Management
Saks Global: Another Trainwreck
Baker, as a real estate manipulator, gets high marks. As a retail leader and retail strategist, however, he has been an abject failure.
Mark Cohen
January 7, 2026
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Opinion
Retail in 2026 Faces Political Headwinds — But Not a Freefall
If I were sitting in the CEO chair at a major retailer — whether a mass merchant like Macy’s or Target, or a discretionary-driven specialty brand — I wouldn’t be betting on a boom. But I also wouldn’t be bracing for collapse.
Arick Wierson
January 6, 2026
Management
What on Earth Happened to Retail in 2025?
The biggest surprise is that the economy is still chugging along as strong as it is. You’d think that the consumer would be shutting down with higher and higher prices. You’d think this Christmas would have seen a lot fewer goods. And it didn’t happen. Americans are still shopping until they drop.
Deborah Patton
January 5, 2026
Retail Unwrapped Podcast
Here’s What Happens When Your Customers Design Your Clothes
Join Shelley and Eric Girouard who discuss how he built his BRUNT Workwear brand with the people who actually wear the work gear. They reveal how BRUNT was launched by childhood friends brought up in a blue-collar manufacturing town.
Retail Unwrapped
January 2, 2026
Operations
India’s Retail Frontier
India’s consumer ecosystem is entering a defining decade, fuelled by a young, digitally fluent population, an expanding middle class and the rising economic influence of Tier II and III cities, which now account for over 60 percent of ecommerce transactions.
Mark Faithfull
December 31, 2025
Experience
Why Your Grocery Store Wants You to Be Lonely
Walk into any modern supermarket and you’ll see the opportunism loneliness offers. In-store cafés with community seating. Cooking classes. Wine tastings. Sushi bars. Oyster bars. Even full sit-down restaurants. Wegmans’ Manhattan location dedicates an entire floor to prepared foods and dining.
Phil Lempert
December 30, 2025
Management
Cornered: Retail CEOs in Succession
The most highly visible hires in the retail world over the past few months have been at Walmart and Target. Both boards chose insiders to take over for CEOs who had led each company for more than a decade. Yet the contrast in the reaction within the industry couldn’t be more different.
Warren Shoulberg
December 29, 2025
Retail Unwrapped Podcast
The Shifting World of Retail Real Estate
Join Shelley with real estate experts Stephanie Cegielski, Vice President, Research and Public Relations of ICSC and Steve Morris, Founder of ASG as they reveal how retail real estate is operating from a position of strength driven by limited supply, disciplined development, and sustained demand for high-quality space.
Retail Unwrapped
December 26, 2025
Management
Gap’s Reinvention: The Peril of Chasing Relevance
For Old Navy or Gap, it’s a risky strategy to assume consumers will meaningfully find beauty or accessories as essentials. And the bigger risk is investing in these new categories before fixing foundational product and price discipline.
Marie Driscoll
December 24, 2025
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