According to Harvard Business Review, there are five key "commandments" that can be derived from Costco's Code of Ethics. Here is one of them... The shop floor is where the…
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The Chief Merchant Journal
I’m experiencing a kind of material déjà vu. Here’s what I mean. Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), a next-gen material company is winding down operations. This after restructurings, leadership churn, and…
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A trio of companies, The Organoid Company (NL), Lab-Grown Leather Ltd. (UK) and US marketing agency VML issued a press release saying they will produce “the world’s first T. rex…
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Former J. C. Penney CEO, Ron Johnson, once said “I thought people were just tired of coupons. Our core customer was much more dependent on and enjoyed coupons more than…
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In the case of Lululemon, the first step in solving a problem is admitting you have one. Calvin McDonald has clearly stated during the most recent earnings announcement that the…
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C-stores and gas stations are very unique. They sit in the intersection of grocery stores, quick serve restaurants and general merchandise. And, this intersection exists with the additional challenge of…
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If we go back to some old-school Peter Drucker, we find that he has identified 10 areas of innovation. Four examples include: 1 - New Knowledge. This is the domain…
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"This past week, we had an amazing two days with Liza Amlani of Retail Strategy Group. I decided to bring Liza in because one of the things we noticed with…
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Pay attention. I’m going to tell you about a $17 billion opportunity. In a recent newsletter published by XRC Ventures, menopause is an underrated area of investment in the women’s…
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Accessories and beauty are smart growth plays for Gap Inc. but execution is everything. Accessories are high-margin, outfit-completing items that extend the apparel experience and encourage customers to shop the…
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Canadian Tire Corporation and Tim Hortons have teamed up on a loyalty partnership...but is it really about customers, or just chasing incremental share? This is less about customer delight and…
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Although it seems counterintuitive, bestselling items need not occupy “prime” space in your store. Best sellers are the best for a good reason: because of the brand’s strength. Consider On…
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Department stores are struggling. Luxury is losing share to resale. Big brands are boring customers with uninspired assortments. That means specialty and small retailers have a chance to win. I…
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Beauty is a beautiful idea. Just ask Gap Inc. The company has announced plans for a phased beauty rollout, starting with “test and learn” in Old Navy. The upside sounds…
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The fashion manufacturing and product development space is evolving fast. Naturally, this brings new opportunities but growth can be limited by persistent constraints. In our work with market leading brands,…
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Broken communication leads to lost profit. You can find any number of examples of this across industries. Retail is no exception. I’ll give you an example from my own experience.…
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Second day in London and I need to grocery shop. I slam down the double espresso and march over to the Marks & Spencer on King’s Road. The first thing…
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Picture it… We’re cruising down a toll road in Spain towards Alicante. Toll paid, the barrier lifts, we accelerate. “Hey, what happened to the side mirror?” Liza says casually. I…
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I love donuts. I’m especially partial to mini cinnamon sugar. Oh, and donuts branded as “Floopy’s” that I can find at any Lidl location here in Spain. You know who…
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Here are three observations that I have made regarding brands and their efforts to outsource design, sourcing and product development. 1 - Global apparel brand: Hired an existing vendor to…
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