The groundbreaking Sephora and JC Penney collaboration has ended. And then just as quickly, Kohl’s tripled down on their in-store Sephoras, with plans to expand from 200 to 600 stores by the end of 2022 with an additional 250 stores in 2023. This will bring the total number of Kohl’s locations with in-store Sephoras up to a whopping 850 by the end of next year, eclipsing the number of Sephoras that were ever inside JC Penney, which peaked at around 650 stores in its heyday. An while we’re on that subject, Sephora stores in JCP looked like they …
Opinion
Unexpected Unkowns
So, if you think what is swirling around the world is just more complicated and painful than normal times, and that we will once again overcome and go on our merry way, you’d better read this. Forget about experiencing one “unknown” after another over the past two years. I’m talking about horrific, unexpected, and never-before shocks that threw the world into unknown places where solutions are still unknown. We “warp-sped” a Covid vaccine after millions of people died from it, only to face more communicable variants with the new B.2 now …
Unwanted Suitor
According to Reuters last week, HBC (and its governor, CEO and executive chairman, Richard Baker) is prepping to make a bid to acquire Kohl’s. Will they succeed? Probably. Should Kohl’s do all they can to repel such a deal? Absolutely! The Unlocking Value Engineer Why? Because Richard Baker, real estate mogul extraordinaire is just that. As he reviews the totality of Kohl’s, its problems and opportunities, he is assessing its potential new revenue streams and strategic and structural changes, including economies of scale, consolidating …
Lesson 3: How Retail Proceeds Forward
Editor’s Note: Arick Wierson, a columnist for The Robin Report, has undertaken the formidable task of dissecting and analyzing the broad and far-reaching consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as it relates to global retail. Understandably, we are presenting Wierson’s commentary in serialized lessons. This is the third of a three-part series. Lesson 3: The Losses Incurred in Russia Will Force Retailers and Brands to Proceed More Cautiously as They Contemplate Future Overseas Investments By the latest count, according to the list …
Lesson 2: How the Conflict in Ukraine Will Likely Broaden the Global Divide Between the ‘Haves’ and the ‘Have-Nots’
Editor’s Note: Arick Wierson, a columnist for The Robin Report, has undertaken the formidable task of dissecting and analyzing the broad and far-reaching consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as it relates to global retail. Understandably, we are presenting Wierson’s commentary in serialized lessons. This is the second of a three-part series. Lesson 2: How the Conflict in Ukraine Will Likely Broaden the Global Divide Between the ‘Haves’ and the ‘Have-Nots’ There is never an ideal time for war and bloodshed, but the conflict in …
Lesson 1: History Doesn’t Repeat Itself
Editor’s Note: Arick Wierson, a columnist for The Robin Report, has undertaken the formidable task of dissecting and analyzing the broad and far-reaching consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as it relates to global retail. Understandably, we are presenting Wierson’s commentary into serialized lessons. This is the first of a three-part series, Lesson 1: History Doesn’t Repeat Itself … nor Does it Necessarily Rhyme Since it came out in 2020, Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money, has sold more than one million copies and has …
Retail Unionization on the Horizon
During the early days of the pandemic, a new phrase entered our lexicon: essential workers. Defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “Essential workers are those who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continue critical infrastructure operations.” Many retail employees fit that definition including those working in grocery stores, pharmacies, medical supply stores, convenience stores, pet stores, hardware stores, office supply stores, liquor stores and e-commerce operations like Amazon. Most …
Gen Z Doesn’t Want Retailers’ Platitudes
Sorry, mall-based retailers… Gen Z is just not that into you. Yet don’t take this to mean that they don’t visit your stores. Gen Z still prefers to browse online and purchase in store –– particularly when shopping for clothing. They’re also still willing to pay a premium for memorable, unique in-store experiences. Notable variances in generational shopping behavior have emerged during the pandemic. Namely, the fact that Gen Z and millennials are more interested in connecting with brands than retailers. But brands can’t be passive in the …