RSR conducts benchmark studies on the state of the art and science of merchandising every year.

This year, our going-in hypothesis was that after a series of fits and starts, the retail thought process has genuinely and irrevocably changed. We expected to see this change affect merchants across several dimensions: an embrace of science-based processes, collaboration with other internal departments, and a more customer data-driven approach to creating and managing assortments. Our survey respondents did not disappoint.

Download the report to find seven tenets of 21st century merchandising, along with analysis of the business drivers, opportunities, and organizational constraints surrounding merchandise planning and execution.