Tim Baxter: Insights from a Retail Visionary
Reimagining the retail model has often been a fool’s errand, constrained by resources and lack of imagination. Short-term goals often cloud the vision required to reverse the tired paradigm; it’s better to put the customer first and the immediate P&L second. Many brands have lost their way, and the best physical retail works well when someone’s done all the thinking for the customer.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis
Sydney Sweeney’s SYRN: Unsustainable
Sweeney is a divisive public figure, to say the least. A celebrity-driven brand lives and dies by its appeal. For
Spoiler Alert: The Ultra Rich Are Pennywise and Pound Foolish
Marketing to the Ultra-High Net Worth is a much tougher challenge than marketing with and perhaps through them. The retail
Why L’Oréal Took on Kering for Gucci
While Kering revels in debt reduction and the ability to focus solely on fashion, jewelry, leather goods and eyewear without
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Our weekly podcast with Shelley E. Kohan, & guests. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
Experience
Spoiler Alert: The Ultra Rich Are Pennywise and Pound Foolish
Marketing to the Ultra-High Net Worth is a much tougher challenge than marketing with and perhaps through them. The retail
Gen Z Uses Luxury to Build a Personal Profile
Where is Generation Z actually spending their money? As their social media profiles function like supplementary resumes, they’re spending to
Why Chanel and A$AP Rocky Reignite Luxury
Even well-off Gen Zs don’t have the once-promising career prospects as their millennial predecessors—and let’s be real, it’s hard to
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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
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
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
Management
Chip Wilson: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 3.14.26
Chip Wilson is an ex-retailer, ever since he sold and then gave up control of the company he founded, Lululemon.
Lead Like Her: Marcy Schaffir, Turnaround Legend
Marcy is a customer-centric strategist and innovator; founder of Schaffir Consulting in 2022 she has been one of the most
Operations
A Store Is a Strategic Engine
Operationally rigorous retail is harder to replicate than it appears. It requires clear strategic priorities, disciplined assortment planning, and investment
Warby Parker: The Robin Report Retail Hit of the Week, 3.7. 2026
Every company that came along after them said they were the “Warby Parker of…whatever” and virtually every one of them
Retailing During Wartime
Retail, which has always been a canary in the coal mine with regard to the behavior of our overall economy,