It doesn’t take an enormous feat of memory to recall that quaint term “trade channels.” Yes, there was a time when apparel retailers sold apparel, food retailers sold food and department and mass merchandisers were broad-line retailers selling a little […]
Open Sesame: Kroger and Alibaba Read More »
One painful moment will tell us when Amazon has devoured the world. As they continue to squeeze all the growth oxygen out of everybody’s lungs, at some point squeezing becomes choking. Then we’ll know we’ve been devoured and it will
The Amazon Squeeze: You Choking Yet? Read More »
Retail’s “Big Show” at Jacob Javits Center in New York has been an annual must-attend event for retailers and those involved in the retail ecosystem for most of the 100+ years since its 1911 inception. However, since the Great Recession
An Optimistic Kickoff to 2018 Read More »
The model of committed consumption, on which subscription services are based, is a rapidly growing portion of our spending. Retail is headed in a frictionless direction, and auto replenishment contributes greatly to that, making the concept of committed consumption and
Apparel Subscription Services: How Can Subscription Retailers Be Successful? Read More »
Chances are the name Ingvar Kamprad doesn’t mean much to the typical home furnishings shopper, but take his initials – I and K – and combine them with the first letters of the farm he grew up on – Elmtaryd
Why the Late Ingvar Kamprad Changed the World Read More »
You must relentlessly pursue the personalization of products, brands, services and experiences for each and every one of your customers, because you can, And must. Those who do so will be the big winners. Those who do not will be
Many consumer packaged goods companies (CPG) and their retail trading partners seem to be like cars caught at a perpetual red light. They are idling—burning up resources, but not making any significant forward progress. And then there are companies, notably
Moving From Idle to Agile: Industry Leaders Speak Out Read More »
Much has been written in The Robin Report about the epic struggle between Amazon and Walmart for supremacy in U.S retailing. The advantages enjoyed by each of these behemoth retailers is obvious: Amazon is unburdened by physical store locations and
Kroger’s Data-Driven Future Read More »
It was the best of locations. It was the worst of decisions. With apologies to a Dickens mash-up. the news that Crate & Barrel is going to be closing its Michigan Avenue flagship store in Chicago says as much about
Crate Expectations Read More »
By Robin Lewis What is the future of the store? First, get rid of the word “store,” which defines a physical building that stores stuff. And the stuff sits there until somebody goes to the store to buy it. For
Shoptalk’s “Academy” Teaches the Future of the “Store” Read More »
