“Retail fit” sounds simple until you sell into different channels. U.S. retail fit for a mainstream chain is not the same as an off-price retailer supplier requirement, and it’s definitely not the same as retail fit on Amazon. Channel 1: Mainstream U.S. retail fit (consistency + reliability) Mainstream retail rewards:
A retail sourcing trip should not be “visit factories and take photos.” It should produce vendor-ready preparation outcomes: clear short list spec pack drafts packaging decisions readiness score next-step timeline Here’s a simple playbook for a retail sourcing trip; home décor supplier team (especially around Shenzhen). Before the trip: the
Middle Eastern Home Decor: A Smart “Reference Market” for Amazon Selection Managers Let’s clear up the goal upfront:If you’re an Amazon selection manager, “Middle Eastern home decor” doesn’t have to mean you’re launching a separate, hyper-niche line tomorrow. Most of the time, it’s more useful as reference value—a way to
I’ve been doing product curation for years, and the most common mistake I see isn’t “picking bad products.” It’s treating curation like you’re just picking individual items. On paper, every SKU looks fine—nice photos, solid specs, decent pricing you can negotiate. Then it hits the shelf (or the listing page)
Why Full-Length Mirrors Are a Category of Their Own Look—people don’t just buy full-length mirrors to check their outfit. They buy them to feel good about themselves. That’s why I always tell suppliers: if your mirror doesn’t stop someone mid-walk in the store and make them say “Damn, that looks
What Retail Buyers Can Do to Reduce Returns & Boost Satisfaction：What Retail Buyers Can Do to Prevent Fast Purchases from Becoming Fast Regrets
From Michael Graves to Modern Mirrors—Why Your Supply Chain Needs to Think Like Retail
The Buying Myth: One Product to Rule Them All? Not Really. In the world of retail, we often glorify the “hero product”—the one SKU that sells out, trends online, and becomes the face of the season. But here’s the real truth, if you’re a buyer: no one makes margin on
Most Suppliers Are Still Stuck in the 1990s. Here’s the hard truth: 90% of suppliers still “design and pray.” They make a product, then beg us buyers to put it on the shelf. They never asked: What SKUs are we phasing out? What visual themes are we planning for Q4?
It’s Not Just the Product. It’s Where and How You Put It. I’m Catherine, a home decor buyer for a U.S.-based retail chain under Walmart. In this article, I want to talk about a topic many suppliers ignore: A good product can still fail—if it can’t be well displayed. Display
I’ve onboarded over 1,000 home category SKUs for major U.S. retailers. Less than 10% survive more than two seasons. Why? Because the logic of buying is different from what most factories think. Why Retail Buyers Think Differently Than Suppliers Expect My name is Catherine, and for the past five years,
