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Operations

Retailing During Wartime

Retail, which has always been a canary in the coal mine with regard to the behavior of our overall economy, will now be under even more significant pressure this year. Retail does, after all, make up some 70 percent of the U.S. economy. The guarded prognosis, widely held by many, if not most, industry leaders, becomes even more problematic with a war underway in Iran. If this conflict becomes a “forever war,” inflation could become explosive.

Mark Cohen March 4, 2026

Experience

Why Chanel and A$AP Rocky Reignite Luxury

Even well-off Gen Zs don’t have the once-promising career prospects as their millennial predecessors—and let’s be real, it’s hard to justify buying a $4,500 Murikami+LV bag with Afterpay if you have no prospect of money coming in.

Jasmine Glasheen March 3, 2026

Operations

Is Saudi Arabia the New Luxury Hotspot?

The Saudi luxury consumer is values-led and socially attuned: they invest in quality, heritage, and prestige, but they also look for meaning, local resonance, and a brand’s ability to show respect through detail.

Glyn Atwal March 2, 2026

Management

Richard Baker: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 2.27.26

OK, play it again one more time. At first, I thought I was reading the satirical Onion when I saw an interview with former Saks/Neiman’s/HBC/Lord & Taylor/etc., self-styled entrepreneur.

Warren Shoulberg February 28, 2026

Retail Unwrapped Podcast

A Leading Economist Weighs In on the SCOTUS Tariff Reversal

Join Shelley and Dan Altman, chief economist and bestselling author of the High Yield Economics newsletter, as they zero in on what the ruling will trigger for retailers and consumers. They discuss whether companies will claw back the tariffs they have paid.

Retail Unwrapped February 27, 2026

Management

Southdale Center Turns 70; Then What?

Repositioning malls from single-purpose points of transaction into dynamic community forums promoting human interaction is the sustainable reinvention of irrelevant malls. But, given the ginormous price tag involved, there are only a finite number of malls destined for such rejuvenation. The vast majority will perish.

Sanford Stein February 26, 2026

Experience

Korean Brands Are Moving into a Mall Near You

What distinguishes Korea’s retail expansion from China’s is not just aesthetics, but strategy. Chinese platforms have often relied on price leadership and logistical scale, pushing vast volumes of low-cost goods through digital channels. Korean brands, by contrast, have emphasized brand equity, storytelling and innovation.

Mark Faithfull February 25, 2026

Opinion

Tariff Chaos and the Widening Gyre

How does a business leader who may have just breathed a sigh of post-Covid-19 relief in early 2026, only to be confronted by the now-illegal “Liberation Day” program, proceed? Business executives, both CEO’s and owners of small, medium, large and overlarge enterprises, always have faced the vagaries of uncertain futures driven by rising inflation, rising interest rates, ever-changing consumer preferences, competitive challenges, etc. But these issues now all pale in the uncertainty of yet another new round of tariffs.

Mark Cohen February 24, 2026

Experience

The Olympics Is a Runway Grab

Athletes have always been role models. Veteran skier Lindsay Vonn has been a Rolex brand ambassador since 2009. But recently, luxury fashion houses have been joining the race to sign the next sporting icon. At Beijing 2022, 18-year-old freestyle skier Eileen Gu’s gold medal tally led to a high-profile partnership with Louis Vuitton. The Winter Games have amplified celebrity endorsements into an entirely new form of influence.

Glyn Atwal February 23, 2026

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Latest

Retailing During Wartime

Why Chanel and A$AP Rocky Reignite Luxury

Is Saudi Arabia the New Luxury Hotspot?

Richard Baker: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 2.27.26

A Leading Economist Weighs In on the SCOTUS Tariff Reversal

Southdale Center Turns 70; Then What?

Korean Brands Are Moving into a Mall Near You

Tariff Chaos and the Widening Gyre

The Olympics Is a Runway Grab

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