Retail insights at the intersection of now and next. Unfiltered. Unbiased
Here’s the uncomfortable truth the food industry doesn’t want to talk about: This lawsuit isn’t a joke. It’s backed by a mountain of research linking these foods to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.
Generation Z seeks out unpolished emotional experiences from brands, but the same subversive societal critiques that pique next gen’s interest may alienate traditional consumers.
Gap is chasing relevance with beauty, handbags, and a dream team of seasoned luxury executives. But the real story is one of classic retail tension: fix the core problem, or chase the bright, shiny new thing?
Dillard’s isn’t flashy—in certain circles, it’s been called “Dullard’s.” Yet it has remained a safe harbor in an increasingly turbulent retail market that has battered its department store rivals.
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.
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