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.

Macy’s: The Charade on 34th Street? (Part 1)

Mark Cohen January 8, 2019

Note: This is the first of a two-part series. The article is strictly the opinion of the author and not necessarily the viewpoint of The ...

Nordstrom: A Paragon of Virtue Gone Astray?

Mark Cohen August 14, 2018

Like many in the retail industry, to say nothing of millions of customers, I have always been a big fan of Nordstrom. I’m afraid I ...

Walmart: A $500B Lawn Dart Desperately Seeking a Patch of Grass

Mark Cohen July 22, 2018

A lot of people have begun to sing Walmart’s praises. I’m not one of them. In fact, Walmart is a company I have an increasing ...

I’m as Mad as Hell

Mark Cohen January 5, 2018

Those of us who were around in 1976 may remember the movie Network, starring Peter Finch. There is a memorable scene in the movie in ...

The Transformation Trap

Mark Cohen June 7, 2017

Ever-emerging new technologies and new financial realities, constantly changing consumer preferences and ruthless competitive challenges make effective transformational leadership a retailing management imperative. While maintenance ...

A Primer: Retailing Stands on Five Pillars

Mark Cohen December 12, 2016

Leaning Too Hard on One of Them Can Be Fatal Retail businesses stand or fall based on their strengths and weaknesses with regard to five ...

The Store of the Future

Mark Cohen February 22, 2016

In 1983, “New York Times” journalist and eminence grise of retail reportage, the late Isadore Barmash, reported on the then newly revealed Sears Roebuck “Store ...

Cautionary Tales

Mark Cohen January 6, 2016

Why do Retail Company Boards of Directors Appoint Dysfunctional CEOS — Then Fail to Recognize Their Error Before It’s Too Late? All publicly held companies ...

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