Retail insights at the intersection of now and next. Unfiltered. Unbiased
Join Shelley and Misty Skolnick, Co-owner of Uncle Jerry’s Pretzels as they discuss how this company in rural Pennsylvania has been producing handmade, 100% natural pretzels as healthy snack options for decades.
Consumers are deprioritizing retail authenticity and diving headfirst into escapism. A few extra fingers matter less to next gens than the emotional resonance of the video on their screens. The irony is that these videos are generated with deepfake technology that only recently became available, and it feels right on brand for 2025.
Noise erodes trust. When shoppers cannot hear staff clearly, misunderstand promotions, or feel overwhelmed by background clamor, frustration builds. In fashion and specialty retail, where ambiance directly influences spending, the cost of poor sound management is exceptionally high.
Hershey raised prices by double digits. A 48-count box of full-size bars that cost $40 last year is now $50. So how is Hershey responding? With a switch pitch to smaller vampire-shaped Kit Kats. Really?
Retailers with significant real estate holdings are better insulated from rising rents and capital costs and can leverage property as both a financing tool and a growth asset. The market is beginning to reprice this dynamic, treating real estate not as a static asset but as the true measure of long-term strength.
Shelley and Tom McGee, president and CEO of ICSC, discuss a mix of consumer trends that will impact holiday spending. It might surprise you to know that Gen X controls 33 percent of all spending (although only 19 percent of the U.S. population); so why are retailers still ignoring them?
There are three major keys to success: spend time on the floor, truly understand your customers, and develop the ability to lead and inspire people. Retail is first and foremost a human business
In their quest for scale, many legacy retail brands have transitioned from curators of wonderment to experts in expansion and operational effectiveness. Public listings, expansion mandates, and cost-cutting initiatives can propel these operators into performance engines by managing expenses through operational effectiveness. The smart operators blend concept innovation with performance.
Kat DePizzo, President of Justice Design Lab, reinvented the brand under dramatic circumstances. During the pandemic, with 15 people and a garage full of samples, she relaunched the #1 tween brand in America across 4,400 Walmart doors.
Sign up for emails from The Robin Report and get our Daily Report, the latest in retail insights and analysis, delivered to your inbox.
