aria Hughes and Alex Badia and Luis Campuzano –

LAS VEGAS — The fourth quarter wasn’t pretty for most retailers. Pre- and post-election angst, unrelenting price promotions, pressure from aggressive online players and a distracted consumer all contributed to a rough end to 2016.

But retailers aren’t about to roll over. To fight back, they’re […]

By David J Katz –

Overall, the fashion apparel/retail industry experienced a challenging first half, a tough third quarter … and then things got worse. It wasn’t the weather or the strength of the U.S. dollar. Nor was it product assortment or brand relevance or fear of terrorism, although these all contributed to the challenge.

2015 was the retail apparel industry’s most promotional year on record yet department and luxury stores continued […]

By Karen Alberg Grossman –

There’s no question that neckwear is downtrending. Most retailers have reduced floor space by 15-20 percent and sales are down at least that much. What’s more, by many industry estimates, men’s ties are about a $700 million business in the U.S., down from $1.8 billion at its peak in the 1980s, $1.2 billion in the 1990s. Not a pretty picture by any standards.

Still, as Randa president […]