Target: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 7.4.26
We like many of the things the new CEO over there at Target, Michael Fiddelke, is doing to try to wake up this sleepy retailer from the self-imposed stupor it’s been in for the past few years. But the company veered backwards this week when it announced a new system of what are essentially a dozen demerits for employees who show up late—or not at all—that leads to getting fired for the worst offenders.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis
Signals Retailers Are Missing
Join Shelley and David Katz, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Randa Apparel and Accessories, as they challenge why reading
Russian Retail Is Tanking
Vacancy rates in shopping malls could rise to nearly 10 percent over the remainder of the year as Russia’s ill-conceived
The State of Luxury Report Reveals Significant Findings
The State of Luxury Report has just been released! This comprehensive research report reveals that luxury is not retreating, it
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Experience
The World Cup Kicks Off a Retail Windfall
Unsurprisingly, sporting goods retailers stand to benefit directly from the World Cup, including Nike, Adidas, Puma, and sporting goods chains
Nike and Adidas Win Hearts and Soles
The ultimate test of success for long-form advertising is if you remove the logo, would this be a film you
Whole Foods: The Robin Report Retail Hit of the Week, 6.13.26
The grocery channel is in a fierce battle for market share with Walmart and Kroger duking it out at the
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Opinion
What Now? What to Do
Tariff-driven cost inflation is likely here to stay, and now, with an ongoing Iranian war, potentially explosive expense inflation is
Tariff Chaos and the Widening Gyre
How does a business leader who may have just breathed a sigh of post-Covid-19 relief in early 2026, only to
What Now? What to Do
Tariff-driven cost inflation is likely here to stay, and now, with an ongoing Iranian war, potentially explosive expense inflation is
Tariff Chaos and the Widening Gyre
How does a business leader who may have just breathed a sigh of post-Covid-19 relief in early 2026, only to
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Retail insights on-the-go, with Shelley E. Kohan. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
From Our Partners
Placer’s 10 Brands to Watch + 3 Surprises
Check out Placer.ai’s latest enlightening report on the 10 Top Brands to Watch in 2025 when it comes to retail
How LoveShackFancy and WeWoreWhat Are Crushing Consumer Engagement
Watch and learn LoveShackFancy and WeWoreWhat are building engagement and social media strategies that matter to today’s younger consumer.
Technology
The AI-Empowered Store
Join Shelley and Stephanie Cegielski, Vice President of Public Relations and Industry Education at ICSC as they dig into the
Sephora Pioneers BeautyTech
French beauty retailer Sephora is doubling down on stores while simultaneously accelerating its investment in AI, conversational commerce and digital
How Intentional Is the Social Media Divide?
It’s getting harder for social media users to hear from folks on the other side of any party line. Sophisticated
Management
Which Future Grads Will Run Your Store?
Most retail talent development programs have not adapted to today’s digital marketplace and are not cultivating the right talent. Whether
Gen Z May Be Your Next Boss
Next gen managers prioritize transparency and workplace flexibility, and their aversion to top-down management models means they’re empathetic and amenable
Operations
Russian Retail Is Tanking
Vacancy rates in shopping malls could rise to nearly 10 percent over the remainder of the year as Russia’s ill-conceived
Are Your Managers Mediocre?
Store managers need to do the right things more consistently. Excellence requires discipline, resisting the urge to react, instead to
How Professional Resellers Are Killing the Circular Economy
We’re entering an era in which resellers compromise apparel value, rather than enhance it.
Customers are competing for repurposed