
Why Are Department Stores Indispensable in Latin America?
While much of the world struggles to reinvent the department store, Chilean and Mexican retail giants are posting remarkable profits — by combining stores, malls, banking and integrated digital commerce into something much bigger.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis

Mecca: Australia’s Retail Trailblazer
Beauty retailer Mecca hasn’t tried to copy anyone else. It’s critical for every retailer to find its own way based

Novig: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 9. 19. 26
Hey, we get that wherever Sydney Sweeney goes controversy follows. Companies who have used her in their marketing think they

Can AI Be Trusted?
Join Shelley and Karen Leland, founder of Sterling Marketing Group and author of “The Brand Mapping Strategy,” as they unpack
Experience

Novig: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 9. 19. 26
Hey, we get that wherever Sydney Sweeney goes controversy follows. Companies who have used her in their marketing think they

Petco: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 9. 12. 26
Apparently, the marketing and promotion planning folks at Petco never studied their retail history about programs that went terribly wrong

Where Is Gen Z Watching Ads?
The ads that actually capture Gen Z’s attention aren’t on the social platforms you’d expect—and that can make all the
Get the Daily Report
Subscribe to The Robin Report and get our latest retail insights delivered right to your inbox.
We will never send you spam or share your info.
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
New Episodes Weekly
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

It’s Not Your Father’s Vending Machine
From selling cheeseburgers to Lego sets, the modern vending machine has evolved into a convenient storefront in the retail world.

AI Agents: Trusted or Transactional?
AI assistants could do what retail media networks promise but often fail to deliver: increase basket size without making shoppers

Comments Drive Gen Z’s Purchases
Gen Z is turning to the comment sections for trusted product recommendations. A recommendation from a regular person is more
Management

Old Navy Is Caught In a Doom Loop
Old Navy’s move into beauty isn’t reinvention — it’s dilution. A mature brand adding tangential categories without fixing its core

J. Peterman: The Most Famous Fictional Retailer in America
The famed mail-order catalog was a better TV plotline than a retailer, and it appears to have made its last
Operations

When Luxury’s Brand Ambassadors Become Adversaries
The luxury industry has traditionally positioned employees as brand ambassadors. But employees cannot convincingly represent a brand they can’t relate

So, What Are Retailers Doing With All Those Tariff Refunds?
Billions of dollars’ worth of refunds have been issued, and America’s retailers have used

The China Tariff Punishment Failed
The latest sourcing choice for U.S. importers? Surprise! It’s China. The Trump tariffs were supposed to punish China by driving