
EU’s Backlash Against Asia
Asia’s infatuation with Western expansion has hit a few speed bumps. EU legislators and watchdogs have put guardrails in place against the proliferation of cheap, unsustainable imports, and brands are devising production alternatives to dependence on Chinese manufacturing. Consumer sentiment is changing, and questions have been raised about whether the Chinese model is durable in the long term.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis

TikTok Shop: Little Luxury Treats
TikTok Shop has become the ideal environment for this shift toward affordable luxury because it combines product discovery, education, entertainment,

JCPenney: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 7. 18.26
Like many people, we want JCPenney to succeed; there are some good pros there and they have been working hard

Why an AI Agent Is More Trusted
Join Shelley and Shiv Gupta, Chief Analytics and Solutions Officer at Volute Group, as they explore how AI is used
Experience

Golden Goose Gets Gen Z
Golden Goose describes itself as a “Next Gen global luxury company,” a positioning that aligns with broader shifts in luxury

Brandy Melville Is a Gen Z Outlier
For many retailers, removing fitting rooms would risk customer frustration and dissatisfaction. However, Brandy Melville has never operated like most

Noises Off
Creating calm: How can retailers produce better retail spaces and experiences with a sound mind?
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Opinion

What Now? What to Do
Tariff-driven cost inflation is likely here to stay, and now, with an ongoing Iranian war, potentially explosive expense inflation is

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

What Now? What to Do
Tariff-driven cost inflation is likely here to stay, and now, with an ongoing Iranian war, potentially explosive expense inflation is

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
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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

When AI Amplifies Retail Dysfunction
New systems cannot replace bad processes and a misaligned culture to compete for success. When owning a process matters more

Gaming AI Search
Join Shelley and Heather Holmes, Founder of Publicity for Good, as they unpack how brands need to think like their

The AI-Empowered Store
Join Shelley and Stephanie Cegielski, Vice President of Public Relations and Industry Education at ICSC as they dig into the
Management
Kimberly Shenk, CEO, Novi: Service Before Self
Kimberly Shenk has never taken the expected path. A data scientist and former Air Force captain, she has carried the

Nordstrom: The Robin Report Retail Hit of the Week 7.11.26
It’s a celebration on so many levels, and Pete and Erik Nordstrom are the hosts, with heartfelt thanks to their
Operations

Target: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 7.4.26
We like many of the things the new CEO over there at Target, Michael Fiddelke, is doing to try to

Russian Retail Is Tanking
Vacancy rates in shopping malls could rise to nearly 10 percent over the remainder of the year as Russia’s ill-conceived

Are Your Managers Mediocre?
Store managers need to do the right things more consistently. Excellence requires discipline, resisting the urge to react, instead to