Retail insights at the intersection of now and next. Unfiltered. Unbiased
Join Shelley and Stephanie Downs, a biomaterials pioneer and CEO of Uncaged, as they have an honest conversation about how fashion executives who use natural leather are caught between mounting environmental pressure to change and legacy suppliers who resist touching alternative materials.
Political leaders pull retailers into their orbit because brands are visible and relatable in a way that institutions and policies are not. And that makes retailers uniquely vulnerable to being pulled into national conversations they never intended to join.
When proof becomes the foundation of brand storytelling, loyalty follows. Younger consumers are not inherently cynical. They are discerning. They want to believe, but they need reasons to.
Sharon John stepped into Build-A-Bear Workshop 12 years ago seamlessly and successfully following Founder Maxine Clark’s retirement. While the boardroom predicted disaster, Sharon orchestrated a textbook turnaround. A veteran of Mattel, she preserved Maxine’s vision and 28-year-old brand legacy and maintained the culture while driving transformation, proving that respect for the past and immediate results aren’t mutually exclusive.
In Chicago, shoppers can pick up an affordable logo-emblazoned polo shirt at a Ralph Lauren store, enjoy a $6 latte at Ralph’s Coffee, and have a $43 lobster roll at RL Restaurant. Accessibility is experience-driven: For aspirational consumers, “being there” gives them a taste of luxury.
Join Shelley and Evan Gold of Planalytics as they discuss the fact that the weather is more volatile now than it ever has been before with extreme weather events occurring in the U.S. every three weeks. Evan explains that retailers need to proactively plan with demand forecast accuracy that can increase overall profitability up to 30 percent.
Price John recruited executives from multi-billion-dollar companies, deliberately building a team of high-performers positioned for their next career leap. She offered them stretch opportunities that would accelerate both individual growth and the Build-A-Bear Workshop‘s organizational transformation.
The winning TikTok strategy? Consumers gravitate toward products that deliver convenience, comfort, and clear value, amplified by creators who show how to use them.
Urban Outfitters is launching a new store experience—one they insist is driven by “customer insight and market preferences.” Walk in and the whole thing feels less like a modern retail vision and more like a 90s Limited Too reboot that nobody asked for.
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