Some days it feels like getting a firm grip on how retail is doing requires a crystal ball. Admittedly, in a digital age with so much data providing relevant intelligence, that may sound pretty stupid. The bigger issue is who do you trust to give you the information that matters? I, for one, assume no one wants to be held captive to GenAI to make critical business decisions. Or rely on forward-thinking speculation based on a bunch of algorithms.

We’re observing pragmatic shoppers, and we dive into why certain retail sectors are excelling and others are taking a hit. We invite you to watch this fascinating conversation to learn about how Walmart, Macy’s, Homegoods, and Ulta are good at navigating a disruptive digital marketplace, and whether return to work is working for local retail that is so dependent on office workers.

Tracking physical retail growth, or not, through the lens of location data is one of the most reliable ways to diagnose and predict the current state of retail. The number of in-store visits by shoppers throughout the entire retail ecosphere is revealing and can identify who’s winning and who’s on the downslide. And this data is based on real people visiting real stores.

Our Robin Report Innovator Placer.ai is a pioneer in analyzing geo-location data as it reflects trendlines and the overall health of physical retail. How does it work? Simply stated, Placer.ai observes a portion of the visiting customers for any location in the U.S. They take all this observed data aggregate it and use it to generate insights into any venue as well as provide visibility into consumer behavior. And by tracking it over time, real patterns emerge that can guide all levels of decision-making.

Looking at this type of data at the halfway point in retail for this year can be useful in predicting trends for the rest of 2024 and finding opportunities in response to consumer behavior shifts. Our latest webinar with Placer.ai reveals customers’ ongoing drive for value. We’re observing pragmatic shoppers, and we dive into why certain retail sectors are excelling and others are taking a hit. We invite you to watch this fascinating conversation to learn about how Walmart, Macy’s, Homegoods, and Ulta are good at navigating a disruptive digital marketplace, and whether return to work is working for local retail that is so dependent on office workers. And, no surprise, what is extreme weather doing to help and hinder retail across the country? Watch and learn!