Retailers Should Be Wary of Trade School Grads
There is a disturbing disconnect between the classroom and performance on a retail sales floor. This is an industry-wide problem. If you ask any local retail manager, they’ll probably tell you they’re retraining new hires from scratch while eating the costs of avoidable returns. To be blunt, what retailers fail to realize is that the counter is only as good as the training behind it.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis
The Only Female Leader in the Room Becomes a Disruptive Tech CEO
Melissa Gonzalez didn’t plan to revolutionize retail. The Principal and founder of MG2 and author of The Purpose Pivot, left
Is Netflix House the Next Big Retail Thing?
It doesn’t get any more experiential than Netflix’s store format, which takes participatory adventures, hospitality and the ubiquitous gift shop
Walmart: The Robin Report Retail Hit of the Week, 2.7.2026
Take that Amazon and Google and all the rest of you entitled Magnificent Seven: You’ve got a new trillionaire member,
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Retail Unwrapped
Our weekly podcast with Shelley E. Kohan, & guests. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
Experience
Costco: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 1.31.2026
A proposed class action lawsuit has reportedly been filed in San Diego claiming that Costco’s labeling on its famed $4.99
Creeping Out Customers Is the New Normal
The creep-out trend is driven by a greater aesthetic shift away from the pursuit of perfection, which smacks of AI’s
The State of Gen Z in 2026: The Checked-Out Generation
Gen Z is a politically bifurcated demographic of stressed-out, risk-averse consumers facing career stagnation and uncertainty in 2026. It’s hard
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Opinion
Retail in 2026 Faces Political Headwinds — But Not a Freefall
If I were sitting in the CEO chair at a major retailer — whether a mass merchant like Macy’s or
When the Checkout Aisle Becomes a Ballot Box
Political leaders pull retailers into their orbit because brands are visible and relatable in a way that institutions and policies
Retail in 2026 Faces Political Headwinds — But Not a Freefall
If I were sitting in the CEO chair at a major retailer — whether a mass merchant like Macy’s or
When the Checkout Aisle Becomes a Ballot Box
Political leaders pull retailers into their orbit because brands are visible and relatable in a way that institutions and policies
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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
Intelligent Retail: Mastering Agentic AI
At best, Agentic AI is a system’s ultimate thinking tool. Enabling a retail metachannel, Agentic learns from itself, tests and
The Overwhelm Era: Tech-Obsessed Brands Alienate Overstimulated Shoppers
Retailers say they’re digitally transforming to capture next gen shoppers’ loyalty. That’s because self-serving studies from digital solution providers have
You’ll Need a Video Game Strategy for Next Gens
The key to tapping into gaming communities is authenticity — the most successful brand activations don’t just show a potential
Management
Walmart: The Robin Report Retail Hit of the Week, 2.7.2026
Take that Amazon and Google and all the rest of you entitled Magnificent Seven: You’ve got a new trillionaire member,
Chip Wilson’s Fight To Save Lululemon, Redux
Is founder Chip Wilson able to save Lululemon, or will his ego push the brand further into irrelevance? And the
Operations
What’s TikTok Shop’s Future?
TikTok Shop harnesses the power of interest-driven impulse shopping through entertainment, rather than consumer necessity, like Amazon. Using “shoppertainment” to
If You’re Not Watching Grocery, You’ll Miss the Future of Retail
If higher-income households in large metro markets are driving the e-grocery surge, what happens with everyone else? What happens to
It’s Walmart 4,606, Amazon 1
Amazon’s new giant store is its latest shot at figuring out physical retailing. After all the wrong turns the online