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TARGET TEAMS UP WITH FASHION-MEETS-PHILANTHROPY LIFESTYLE BRAND

The Loss Of Buy Buy Baby Suggests Gains For Indie Retailers And Majors

TARGET TEAMS UP WITH FASHION-MEETS-PHILANTHROPY LIFESTYLE BRAND

Forbes.com 09.12.23  Target just nailed another brand partnership coup, which is likely to pay big dividends heading into the holiday season. On top of their successes with Ulta Beauty, Apple, and Disney, today Target announced a strategic, long-term partnership with Kendra Scott.  

"Family, fashion, and philanthropy are the guiding princi

Forbes.com 09.12.23  Target just nailed another brand partnership coup, which is likely to pay big dividends heading into the holiday season. On top of their successes with Ulta Beauty, Apple, and Disney, today Target announced a strategic, long-term partnership with Kendra Scott.  

"Family, fashion, and philanthropy are the guiding principles of the Kendra Scott brand, and closely connect to Target's purpose of bringing joy to all families," said Kendra Scott, founder, executive chairwoman and chief creative officer of Kendra Scott, LLC, in a Target press release. https://bit.ly/3VzwXGW   

Best Buy Tops Estimates While Keeping ‘Shrinkage’ At Bay

The Loss Of Buy Buy Baby Suggests Gains For Indie Retailers And Majors

TARGET TEAMS UP WITH FASHION-MEETS-PHILANTHROPY LIFESTYLE BRAND

Forbes.com 08.31.23  This week Best Buy surpassed already tempered second-quarter sales expectations and lowered the top end of its sales outlook for the year. Guidance for the third quarter suggests the back-to-school shopping season has been slow, impacted by a change in consumers’ discretionary spending, as experiences and vacations ha

Forbes.com 08.31.23  This week Best Buy surpassed already tempered second-quarter sales expectations and lowered the top end of its sales outlook for the year. Guidance for the third quarter suggests the back-to-school shopping season has been slow, impacted by a change in consumers’ discretionary spending, as experiences and vacations have taken priority over the purchase of big-ticket items. That was compounded by the “pull-forward” of spending on computers and entertainment systems during the pandemic. During Tuesday’s earnings call Best Buy’s CEO Corie Barry noted that while in certain parts of the country, break-ins have spiked, “losses due to theft, fraud, or other causes — have remained relatively stable over the last several years.” https://bit.ly/3OZKKlj

The Loss Of Buy Buy Baby Suggests Gains For Indie Retailers And Majors

The Loss Of Buy Buy Baby Suggests Gains For Indie Retailers And Majors

The Loss Of Buy Buy Baby Suggests Gains For Indie Retailers And Majors

Forbes.com 08.03.23 Since the demise of Bed Bath & Beyond there has been much speculation about which retailers will win the lions’ share of the home products category. Odds are Target, Walmart, and Amazon will share in the spoils. Given Bed Bath’s heavy back-to-college promotions of recent years, and with the season in full swing, we may

Forbes.com 08.03.23 Since the demise of Bed Bath & Beyond there has been much speculation about which retailers will win the lions’ share of the home products category. Odds are Target, Walmart, and Amazon will share in the spoils. Given Bed Bath’s heavy back-to-college promotions of recent years, and with the season in full swing, we may get an early indication of where those dollars go.

Less “ink” is being spilled over the loss of the 115 Buy Buy Baby stores, spread over thirty-seven states and territories, also a victim of the BB&B unraveling. In this case it is less obvious as to which retailers will become the beneficiaries. The usual suspects, Target, Walmart, and Amazon, and to a lesser extent Kohl’s and J.C. Penney will be vying for share. https://bit.ly/3Z5J66q

The Ralph Lauren Renaissance

AI and the Law Team Up Against Organized Crime

The Loss Of Buy Buy Baby Suggests Gains For Indie Retailers And Majors

The Robin Report 07.26.23 Few fashion brands have been as enduring over the past five generations as Ralph Lauren. Now even Gen Alpha and Metaverse avatars are wearing RL. But it all hasn’t been perfect in RL paradise. This iconic brand, like so many others in these fickle it’s-in, it’s-out, and it’s-in again times, has had its share of h

The Robin Report 07.26.23 Few fashion brands have been as enduring over the past five generations as Ralph Lauren. Now even Gen Alpha and Metaverse avatars are wearing RL. But it all hasn’t been perfect in RL paradise. This iconic brand, like so many others in these fickle it’s-in, it’s-out, and it’s-in again times, has had its share of highs and lows along the way. The recent news of Ralph Lauren returning to New York Fashion Week after a four-year absence reflects the brand’s ebb and flow. 

Dressing beautiful people in tastefully elegant RL attire is a tradition, but signs point to new brand mojo. Take G2 Esports, one of the leading global esports and entertainment brands, which has upped its game with Ralph Lauren. It introduced a “first-of-its-kind” luxury clothing line for the hotly competitive gaming industry. https://bit.ly/3Eo9iiZ

AI and the Law Team Up Against Organized Crime

AI and the Law Team Up Against Organized Crime

AI and the Law Team Up Against Organized Crime

The Robin Report 07.20.23 Shoplifting, shrink, or shrinkage in retail is not new, however, the insurgence of organized crime is. Fueled by the large-scale, untraceable “fencing” of stolen goods over the internet, combined with a new level of unprecedented criminal brazenness, the safety of both shoppers and retail employees is being under

The Robin Report 07.20.23 Shoplifting, shrink, or shrinkage in retail is not new, however, the insurgence of organized crime is. Fueled by the large-scale, untraceable “fencing” of stolen goods over the internet, combined with a new level of unprecedented criminal brazenness, the safety of both shoppers and retail employees is being undermined. It is also causing a catastrophic hit to the bottom line of retailers, both large and small. 

After a considerable congressional lobbying effort on the part of retail trade organizations and retailers, the INFORM Act legislation (aka Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces), was enacted on Tuesday, June 27. https://bit.ly/3R6rKUR

Mall Fall and Rebirth

AI and the Law Team Up Against Organized Crime

AI and the Law Team Up Against Organized Crime

The Robin Report 06.28.23 I have been bombarded with news stories speculating on the mall’s new proposition, and I suddenly had a 25-year-old flashback. The aha moment reminded me just how long these so-called new propositions have been gestating.

Deep in my aging memory banks, I recalled a pivotal piece of journalism published in Metropol

The Robin Report 06.28.23 I have been bombarded with news stories speculating on the mall’s new proposition, and I suddenly had a 25-year-old flashback. The aha moment reminded me just how long these so-called new propositions have been gestating.

Deep in my aging memory banks, I recalled a pivotal piece of journalism published in Metropolis Magazine eons ago. With Google’s assistance, the May 1999 article resurfaced with its focus on reuse and was entitled “Call the Mall Doctor.” A reread reminded me about the length and trajectory of mall fall, as well as just how predictable it was 25 years ago. https://bit.ly/44nlpb5

Sorting Out eCommerce Software With A Retail Tech Insider

Target Earnings Beat Street But Company Calls Out Cautious Consumer

Vuori Vaults To $4 Billion In a Decade, It Is Just Warming Up

Forbes.com 06.04.23 To me and other retail watchers, eCommerce software programs are akin to a “black box”—The experience of wading through the myriad of flashy and elaborate booths at any national retail tradeshow can be a migraine-inducing experience, even for knowledgeable industry insiders.  

The explosive growth of eCommerce over the 

Forbes.com 06.04.23 To me and other retail watchers, eCommerce software programs are akin to a “black box”—The experience of wading through the myriad of flashy and elaborate booths at any national retail tradeshow can be a migraine-inducing experience, even for knowledgeable industry insiders.  

The explosive growth of eCommerce over the past decade, complicated by pandemic disruption coupled with massive investments made by competing multinationals, has further entangled the selection process. Further, layer on the game-changing effects brought on by unified commerce (aka omnichannel) and you have a recipe that cannot be easily baked. https://bit.ly/3r0tlkA


Vuori Vaults To $4 Billion In a Decade, It Is Just Warming Up

Target Earnings Beat Street But Company Calls Out Cautious Consumer

Vuori Vaults To $4 Billion In a Decade, It Is Just Warming Up

Forbes.com 06.01.23 Yoga enthusiast, and former college athlete Joe Kudla recognized a significant market gap when it came to finding high quality men’s fitness apparel. That was unless a guy was cool with shinny synthetic fabrics emblazoned with big brand logos. So, in 2014 the Encinitas California based Kudla began a mission to blend th

Forbes.com 06.01.23 Yoga enthusiast, and former college athlete Joe Kudla recognized a significant market gap when it came to finding high quality men’s fitness apparel. That was unless a guy was cool with shinny synthetic fabrics emblazoned with big brand logos. So, in 2014 the Encinitas California based Kudla began a mission to blend the SoCal lifestyle with high-quality performance fabrics, creating athletic clothing with a different perspective. And Vuori (the Finnish word for Mountain) was born. https://bit.ly/3R2lIVl

Target Earnings Beat Street But Company Calls Out Cautious Consumer

Target Earnings Beat Street But Company Calls Out Cautious Consumer

Target Earnings Beat Street But Company Calls Out Cautious Consumer

Forbes.com 05.17.23 Minneapolis’s darling Target appears to be in recovery mode. While headwinds remain, particularly among slowing discretionary sales, and the cataclysmic bite that shrink has taken from the bottom line, Target was able to beat Wall Street expectations.

For the three-months that ended on April 29, revenue came in at $25.3

Forbes.com 05.17.23 Minneapolis’s darling Target appears to be in recovery mode. While headwinds remain, particularly among slowing discretionary sales, and the cataclysmic bite that shrink has taken from the bottom line, Target was able to beat Wall Street expectations.

For the three-months that ended on April 29, revenue came in at $25.3 billion slightly ahead of the $25.18 billion estimate while adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.05 verses the estimate of $1.77 per share. The operating margin rate of 5.2 percent was ahead of expectations, reflecting a higher gross margin rate compared with last year. https://bit.ly/3L4d1Gf

From Ikea to Kaiyo, Furniture Recommerce Resets the Table

eBay Leads Secondhand Luxury Sales, Adds ‘Certified by Brand’ Program

Target Earnings Beat Street But Company Calls Out Cautious Consumer

The Robin Report 05.14.23  Up until the middle of the 20th century, much of the furniture found in American homes was handed down from previous generations, and most of the pieces were handmade. The origin of the “wood goods” was from East Coast furniture manufacturers, like Virginia-based Bassett (1902) and New York and North Carolina-ba

The Robin Report 05.14.23  Up until the middle of the 20th century, much of the furniture found in American homes was handed down from previous generations, and most of the pieces were handmade. The origin of the “wood goods” was from East Coast furniture manufacturers, like Virginia-based Bassett (1902) and New York and North Carolina-based Stickley (1900), among others. They drew on a bounty of available hardwoods and softwoods grown in the region as well as the talents of New England craftsmen, many of them immigrants. https://bit.ly/3R17vIc

eBay Leads Secondhand Luxury Sales, Adds ‘Certified by Brand’ Program

eBay Leads Secondhand Luxury Sales, Adds ‘Certified by Brand’ Program

eBay Leads Secondhand Luxury Sales, Adds ‘Certified by Brand’ Program

Forbes 05.06.23 eBay has come a long way from its modest utilitarian origins of the mid-nineties. Now they are launching a new brand certification program to further cement their reputation as the internet’s preeminent retail resale destination.

Originally called AuctionWeb, eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar on Labor Day weekend in 1995 w

Forbes 05.06.23 eBay has come a long way from its modest utilitarian origins of the mid-nineties. Now they are launching a new brand certification program to further cement their reputation as the internet’s preeminent retail resale destination.

Originally called AuctionWeb, eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar on Labor Day weekend in 1995 when he listed his laser printer for $1, it sold for $14.83. By the time Meg Whitman took the helm in 1998 eBay had revenues of $4.7 million, fueled by frenzied Beanie Baby collectors worldwide. https://bit.ly/4812KVe

Nike’s Latest DTC Retail Concept Takes Flight

eBay Leads Secondhand Luxury Sales, Adds ‘Certified by Brand’ Program

eBay Leads Secondhand Luxury Sales, Adds ‘Certified by Brand’ Program

Forbes 04.03.23 The 20th century supply chain almost entirely depended on the wholesale/retail relationship between manufactures and retailers. Now with the proliferation of online marketplaces and the advent of the direct-to-consumer movement, things have changed significantly. Additional disruption to the status quo came from the intern

Forbes 04.03.23 The 20th century supply chain almost entirely depended on the wholesale/retail relationship between manufactures and retailers. Now with the proliferation of online marketplaces and the advent of the direct-to-consumer movement, things have changed significantly. Additional disruption to the status quo came from the internet’s pricing transparency. This forced many retailers to focus solely on price, in the proverbial “race-to-the-bottom.”  https://bit.ly/3ElXz4D


Retail Brands Expand Services to Boost the Bottom Line

Mall Of America To Host Two New World Class ‘Immersive Experiences’

Mall Of America To Host Two New World Class ‘Immersive Experiences’

The Robin Report 04.03.23   

When Minneapolis-based Best Buy bought the then eight-year-old Geek Squad from founder Robert Stephens back in 2002, the move seemed anything but intuitive. Now, over two decades later, mergers and acquisitions of specialized service companies by retail brands have become commonplace. Amidst ever tightening mar

The Robin Report 04.03.23   

When Minneapolis-based Best Buy bought the then eight-year-old Geek Squad from founder Robert Stephens back in 2002, the move seemed anything but intuitive. Now, over two decades later, mergers and acquisitions of specialized service companies by retail brands have become commonplace. Amidst ever tightening margins, major retail brands are seeking new profit centers, as well as attempting to burnish their brand loyalty and lifetime customer value. These “anti-Amazonation” inoculations, are seen as antidotes to ecommerce commoditization. https://bit.ly/3Vj2omF

Mall Of America To Host Two New World Class ‘Immersive Experiences’

Mall Of America To Host Two New World Class ‘Immersive Experiences’

Mall Of America To Host Two New World Class ‘Immersive Experiences’

Forbes.com 03.30.23 The term “experiential retail” has been much discussed of late. Frankly, it’s not new. Nike opened its first Niketown store in Portland, Oregon in November 1991, and American Girl debuted its first American Girl Place in Chicago in 1998. Both are packed with unique experiences that engage and involve customers in brand

Forbes.com 03.30.23 The term “experiential retail” has been much discussed of late. Frankly, it’s not new. Nike opened its first Niketown store in Portland, Oregon in November 1991, and American Girl debuted its first American Girl Place in Chicago in 1998. Both are packed with unique experiences that engage and involve customers in brand culture and storytelling.

The secret sauce behind both breakthrough concepts was deconstructed in the seminal 1999 book The Experience Economy, by  authors B. Joseph Pine and James H. Gilmore. https://bit.ly/3Hmr8Vh 

Target Beats Fourth Quarter Street Expectations

Mall Of America To Host Two New World Class ‘Immersive Experiences’

‘Phygital’ Retail and The Store’s New Brand Ambassador

Forbes.com 02.28.23  Target beat Wall Street expectations and offered a “measured” forward guidance through 2023. This was not unlike Walmart’s 2023 projections shared last week. Target’s total fourth quarter revenue of $31.4 billion grew 1.3 percent compared with last year. This was driven by sales growth of 1.2 percent and an 8.4 percen

Forbes.com 02.28.23  Target beat Wall Street expectations and offered a “measured” forward guidance through 2023. This was not unlike Walmart’s 2023 projections shared last week. Target’s total fourth quarter revenue of $31.4 billion grew 1.3 percent compared with last year. This was driven by sales growth of 1.2 percent and an 8.4 percent increase in other revenue. Analysts were expecting Target’s fourth quarter revenue to come in between $30.65 billion to $30.74 billion, down approx. 1.1 percent year-over-year. https://bit.ly/3LGCru5

‘Phygital’ Retail and The Store’s New Brand Ambassador

‘Phygital’ Retail and The Store’s New Brand Ambassador

‘Phygital’ Retail and The Store’s New Brand Ambassador

Forbes.com 02.26.23  New truths are emerging regarding retailing in the post pandemic era. Many of these are highlighted in PwC’s February 2023 Global Consumer Insights Survey. A particular survey quote stands out: “It’s incumbent on market participants to meet consumers in both physical and digital spaces—and to meet their changing expec

Forbes.com 02.26.23  New truths are emerging regarding retailing in the post pandemic era. Many of these are highlighted in PwC’s February 2023 Global Consumer Insights Survey. A particular survey quote stands out: “It’s incumbent on market participants to meet consumers in both physical and digital spaces—and to meet their changing expectations.” These same sentiments were echoed throughout the many speeches and presentations during January’s National Retail Federation’s 2023 “Big Show” in New York City. https://bit.ly/44czw3G 

Upcycling and the New RE-Tailor

‘Phygital’ Retail and The Store’s New Brand Ambassador

Driving Meaningful and Enduring Retail Change

The Robin Report 02.20.23  As retail resale has evolved from Goodwill and the neighborhood thrift store to the myriad of recommerce websites, we have witnessed a watershed moment in fashion. Secondhand goods have become highly sought after by an increasingly demographically diverse group of consumers. And at the apex of this movement are 

The Robin Report 02.20.23  As retail resale has evolved from Goodwill and the neighborhood thrift store to the myriad of recommerce websites, we have witnessed a watershed moment in fashion. Secondhand goods have become highly sought after by an increasingly demographically diverse group of consumers. And at the apex of this movement are Next Gen buyers. However, the duality of Gen Z’s sustainability mindset alongside their obsession with fast fashion is one of today’s major “squaring the circle” quandaries. https://bit.ly/3n8m9kt

Driving Meaningful and Enduring Retail Change

‘Phygital’ Retail and The Store’s New Brand Ambassador

Driving Meaningful and Enduring Retail Change

The Robin Report 02.06.23 “The Store of the Future is Less About the Store and More About the Business Model,” while a mouthful, was a presentation that got my attention. The subtext of the conversation was that not only will physical stores stay relevant, but they will also become more strategic for retail organizations when they are no 

The Robin Report 02.06.23 “The Store of the Future is Less About the Store and More About the Business Model,” while a mouthful, was a presentation that got my attention. The subtext of the conversation was that not only will physical stores stay relevant, but they will also become more strategic for retail organizations when they are no longer managed as primary points of sale. The international speakers included Roberto Funari, CEO of the multi-billion-dollar Brazilian footwear manufacturer Alpargatas (Havaianas & Rothy’s); Giorgio Pradi President Sunglass Hut NA; and Alberto Serrentino, Founder Varese Retail, a retail strategy and digital transformation group based in Brazil. https://bit.ly/3HUnqli 

NRF Innovation Lab - Emerging Companies Solving Retailer’s Biggest Challenges

Retail Follows People – Enter the ‘Shadow’ Central Business Districts and Suburban ‘Instant Downtowns'

NRF Innovation Lab - Emerging Companies Solving Retailer’s Biggest Challenges

Forbes.com 02.01.23 The Innovation Lab is an invitation only venue showcasing some of the world’s newest technology companies, ranging from small emerging start-ups, to known tech innovators. It exists in stark contrast to the over-the-top trade show presentations by huge, multinational technology companies.

This year’s presenters grappled

Forbes.com 02.01.23 The Innovation Lab is an invitation only venue showcasing some of the world’s newest technology companies, ranging from small emerging start-ups, to known tech innovators. It exists in stark contrast to the over-the-top trade show presentations by huge, multinational technology companies.

This year’s presenters grappled with many of retailing’s challenges employing the latest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality, virtual reality, blockchain, robotics and the Internet of Things. I participated in a press-tour that included a cross-section of the over fifty carefully curated companies. Here is a highlight four that I felt fulfill an unmet need and appear to be gaining traction. http://bit.ly/3wYSbk6

CEO Craig Jelinek Leads Costco with Vision and Empathy

Retail Follows People – Enter the ‘Shadow’ Central Business Districts and Suburban ‘Instant Downtowns'

NRF Innovation Lab - Emerging Companies Solving Retailer’s Biggest Challenges

The Robin Report 01.02.23 Founder Jim Sinegal believed that if you want to create a good company, you need good people, and you must pay good wages to build loyalty. That contributes to the low turnover at the company. Jelinek noted they want their employees to view Costco as a career rather than a job. “We want people to stay long term, 

The Robin Report 01.02.23 Founder Jim Sinegal believed that if you want to create a good company, you need good people, and you must pay good wages to build loyalty. That contributes to the low turnover at the company. Jelinek noted they want their employees to view Costco as a career rather than a job. “We want people to stay long term, we want people to make higher wages, to afford homes; it’s just the right thing to do.

I found a certain irony in the fact that a low-margin warehouse operator has built a business and culture around those themes. Meanwhile many higher end department store retailers (Macy’s among them) would hardly lay claim to the same mantra. http://bit.ly/3Y7NOPu

Retail Follows People – Enter the ‘Shadow’ Central Business Districts and Suburban ‘Instant Downtowns'

Retail Follows People – Enter the ‘Shadow’ Central Business Districts and Suburban ‘Instant Downtowns'

Retail Follows People – Enter the ‘Shadow’ Central Business Districts and Suburban ‘Instant Downtowns'

Forbes.com 12.31.22 There is unmistakable evidence of lagging post-pandemic retail recovery in the Central Business Districts (CBD’s) of our major U.S. cities. Explanations include a decrease in day-time business populations as folks elect to work from home, at least part-time. Additionally, upticks in downtown crime even prior to the pan

Forbes.com 12.31.22 There is unmistakable evidence of lagging post-pandemic retail recovery in the Central Business Districts (CBD’s) of our major U.S. cities. Explanations include a decrease in day-time business populations as folks elect to work from home, at least part-time. Additionally, upticks in downtown crime even prior to the pandemic are seen as contributing to a decline in CBD footfall. But there are other “migratory forces” at work that are also factors. http://bit.ly/3Y6hCw2

New Retail: How the “Store” Will Undergo Transformation

No Yeezy Path Forward: Hate Speech And a PR Debacle For The Ages

Retail Follows People – Enter the ‘Shadow’ Central Business Districts and Suburban ‘Instant Downtowns'

The Robin Report 12.25.22 The store’s evolving purpose in the “new retail” is more media than place, more akin to communication than ultimate destination. The word media is plural, it’s active rather than passive, and begins to frame the essential integration of digital and offline behaviors that are forever part of the purchasing process

The Robin Report 12.25.22 The store’s evolving purpose in the “new retail” is more media than place, more akin to communication than ultimate destination. The word media is plural, it’s active rather than passive, and begins to frame the essential integration of digital and offline behaviors that are forever part of the purchasing process. Retail theater, by definition, dictates a radical reimagining of the actual physical spaces. It also drives where, how big, and how many stores are required in this new ecosystem. New criteria will drive interior design and the physical architecture to engage the customer and animate the brands. https://bit.ly/3WIRPbH

No Yeezy Path Forward: Hate Speech And a PR Debacle For The Ages

No Yeezy Path Forward: Hate Speech And a PR Debacle For The Ages

No Yeezy Path Forward: Hate Speech And a PR Debacle For The Ages

Forbes.com 10.25.22    At a time when Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies have become the watchword for corporate leaders worldwide, Adidas just demonstrated how not to deal with a PR crisis of mammoth proportions. After months of egregious behavior, culminating in the most offensive publicly repeated statements of hate, i

Forbes.com 10.25.22    At a time when Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies have become the watchword for corporate leaders worldwide, Adidas just demonstrated how not to deal with a PR crisis of mammoth proportions. After months of egregious behavior, culminating in the most offensive publicly repeated statements of hate, intolerance and overt anti-Semitism, Adidas finally cut ties with the artist formerly known as Kanye West http://bit.ly/3I0dbx8

Toys Are Battling It Out This Holiday

No Yeezy Path Forward: Hate Speech And a PR Debacle For The Ages

No Yeezy Path Forward: Hate Speech And a PR Debacle For The Ages

The Robin Report 10.18.22  After two years of record breaking, pandemic fueled toy sales, the market has chilled from red-hot to cool-blue. According to NPD, for the first six-months of 2022, the market grew by just 2 percent to $11.4 billion between January and June. NPD concluded that customers are making fewer trips to the stores for t

The Robin Report 10.18.22  After two years of record breaking, pandemic fueled toy sales, the market has chilled from red-hot to cool-blue. According to NPD, for the first six-months of 2022, the market grew by just 2 percent to $11.4 billion between January and June. NPD concluded that customers are making fewer trips to the stores for toys and buying less because of price increases. No doubt retailers are bracing for a less than stellar holiday season. https://bit.ly/3yUGnkp 

This Retail Holiday Shopping Season, Self-Expression Will Be Trending

Retail’s Future Brings Fashion, Web3, and NFT’s into Immersive Commerce

Retail’s Future Brings Fashion, Web3, and NFT’s into Immersive Commerce

Forbes.com 10.06.22 The internet and the massive marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Walmart.com have become efficient machines for sourcing commodities fast, efficiently, and cheaply. At the same time, when it comes to deep learning about a particular product, they fall short. Similarly, most of today’s department stores and specialty ret

Forbes.com 10.06.22 The internet and the massive marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Walmart.com have become efficient machines for sourcing commodities fast, efficiently, and cheaply. At the same time, when it comes to deep learning about a particular product, they fall short. Similarly, most of today’s department stores and specialty retailers, once the bastions of product expertise and service, underwhelm. Increasingly consumers longing for in-depth product information and meaningful recommendations look to smaller, specialized niche retailers both online and offline. https://bit.ly/3g4Qj3V

Retail’s Future Brings Fashion, Web3, and NFT’s into Immersive Commerce

Retail’s Future Brings Fashion, Web3, and NFT’s into Immersive Commerce

Retail’s Future Brings Fashion, Web3, and NFT’s into Immersive Commerce

Forbes.com 09.23.22 Much is being written about the “blending” of physical and digital under the auspices of “unified commerce.” At the same time, we are being inundated by all things metaverse, aka Web3. Are they mutually exclusive? A recent Fast Company article looking at the future of fashion in Web3 begins to fill in some blanks.If We

Forbes.com 09.23.22 Much is being written about the “blending” of physical and digital under the auspices of “unified commerce.” At the same time, we are being inundated by all things metaverse, aka Web3. Are they mutually exclusive? A recent Fast Company article looking at the future of fashion in Web3 begins to fill in some blanks.If Web1 was about “read” and Web2 was about “read and write,” then Web3 is about “read, write, and own,” says Farfetch Founder and CEO José Neves. "Fashion allows us to apply different '“masks”' based on how we feel, who we want to portray on any given day." https://bit.ly/3rSnr1u

Gifting with a PURPOSE

Retail’s Future Brings Fashion, Web3, and NFT’s into Immersive Commerce

Target’s Second Quarter Results Underwhelm

The Robin Report 09.11.22  Gift cards may be a great deal for the brands, but over $3 billion of worth of those cards go unredeemed annually, totaling over $40 billion over the past decade. Meanwhile, consumers want personalization and customization. A Shopify gift registry delivers that personal service as a searchable, resource to creat

The Robin Report 09.11.22  Gift cards may be a great deal for the brands, but over $3 billion of worth of those cards go unredeemed annually, totaling over $40 billion over the past decade. Meanwhile, consumers want personalization and customization. A Shopify gift registry delivers that personal service as a searchable, resource to create and access highly curated and personal lists for every occasion and any price point. It's a superior way to avoid mindless and impersonal, last minute gifting waste, and gives friends and loved ones what they really want, for any occasion. https://bit.ly/3g06fob  

Target’s Second Quarter Results Underwhelm

Much Anticipated Quarterly Reporting For Target, Walmart

Target’s Second Quarter Results Underwhelm

Forbes.com 08.17.22 Target’s second quarter earnings missed Wall Street’s expectations dramatically, particularly when comparing to yesterday’s Walmart Q2 results which beat Street expectations. Wall Street expected $.72 earnings per share (EPS), but Target could only eek out $.39 EPS compared to an EPS of $3.65 in 2021.

“The vast majority

Forbes.com 08.17.22 Target’s second quarter earnings missed Wall Street’s expectations dramatically, particularly when comparing to yesterday’s Walmart Q2 results which beat Street expectations. Wall Street expected $.72 earnings per share (EPS), but Target could only eek out $.39 EPS compared to an EPS of $3.65 in 2021.

“The vast majority of our inventory right-sizing costs have already been incurred,” Chief Financial Officer Michael Fiddelke said in a briefing with reporters. “We feel really good about our inventory position heading into the back half of the year.”

https://bit.ly/3ECYBdQ

AMAZON AND THE BIG BOXES

Much Anticipated Quarterly Reporting For Target, Walmart

Much Anticipated Quarterly Reporting For Target, Walmart

The Robin Report 08.15.22 The “defining” pure-play ecommerce behemoth Amazon flourished over its first two decades, despite lacking storefronts and retail real estate. But that was then. The tailwinds that recently propelled Amazon through the pandemic have become headwinds with the cooling of ecommerce along with a distribution and fulfi

The Robin Report 08.15.22 The “defining” pure-play ecommerce behemoth Amazon flourished over its first two decades, despite lacking storefronts and retail real estate. But that was then. The tailwinds that recently propelled Amazon through the pandemic have become headwinds with the cooling of ecommerce along with a distribution and fulfillment migraine that will not quit. Amazon’s online retail sales, which include store-based grocery delivery and pickup, dropped for the second straight quarter, falling 4.3 percent in Q2 to $50.9 billion. https://bit.ly/3dPKI0O

Much Anticipated Quarterly Reporting For Target, Walmart

Much Anticipated Quarterly Reporting For Target, Walmart

Much Anticipated Quarterly Reporting For Target, Walmart

Forbes.com 08.12.22 Investors and retail industry watchers are anticipating next weeks second quarter financial results for both Walmart and Target on August 16th and 17th respectively. And the Street is ready for the heat. Walmart warned that quarterly and yearly earnings will be lower than first expected. But of the two, Walmart has bee

Forbes.com 08.12.22 Investors and retail industry watchers are anticipating next weeks second quarter financial results for both Walmart and Target on August 16th and 17th respectively. And the Street is ready for the heat. Walmart warned that quarterly and yearly earnings will be lower than first expected. But of the two, Walmart has been hit harder by inflation, forcing customers to pare back on higher margin discretionary items to meet basic needs, and in some cases forced to trade down to dollar stores. https://bit.ly/3Vn1d5f

The New Age of Wellness: Retailers, Listen Up!

Costco Margin Shortfall Clouds otherwise Great Quarterly Results

The New Age of Wellness: Retailers, Listen Up!

The Robin Report 07.25.22  We have seen a confluence of Eastern and Western medicines in the last half century, and many of these new age wellness therapies are gaining increasing acceptance and popularity. This has been influenced by the popular zeitgeist moving from curative to preventative health measures influenced by our increasing l

The Robin Report 07.25.22  We have seen a confluence of Eastern and Western medicines in the last half century, and many of these new age wellness therapies are gaining increasing acceptance and popularity. This has been influenced by the popular zeitgeist moving from curative to preventative health measures influenced by our increasing life expectancy and changing attitudes around aging.https://bit.ly/3RXzaqn

RETURN ON EXPERIENCE, THE NEW METRIC

Costco Margin Shortfall Clouds otherwise Great Quarterly Results

The New Age of Wellness: Retailers, Listen Up!

The Robin Report 06.27.22 ROI, or return on investment, has been the standard gauge for retailers attempting to quantify how expenditures lead to sales outcomes. Now in an era where customer experience has become the gold standard for building loyalty and lifetime customer value, the term return on experience (ROI or ROX) has entered the 

The Robin Report 06.27.22 ROI, or return on investment, has been the standard gauge for retailers attempting to quantify how expenditures lead to sales outcomes. Now in an era where customer experience has become the gold standard for building loyalty and lifetime customer value, the term return on experience (ROI or ROX) has entered the lexicon.

Indeed, if retailers and brands have learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that brand loyalty has taken a hit, since consumers have become more demanding and less in love with their once favorite brands. So how can retailers and brands rekindle that lovin’ feeling? https://bit.ly/3MqQjYc 

Costco Margin Shortfall Clouds otherwise Great Quarterly Results

Costco Margin Shortfall Clouds otherwise Great Quarterly Results

Costco Margin Shortfall Clouds otherwise Great Quarterly Results

Forbes.com 05.27.22 Costco reported a total revenue rise of 16% to $52.60 billion in their 2022 third quarter reporting which took place after Thursday’s market close. Comp stores sales up 16.6% including gasoline, or 10.6% without the benefit of fuel. This puts them on track for their first $200 billon year ever.  But neither these nor o

Forbes.com 05.27.22 Costco reported a total revenue rise of 16% to $52.60 billion in their 2022 third quarter reporting which took place after Thursday’s market close. Comp stores sales up 16.6% including gasoline, or 10.6% without the benefit of fuel. This puts them on track for their first $200 billon year ever.  But neither these nor other stellar reporting numbers could offset the effect of a 99-basis point year-over-year drop in profits to 10.19% missing Street estimates of 11.5%. https://bit.ly/3b9A2br  

The Great Retail Reset Hits Bullseye: Getting Back On Target

The Great Retail Reset Hits Bullseye: Getting Back On Target

Costco Margin Shortfall Clouds otherwise Great Quarterly Results

Forbes.com 05.20.22  The market “shock and awe” that took place this week, was a long time coming, and in a way is the ripple effect of our transition from “pandemic to endemic” as far as the normalization of Covid in our lives. It is safe to say retailers are attempting to transition to the next phase, or the “great retail reset” while a

Forbes.com 05.20.22  The market “shock and awe” that took place this week, was a long time coming, and in a way is the ripple effect of our transition from “pandemic to endemic” as far as the normalization of Covid in our lives. It is safe to say retailers are attempting to transition to the next phase, or the “great retail reset” while at the same time dealing with inventory that had been sitting on floating warehouses or docks, that they expected a quarter ago. https://bit.ly/3tJa1q2

WALMART, TARGET MISS QUARTERLY ESTIMATES DRAMATICALLY

The Great Retail Reset Hits Bullseye: Getting Back On Target

Target, Walmart Foot Traffic Data Suggests Strong Q1 Results

Forbes.com 05.19.22  These are “Strange days indeed,” to quote John Lennon. Inflation rates are at a 40-year high yet based on the most recent April spending data consumers continue to spend. This was the backdrop of this week’s highly anticipated retail earnings reports by some of the biggest leading retailers. WalmartWMT -1.6% and The H

Forbes.com 05.19.22  These are “Strange days indeed,” to quote John Lennon. Inflation rates are at a 40-year high yet based on the most recent April spending data consumers continue to spend. This was the backdrop of this week’s highly anticipated retail earnings reports by some of the biggest leading retailers. WalmartWMT -1.6% and The Home DepotHD -0.1% reported on Tuesday, and TargetTGT -2.3% and Lowe’s on Wednesday https://bit.ly/3y0dyTj

Target, Walmart Foot Traffic Data Suggests Strong Q1 Results

The Great Retail Reset Hits Bullseye: Getting Back On Target

Target, Walmart Foot Traffic Data Suggests Strong Q1 Results

Forbes.com 05.13.22 Major retailers are set to report earnings next week. Walmart and The Home Depot report on May 17th and Target and Lowe’s follow-on May 18th. In this era of unified commerce foot traffic is still a key metric that the industry watches, and Placer.ai suggests the two Superstores, Target and Walmart should have something

Forbes.com 05.13.22 Major retailers are set to report earnings next week. Walmart and The Home Depot report on May 17th and Target and Lowe’s follow-on May 18th. In this era of unified commerce foot traffic is still a key metric that the industry watches, and Placer.ai suggests the two Superstores, Target and Walmart should have something to shout about, or at least applaud. Unfortunately “footfall” cannot measure dwell time, basket size or out of stocks, the latter a particularly sticky problem at this time. https://bit.ly/3tI0cZE

The Costco Love Affair Continues, And It Is Making Walmart Blush

America’s Preeminent Mega-Mall Has Always Been Thinking Big…and Small

The Costco Love Affair Continues, And It Is Making Walmart Blush

Forbes.com 05.06.22  Even with our staggering inflation rate that has caused intense consumer belt tightening, Costco’s numbers remain stellar. April’s net sales reported on Wednesday, rose 13.9% to $17.33 billion from $15.21 billion in April 2021. Meanwhile same-store sales were up 12.6% while e-commerce sales increased 5.7%. Even as fam

Forbes.com 05.06.22  Even with our staggering inflation rate that has caused intense consumer belt tightening, Costco’s numbers remain stellar. April’s net sales reported on Wednesday, rose 13.9% to $17.33 billion from $15.21 billion in April 2021. Meanwhile same-store sales were up 12.6% while e-commerce sales increased 5.7%. Even as families are being stretched, and maybe because of it, the Costco lovefest continues. https://bit.ly/3tIZJWN 

Simon and Brookfield Pursue Kohl’s to Join Rival J.C. Penney

America’s Preeminent Mega-Mall Has Always Been Thinking Big…and Small

The Costco Love Affair Continues, And It Is Making Walmart Blush

Forbes.com 05.03.22  Multiple news sources ran a story which first appearing in the New York Post, on April 25th reporting that Simon Property Group SPG +4% in partnership with Brookfield Asset Management, have thrown their very handsome hat into the ring, with a $68-a-share offer. This values Kohl’s at more than $8.6 billion, and may wel

Forbes.com 05.03.22  Multiple news sources ran a story which first appearing in the New York Post, on April 25th reporting that Simon Property Group SPG +4% in partnership with Brookfield Asset Management, have thrown their very handsome hat into the ring, with a $68-a-share offer. This values Kohl’s at more than $8.6 billion, and may well be their best option in insuring the department store’s long-term viability. https://bit.ly/38KHBnW

America’s Preeminent Mega-Mall Has Always Been Thinking Big…and Small

America’s Preeminent Mega-Mall Has Always Been Thinking Big…and Small

America’s Preeminent Mega-Mall Has Always Been Thinking Big…and Small

The Robin Report 05.01.22  Two years ago, following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, many of the South Minneapolis businesses were destroyed during the unrest that followed. With input and guidance of community leaders, Mall of America opened its Community Commons in October –a rent-free 5,000 square-foot collective for 16 displaced u

The Robin Report 05.01.22  Two years ago, following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, many of the South Minneapolis businesses were destroyed during the unrest that followed. With input and guidance of community leaders, Mall of America opened its Community Commons in October –a rent-free 5,000 square-foot collective for 16 displaced urban merchants and a new breed of entrepreneurial retailers. https://bit.ly/3kz1h0B

A Redeeming Venture: Turning Gift Cards Into Donations

The MetaMall: The Next Big Retail Development Will Be in Cyberspace

America’s Preeminent Mega-Mall Has Always Been Thinking Big…and Small

Forbes.com 04.12.22  The United States Gift Cards Market was estimated at $158.26 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $167.71 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a 6.25% annual rate, and reach $227.82 billion by 2030, according to Digital Journal. According to CardFunder’s founder and CEO Russ Howard, over $3 billion of wort

Forbes.com 04.12.22  The United States Gift Cards Market was estimated at $158.26 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $167.71 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a 6.25% annual rate, and reach $227.82 billion by 2030, according to Digital Journal. According to CardFunder’s founder and CEO Russ Howard, over $3 billion of worth of those cards go to waste annually, totaling over $40 billion over the past decade. https://bit.ly/3vGWAIK

A Defining Moment For Kohl’s

The MetaMall: The Next Big Retail Development Will Be in Cyberspace

The MetaMall: The Next Big Retail Development Will Be in Cyberspace

Forbes.com 04.05.22   A common theme from all of the activist suiters is their alleged intent to “extract greater shareholder value” along with instigating a “course correction” away from the strategic rebuilding that CEO Michelle Gass has been leading since May of 2018. The August 31st letter states “Macellum is promoting an ever-changin

Forbes.com 04.05.22   A common theme from all of the activist suiters is their alleged intent to “extract greater shareholder value” along with instigating a “course correction” away from the strategic rebuilding that CEO Michelle Gass has been leading since May of 2018. The August 31st letter states “Macellum is promoting an ever-changing narrative, misinformed claims, and value-destructive proposals, all of which reveal a reckless and short-term approach that is not in the interest of driving long-term, sustainable value.” https://bit.ly/37eUK8u

The MetaMall: The Next Big Retail Development Will Be in Cyberspace

The MetaMall: The Next Big Retail Development Will Be in Cyberspace

The MetaMall: The Next Big Retail Development Will Be in Cyberspace

The Robin Report 04.04.22  Shopping in the metaverse operates with your avatar going into a store, such as an art gallery, where your avatar can click and buy a digital NFT asset (such as artwork) and/or also place an order to have a real-world item bought and shipped to you in the real world. https://bit.ly/38x7ibH 

Activist Letter Sends Bed Bath & Beyond Stock Soaring

Target Provides A Robust Outlook And Strong Holiday Earnings

Target Provides A Robust Outlook And Strong Holiday Earnings

Forbes.com 03.08.22   A letter addressed to the Bed Bath & Beyond board on Sunday March 6th, created a whole new round of trauma for the retailer. It’s another in a string of “activist investor” acts intended to increase shareholder results. The letter’s author is RC Ventures LLC, headed by Ryan Cohen, GameStop’s Chairman and co-founder of Chewy.https://bit.ly/3ybKs3N  

Target Provides A Robust Outlook And Strong Holiday Earnings

Target Provides A Robust Outlook And Strong Holiday Earnings

Target Provides A Robust Outlook And Strong Holiday Earnings

Forbes.com 03.03.22  Team Target met with the investor community in New York this morning for the first time in over two years. And over the course of two and a half hours shared the strategies and tactics that have enabled Target to grow from a $70 billion in 2017 to a $106 billion company in in 2022. https://bit.ly/3kDbsl2 

The Sustainability Tsunami

Target Provides A Robust Outlook And Strong Holiday Earnings

Walmart’s New Store Design Sends Another Department Store ‘Wake-Up’ Call

The Robin Report 02.22.22  As a lifelong trend watcher and forecaster, I have often witnessed the influence of “trend convergence” when specific events and circumstances combine to create major attitudinal changes. These convergences have indelible results. The generation that lived through the Great Depression in the early part of the 20

The Robin Report 02.22.22  As a lifelong trend watcher and forecaster, I have often witnessed the influence of “trend convergence” when specific events and circumstances combine to create major attitudinal changes. These convergences have indelible results. The generation that lived through the Great Depression in the early part of the 20th century became very frugal, and mindful of waste throughout their lives having lived through a time of great economic turmoil and scarcity. https://bit.ly/3LMqlNJ

Walmart’s New Store Design Sends Another Department Store ‘Wake-Up’ Call

Walmart’s New Store Design Sends Another Department Store ‘Wake-Up’ Call

Walmart’s New Store Design Sends Another Department Store ‘Wake-Up’ Call

Forbes.com 01.31.22  Last week two media outlets, Retail Dive and Fast Company gave us a peak at Walmart’s second prototype redesign or test store, in as many years. The first, revealed in 2020, focused on vastly improved wayfinding and signage, along with integrating the online and offline experience.  https://bit.ly/34Y4DFY 

Walmart’s Bringing The Farm Closer To The Store

Walmart’s New Store Design Sends Another Department Store ‘Wake-Up’ Call

WALMART, TARGET MISS QUARTERLY ESTIMATES DRAMATICALLY

Forbes.com 01.28.22  Walmart clearly wants to bring the farm closer to the store. This dovetails with their pledge to meet a plethora of sustainability targets and become a net-zero emissions business by 2040. The beauty of this remarkable type of farming is that it checks every sustainability box imaginable. Besides cutting down on costl

Forbes.com 01.28.22  Walmart clearly wants to bring the farm closer to the store. This dovetails with their pledge to meet a plethora of sustainability targets and become a net-zero emissions business by 2040. The beauty of this remarkable type of farming is that it checks every sustainability box imaginable. Besides cutting down on costly shipping of produce, reducing spoilage, and controlling a food source, its efficiency is mind-boggling. https://bit.ly/3GTzfWt

WALMART, TARGET MISS QUARTERLY ESTIMATES DRAMATICALLY

Walmart’s New Store Design Sends Another Department Store ‘Wake-Up’ Call

WALMART, TARGET MISS QUARTERLY ESTIMATES DRAMATICALLY

Forbes.com 05.19.22  These are “Strange days indeed,” to quote John Lennon. Inflation rates are at a 40-year high yet based on the most recent April spending data consumers continue to spend. This was the backdrop of this week’s highly anticipated retail earnings reports by some of the biggest leading retailers. WalmartWMT -1.6% and The H

Forbes.com 05.19.22  These are “Strange days indeed,” to quote John Lennon. Inflation rates are at a 40-year high yet based on the most recent April spending data consumers continue to spend. This was the backdrop of this week’s highly anticipated retail earnings reports by some of the biggest leading retailers. WalmartWMT -1.6% and The Home DepotHD -0.1% reported on Tuesday, and TargetTGT -2.3% and Lowe’s on Wednesday https://bit.ly/3y0dyTj

Walmart, Tempur-Pedic And AT&T Experience Recognized For Store Design Excellence

Walmart, Tempur-Pedic And AT&T Experience Recognized For Store Design Excellence

Walmart, Tempur-Pedic And AT&T Experience Recognized For Store Design Excellence

Forbes.com 01.26.22  In October, the Retail Design Institute named twenty-five finalists in its 50th annual design competition. They make up RDI’s “Class of 2020”, for retail projects open between January 1 through December 31, 2020. This year’s competition attracted submissions from sixty-two retail teams around the globe, culminating in

Forbes.com 01.26.22  In October, the Retail Design Institute named twenty-five finalists in its 50th annual design competition. They make up RDI’s “Class of 2020”, for retail projects open between January 1 through December 31, 2020. This year’s competition attracted submissions from sixty-two retail teams around the globe, culminating in judges selected twenty-five finalists. https://bit.ly/3rQ0KMw

Kohl’s Is Fielding Takeover Offers From At Least Two Suitors

Walmart, Tempur-Pedic And AT&T Experience Recognized For Store Design Excellence

Walmart, Tempur-Pedic And AT&T Experience Recognized For Store Design Excellence

Forbes.com 01.25.22   Kohl’s stock spiked 36% Monday morning because of two takeover bids in the past few days. Private equity firm Sycamore Partners appears to be willing to pay $65 per share, upping the $64 per share offer that lesser-known Acacia Research, backed by activist investment firm Starboard Value offered for Kohl’s last week. https://bit.ly/3JrKZRD

Costco Will Spend $4 Billion In 2022

Walmart, Tempur-Pedic And AT&T Experience Recognized For Store Design Excellence

Livestream Selling: Channel Agnostic Nirvana

Forbes.com 01.17.22 Costco continues to be on a roll, and like its select, best-in-category competitors, weathered the pandemic’s demands well. The company ended fiscal 2021 with 61.7 million paid household memberships, which represents a 13% increase from the same period in 2019. https://bit.ly/3JrnQyH

Livestream Selling: Channel Agnostic Nirvana

Target Holiday Foot Traffic Increases, Surpasses Walmart and Best Buy

Livestream Selling: Channel Agnostic Nirvana

The Robin Report 01.10.22 While livestreaming may at first appear to be today’s version of “shoptainment,” its real and enduring value will be in closing the gap between online and offline selling. Livestream hosts can build deeper customer connections as well as answer key product questions in real time. https://bit.ly/3tCKY8J

Target Holiday Foot Traffic Increases, Surpasses Walmart and Best Buy

Target Holiday Foot Traffic Increases, Surpasses Walmart and Best Buy

Target Holiday Foot Traffic Increases, Surpasses Walmart and Best Buy

Forbes.com 01.10.22 In an e-mail, Ethan Chernofsky, VP of Marketing at Placer.ai said “Target showed once again the unique strength and customer relationship it has developed. Even with visits down on key shopping days like Black Friday and Super Saturday, and major concerns around supply chain holdups, labor shortages, and COVID cases, t

Forbes.com 01.10.22 In an e-mail, Ethan Chernofsky, VP of Marketing at Placer.ai said “Target showed once again the unique strength and customer relationship it has developed. Even with visits down on key shopping days like Black Friday and Super Saturday, and major concerns around supply chain holdups, labor shortages, and COVID cases, the company still drove monthly visits growth even when compared to a strong season in 2019.” https://bit.ly/3rMquZU

The Future Of Niche Retailing Is Building Brands Around Tribes

Target Holiday Foot Traffic Increases, Surpasses Walmart and Best Buy

Target Holiday Foot Traffic Increases, Surpasses Walmart and Best Buy

Forbes.com 01.02.22  Millennials’ adulthoods have been defined by political decent, economic recession, and massive amounts of debt caused by the staggering costs of higher education. My eldest, thirtysomething daughter fits that bill. And like many other of her cohorts who look to passion projects to balance their stressed lives, she chose gardening. https://bit.ly/3sCnRJn

2021 Year in Review – Reflecting and Projecting What’s Ahead For Retailers in 2022

Despite An Early Shopping Start, Holiday Traffic Sustained, Stoking Near Double Digit Gains

Despite An Early Shopping Start, Holiday Traffic Sustained, Stoking Near Double Digit Gains

Forbes.com 12.30.21 In reflecting on my 2021 retail musings, I discovered a full two-thirds of the nearly three-dozen articles touched on five main topics – Sustainability and Conscious Consumerism, Big Box Specialty Stores, Big Discounters’ Dominance, Direct-to-Consumer Brands (DTC), and Mall Fall and Overhaul. A brief recap may provide 

Forbes.com 12.30.21 In reflecting on my 2021 retail musings, I discovered a full two-thirds of the nearly three-dozen articles touched on five main topics – Sustainability and Conscious Consumerism, Big Box Specialty Stores, Big Discounters’ Dominance, Direct-to-Consumer Brands (DTC), and Mall Fall and Overhaul. A brief recap may provide a guide for what will be on our radar in 2022. https://bit.ly/3JTfOzZ 

Despite An Early Shopping Start, Holiday Traffic Sustained, Stoking Near Double Digit Gains

Despite An Early Shopping Start, Holiday Traffic Sustained, Stoking Near Double Digit Gains

Despite An Early Shopping Start, Holiday Traffic Sustained, Stoking Near Double Digit Gains

Forbes.com 12.27.21 Despite every possible stumbling block that could be placed in the way of retailers and customers this holiday season, Mastercard SpendingPulse announced Monday that year-over-year spending rose 8.5% compared to the 2020 holiday.  They had expected a 7.4% increase. The retailer’s record sales also beat pre-pandemic 2019 by 10.7%. https://bit.ly/3pWGdVz

The Furniture Resale Business Is Ripe For Disruption, Kaiyo May Be The Disruptor

Despite An Early Shopping Start, Holiday Traffic Sustained, Stoking Near Double Digit Gains

The Furniture Resale Business Is Ripe For Disruption, Kaiyo May Be The Disruptor

Forbes.com 12.22.21 The problems surrounding furniture waste is complex and have been exacerbated by the popularity of lower-quality “fast furniture” which get randomly discarded. These products are often difficult to recycle, as they contain multiple materials, requiring costly disassembly. In some cases, they contain toxic chemicals, making them impossible to recycle. https://bit.ly/3HDIlHQ 

Peloton Needs To Punch Up the Power, But It Will Take More Than ‘Shadow Boxing’

Peloton Needs To Punch Up the Power, But It Will Take More Than ‘Shadow Boxing’

The Furniture Resale Business Is Ripe For Disruption, Kaiyo May Be The Disruptor

Forbes.com 12.08.21 Peloton, the pandemic poster child has hit the skids. Subscription rates are down, and subscribers are working out less frequently, down from a high of twenty-six times per month to its current 16.6 times. In early November it adjusted its fiscal 2022 sales to $4.4 billion, down from the previous quarter, when they had

Forbes.com 12.08.21 Peloton, the pandemic poster child has hit the skids. Subscription rates are down, and subscribers are working out less frequently, down from a high of twenty-six times per month to its current 16.6 times. In early November it adjusted its fiscal 2022 sales to $4.4 billion, down from the previous quarter, when they had been predicting revenue of $5.4 billion https://bit.ly/3HDIlHQ 

Target Beats Earnings Expectations, Thanks To Pent-Up Shopper Demand

Peloton Needs To Punch Up the Power, But It Will Take More Than ‘Shadow Boxing’

Target Beats Earnings Expectations, Thanks To Pent-Up Shopper Demand

Forbes.com 11.14.21 Early Holiday shoppers provided Target with a stocking full of great third-quarter earnings. Target earned $1.5 billion or $3.04 per share, beating the Street’s estimates of $2.82. Sales rose to $25.65 billion, which also beat estimates of $24.55 billion, and were up from last year’s blockbuster $22.63 billion quarterly sales number. https://bit.ly/3JDkzxg

With Little Supply Chain Pain, Etsy Posts Strong Sales This Quarter

Peloton Needs To Punch Up the Power, But It Will Take More Than ‘Shadow Boxing’

Target Beats Earnings Expectations, Thanks To Pent-Up Shopper Demand

Forbes.com 11.04.21 Etsy has been generating spectacular results since the pandemic’s onset. As the fourth largest e-commerce site, by customer visits, last year’s third quarter revenue soared 102% year-over-year to $451.5 million. And while growth has come down recently, their loyal customers are shopping more often and spending more money when they do. https://bit.ly/330stA6

Immune To Supply Chain Woes, Secondhand Retailers Foresee Seasonal Wins And Big Changes

Immune To Supply Chain Woes, Secondhand Retailers Foresee Seasonal Wins And Big Changes

Immune To Supply Chain Woes, Secondhand Retailers Foresee Seasonal Wins And Big Changes

Forbes.com 10.29.21 Supply chain disruption this holiday season is likely to yield dividends for the entire thrifting world. Retail resale comes closer than any retail entities to having “closed loop” sourcing. I fully expect that companies like Poshmark and ThredUp are going to reap benefits this holiday season, beyond the seismic growth the category has been experiencing. https://bit.ly/3mH2Xr3 

The Supply Chain Debacle And A Possible Alibaba-Style Workaround

Immune To Supply Chain Woes, Secondhand Retailers Foresee Seasonal Wins And Big Changes

Immune To Supply Chain Woes, Secondhand Retailers Foresee Seasonal Wins And Big Changes

Forbes.com 10.14.21 The painful reality is that goods are going to be late. How much, and how late is anybody’s guess. For the goods that arrive late, it’s unknown as to how much discounting will be necessary to clear the backlog of “late arrivals” in January and February? There is an opportunity hiding in this potentially awful scenario 

Forbes.com 10.14.21 The painful reality is that goods are going to be late. How much, and how late is anybody’s guess. For the goods that arrive late, it’s unknown as to how much discounting will be necessary to clear the backlog of “late arrivals” in January and February? There is an opportunity hiding in this potentially awful scenario that could ameliorated the steep discounting sting. https://bit.ly/3CFij4H

‘Zon is Coming to Your Hood

Immune To Supply Chain Woes, Secondhand Retailers Foresee Seasonal Wins And Big Changes

Costco Addresses Supply Chain Pains By Chartering Their Own Ships

Robin Report 10.3.21 Amazon is both the world’s preeminent retail disruptor and a very effective PR machine. The latest post-Bezos buzz revolves around their latest physical store foray: the Department Store. But after the feeding frenzy around that chub, I believe it’s more of a red herring. Simply put, what Amazon is planning will look,

Robin Report 10.3.21 Amazon is both the world’s preeminent retail disruptor and a very effective PR machine. The latest post-Bezos buzz revolves around their latest physical store foray: the Department Store. But after the feeding frenzy around that chub, I believe it’s more of a red herring. Simply put, what Amazon is planning will look, feel, and operate like no department store of our time. https://bit.ly/3moIsOf 

Costco Addresses Supply Chain Pains By Chartering Their Own Ships

As Shoemaker Allbirds Files For IPO, It May Become The First ‘Sustainable Public Equity Offering’

Costco Addresses Supply Chain Pains By Chartering Their Own Ships

Forbes.com 9.24.21 Costco beat Wall Street expectations, with Q3 revenue up 17% and comparable store sales up 9.4% with demand for home furnishings, sporting goods and jewelry being particularly strong. But the good news seemed to be overshadowed by the announcement that they would begin limiting purchases on items like toilet paper, cleaning supplies and bottled water. https://bit.ly/3ukJ0Za   

As Shoemaker Allbirds Files For IPO, It May Become The First ‘Sustainable Public Equity Offering’

As Shoemaker Allbirds Files For IPO, It May Become The First ‘Sustainable Public Equity Offering’

As Shoemaker Allbirds Files For IPO, It May Become The First ‘Sustainable Public Equity Offering’

 Forbes.com 8.31.21 Allbirds, credited as having literally created the category of woven footwear, has officially filed for its initial public offering (IPO) and will be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker BIRD. Their sustainability focus brings with it both benefits and challenges. Its offering status will be assessed by an independent thi

 Forbes.com 8.31.21 Allbirds, credited as having literally created the category of woven footwear, has officially filed for its initial public offering (IPO) and will be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker BIRD. Their sustainability focus brings with it both benefits and challenges. Its offering status will be assessed by an independent third party, evaluating its commitment to environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) criteria. https://bit.ly/3if1ANh   

Here's Why Home Depot, Lowe’s And Ace Rank Among Most Trusted Retail Brands

As Shoemaker Allbirds Files For IPO, It May Become The First ‘Sustainable Public Equity Offering’

As Shoemaker Allbirds Files For IPO, It May Become The First ‘Sustainable Public Equity Offering’

Forbes.com 8.12.21  Among the top 20 most trusted brands outlined in Morning Consult’s “Why Brand Trust Matters”, three of the top five played unique roles in our coming home, and pretty much staying there from April of 2020, through this Summer. Home Depot placed #1, Lowe’s  placed #3, and Ace Hardware placed #5. https://bit.ly/381jopE

Campus Crunch: Target, Bed Bath & Beyond Battle For Higher Earning

With Looming IPO, Warby Parker Is Following Allbirds And Honest Co. Toward Wall Street

Campus Crunch: Target, Bed Bath & Beyond Battle For Higher Earning

Forbes.com 8.5.21  This year’s collegiate competition between Target and Bed Bath & Beyond, both online and offline, made for a particularly interesting comparative exercise. The subtext being that the “Targetization” of BB&B by CEO Mark Tritton, a Target alumnus, has brought the culture, merchandizing chops, and brand sensibilities of BB&B more in sync with Target. https://bit.ly/2XC1mZe 

Macy’s Needs Some Fireworks In Its Retailing

With Looming IPO, Warby Parker Is Following Allbirds And Honest Co. Toward Wall Street

Campus Crunch: Target, Bed Bath & Beyond Battle For Higher Earning

Forbes.com 7.13.21  Between fourth-of-July extravaganzas, and venerable Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades, Macy’s shows it knows how to produce a grand experience. So, what’s with their stores?   My problem with the "Polaris-like" initiatives is they appear to focus on tactical “adjustments” designed to support a stock price, and short-term

Forbes.com 7.13.21  Between fourth-of-July extravaganzas, and venerable Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades, Macy’s shows it knows how to produce a grand experience. So, what’s with their stores?   My problem with the "Polaris-like" initiatives is they appear to focus on tactical “adjustments” designed to support a stock price, and short-term returns, rather than strategic long range initiatives. https://bit.ly/3y7BD77

With Looming IPO, Warby Parker Is Following Allbirds And Honest Co. Toward Wall Street

With Looming IPO, Warby Parker Is Following Allbirds And Honest Co. Toward Wall Street

With Looming IPO, Warby Parker Is Following Allbirds And Honest Co. Toward Wall Street

Forbes.com 6.23.21  Warby’s Co-founder Neil Blumenthal recently told the Wall Street Journal “We’ve seen retail sales bounce back faster than we anticipated." He went on to report that while transactions are well split 50-50 between store and online sales, like many other omnichannel retailers, 75% of their customers that end up buying in

Forbes.com 6.23.21  Warby’s Co-founder Neil Blumenthal recently told the Wall Street Journal “We’ve seen retail sales bounce back faster than we anticipated." He went on to report that while transactions are well split 50-50 between store and online sales, like many other omnichannel retailers, 75% of their customers that end up buying in stores began their “path-to-purchase” online.  https://bit.ly/3AyT1Vo

Pandemic Pet Adoptions Add To Chewy’s Tailwinds, But Is Sustainability In Store?

Pandemic Pet Adoptions Add To Chewy’s Tailwinds, But Is Sustainability In Store?

With Looming IPO, Warby Parker Is Following Allbirds And Honest Co. Toward Wall Street

Forbes.com 6.20.21  Millennials that are delaying having children are adopting four-footed friends and treating them like children. Meanwhile empty nesting baby boomers are seeking out breeders for surrogate tail-bearing grandchildren and spoiling them accordingly. Full confession, our home applies. https://bit.ly/3hdaOcT

Carbon Is the ‘New Calorie’ and Allbirds Is Counting

Pandemic Pet Adoptions Add To Chewy’s Tailwinds, But Is Sustainability In Store?

Dick’s Stealthy First Quarter Results And Bold Moves Suggest Best-In-Class Model

Forbes.com 6.08.21  It is becoming increasingly clear that consumers of all ages are interested in carbon transparency as well as supporting brands that make a targeted effort at carbon neutrality. Gaming company Logiteck’s CEO Bracken Darrell said in a recent Fast Company interview that “Carbon is the new calorie and we must empower customers in their purchasing choices…” https://bit.ly/35pcbOQ

Dick’s Stealthy First Quarter Results And Bold Moves Suggest Best-In-Class Model

Pandemic Pet Adoptions Add To Chewy’s Tailwinds, But Is Sustainability In Store?

Dick’s Stealthy First Quarter Results And Bold Moves Suggest Best-In-Class Model

Forbes.com 5.26.21  Dick’s blew the doors off first-quarter 2021 expectations, both theirs and the streets. Upbeat would be an under-statement for today’s investor presentation. Chairman Ed Stack said "We are in a great lane right now, and 2021 will be our boldest and most transformational year. [The] future of retail is experiential,   omnichannel operating model." https://bit.ly/3wtdVTh 

Bed Bath & Beyond Executes A Simply Stunning Brand Makeover

Art Gensler: Remembering An Architectural Icon & Apple Store Designer

Bed Bath & Beyond Executes A Simply Stunning Brand Makeover

Forbes.com 5.24.21 Two months ago Mark Tritton, Bed Bath & Beyond’s CEO made the media rounds introducing the first three of an estimated ten private brands expected to be launched over the next two years. “We’ve built ... a game plan for our store associates to communicate our new brands, the benefits, and how they can build real joy in our customers’ homes.” https://bit.ly/3fvrVG5

It’s Been Two Decades Since Apple Opened Its First Store

Art Gensler: Remembering An Architectural Icon & Apple Store Designer

Bed Bath & Beyond Executes A Simply Stunning Brand Makeover

Forbes.com 5.19.21  When Apple took the wrappers off its first stores on Saturday, May 19, 2001 at Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, and the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California, it was shortly after industry critics almost universally called the move a colossal mistake. https://bit.ly/3fWfpyr  

Art Gensler: Remembering An Architectural Icon & Apple Store Designer

Art Gensler: Remembering An Architectural Icon & Apple Store Designer

Lowe’s Is Placing Design Top Of Mind To Further Differentiate Itself From Home Depot

Forbes.com 5.17.21  I was saddened to learn of the passing of Art Gensler, Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates’ 85-year-old founder. Art and his wife Drucilla who died in 2017, started a small three-person interior design shop in 1965 and grew it to the largest Architectural practice in the United States. https://bit.ly/3vzHPEQ 

Lowe’s Is Placing Design Top Of Mind To Further Differentiate Itself From Home Depot

Lowe’s Is Placing Design Top Of Mind To Further Differentiate Itself From Home Depot

Lowe’s Is Placing Design Top Of Mind To Further Differentiate Itself From Home Depot

Forbes.com 5.11.21  Lowe’s is taking a cue from leading retailers in many segments that are moving their focus from product-based to solution-based retailing. This tactic goes beyond selling things and begins to tap into the depths of how purchases relate to a larger quest involving home, family, personal style, and well-being. Lowe’s app

Forbes.com 5.11.21  Lowe’s is taking a cue from leading retailers in many segments that are moving their focus from product-based to solution-based retailing. This tactic goes beyond selling things and begins to tap into the depths of how purchases relate to a larger quest involving home, family, personal style, and well-being. Lowe’s appears to be making it a point of brand differentiation. https://bit.ly/3hicVN7

Mall Footfall’s Back, But in The ‘New Retail’ Centers Evolve or Devolve

Lowe’s Is Placing Design Top Of Mind To Further Differentiate Itself From Home Depot

Mall Footfall’s Back, But in The ‘New Retail’ Centers Evolve or Devolve

Forbes.com 4.30.21  The mall's futures no longer revolves around storing and selling goods. Unified commerce reassigns these spaces into places of exploration, brand building, socialization, and community. It requires bringing new meaning and a broader purpose to the malls. https://bit.ly/2RdTFW2

Urban Outfitters Is Growing and Its Flagship’s Newest Design Shines

Lowe’s Is Placing Design Top Of Mind To Further Differentiate Itself From Home Depot

Mall Footfall’s Back, But in The ‘New Retail’ Centers Evolve or Devolve

Forbes.com 4.26.21  In direct comparison to the aftermath of the 2008 economic melt-down, the youth are leading the way back to spending. According to a Piper Sandler 2021 survey “Taking Stock with Teens”, Teens “wallet share” is the highest since 2013, which is driving spending to Nike, Abercrombie, and Urban Outfitters. https://bit.ly/3aWPHbk

Iconic Design Brands Herman Miller And Knoll Join Ranks

eBay Is Helping Gen-Y and Gen-Z Get Their Investment Kicks

Iconic Design Brands Herman Miller And Knoll Join Ranks

Forbes.com 4.19.21 No two companies have so influenced the 20th Century contemporary design as have the iconic brands Herman Miller and Knoll. So, it seems quite fitting that these design powerhouses should come together with the combined companies will have the pro-forma annual revenue of $3.6 billion. https://bit.ly/3ucvTsa 

Macy’s Backstage Move Is An Escalator Down, Not Up

eBay Is Helping Gen-Y and Gen-Z Get Their Investment Kicks

Iconic Design Brands Herman Miller And Knoll Join Ranks

Forbes.com 4.17.21 If Macy’s continues to anchor the surviving mall properties, then their survival revolves around moving up market, not down. This includes improving the customer experience, presentation, visual merchandising, and service. They should leave the discounting to the discounters. https://bit.ly/3unObqB

eBay Is Helping Gen-Y and Gen-Z Get Their Investment Kicks

eBay Is Helping Gen-Y and Gen-Z Get Their Investment Kicks

Kohl’s And Target: Product-Based Vs. Solution-Based Retailing

Forbes.com 4.12.21 eBay has begun a series of pop-up authentication events, intended to give their collectors and sellers a new source to both authenticate and value their rare kicks, as well as high-end watches, and collector cards.  https://bit.ly/335Y3Jp

Kohl’s And Target: Product-Based Vs. Solution-Based Retailing

Nike Takes A Brand Stand, Reportedly Exits Six More Retailers, Incl DSW, Urban Outfitters & Macy’s

Kohl’s And Target: Product-Based Vs. Solution-Based Retailing

Forbes.com 3.31.2021 For store-based retail to survive and prosper, the stores must elevate the customer experience beyond a three-dimensional e-commerce website. Merchandising implies a mixture of art and commerce. It includes contextual theming, storytelling, cross selling and solution-based rather than product-based retailing. https://bit.ly/2PVqYwc  

Nike Takes A Brand Stand, Reportedly Exits Six More Retailers, Incl DSW, Urban Outfitters & Macy’s

Nike Takes A Brand Stand, Reportedly Exits Six More Retailers, Incl DSW, Urban Outfitters & Macy’s

Nike Takes A Brand Stand, Reportedly Exits Six More Retailers, Incl DSW, Urban Outfitters & Macy’s

Forbes.com 3.26 2021 The department stores and specialties that had long been the haven for these manufacturers, have slowly moved from custodian, caretakers of their sacred national brands, to purveyors and peddlers. https://bit.ly/2PmeiPr 

Dollar General Has The Capacity To Become A 30,000 Unit Retailer

Nike Takes A Brand Stand, Reportedly Exits Six More Retailers, Incl DSW, Urban Outfitters & Macy’s

Nike Takes A Brand Stand, Reportedly Exits Six More Retailers, Incl DSW, Urban Outfitters & Macy’s

Forbes.com 3.18.2021 Fortunately, Dollar General is stepping up to the plate in broadening both its consumables and non-consumable items. They have expanded cooler equipment to deal with perishable items, as well as offering “better for you” products at affordable prices. https://bit.ly/3cI0wiS

Betting Against A Bed Bath & Beyond Turnaround Would Be Unwise

Betting Against A Bed Bath & Beyond Turnaround Would Be Unwise

Betting Against A Bed Bath & Beyond Turnaround Would Be Unwise

Forbes.com 3.12.2021 | Mark Tritton commented that “Bed, Bath was focused on creating custom products for customer’s homes at affordable prices.” He further noted that while increased margins can become a nice dividend to the strategy it was not the prime motivator for private label. http://bit.ly/38LF5uW

TARGET CAPTURES $15B MARKET SHARE IN 2020

Betting Against A Bed Bath & Beyond Turnaround Would Be Unwise

Betting Against A Bed Bath & Beyond Turnaround Would Be Unwise

Forbes.com 3.2.2021 | Tuesday’s investors call was a celebration of a company that was firing on all cylinders. Not only did they meet the demands, but they changed the game. The tendency for shoppers to consolidate the number of places they shopped during the pandemic translated into guests shopping across more Target categories. http://bit.ly/3beSvky 

SELLING WELLNESS

Betting Against A Bed Bath & Beyond Turnaround Would Be Unwise

BILLION DOLLAR HOUSE BRANDS, NO SWEAT

Forbes.com 2.11.2021 | Certainly, if Bezos and company can change the paradigm (and financial incentives) from treating diseases to incentivizing preventative practices, they may very well crack the code that has been so elusive for so long. http://bit.ly/3uXYx0G 

BILLION DOLLAR HOUSE BRANDS, NO SWEAT

BILLION DOLLAR HOUSE BRANDS, NO SWEAT

BILLION DOLLAR HOUSE BRANDS, NO SWEAT

Forbes.com 2.8.2021 | All in Motion now becomes the tenth #Target private label brand to generate over a billion dollars in annual sales. And it did so in its introductory year. This speaks volumes for how in touch Target is to the market and its customers. https://lnkd.in/ey8sqcP 

MACY'S MISERY

BILLION DOLLAR HOUSE BRANDS, NO SWEAT

GRAND MALL OVERHAUL

Forbes.com 1.22.21 | Regrettably, Macy’s has succumbed to a sad dichotomy playing out across the category. Struggling retailers are too often forced to stop the bleeding through cost cutting, while at the same time needing to improve the sub-par value proposition, which got them in trouble in the first place. http://bit.ly/2NTW7jl 

GRAND MALL OVERHAUL

BILLION DOLLAR HOUSE BRANDS, NO SWEAT

GRAND MALL OVERHAUL

Forbes.com 12.27.20 | COVID-19 will likely be viewed as an historic inflexion point in consumer behavior. Shoppers feel more connected because of the pandemic’s shared experience. According to Accenture ACN , the pandemic has given rise to a more conscious consumerism, as well as a desire to buy locally. http://bit.ly/38bxmG0 

POST PANDEMIC RETAIL EFFECTS WILL BE LONG LASTING

Young and Hurting - Macy’s and Simon Announce Painless Plans To Appeal To Gen Y and Z Shoppers

POST PANDEMIC RETAIL EFFECTS WILL BE LONG LASTING

Forbes.com 12.11.20 | There is no doubt that there is increased interest in shopping small, keeping local and regional merchants from going out of business, and keeping dollars in the community. http://bit.ly/2MPZDKY 

REDEFINING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Young and Hurting - Macy’s and Simon Announce Painless Plans To Appeal To Gen Y and Z Shoppers

POST PANDEMIC RETAIL EFFECTS WILL BE LONG LASTING

Forbes.com 10.29.20 | Since its inception in 2016, Shoptalk established a new zenith for what retail industry conferences will be judged. Big, brash, tight, and epic are all adjectives that describe the Las Vegas event that has become, at least in my opinion, retailing’s “must attend” annual gathering. http://bit.ly/3rkfaS7

Young and Hurting - Macy’s and Simon Announce Painless Plans To Appeal To Gen Y and Z Shoppers

Young and Hurting - Macy’s and Simon Announce Painless Plans To Appeal To Gen Y and Z Shoppers

Young and Hurting - Macy’s and Simon Announce Painless Plans To Appeal To Gen Y and Z Shoppers

Forbes.com 10.7.20 | Retailers are working overtime to reengage the Generation Z demographic, which still wants to touch and feel the goods. Eighty-one percent of this cohort group prefer the instore experience, according to buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) leader Afterpay. As a result, retailers and the fast-growing BNPL industry are mounting a 

Forbes.com 10.7.20 | Retailers are working overtime to reengage the Generation Z demographic, which still wants to touch and feel the goods. Eighty-one percent of this cohort group prefer the instore experience, according to buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) leader Afterpay. As a result, retailers and the fast-growing BNPL industry are mounting a multifront, seasonal attack aimed at this valuable consumer, on and offline. http://bit.ly/3bWO1OM 

Mall Of America Extends A Hand Of Unity To Challenged Local Retailers

Klarna To Raise An Additional $500M In Capital, An IPO May Be In Its Future

Young and Hurting - Macy’s and Simon Announce Painless Plans To Appeal To Gen Y and Z Shoppers

Forbes.com 9.26.20 | Mall of America, for all its “bigness” is not a stranger to small entrepreneurs and independent retailers. Now it is providing a lifeline to some Minneapolis businesses hard hit by the pandemic and the civil unrest resulting from the death of George Floyd. On October 1, the mall will launch a new, temporary rent-free venue called “Community Commons” http://bit.ly/30k9Hid  

Klarna To Raise An Additional $500M In Capital, An IPO May Be In Its Future

Klarna To Raise An Additional $500M In Capital, An IPO May Be In Its Future

Klarna To Raise An Additional $500M In Capital, An IPO May Be In Its Future

Forbes.com 9.10.20 | Klarna has a Facebook-like origin, as it was founded by three business school friends back in 2005. The company has been profitable almost since its inception. It is currently undergoing major global expansion including in the U.S., where it reported over 1 million new U.S. customers between May and August of this yea

Forbes.com 9.10.20 | Klarna has a Facebook-like origin, as it was founded by three business school friends back in 2005. The company has been profitable almost since its inception. It is currently undergoing major global expansion including in the U.S., where it reported over 1 million new U.S. customers between May and August of this year, alone. Globally, its sales across the entire platform, over the first six months of 2020 amounted to $24.9B, representing a 44% year-over-year growth. http://bit.ly/3uSOXwd

Hims & Hers - Featured At Target, Goes Where Few Brands Have Dared

Klarna To Raise An Additional $500M In Capital, An IPO May Be In Its Future

Klarna To Raise An Additional $500M In Capital, An IPO May Be In Its Future

Forbes.com 8.31.20 | The brand offers access to experienced, licensed medical professionals who can both consult and treat a wide range of medical conditions. Last year the brand claimed more than 1 million virtual patient appointments. Additionally, since late-March Hims & Hers expanded its offerings to include COVID-19 screenings and se

Forbes.com 8.31.20 | The brand offers access to experienced, licensed medical professionals who can both consult and treat a wide range of medical conditions. Last year the brand claimed more than 1 million virtual patient appointments. Additionally, since late-March Hims & Hers expanded its offerings to include COVID-19 screenings and sessions dealing with anxiety and depression, brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. http://bit.ly/3sRgIna  

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