InventoryManagement

After successfully revising its business processes and restructuring its operations in Europe, premium cosmetics maker Revlon now plans to implement similar changes in its operations globally. Trefis examines how those changes worked in Europe, and what they mean for the company's future profits.

As retailers wrapped up their earnings reports this week, most said they're back in cost-control mode and will tighten inventories after the holidays. Shoppers are still spending cautiously and costs are on the rise, so profits will have to be squeezed out of slowly rising sales.

Despite heat waves, penny-pinching parents and a weak job market, most retailers posted solid sales in August. They benefited from better inventory control -- giving local stores more say in merchandising -- and well-timed promotions.