My friends gave me a golf shirt for my birthday. Not just any golf shirt, but an “energy enhancing” shirt that employs “intelligent fabric powered by IonX,” providing increased power, thus presumably promoting a better score when playing golf. Here’s […]
Worn Out From Wearables Read More »
“Personal Commerce” and Preemptive Distribution There are two strategic concepts that are imperative for any consumer-facing business to achieve success in the 21st century: personalization and preemptive distribution. As former Apple executive, Ron Johnson’s Genius Bar creation and Apple’s entire
When the Department of Commerce began tracking online sales in 1998, e-commerce made up about only 0.2 percent of all retail sales. By 2013, online sales had increased 50-fold. If that’s not enough to rattle brick-and-mortar retailers, note that at
By Design: The Studio Xfinity Experience Read More »
Affordable luxury is a slightly baffling concept, especially for the Millennial generation. Defining luxury itself is a challenge since we are talking about a service, location, experience or item that is of the highest quality achievable, irrespective of price. But
Redefining Affordable Luxury For Millennials Read More »
Entire store chains are declaring bankruptcy and liquidating; department stores are transitioning to specialty stores; the leadership carousel at the top of organizational charts is spinning faster than ever; and online retailing titans are … opening brick-and-mortar stores? There may
Brand’s High-Touch, High-Tech Service Business Model Attracts Busy, Fashion-Conscious Women As the apparel sector gravitates toward cheaper products, relentless promotions, and declining service, a very different microtrend is taking hold. Direct-to-consumer luxury apparel company Worth Collection Ltd. is providing hands-on
A Personal Retrospective I don’t know where to begin with this story. It’s about retail, forgotten brand origin stories, advertising, and the golden age of radio. You might say it’s a trip down memory lane, but my instincts tell me
Art Twain: Staying Loose and Coloring Outside the Lines Read More »
Store format redux from retail’s emerging trends in 2015 has proven that retailers are marching ever forward in this disruptive industry landscape. Big format stores are investing in smaller format editions, department stores are dabbling in specialty and online e-tailers
Retail’s Darkest Secret: The Knowledge Deficiency Gap Read More »
A Connected Life If you think the tsunami of new technologies, more spectacular one day after another, are now within your grasp of understanding, and soon to be mastered in implementation, do not pat yourself on the back and take
Internet of Things (IoT) Read More »
There should be a Master\’s degree in customer engagement (MCE) obtainable from Harvard or any of the other top-tiered universities. It should be as revered and valued as an MBA, including comparable compensation. And every retail associate or associate wannabe,
An App For Hugging? Never, Ever at Mitchells Read More »
