We live in a commercial culture increasingly transforming itself into an endless series of stories. Disneyland/World. Universal. Woof Meow. Harry Potter World. Those are the real-world entertainment stories. And then there’s the virtual: Roblox, Minecraft, Mortal Kombat. And the social: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Match.com. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a story to empower, engage, aspire and, unfortunately, enrage. We are wired to tell and listen to stories. We’ve progressed from circling the campfire to startlingly realistic …
Leadership in an Evolving Pandemic
Leading in a Time of Ambiguity Living though a pandemic is shadowed by nearly constant uncertainty. We take three steps forward, two sideways and unfortunately, then three steps backwards. Innovators have been able to pivot and transform their business models to meet the needs of their stakeholders. Retail organizations that have calcified cultures with command-and-control management models have been or are being easily eclipsed by agile competitors. So, which category characterizes your own organization: are you innovative or is your …
La Samaritaine: A Dazzling Makeover
Here’s one for the century. The reopening of La Samaritaine in Paris redefines the whole concept of a department store. In fact, “department” is immediately antiquated and irrelevant in this new marketplace model. We recently caught up with Kevin Roche who was charged with overseeing the retail planning and design of the massive LVMH project to reimagine and reinvent a centuries-old retail business. Roche explains, “I spent seven years overseeing the store planning, design, and construction of La Samaritiane. This was in addition to …
Four Startups Reinventing Retail
The Robin Report Innovators Network introduces you to startups with novel solutions that improve the performance and profitability of retail and brand operations. Our first four Innovators have engineered actionable systems to streamline retail in everything from contract management and fit to employee accountabilities and shared data platforms. With the thousands of startups that have a hope and a dream, our Innovators are providing relevant solutions throughout the industry. Why Start Up? With so many startups in the retail-tech arena, it's …
Ten Leadership Lessons from 2020
In so many ways, the date of a new year is arbitrary. In Western societies, we’re still on the Gregorian calendar, but there are plenty of cultures that walk to a different time drummer: Hebrew, Maya, Chinese, Navaho, Islam. Yet it is the significance of a new year to mark time passing that becomes the ritual. One could argue that the whole world was asleep at the wheel in terms of dealing with the ultimate impact of the pandemic. It’s not as though we had no warnings, Bill Gates, the scientists, the UN – a pandemic was a very real …
Gift Yourself
It’s the little things in life. Would you rather get a $38 tube of lipstick in a utilitarian brown cardboard box … or in a beautiful white Chanel-branded mini shopping bag filled with samples wrapped in a silky pouch, all packed in a white Chanel-branded shipping box – delivered by FedEx for no additional fee? And Amazon thinks it has a prayer in delivering luxury? And while we’re at it, what other companies take the time and make the investment in the high touches that transform an online purchase into a brand relationship? Apple, for one. …
The Art and Science of Retail
If you were to distill what consumers want from any retail transaction down to two factors, it would be convenience and experience. And these two factors may even outweigh value and price if you deliver a meaningful experience that is imaginative, innovative and convenient. What is the glue that holds both together? Forward-thinking, cutting-edge tech solutions. So, here's a dreamworld scenario: You are in the unique position to blend your personal passion for art and creativity into a holistic program to enhance the retail experience …
Field Notes from the Midwest
There was a bright light shining during the post-holiday mall doldrums in St. Louis, Missouri. This midwestern city (full disclosure, my hometown) is constantly reinventing itself. It is a modern-day Phoenix lifting itself again and again out of the ashes of a forgotten, marginalized downtown, which was once the commerce epicenter of a rich history that opened the West to an emerging United States. The majority of St. Louisans live in the western suburbs, a sprawling county that houses the wealthy, country clubs, private schools, shopping …