Author

Mark A. Cohen

Mark A. Cohen recently retired as Director of Retail Studies at The Columbia Business School where he taught an array of retailing and leadership courses for 18 years. Before re-joining his Alma Mater Columbia, as a faculty member, (BS EE 69, MBA 71) he was Chairman/CEO of Sears Canada Inc, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Softlines of Sears Roebuck & Co., Chairman/CEO of Bradlees Inc., and Chairman/CEO of Lazarus Department Stores. He has also held executive positions at Abraham & Strauss, The Gap, Lord & Taylor, Mervyn’s and Goldsmith’s Department Stores.

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He also serves as a independent consultant to both the retail and consumer products industry and offers commentary on the retail industry to CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, NPR Marketplace and Fox Business networks. He is also frequently quoted in retail related articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, etc.

Retailing During Wartime

Mark Cohen March 4, 2026

Retail, which has always been a canary in the coal mine with regard to the behavior of our overall economy, will now be under even ...

Tariff Chaos and the Widening Gyre

Mark Cohen February 24, 2026

How does a business leader who may have just breathed a sigh of post-Covid-19 relief in early 2026, only to be confronted by the now-illegal ...

Saks Global: Another Trainwreck

Mark Cohen January 7, 2026

Baker, as a real estate manipulator, gets high marks. As a retail leader and retail strategist, however, he has been an abject failure.

Holiday 25: Predicting Chaos

Mark Cohen November 25, 2025

Every year numerous analysts, forecasters, pundits and prognosticators attempt to predict an upcoming holiday's retail performance. Typically, modest increases in sales are forecast. But what ...

A New CEO in a Turnaround Needs a Full Deck of Cards

Mark Cohen November 17, 2025

A turnaround is a bumpy ride, complete with false starts, exhilarating successes and disappointing failures. A new CEO must have the personal fortitude to recognize ...

Kohl’s Latest Surprise: CEO Ashley Buchanan’s Termination

Mark Cohen May 7, 2025

If Kohl’s were a cat that had nine lives, it used up life #8 on May 1, 2025, with Ashley Buchanan’s termination. But before I ...

What Can Retailers Do About Trump’s Tariffs?

Mark Cohen April 14, 2025

Trump’s tariffs spark retail chaos with rising prices, supply issues, and recession fears, pushing retailers to push back against the economic fallout.

Retail CEO

The Retail CEO’s Dilemma

Mark Cohen March 24, 2025

A retail CEO must balance customers, shareholders, and vendors while managing risks, ensuring long-term success, and avoiding costly missteps.