No retail segment is more competitive than the mass segment, where retailers sell many of the same SKUs and must therefore compete based on differentiated consumer perceptions of value, access, convenience and customer experience. In… Read More
Shoptalk and South by Southwest ran consecutively this year. In spending time at both, certain correlations stood out. The implementation of artificial intelligence in retail was examined in detail at Shoptalk, whereas its role in… Read More
Do you remember the term “information superhighway?” In the early to late 1990s it was the go-to expression used by every journalist, techno-geek and politician to explain the speed at which data was transmitted over… Read More
The Store of the Future Should Never Be About Buzzwords Take, for example, this introduction to a piece I came across regarding the future of store design in one of my favorite daily retail roundups,… Read More
In a world of increasing algorithm-driven precision, instability is still ironically, or perhaps understandably, a persistent form of normal. It seems that shocks to the system, outliers and inherent human fear of change are triggering… Read More
I’d like to think of my role in the retail industry as an advocate and messenger, supporting the transformation and advancement of the industry by sharing strategic insights. My ability to do this is staying… Read More
A little over a year ago, I wrote an article, “Kudos to Kohl’s CEO Kevin Mansell – Greatness Agenda Kicks In“. It was entitled rightfully so, as Kohl’s Chief Mansell deserved kudos for leading his… Read More
In spite of easy, 24/7 access to brands and retailers online, most consumers prefer making their apparel purchases in an actual store. Perhaps as an unexpected consequence of e-commerce ease, previously minor in-store inconveniences are… Read More
In a retail category that was going gangbusters last year – jewelry retailers were up 9 percent through November by the Census Department’s reckoning – Tiffany and Company has not shared in the bonanza. It… Read More
If you’re going directly to the consumer, you might as well have a bunch of stuff to bring to them. The recent move by Casper – the mattress folks who are among the pioneers in… Read More
