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 compromised when managers are denied the tools, training and authority they need to succeed. Rachel says that great leadership requires continuous investment in self-improvement, honest conversations with supervisors, and a willingness to address both wins and failures.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis
There’s an AI Encouragement Gap
Early data on gender disparities in workforce AI training and encouragement show that the workplace of the future might be
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
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
Listen Up
Retail Unwrapped
Our weekly podcast with Shelley E. Kohan, & guests. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
Experience
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
Is Netflix House the Next Big Retail Thing?
It doesn’t get any more experiential than Netflix’s store format, which takes participatory adventures, hospitality and the ubiquitous gift shop
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Opinion
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
When the Checkout Aisle Becomes a Ballot Box
Political leaders pull retailers into their orbit because brands are visible and relatable in a way that institutions and policies
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
When the Checkout Aisle Becomes a Ballot Box
Political leaders pull retailers into their orbit because brands are visible and relatable in a way that institutions and policies
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
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
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
If You’re Not Watching Grocery, You’ll Miss the Future of Retail
If higher-income households in large metro markets are driving the e-grocery surge, what happens with everyone else? What happens to