Walmart & Sam’s: The Robin Report Retail Hits of the Week, 10.24.26
Sure, you can argue what took them so long, but better late than never. This week Walmart+ and its warehouse club cousin Sam’s announced a joint membership program that ties the two brands together in a way they have never been before.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis
Sea Bags Is Original and Mission-Driven
Join Haley and Laura Hnatow, Vice President of Marketing and eCommerce at Sea Bags, to discover how a 20-year-old company
Retailers Wake Up: Women Are Top Discretionary Spenders
The female dollar is too powerful for brand executives to ignore. In 2024, women controlled an estimated $31.8 trillion in
Why Is the Frontline Stuck at the Counter?
Many Americans work in retail as a first-time job. Why do so few choose retail as a career? Tech jobs
Listen Up
Retail Unwrapped
Our weekly podcast with Shelley E. Kohan, & guests. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
Experience
Retailers Wake Up: Women Are Top Discretionary Spenders
The female dollar is too powerful for brand executives to ignore. In 2024, women controlled an estimated $31.8 trillion in
Celebrity Fast Food Frenzy
As celebrity merchandise gets increasingly extravagant (see Beyoncé’s $900 empty box), a new kind of endorsed merchandise is on the
Walmart Makes a Fashion-Forward Play
Walmart and Macy’s are inching upward into fashion-forward style, and iconic couture designers are spreading a version of their vision
Get the Daily Report
Subscribe to The Robin Report and get our latest retail insights delivered right to your inbox.
We will never send you spam or share your info.
Opinion
What Now? What to Do
Tariff-driven cost inflation is likely here to stay, and now, with an ongoing Iranian war, potentially explosive expense inflation is
Tariff Chaos and the Widening Gyre
How does a business leader who may have just breathed a sigh of post-Covid-19 relief in early 2026, only to
What Now? What to Do
Tariff-driven cost inflation is likely here to stay, and now, with an ongoing Iranian war, potentially explosive expense inflation is
Tariff Chaos and the Widening Gyre
How does a business leader who may have just breathed a sigh of post-Covid-19 relief in early 2026, only to
New Episodes Weekly
The Retail Unwrapped Podcast
Retail insights on-the-go, with Shelley E. Kohan. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
From Our Partners
Placer’s 10 Brands to Watch + 3 Surprises
Check out Placer.ai’s latest enlightening report on the 10 Top Brands to Watch in 2025 when it comes to retail
How LoveShackFancy and WeWoreWhat Are Crushing Consumer Engagement
Watch and learn LoveShackFancy and WeWoreWhat are building engagement and social media strategies that matter to today’s younger consumer.
Technology
Who’s Right About Walmart’s Pricing?
After I listened to NPR’s Life Kit broadcast, I drove to Burbank over the weekend to see for myself, and
Spatial Intelligence: Unlocking the Store
By transforming the physical store from a black box into a source of real-time intelligence, spatial intelligence provides retailers with
AI and the Extinction of Retail
The creators of AI are sounding the alarm. No regulatory cavalry is riding over the hill to insulate your business
Management
A Profile in Empathy: Mara Sirhal, Senior Vice President, Merchandising Home, Target
Being open to learning and new experiences is supported by understanding oneself. Having humility, acknowledging being vulnerable, and accepting feedback
How Did Starbucks Become the Bad Guy?
It was once beloved and respected, but now it’s besieged and repelled by a curious transformation we don’t see very
Operations
The Great Value Reallocation
Spoiler alert: Consumers are not simply trading down. They are reallocating trust, loyalty, and wallet share to brands and retailers
A Toy Story of Resilience
Unlike many of the “walking dead” retail brands that went out of business but have hung on in a virtual
Caraway: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week: 10. 3. 26
At first, one might think that this DTC cookware company, being sued by two of the biggest players in the