Deconstructing the Financial Viability of Retail
Economic opportunity in America is vast and wide. Aligning capital with vision, brand values, customers, managers, and partners allows for all necessary constituents to come together, perform and win. If you don’t choose the right parties to align with your needs, you risk it all. In simple terms, a bus driver whose agenda is to sell the bus won’t ultimately care about the people riding on the bus who need to get home.
The Latest Retail Industry Insights and Analysis
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
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
Listen Up
Retail Unwrapped
Our weekly podcast with Shelley E. Kohan, & guests. Available on your favorite podcast platforms.
Experience
Korean Brands Are Moving into a Mall Near You
What distinguishes Korea’s retail expansion from China’s is not just aesthetics, but strategy. Chinese platforms have often relied on price
The Olympics Is a Runway Grab
Athletes have always been role models. Veteran skier Lindsay Vonn has been a Rolex brand ambassador since 2009. But recently,
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
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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
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
How Barnes & Noble Made a Comeback
The Barnes & Noble strategy of deferring to local taste over stock-wide uniformity and treating stores as community hubs rather
Richard Baker: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 2.27.26
OK, play it again one more time. At first, I thought I was reading the satirical Onion when I saw
Operations
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,
Is Saudi Arabia the New Luxury Hotspot?
The Saudi luxury consumer is values-led and socially attuned: they invest in quality, heritage, and prestige, but they also look