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…
Read More
The Chief Merchant Journal
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
"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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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,…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
Amazon announced they're doubling down on Prime Day. In July, Prime Day will span four days. "We're extending it to four days because our members have told us they just…
Read More
“When you say partnership, I hear: You have no money.” I read that on LinkedIn sometime ago. I used to think that was funny. Then the “strategic partnership opportunity” emails…
Read More
When Halston made a deal with J.C. Penney in 1983, the designer wanted to expand his “brand diffusion” experiment to a broader audience. Halston would launch “Halston III,” a diffusion…
Read More
