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 to or no longer believe in. When career stagnation, poor management, unfairness, or exhaustion erode that belief, the same employees who once enthusiastically and convincingly communicated the brand’s values can become its most credible critics.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis
What’s Going On in All Those AI Factories Centers?
You may already know this, you possibly don’t want to know this, but you definitely need to know this. Tokens
Mara Sirhal: Leading Through Self-Reflection
Mara Sirhal is SVP Merchandising Home at Target and candidly describes the retail business as tough; consumer count is declining.
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
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Retail Unwrapped
Our weekly podcast with Shelley E. Kohan, & guests. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
Experience
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
The Summer of Ludd
The reinvigorated Luddite movement (after 216 years) has some clear messaging to business leaders. The retail industry has a new,
Retail Media: Retail Hype
Retail media is a money grab dressed up as innovation. The industry likes to talk about enhancing the shopper journey,
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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
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
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
Nike: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 8. 22. 26
Hey, don’t get us wrong, we’re all in favor of retailers testing new store concepts and experimenting with different formats.