In my work with retail leadership teams and in conversations with board members, I keep hearing versions of the same concern. The consumer is behaving differently, but too many companies are responding as though this is simply another affordability cycle. It is not. Today’s value collision is clear: Deliver more value, protect margin, and change the business model. And do it while the customer keeps rewriting the rules for what she considers worth paying for. The great value allocation is the power of the consumer who is calling the shots and assigning value to retailers, brands, products and the entire consumer landscape.