Unlock access to Thinkers360 AI to fast-track your search for analysts and influencers.
This feature is available for Enterprise Lite and Enterprise Members Only.
You have been temporarily restricted. Please be more thoughtful when adding content for your portfolio. Your portfolio and digital media kit and should be reflective of the professional image you wish to convey. Accounts may be temporarily restricted if we receive reports of spamming or if the system detects excessive entries.
Membership
Publish your original ideas on the Thinkers360 platform!
This feature is available for Pro and Pro-Plus Members Only.
Speaker Bureau functionality whereby individuals can be featured speakers within our Speaker Bureau service and enterprises can find and work with speakers.
This feature is available for Pro, Pro-Plus, Premium and Enterprise Members Only.
Highlight your featured products and services within our company directory for enhanced visibility to active B2B buyers worldwide. This feature is available for Pro, Pro Plus, Premium and Enterprise Members Only.
Contribute to the Thinkers360 Member Blog and have your thought leadership featured on our web site, newsletter and social channels. Reach our opt-in B2B thought leader community and influencer marketplace with over 100M followers on social media combined!
You’ve reached your daily limit for entering quotes. Please only add personally-authored content which is reflective of your digital media kit and thought leadership portfolio.
Thinkers360 Content Library
For full access to the Thinkers360 content library, please join ourContent Planor become a contributor by posting your own personally-authored content into the system viaAdd PublicationorImport Publication.
Dashboard
Unlock your personalized dashboard including metrics for your member blogs and press releases as well as all the features and benefits of our member plans!
Interested in getting your own thought leader profile? Get Started Today.
Steve Dennis
President & Founder/Senior Contributor at SageBerry Consulting/Forbes
DALLAS, United States
Steve Dennis is a consultant, keynote speaker and author focused on retail growth and innovation. He has been named a top global retail influencer by multiple organizations and his thoughts on the future of shopping are regularly shared in his role as a Forbes Senior Contributor.
During a 30 year career as a senior executive at two Fortune 500 retailers–and more recently as a strategic advisor–Steve has worked with dozens of retail, consumer, luxury and social impact brands to inspire, catalyze and design their journey to remarkable results.
As a sought-out keynote speaker, Steve has delivered talks on six continents, sharing his unique perspective on what it takes to reignite customer growth in a world of constant change and shifting consumer preferences.
He has contributed commentary to Bloomberg/Business Week, the BBC, CNBC, CNN, the Harvard Business Review and the Wall Street Journal, among many others.
Steve is currently the President of SageBerry Consulting. Prior to founding SageBerry, he was the chief strategy officer and SVP, multichannel marketing for the Neiman Marcus Group.
Steve received his MBA from Harvard and a BA from Tufts University.
His bestselling book, "Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption", was recently released in an expanded 2nd edition revised for the post-COVID economy and featuring a new Foreword by Sucharita Kodali and endorsements from Seth Godin, Scott Galloway, Brian Solis and former Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly.
We're on a Road to Nowhere
LinkedIn
August 05, 2024
The reasons that iconic, once-vibrant brands fail are varied and in some cases complex. But an argument could be made that because they existed and thrived long before digital disruption became a force, they had plenty of time to address the problems that led to their demise. The organizations that are struggling to survive today—or those that will soon find themselves gasping for air—have no such luxury.
Slow, Afraid, and Clinging to the Past
LinkedIn
July 12, 2024
I’ve worked with and observed quite a few leaders who have spent their careers sitting on the fence. They talked a lot about the need to innovate, to transform for an emerging era, and yet it remained overwhelmingly a whole lot of talk and very little progress.
Despite What You've Heard, Physical Retail Is Not Back
LinkedIn
June 17, 2024
If you’ve been following the news you’ve likely noticed a lot of headlines that proclaim the return of brick-and-mortar retail. Earlier this week the New York Times even hailed the comeback of malls.
Retail’s Escalating Commitment To A Failing Course Of Action
LinkedIn
October 02, 2023
Anyone who follows the machinations of the retail industry will know that many struggling retailers continue to put forth breathless pronouncements of their alleged transformations. Yet the department store industry in particular seems to be the poster child for doubling down on a losing hand.
Macy’s And Kohl’s Keep Running To Stand Still
Forbes
June 01, 2023
Without radical action the collapse of the unremarkable middle will continue. A timid transformation will not save Macy's and Kohl's from a slow slide into oblivion.
My Bold Retail Predictions for 2023
LinkedIn
February 05, 2023
So damn the humility and full speed ahead as I bring forth the first batch of my dozen educated guesses on what will shape the future of retail this year, plus three bonus long-shot prognostications. We also discussed them in more depth on a two-part episode of the Remarkable Retail podcast. Listen to part 1 here and/or part 2 here.
Retail Moves From “The Great Acceleration” To “The Great Rebalancing.”
LinkedIn
June 24, 2022
During the early part of the pandemic, it became popular to say that we had experienced 10 years of e-commerce growth in only 10 weeks. While that was rather obviously not close to being true, the idea of a “great acceleration” in just about all things retail made its way into the popular vernacular. Moreover, many media outlets and retail pundits declared that some trends—most notably grocery home delivery—were permanent sea changes. As it turns out, not so much.
Store Expansion May Not Be A Slam Dunk for Struggling Digitally Native Brands
LinkedIn
May 24, 2022
Warby Parker’s disappointing earnings report is just more evidence of what I call the profitless prosperity of disruptor brands. They join a growing list of retail innovators that are posting strongly growing revenues while their profits continue to worsen. Given that Warby is among the biggest and most mature DNVB’s (digitally native vertical brands) one would expect profit margins to be improving, rather than headed in the opposite direction.
Wayfair’s Earnings Miss Portends More Trouble For ‘Disruptor’ Brands
LinkedIn
May 12, 2022
Despite a red-hot home furnishings market, the supposed great acceleration of e-commerce (mostly not true), and a cumulative investment of many billions of dollars in infrastructure and marketing over 20 years, the company managed to post a 14% sales decrease for the quarter, a significant operating loss, burn through over $300 million in cash and bid adieu to both its chief financial officer and several million “active customers.”
A Good Reason To Call Out Bulls***
LinkedIn
April 21, 2022
As much as I kind of hate the notion of a personal brand, I suppose that if I did the Niche-Voice-Story thing, “provocative” and “denier of BS” might make the list.
The Myth Of The Great E-Commerce Acceleration
Import from forbes.com
April 19, 2022
One of the most pervasive retail industry narratives is the belief that e-commerce growth has been massively accelerated by the pandemic. It turns out it's not true.
What We Often Get Wrong About E-Commerce—And Why It Matters
Import from forbes.com
March 31, 2022
Like many things, it’s generally important to follow the money. Which is why how something is ordered is interesting, but understanding how demand is generated and ultimately fulfilled is essential.
Is Kohl’s New Strategy Merely A Slightly Better Version Of Mediocre?
Import from forbes.com
March 14, 2022
At another level, the plan risks being decidedly incremental—what I often call “a slightly better version of mediocre”—rather than moving them boldly toward becoming truly remarkable.
The ‘Profitless Prosperity’ Of Retail Disruptor Brands
Import from forbes.com
March 09, 2022
At one level, it is admirable that Wayfair, Casper and others have reset the consumer expectations bar on what certain types of products should cost, thereby propelling their ability to steal share from industry incumbents. But I could sell a lot of $20 bills for only $15.
The Stores Strike Back Again. Again.
Import from forbes.com
February 23, 2022
While the popular “retail apocalypse” narrative conveniently ignored the fact that thousands of stores were opening every year and that sales rung up in brick-and-mortar locations have had positive growth every year since 2009, something far more interesting began to happen.
What We Get So Very Wrong About Amazon’s Retail Profitability
Import from forbes.com
February 07, 2022
While we can see that AWS is a huge and growing cash cow, even on a relatively simplistic segment analysis basis, it’s pretty likely that North American Retail is generating plenty of cash.
10 No-Holds-Barred Predictions For Retail In 2022
Import from forbes.com
January 21, 2022
Predicting the future in the dynamic world of retail—particularly in the throes of a lingering pandemic—may be a fool’s errand. Nevertheless, I am at again.
The 6 New Forces Of The Covid Retail Economy
Forbes
March 17, 2021
As the pace of vaccinations increases, there is a sense that the worst of Covid-19’s impact will soon be behind us. Yet any notion of being in a truly post-pandemic world, even in a best-case virus mitigation and economic recovery scenario, won’t be fully realized for some time. Many of the changes brought about by the crisis will continue rippling through society (more broadly) and the retail ecosystem (more particularly).
9 Provocative Retail Predictions for 2021
Forbes
February 02, 2021
With so much uncertainty and volatility in the economy, it may be foolhardy to go out on a limb with any predictions. My crystal ball has certainly been faulty more than a few times. Nevertheless, I throw caution to the wind with my (mostly) educated guesses on what will turn out to be noteworthy in the VUCA world of retail this year.
Saks.com Spin-Out: Genius Move or Opportunistic Folly?
Forbes
January 25, 2021
If we have learned anything from the past two decades of retail disruption, it’s that notions of separate physical and digital shopping behavior are increasingly distinctions without a difference. The lines are blurring. Digital drives brick and mortar and vice versa. Indeed, the customer is the channel and retailers with a more harmonized and remarkable retail experience generally outperform those that have failed to break down silos. Having worked in this area—as a C-suite executive at two large retailers and subsequently as a consultant and analyst—for more than 20 years, I can confidently say this goes against what we know shoppers want, what drives operational efficiency and what is central to growing customer lifetime value.
Macy’s Must Learn That Bailing Doesn’t Fix The Hole
Forbes
January 07, 2021
Earlier this week, as part of a previously disclosed three-year store closure plan, Macy’s M +4.2% announced it would shutter an additional 45 locations this year. Like most of its moderate department store brethren, Macy’s has gone from being a highly productive, traffic-driving mall anchor tenant to a long-suffering, chronic underperformer. During the past five years, when the stock market has nearly doubled, Macy’s has lost about three quarters of its value.
Has Amazon Hit A Wall?
Import from forbes.com
July 30, 2019
While most companies would kill for what counts as "bad" growth rates at Amazon— and one quarter does not amount to a trend—pay attention when growth trends slow and margins start to compress.
Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption
amazon
March 12, 2024
This book takes leaders on a courageous journey of self-reflection, personal accountability, and growth, exposing the ways in which our ego defects, blind spots, confirmation bias, and defense mechanisms get in the way of the progress we need to make
Tags: Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption, Innovation
Remarkable Retail: How to Win and Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption
LifeTree
April 13, 2021
Physical retail isn’t dead—but boring retail is! Remarkable Retail equips the savvy retailer with eight essential strategies to bounce back from the covid-19 downturn and thrive in the years to come.
Digital technology has profoundly altered the competitive landscape for retailers. Although the shutdown of 2020 didn’t cause this trend, it has dramatically accelerated it, collapsing retailers’ transformation timeline into a matter of months, not years. In Remarkable Retail, industry thought leader Steve Dennis argues that it’s no longer enough merely to offer convenience, decent prices, or an okay shopping experience. Even very good is no longer good enough. To win and keep customers today, retailers must be nothing short of remarkable.
Tags: Customer Experience, Digital Disruption, Retail
REMARKABLE RETAIL: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Digital Disruption
Lifetree Media
April 14, 2020
Despite the clickbait headlines that warn of a “retail apocalypse,” many brick and mortar retail brands are enjoying strong growth and profits. Others, however, are destined to become obsolete because they offer merely convenience, decent prices, or an okay shopping experience. In Remarkable Retail, industry thought leader Steve Dennis argues that retailers can no longer count on scarcity to drive sales, or settle for providing indifferent in-store experiences, because customers live online and have a wealth of choice and information at their fingertips.
Tags: Customer Experience, Digital Transformation, Retail
1 Founder
SageBerry Consulting
SageBerry Consulting
March 04, 2008
SageBerry Consulting provides strategic advisory services to the retail, fashion and luxury industries. With a focus on digital innovation, customer-centricity and omni-channel growth, SageBerry has worked..
Top Retail Influencers
Rethink Retail
January 03, 2022
This list is comprised of retail experts, consultants, analysts, academics, journalists, and thought leaders who are making an impact in retail in 2022.
Steve Dennis Speaker Reel
Steve Dennis
April 02, 2022
Steve Dennis is the go-to, tell-it-like-it-is expert on retail for national media outlets, an in-demand speaker and consultant.
Steve has been named a top 5 global retail influencer by multiple organizations.
His new book--REMARKABLE RETAIL: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Digital Disruption"--is now available for pre-order at Amazon and other leading book sellers
SUMMER BONUS: Safe Is Risky
Import from wordpress feed
August 20, 2024
Clayton Christensen, the late great Harvard Business School professor, wrote one of the best business strategy books of all time. In his classic "The Innovator's Dilemma" he explains how successful companies often fail by becoming overly locked into their established business models and optimizing t
SUMMER BONUS: I Love You. But You Are Not Serious People.
Import from wordpress feed
August 13, 2024
Welcome to a special Remarkable Retail podcast summer series focused on what leaders need to do to help their organizations win the future and leap to higher ground. In this six-part limited series, Steve will be unpacking key lessons from his new best-selling book “Leaders Leap: Transforming Your
SUMMER BONUS: I'm The Problem. It's Me.
Import from wordpress feed
August 06, 2024
Welcome to a special Remarkable Retail podcast summer series focused on what leaders need to do to help their organizations win the future and leap to higher ground. In this six-part limited series, Steve will be unpacking key lessons from his new best-selling book “Leaders Leap: Transforming Your
SUMMER BONUS: Shift Happens
Import from wordpress feed
July 30, 2024
Welcome to a special Remarkable Retail podcast summer series focused on what leaders need to do to help their organizations win the future and leap to higher ground. In this six-part limited series, Steve is unpacking key lessons from his new best-selling book Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company
SUMMER BONUS: Our Bold New Plan To Suck Less
Import from wordpress feed
July 23, 2024
Welcome to a special Remarkable Retail podcast summer series focused on what leaders need to do to help their organizations win the future and leap to higher ground. In this six-part limited series, Steve will be unpacking key lessons from his new best-selling book “Leaders Leap: Transforming Your
Summer Bonus Season Trailer: Transforming at the Speed of Disruption
Import from wordpress feed
July 16, 2024
This is Steve Dennis, strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. This summer we're taking our own advice and trying something new, something more radical than conventional.For the next six episodes Steve will be unpacking themes from his new book Leaders Leap and placing them squ
There’s No Place Like Home with Janet Hayes, CEO of Crate and Barrel Holdings
Import from wordpress feed
July 02, 2024
In our final episode of Season 8 we welcome Janet Hayes, CEO of Crate and Barrel Holdings, the leading home furnishings player with over 100 stores in 9 countries.Janet shares leadership lessons from a remarkable career with brands like Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Nike, and Gap and, now, in her c
Getting Your Omni-Channel Game On with Arianne Parisi, EVP & Global CDO, JD Sports
Import from wordpress feed
June 25, 2024
In our final episode recorded at Shoptalk Europe in the Bambuser remote podcast studio our guest is Arianne Parisi, EVP & Global Chief Digital Officer for JD Sports. JD Sports is a fast growing sports fashion retailer, with over 3,400 stores across Europe, North America, and Asia. Arianne shares th
BONUS EPISODE: Remarkable Video Commerce & Innovation with Maryam (Mary) Ghahremani, CEO, Bambuser
Import from wordpress feed
June 21, 2024
Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Remarkable Retail #podcast, recorded live in Barcelona at Shoptalk Europe. Our guest is the talented and dynamic Maryam (Mary) Ghahremani, CEO of Bambuser. Together, we delve into the future of global retail and commerce, focusing on the video platfo
Remarkably Global with Javier Figar, Chief Retail Officer, Tendam
Import from wordpress feed
June 18, 2024
In the third of our episodes recorded at Shoptalk Europe in the Bambuser remote podcast studio our guest is Javier Figar, Chief Retail Officer for Tendam. Tendam is a Spanish fashion retailer, with presence in 79 countries and a total of 2,056 points of sale. Javier helps us understand what makes T
Getting Closer to the Customer with Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, Chairman of IKEA and Sarah Engel, President January Digital
Import from wordpress feed
June 11, 2024
In the second of our episodes recorded at Shoptalk Europe in the Bambuser remote podcast studio we mix up our format with two shorter interviews.First up is c, Chairman of INGKA Holding B.V., the holding company that controls the majority of IKEA stores worldwide. He shares about how leading with p
Live from Shoptalk Europe: Physical Experiences Matter Even More in a Digital World
Import from wordpress feed
June 04, 2024
In the first of several episodes brought to you by Bambuser and recorded at Shoptalk Europe, we did our first full episode in front of a live audience.Our topic may at first seem counter-intuitive given the dramatic and continuing growth of e-commerce. But in a world where the role of brick-and-mort
Remarkable Resale with James Reinhart, CEO & co-founder, ThredUp
Import from wordpress feed
May 28, 2024
Our special guest this week is James Reinhart the pioneering CEO of ThredUp, the fast-growing online consignment and thrift store. We learn about James' fascinating journey from teacher to entrepreneur and how his passion drives one of the most successful purpose-driven retail brands. We go deep on
It's the End of Retail As We Know It with Azita Martin, Vice President and GM of AI for Retail, CPG and QSR at NVIDIA
Import from wordpress feed
May 21, 2024
Azita Martin, Vice President and GM of AI for Retail, CPG and QSR at NVIDIA is our very special guest. She joins us to discuss the ways AI is beginning to transform the retail landscape, and how NVIDIA is helping accelerate retailers' journeys.We start off by discussing how NVIDIA has grown to bec
The Customer is the Channel with Chris Riccobono, Founder & Executive Chairman UNTUCKit
Import from wordpress feed
May 14, 2024
This week's guest is Chris Riccobono, Founder & Executive Chairman of disruptive retail brand UNTUCKit. UNTUCKit was one of the first digitally-native brands to embrace brick-and-mortar as critical to it's long-term success. Chris takes us through the trade-offs between online, wholesale, and own st
The Store As Brand Hub with (former) Target SVP Nancy King
Import from wordpress feed
May 07, 2024
Our guest this week is Nancy King, until recently SVP, Product Engineering at Target whose interview from 2022 we are reprising.This episode provides a deep-dive, insider's perspective on how Target has embraced the blur of modern retail and put their stores at the center of the guest experience. We
A Modern Retail Masterclass with Billy May, CEO, Brooklinen
Import from wordpress feed
April 30, 2024
Joining us for our final episode recorded in the Bambuser remote podcast studio/beach cabana at Mandalay Bay during Shoptalk is deeply experienced retail executive and current CEO of Brooklinen, Billy May. In a wide-ranging discussion of the evolution of DTC, e-commerce and harmonized retail, Billy
Leaders Leap Book Launch: Get Ready To Leap!
Import from wordpress feed
April 23, 2024
We have an fantastic episode for you featuring the virtual launch event for Steve's brand-new book, Leaders Leap, recorded Monday April 22nd.Steve is joined by a panel of extraordinary guests, all of whom are leaders in their respective fields. We have the privilege of hosting best-selling author an
The Remarkable Rise of Retail Media with Melanie Brown, VP of Home Depot's Orange Apron Media + Monetization
Import from wordpress feed
April 16, 2024
Joining us for the second of three episodes recorded in the Bambuser remote podcast studio/beach cabana at Mandalay Bay during Shoptalk is Melanie Brown Vice President of Orange Apron Media and Monetization for The Home Depot. In a special two segment interview Melanie unpacks The Home Depot's reta
Mapping the Evolving Retail Landscape with David J. Katz, EVP & CMO, Randa
Import from wordpress feed
April 09, 2024
Joining us for the first of several episodes recorded in the Bambuser remote podcast studio/beach cabana at Mandalay Bay during Shoptalk is leading retail influencer and LinkedIn "Top Voice" David J. Katz, EVP & CMO, Randa Apparel & Accessories, one of the world’s leading fashion clothing and acce
NRF Big Show Asia Pacific Spotlight with the Remarkable Ngai Yuen Low, Group Chief Marketing & Merchandising Officer for Aeon Group Malaysia
Import from wordpress feed
April 02, 2024
This week we preview the NRF Big Show APAC debuting this June in Singapore, with two very special guests: Ngai Yuen Low, Group Chief Merchandise And Marketing Officer at AEON Co Malaysia live from Kuala Lumpur, and Ryf Quail, Compexosium's Managing Director live from Sydney, Australia. We start by
A Remarkable Journey Through the Shopping Mall with Craig Brommers, American Eagle's CMO
Import from wordpress feed
March 26, 2024
Joining us for our first episode recorded at last week's Shoptalk is Craig Brommers, Chief Marketing Officer at American Eagle Outfitters. We took the stage in front of a live audience for our inaugural voyage on Shoptalk TV to hear Craig's wisdom on a wide variety of topics including: the keys to t
Remarkably Iconic Retail with Michael Ward, Managing Director, Harrods
Import from wordpress feed
March 19, 2024
Our guest this week is Michael Ward, CEO of Harrod's. Harrod's is truly among the most iconic and remarkable retailers in the world, and Michael gives us a glimpse inside what makes the brand and store so special. He also shares details about how they provide exceptional levels of customer service
Finding Your Passionate Core Customer
Import from wordpress feed
March 12, 2024
This week we explore some of the content from Steve's forthcoming book Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption, which is now available for pre-order at book retailers worldwide. In particular, we go deep on a strategy of being "Special, Not Big" by significantly narrowing
Retailing in a Time of Mass Distraction with Andrea Dorigo, Adidas Head of Global Retail
Import from wordpress feed
March 05, 2024
Our guest this week is Andrea Dorigo Head of Global Retail for Adidas. Andrea shares many strategic leadership lessons gleaned from his incredibly deep and diverse experience working across a spectrum of international brands. Now he leads a network of more than 2,000 stores for one of the world's
Join Thinkers360 for free! Are you a Reader/Writer, Thought Leader/Influencer (looking to increase your earnings), or an Enterprise User (looking to work with experts)?
We're on a Road to Nowhere
Slow, Afraid, and Clinging to the Past
Despite What You've Heard, Physical Retail Is Not Back
Retail’s Escalating Commitment To A Failing Course Of Action
Macy’s And Kohl’s Keep Running To Stand Still
My Bold Retail Predictions for 2023
Retail Moves From “The Great Acceleration” To “The Great Rebalancing.”
Store Expansion May Not Be A Slam Dunk for Struggling Digitally Native Brands
Wayfair’s Earnings Miss Portends More Trouble For ‘Disruptor’ Brands
A Good Reason To Call Out Bulls***
The Myth Of The Great E-Commerce Acceleration
What We Often Get Wrong About E-Commerce—And Why It Matters
After Earnings Whiff, Maybe Warby Parker Can Learn Something From Old-School DTC Brands
Is Kohl’s New Strategy Merely A Slightly Better Version Of Mediocre?
The ‘Profitless Prosperity’ Of Retail Disruptor Brands
Amazon’s Surprise Store Closings Are Much Ado About Nothing. Here’s Why.
The Stores Strike Back Again. Again.
What We Get So Very Wrong About Amazon’s Retail Profitability
10 No-Holds-Barred Predictions For Retail In 2022
The 6 New Forces Of The Covid Retail Economy
9 Provocative Retail Predictions for 2021
Saks.com Spin-Out: Genius Move or Opportunistic Folly?
Macy’s Must Learn That Bailing Doesn’t Fix The Hole
Retail Predictions For 2019: A Midyear Status Report
Has Amazon Hit A Wall?
Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption
Remarkable Retail: How to Win and Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption
REMARKABLE RETAIL: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Digital Disruption
SageBerry Consulting
Top Retail Influencers
SUMMER BONUS: Safe Is Risky
There’s No Place Like Home with Janet Hayes, CEO of Crate and Barrel Holdings
SUMMER BONUS: I Love You. But You Are Not Serious People.
