We’re facing a peculiar time for retailers. As institutions like Macy’s and Ralph Lauren are continuing to close their brick-and-mortar stores, many have pegged this as the “Retail Apocalypse” and point to Amazon and e-commerce as the culprits. However, it […]
It’s Not an Apocalypse It’s a Renaissance Read More »
Dear Reader, can we be frank with each other and just admit that the only reviews that are 100-percent legit are those by individuals who have ponied-up their own hard-earned cash to actually buy the product they’re commenting or posting
The past year has seen upheaval across the entire U.S. retail sector, with retailers being taken to task for everything from excess store square footage to failing to understand and adapt to shifting consumer behavior. Today’s retail shakeout, however, has
Questions About Retail Innovation? Look Globally for the Answers. Read More »
The opening of Nordstrom Local in West Hollywood, California, on October 3, is a visionary move, responding to the demanding consumer youth culture. Boldly innovative and counter-intuitive, there is no merchandise in store. It is a small (3000 square-feet), fun,
Nordstrom Local: A Triple-Header: Personalization, Experience, BOPUS Read More »
The game isn’t quite over…but the fun has certainly stopped. As Toys”R”Us slogs through what looks like a fling with bankruptcy, it once again points to two very basic tenets of retailing: You better be a damn good merchant because
Toy Story…the Sequel Read More »
It’s hard to have missed the cascade of articles written about Shoptalk from its day-one entry into the retail ecosystem exactly two years ago. It came in with a bang and continues to create bigger bangs. You might even be
Shoptalk: The Retail Industry’s School, Curriculum & Faculty Read More »
Or…Is Amazon Envisioning a Future Acquisition of Kohl’s? I have to hand it to Kohl’s CEO, Kevin Mansell, and his team. The Midwestern Vince Lombardi mindset is usually associated with blocking, tackling and gaining a few yards up the middle.
Kohl’s/Amazon – Win/Win? Read More »
For anyone who remains skeptical about Walmart’s understanding of how they must transform their business model and their ability to do so, let’s set the record straight. It’s astounding how quickly this enormous “battleship” has changed course. If you understand
Walmart As a “Long Tail” Marketplace Read More »
Over the centuries, retail has blossomed into an industry that supports millions of store employees, tens of millions of people in ancillary industries, and hundreds of millions of customers. It is at the heart of our cities and towns, and
Transforming Retail to (R)Tech Read More »
Anthropology is the study of how human societies interact. Anthropologie is a case study of how certain human societies shop for home products. What a difference a few letters make. Anthropologie, the upstairs neighbor in the Urban Outfitters hierarchy of
An Anthropology Study Read More »
