During the pandemic, brands were able to break their years-long cycle of endless discounts as they pulled back on ordering and decreased their overstock. However, as demand came roaring back in 2021, so did old habits. Now, according to BoF retail correspondent Cathaleen Chen, the author of BoF’s latest case study The Complete Guide to Managing Markdowns, retailers have lost that markdown discipline due to a lack of inventory management.

“What happens when you have too much inventory?” Chen asked. “You have sales.”

In the latest #BoFLIVE, Chen is joined by BoF deputy editor Brian Baskin, Adam Cochrane, a general retail and luxury equity research analyst and Deutsche Bank partner Kelly Pedersen to discuss when retailers should implement markdowns, how to change consumer perceptions around discounts and more.