If higher-income households in large metro markets are driving the e-grocery surge, what happens with everyone else? What happens to the budget-constrained families in smaller markets who can’t justify the premium? What happens to the traditional grocers who built their entire business model around serving those customers?
If You’re Not Watching Grocery, You’ll Miss the Future of Retail Read More »
The creep-out trend is driven by a greater aesthetic shift away from the pursuit of perfection, which smacks of AI’s veneer. Next gens are moving away from the dated and increasingly unattainable, idealized “filtered look” towards Uncanny Valley, reflecting the dystopian elements of today’s economic and political landscape.
Creeping Out Customers Is the New Normal Read More »
The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans reset the playing field for supermarkets, creating significant opportunities for retailers to lead on health, but also real risks if promotions and advertising simply chase short term sales instead of long term trust.
Will the New FDA Guidelines Change How We Shop for Food? Read More »
Gen Z is a politically bifurcated demographic of stressed-out, risk-averse consumers facing career stagnation and uncertainty in 2026. It’s hard to sell the American Dream to a demographic for whom it feels unattainable.
The State of Gen Z in 2026: The Checked-Out Generation Read More »
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.
Retail in 2026 Faces Political Headwinds — But Not a Freefall Read More »
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.
Here’s What Happens When Your Customers Design Your Clothes Read More »
Generation Z seeks out unpolished emotional experiences from brands, but the same subversive societal critiques that pique next gen’s interest may alienate traditional consumers.
Creeping Out Customers Is the New Normal Read More »
Political leaders pull retailers into their orbit because brands are visible and relatable in a way that institutions and policies are not. And that makes retailers uniquely vulnerable to being pulled into national conversations they never intended to join.
When the Checkout Aisle Becomes a Ballot Box Read More »
Join Shelley and RJ Hottovy from Placer.ai as they discuss a range of consequential retail shifts. Holiday promotions now start in September as retailers panic to lock in sales before consumer confidence erodes.
Retail 2025 Was a Radical Shift Read More »
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?
A Preview of Mixed Holiday Spending Trends Read More »
