FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Columbus, Ohio, June 7, 2023 – Asset Strategies Group (ASG) is pleased to announce its latest move in the retail services sector: the acquisition of The Robin Report. Just as with their acquisition of Chute Gerdeman in 2020, this transaction is another significant step in ASG's ongoing commitment to broaden and enhance its scope of retail services, offering clients comprehensive …
The Missing Billions
Going green is a big selling point for consumers and businesses alike, with many moving away from companies that don’t share their sustainability values. As people demand demonstrable climate action, there’s an urgent need for brands to respond with more transparent and eco-friendly supply chains that effectively reduce waste. Avery Dennison conducted this research to better understand the global supply chain waste challenges that companies face and explore the innovative ways these issues are being tackled. Our goal is to improve transparency, …
How Has Inflation Affected Consumer Spending?
Across the United States, prices have been increasing across all industries. In July, inflation stood at 8.5%, down slightly from 9.1% in June -– the highest U.S. inflation seen since 1981. Yet, total consumer credit card spending grew 14.6% in July compared to a year earlier. The strong jobs market and high consumer savings rates during the pandemic have aided consumers spending above inflation. Find out how recent inflation has impacted consumer spending and predictions of what’s to come. Download this fascinating report, created with …
NFTs Come with IP Challenges for Retailers and Brands
As the metaverse continues to evolve as a relevant ecosystem for consumers and creators, understanding the importance of protecting valuable intellectual property is critical. In the developing digital economy, users buy and sell intangible goods, property, and services in gaming engines and online. As this economic system develops, the divide between the virtual world and reality continues to blur. Virtual stores and experiences directly connect brands and services to consumers. Metaverse exchange primarily involves digital assets (games, …
NFTs Come with IP Challenges for Retailers and BrandsRead More
MOTIF Rewire 2021: An Intervention for Fashion
Sustainable business practices have evolved from a slogan to a purpose. MOTIF Rewire 2021 hosted a global sustainability event for the fashion apparel/retail industry to advocate for thinking disruptively, creatively and differently. Janice Wang, Chair of the Board, MOTIF & CEO, of Alvanon states emphatically, “Cleaning up the fashion industry is everyone’s job. Everyone must play a part in this whole journey. We must share our knowledge, no one person can do it all.” Wang has a poignant message for veterans and newbies alike: …
The In-Store Dining Experience: At Risk
Much has been written about the gradual demise of the golden era of department stores. With the growing monopoly of e-commerce and the added catalyst of a pandemic, the future of brick-and-mortar stores looks beyond grim. Much has also been written about the pandemic’s other victim, the restaurant industry, similarly suffering a blow that it may never recover from. But no one is talking about the retailer-eatery union, the long legacy of restaurants nestled inside department stores, a symbiotic relationship that was envisioned as contributing …
Brand Betrayal
The pandemic, in combination with the demand for racial justice, has brought out the best and the worst of the retail and fashion industries, forcing us to examine more closely the brands we give our money to. Free Pass Most of the fashion industry has, for too long, been unable to uproot itself from its deeply embedded history of racial and class biases. Suddenly, though, voices demanding change have grown louder and the industry’s day of reckoning is finally upon us. Over the past few months, as the Black Lives Matter movement swept (and …
Insights from Columbia Business Retail Forum
The Robin Report collaborated with Richard Jaffe, Advisor, Next Gen and Legacy Retail at Ormond Associates to present Columbia Business School's 10th Annual Retail Forum. Hosted by Intel and sponsored by SAP, the theme, Thriving in a Digital Economy, was spot-on with a candid, provocative and revealing program about the current state and future of retail. Many themes connected the nine speakers, principally: sustainability, relevance, value, tech fluency and customer-centricity. Amazon is always the elephant in the room, but compared to …