It's increasingly clear even to those with their heads in the sand (or somewhere else where their vision is impaired) that this pandemic is the most globally disruptive occurrence that anyone still alive today has ever experienced. Unlike other natural disasters that have befallen us, this one is still running its course aggressively and no one has any accurate way to predict the path it will take. At present, there is no way to fully define the damage that will be left in its wake. Like Boeing, which will eventually resume the manufacturing of …
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As a reader of The Robin Report, you are a knowledgeable and Important participant of the retail and related industries, and many of you are major leaders, or you would not be reading this publication. And we truly appreciate your support. However, this is not a one-way street. We either deliver valuable content, full of strategic insights particularly relevant to your specific business or we will not deserve your support. Accordingly, during this historically unprecedented, business crushing period, we have requested of all our writers to …
Food Fight: Self Feeding Shortages
Is it time to panic? The answer isn't farther than your nearest supermarket. You'll find that shoppers are voting with their shopping carts. Driven by the fear of being quarantined inside for who knows how long to shelter against coronavirus, they're stripping shelves bare of shelf-stable items such as rice, canned goods, cleaning supplies, paper goods, bottled water and just about anything that can be easily stored for future use. It all started with the recommendation of increased personal sanitation, such as frequent hand washing and …
How Do You Measure Consumer Engagement?
According to the experts, the coronavirus pandemic will end at a time of its own choosing. How do retailers adjust to business in the post-coronavirus world? We believe the most effective game plan is to embrace the seven rules of consumer engagement. Consumer engagement is a term we have heard repeatedly as a description of retail success. But what does it really mean and how is it measured? Is engagement for a 15-year-old and a 50-year-old the same? Is engagement with Chinese consumers different from Brazilians? What is the role of …
Econovirus: An Ironic Opportunity
Econovirus opportunity: and I'm not talking about investing in opportunistic products like toilet paper, hand sanitizers and bleach. I'm not talking about an ironic opportunistic way to avoid what I believe will be a severe global recession. I'm talking about an ironic opportunity that an economic collapse can provide retailers if they have the fortitude to take advantage of it. It's an opportunity to reboot the entire competitive pricing structure of the industry, back to the day when discounting was used infrequently only to get rid of excess …
Is Amazon Finally on Its Way Out?
Amazon is the most controversial retailer of the modern era. It has become many consumers' guilty default for convenience purchases. In fact, 49 percent of internet searches start on Amazon and 8 out of 10 Prime members start their online product search with the megalith. But Amazon has a growing reputation problem that's threatening to undermine the empire Bezos has built. Logistical issues, waning brand sentiment and unsuccessful product quality control (read: selling counterfeits and unsafe products) might mean the beginning of the end for …
Industry Trade Shows Wary of What Happens Next
The Covid-19 coronavirus claimed another victim last week: The Inspired Home Show, the largest U.S. trade show for the housewares and related industries. Show organizers announced its cancellation last week. While many major trade shows for consumer products and fashion apparel have been canceled, first in Asia and more recently in Europe, the Inspired Home Show marks one of the largest such cancellations in the U.S. It comes as another big gathering for retailers, Shoptalk, also has just announced it is postponing its March event in Las …
Whole Foods: Amazon’s Huge Mistake
At some point just around the birth of Amazon, Jeff Bezos said he must get big fast, (to own unreachable market share ahead of copycats) and he must get two categories right: grocery and apparel. He accomplished getting big fast in spades. Probably faster than he expected. The grocery and apparel parts of the declaration, not so fast and not nearly right. He is still fiddling around with both. Genius, Visionary or Megalomaniac? So, just because Amazon's market value is around a trillion dollars, give or take a billion or so, doesn't mean by …