Oxford Languages (the dictionary people) defines nostalgia as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” But nostalgia isn’t relegated to time periods that we’ve personally experienced. Remember the late 60s resurgence in the early […]
Gen Z Nostalgia is Accelerating: Categories to Watch Read More »
Speculation surrounding the future of retail continues unabated. But a stroll through the Innovation Lab 2023 at the NRF Big Show revealed the bets that startups have placed on retail’s future priorities and pain points, offering tech-based systems and services
Take Notice: Smart Systems Are Accelerating Read More »
Looking back on NRF 2023, many of us were relieved that it didn’t focus on the Metaverse and NFTs this year. CEOs on the keynote stage talked about getting the stores right with better locations and optimal formats. Exhibitors and
Stores Are Back. Now What? Read More »
Even before the November 2022 class action lawsuit against Sephora, filed by a customer who evidently felt bamboozled by its “Clean at Sephora” seal, I could sense the once-hot category of “clean” beauty was sputtering. Utterly ill-defined, even more so
Clean Is Under Siege Read More »
The spatial footprint of companies touting computer vision and just-walk-out-the-door technology on the Expo floor at the NRF Big Show 2023 was large. AI is the talk of the show as retail’s latest technology trend. It dominates the conversation, even
Uniqlo and Avery Dennison Innovate with RFID Read More »
Express lines. Self-checkout. Online virtual orders. Contactless checkout. But slow-moving, chit-chat checkout lines? Yes, bucking the trend of shorter, faster, and more efficient shopping – the descriptive terms that have been the hallmarks of the modern consumer retail experience over
Slow Checkout Is a Competitive Advantage Read More »
We skimp a little on ourselves when times get tougher. Maybe fewer meals out, shorter vacations, and postponed purchases of big-ticket items. We’ll cut some corners too when it comes to spending on our kids. Fewer toys and video games,
It’s a Pet’s World Read More »
Misinformation, vitriol, body dysmorphia…all proven results of prolonged social media use. Just because Gen Z grew up in an era of portable handheld technology doesn’t mean that they’re going to choose digital lives. While the effects of growing up inundated
A Growing Segment of Gen Z is so Over Social Media Read More »
Over the last three years retailers and brands were faced with both opportunistic initiatives and post-pandemic obstacles. The industry unilaterally and almost instantaneously became aware of how the overall business model was changing. Consumer behaviors and demands have forced a
2023 Retail Strategy Outlook: People, Processes and Platforms Read More »
Over the last three years, the luxury market has experienced a whirlwind of change. In the lead-up to the pandemic, the personal luxury goods market grew 7 percent in 2019, reaching $300 billion globally. Then in 2020, it suffered a
The Vagaries of Today’s Luxury Market Read More »
