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# Ep. 7 - Apparel Wars: Competing in the Omni-Channel Era
- URL: https://www.dbbnwa.com/apparel-wars-competing-in-the-omni-channel-era/
- Published: 2026-10-23T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T12:00:00.000Z
- Description: Former Walmart VP Deanah Baker draws on 30 years in apparel to explain how brands survive mid tier retail compression, balancing steady basics with nimble fashion testing, compressing production cycles, and moving from DTC to wholesale.
- Author: Andy Wilson
- Tags: Between the Aisles, Podcasts, Videos, Merchandising, Category Analysis, Supply Chain, #right-lockout

The mid-tier retail sector is collapsing as operators fight for market share against relentless discount giants. Former Walmart Vice President Deanah Baker brings 30 years of apparel expertise to break down exactly how brands survive this compression.

She unpacks the logistics of competing in saturated sectors like athleisure while balancing fabric innovation with margin preservation. Operators will learn how to compress production cycles without sacrificing quality using a hybrid approach of steady basics and nimble fashion testing. We explore the tactical shifts required to transition a direct-to-consumer brand into a wholesale powerhouse.

For merchandising directors managing stagnant product lifecycles, this conversation provides a framework to safely test lines and accelerate speed to market. Subscribe and share this episode with a peer trying to modernize their strategy. What specific metric do you use to decide when to kill an underperforming test product?