
A Store Is Not a Strategy
How do retailers replace transactions with emotional connection? And the answer is: Retailers need to figure out how to bridge a brand concept to a physical experience, and most are failing.
Retail insights at the intersection of now and next. Unfiltered. Unbiased

How do retailers replace transactions with emotional connection? And the answer is: Retailers need to figure out how to bridge a brand concept to a physical experience, and most are failing.

https://youtube.com/shorts/4RZRxakDN4Y?feature=share Hard to believe but Aldi has been in the American market for 50 years this year. And it’s even harder to believe that when this year closes out it will have almost 2,800 locations in the U.S. en route to

Join Shelley and Sandy DeFelice, Senior Vice President of Revenue and Strategic Accounts at Digital Wave Technologies, as they reveal how clinging to traditional product descriptions and outdated data structures are becoming untenable.

Will 2026 see a continuation of the volatile tariff swings of 2025 and will the U.S. stop importing from. China? And the answer is: It is unlikely that tariffs will stabilize into something more predictable—not free trade, but a stable managed relationship where some doors close while others remain strategically open, especially when it comes to a pragmatic relationship with China.

Is founder Chip Wilson able to save Lululemon, or will his ego push the brand further into irrelevance? And the answer is: One man’s ego is not the soul of a brand, and this founder’s re-emergence can’t dictate a public company board’s fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders.
Melissa Gonzalez didn’t plan to revolutionize retail. The Principal and founder of MG2 and author of The Purpose Pivot, left her Wall Street career for a more creative path, leveraging her analytical talent, risk management ability and affinity with consumer passion. Her career has been defined by clarity in the midst of chaos, by understanding the bigger picture.

Is physical retail contracting or expanding in 2026? And the answer is: From limited-run openings including Primark and Wayfair to a mega 450 new locations for dollar stores, physical retail reflects optimism and courage in the new year.

Join Shelley and Sandy DeFelice, Senior Vice President of Revenue and Strategic Accounts at Digital Wave Technologies, as they reveal how clinging to traditional product descriptions and outdated data structures are becoming untenable.

Effective retailing demands that we enable people to find, believe, and share their own stories. And to do so enthusiastically, without hesitation. They shouldn’t have to face distrust and wait for vetting by a Chief Storyteller.
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