Tariff Chaos and the Widening Gyre
How does a business leader who may have just breathed a sigh of post-Covid-19 relief in early 2026, only to be confronted by the now-illegal “Liberation Day” program, proceed? Business executives, both CEO’s and owners of small, medium, large and overlarge enterprises, always have faced the vagaries of uncertain futures driven by rising inflation, rising interest rates, ever-changing consumer preferences, competitive challenges, etc. But these issues now all pale in the uncertainty of yet another new round of tariffs.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis
The Olympics Is a Runway Grab
Athletes have always been role models. Veteran skier Lindsay Vonn has been a Rolex brand ambassador since 2009. But recently,
Kohls: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 2.21.26
The idea of full price retailers setting aside a dedicated promotional area in their stores goes back at least to
How Not to Run a Retail Business
Join Shelley and Rachel Williamson, founder and CEO of Running Great Stores, as they unpack how frontline operational excellence is
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Retail Unwrapped
Our weekly podcast with Shelley E. Kohan, & guests. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
Experience
Eyewear Outperforms Luxury Categories
Successful eyewear rivals the versatility of today’s designer handbag collections. Customers blend moods, styles, and personal expression throughout their everyday
Is Your Brand Scented?
There’s something in the air: Ambient scent marketing continues its steady ascent. Think of scent as a logo in the
A New Formula for Luxury Marketing
The uber luxury market is the only one poised for genuine, sustainable, profitable growth. It’s time to forget about the
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Opinion
Retailers Should Be Wary of Trade School Grads
There is a disturbing disconnect between the classroom and performance on a retail sales floor. This is an industry-wide problem.
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
Retailers Should Be Wary of Trade School Grads
There is a disturbing disconnect between the classroom and performance on a retail sales floor. This is an industry-wide problem.
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
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The Retail Unwrapped Podcast
Retail insights on-the-go, with Shelley E. Kohan. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
From Our Partners
Placer’s 10 Brands to Watch + 3 Surprises
Check out Placer.ai’s latest enlightening report on the 10 Top Brands to Watch in 2025 when it comes to retail
How LoveShackFancy and WeWoreWhat Are Crushing Consumer Engagement
Watch and learn LoveShackFancy and WeWoreWhat are building engagement and social media strategies that matter to today’s younger consumer.
Technology
Think You’re in Control Shopping for Groceries? Wrong!
Every scan of your card, every clipped coupon, every “substitute” you accept when something’s out of stock is recorded. You’re
Intelligent Retail: Mastering Agentic AI
At best, Agentic AI is a system’s ultimate thinking tool. Enabling a retail metachannel, Agentic learns from itself, tests and
The Overwhelm Era: Tech-Obsessed Brands Alienate Overstimulated Shoppers
Retailers say they’re digitally transforming to capture next gen shoppers’ loyalty. That’s because self-serving studies from digital solution providers have
Management
Walmart: The Robin Report Retail Hit of the Week, 2.7.2026
Take that Amazon and Google and all the rest of you entitled Magnificent Seven: You’ve got a new trillionaire member,
Chip Wilson’s Fight To Save Lululemon, Redux
Is founder Chip Wilson able to save Lululemon, or will his ego push the brand further into irrelevance? And the
Operations
A Store Is Not a Fulfillment Center
Retail is in a moment of transition. It is missing something fundamental: a systems thinking approach to making decisions with
Curate or Get Curated
Retailers that continue to compete primarily on product breadth risk becoming background noise. Availability doesn’t equate to value. Curation isn’t
What’s TikTok Shop’s Future?
TikTok Shop harnesses the power of interest-driven impulse shopping through entertainment, rather than consumer necessity, like Amazon. Using “shoppertainment” to