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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.
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.
What We Get Wrong Every Year About Amazon Prime Day
Import from forbes.com
July 14, 2019
You don't need to know any so-called retail prophets to be certain that the volume will be massive and that sales will be up considerably over last year.
With The RealReal's Blockbuster IPO, Is 'Recommerce' Retail's Next Big Thing?
Import from forbes.com
July 01, 2019
The luxury reseller raised $300 million in its initial public offering and saw its shares soar nearly 45% before settling in at at a market capitalization of $2.4 billion. Recommerce brands are garnering lots of attention, but what does the future hold?
Pier 1 Imports: From Bad To Worse To Dire
Import from forbes.com
June 28, 2019
The company, which only last week completed a 1-for-20 reverse stock split to avoid its shares being delisted, delivered an abysmal 15.5% drop in sales and its operating losses nearly tripled.
Retail Delivery Wars: Smart Strategy Or An Inevitable Race To The Bottom?
Import from forbes.com
June 27, 2019
As Target, Walmart and Amazon keep adding more, faster and cheaper delivery the consumer is the obvious winner. But what does this all mean for retailers' profits?
Neiman Marcus Kicks The Can Down The Road. So Now What?
Import from forbes.com
June 12, 2019
With the restructuring of its heavy debt load, Neiman Marcus has bought time to improve its operations. But as a mature brand in a changing luxury environment, the company is challenged to perform in ways it hasn't in more than a decade.
Omnichannel Is Dead. The Future Is Harmonized Retail
Import from forbes.com
June 03, 2019
Omnichannel is dead. Over-used, ill-defined and never the panacea it was made out to be. It was never about being everywhere. It's about showing up where it really matters in remarkable ways, eliminating discordant notes and amplifying the wow. This is harmonized retail.
Kohl's, JC Penney And The Relentless Collapse Of Retail's Boring Middle
Import from forbes.com
May 21, 2019
Kohl's and JC Penney both reported poor sales and earnings in the most recent quarter. We shouldn't be surprised. Retail's bifurcation continues apace, and the middle continues to collapse.
Bed, Bath & Beyond Boring: The Challenges Facing The Retailer As CEO Temares Steps Down
Import from forbes.com
May 13, 2019
Bed, Bath & Beyond stuck to its category-killer strategy even as the rest of retail moved on, becoming the poster child for both poor execution and an inability to respond to the collapse of the boring and mediocre middle. A radical rethink is required, or it risks falling into irrelevance.
Nordstrom's 'Local' Expansion Has National Implications For All Of Retail
Import from forbes.com
May 02, 2019
Nordstrom's expansion of its Local concept to New York City suggests a national roll-out may be in the offing. But the bigger lesson for all retailers is to rethink the customer experience and to reimagine formats to maximize growth.
Succeeding In Retail Is All About Experience -- Here's What That Means
Import from forbes.com
April 25, 2019
Experiential retail is all the rage, generating experiments on the part of many retailers and garnering plenty of media attention. Unfortunately we lack a useful working definition of what we delivering on "experience" means and the steps to create remarkable outcomes.
Will Story Help Macy's Launch An Exciting New Chapter?
Import from forbes.com
April 15, 2019
Last week Macy's launched Story shops in 36 stores. The move comes less than a year after Macy's acquired the Story brand and made its founder Rachel Schechtman its new brand experience officer. Are the new concepts enough to just start a revival at the iconic but struggling department store chain?
Is Canada Goose Luxury Retail's Next Highflier?
Import from forbes.com
April 11, 2019
Digitally native vertical fashion brands may garner the most attention, but luxury outwear brand Canada Goose is generating strong growth with plenty of untapped global potential. And, unlike many so-called unicorns, they are making tons of money.
Despite Defying The 'Retail Apocalypse,' At Home Reportedly Puts Itself Up For Sale
Import from forbes.com
April 08, 2019
Despite concerns over the "retail apocalypse" At Home has demonstrated robust store, sales and margin growth. But recent weakness has cast doubts about future performance and turned the company into a possible takeover target.
Sears Tries Small Stores -- Again. Here's Why They'll Fail -- Again
Import from forbes.com
April 05, 2019
This week Sear announced a new off-the-mall format to showcase its once dominant home brands. Alas, it's a repeat of many things that were tried unsuccessfully in the past and it's clearly too little, too late.
Wayfair Joins The 'Online-Only' March Into Physical Stores
Import from forbes.com
March 31, 2019
The e-commerce home furnishings giant finally announced the opening of its first store, joining the march of once-online-only brands into brick-and-mortar. It's unlikely to be its last. But physical stores by themselves won't address the challenging issues in Wayfair's underlying business model.
Go Big Or Go Home: Restoration Hardware's Radical Approach Is Paying Off
Import from forbes.com
March 29, 2019
Not long ago, Restoration Hardware looked like it was a dead brand walking. In recent years, it has not only avoided the retail graveyard but turned into one of the more remarkable and profitable specialty retailers by going big when others were trying to shrink to prosperity.
Another Store Bites The Dust: Why Retailers Like Shopko Fail
Import from forbes.com
March 22, 2019
Mass store closings and wholesale liquidations are hardly news these days. While the big contraction in retail seems to support the broader retail apocalypse narrative, the reality is that almost all the trouble is concentrated in retailers stuck in the boring middle.
Ulta And Sephora Keep Defying The 'Retail Apocalypse'
Import from forbes.com
March 18, 2019
Despite the retail apocalypse narrative many brick-and-mortar dominant retailers are not only surviving they are thriving. So what explains the widening gap between retail's winner and losers?
Four Truths And A Lie From This Year's ShopTalk
Import from forbes.com
March 08, 2019
ShopTalk was once again proved to be the must-attend retail event of the year, while revealing a few key truths about where retail stands today, and at least one big misconception.
Macy's And JC Penney Earnings Offer Evidence Of The Stall At The Mall; Here's How They Can Get On Track
Import from forbes.com
February 28, 2019
Macy's and JC Penney's fourth-quarter earnings reports underscore that they remain stuck in the middle and keep resorting to closing stores and reducing expenses when their primary challenge is to become more customer relevant and remarkable.
Despite A Booming Stock Price, Wayfair Is No Amazon
Import from forbes.com
February 26, 2019
Wayfair's stock is up dramatically on the heels of booming sales growth. But most of this growth looks to be coming at too high a cost, and many fundamental issues remain.
Barneys And MedMen Hope 'High' Fashion Will Be A Big Hit
Import from forbes.com
February 18, 2019
In the past week Barneys New York and MedMen both announced apparel and accessory offerings inspired by the "cannabis lifestyle." While taking different approaches the two retailers may be on to an exciting new market opportunity.
Sears Lives To Die Another Day
Import from forbes.com
February 08, 2019
Eddie Lampert has managed to pull another rabbit out of the hat, buying Sears out of bankruptcy. But the iconic retailer lacks any reason for being, and this latest move appears to only delay the inevitable.
Why Are Some Retailers Only Now Realizing They Have Way Too Many Stores?
Import from forbes.com
February 05, 2019
Mass store closings continue to rock the retail world. Some of it makes sense. In other cases, the impact of shifting consumer behavior and digital disruption have been known for years, and the failure to act earlier suggests weaknesses in executive and board leadership.
The Stores Strike Back
Import from forbes.com
January 31, 2019
The death of physical retail is not only exaggerated, but many "traditional" retailers are having a rebirth, recognizing that investing in their brick-and-mortar locations while harmonizing the overall experience can be the antidote to Amazon.
Retailers' Pointless Pursuit Of The Promiscuous Shopper
Import from forbes.com
January 29, 2019
Promotional retailing is not new. But the relentless pursuit of promiscuous shoppers by traditional and digitally-native vertical brands is making much of retail increasingly unprofitable.
NRF's Big Show: Addressing The Knowing-Doing Gap
Import from forbes.com
January 21, 2019
Each year the NRF Big Show contains dozens of useful sessions and opportunities to learn what's new in retail. Yet too much information is rehashed and not enough knowledge actually turns into action.
Blake Nordstrom: Gone Too Soon, But His Impact On Retail Will Long Be Remembered
Import from forbes.com
January 03, 2019
The death of Blake Nordstrom, the co-president of the storied retail chain, at age 58 is a real tragedy. Yet his contributions to the industry will long be remembered.
Was 2018 The Best Shopping Season In Years? Let's Wait And See
Import from forbes.com
December 31, 2018
Holiday sales look to be very strong. But it's important to remember that sales aren't the same as profits, the holiday season isn't quite over, and individual retailers' performance will vary—often widely.
The 3 Big Problems With Omnichannel Retail
Import from forbes.com
December 26, 2018
For at least 5 years "omnichannel" has been all the rage. Yet too many retailers chased a be everywhere the customer is strategy without a clear focus, and without realizing the dilutive earnings effect such efforts can cause.
Dead Brand Walking: Sears Is Going Out With A Bang
Import from forbes.com
December 17, 2018
Sears managed its first comparable store sales increase in many years. Despite this seemingly positive sign, the reality is that Sears is in deep trouble, and recent news does not suggest any chance of a turnaround.
Forget Black Friday And Cyber Monday -- For Most Retailers, It's Really About December Sales
Import from forbes.com
December 10, 2018
The importance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday continues to be overblown and misunderstood. For virtually every retailer, the action is really in December, and in particular, the second half of the month.
Cyber Monday And The World's Easiest Retail Prediction
Import from forbes.com
November 26, 2018
Predictions that Cyber Monday sales will set a record take no insight whatsoever. And the decision by retailers to discount heavily takes no strategic insight. Chasing the promiscuous shopper and riding the growth of e-commerce is easy. Becoming truly remarkable is hard.
Nordstrom: No Good Deeds Go Unpunished
Import from forbes.com
November 20, 2018
Nordstrom continues to perform well, but its stock has mostly gone nowhere. Nordstrom remains one of the best performing and most remarkable retailers around, yet it often doesn't get the respect it deserves.
The Critical Question For Struggling Retailers: Too Much Store Or Not Enough Brand?
Import from forbes.com
November 16, 2018
Few, if any struggling retailers, can shrink to prosperity, yet massive downsizings are becoming commonplace. The idea of optimizing space has concept appeal, but usually its drivers have more to do with brand issues that real estate problems.
Pure-Play E-commerce's Scaling Woes Continue
Import from forbes.com
November 09, 2018
Despite the narrative that e-commerce is eating the world, it turns out that the underlying economics are often channeling and several high profile pure-plays are struggling to make their models work at scale.
Are Private Brands Key To Beating Amazon?
Import from forbes.com
November 01, 2018
As Amazon continues to gobble up market share in most product categories, many retailers find themselves on their heels desperately seeking an antidote to Amazon's growing dominance. In addition to improving digital shopping many retailers are turning to private brands as a potential antidote.
We've Created A Monster: Retail's Growing Returns Problem
Import from forbes.com
October 30, 2018
The high cost of product returns has been an issue for many years. As e-commerce continues to grow rapidly—and free shipping offers become nearly ubiquitous—the impact on retailer's bottom lines is reaching a breaking point.
Strange Bedfellows? Legacy Retailer And Disruptive Brand Partnerships Are On The Rise
Import from forbes.com
October 23, 2018
Partnerships between innovative and disruptive direct-to-consumer brands and more stodgy established retailers may seem strange at first. Yet there are powerful underlying reasons why they make sense of more companies to explore.
Retail's 'Halo Effect': New Stores Boost A Brand's Website Traffic By 37%, Study Finds
Import from forbes.com
October 17, 2018
There are many reasons that the death of the physical store is greatly exaggerated. As a new study from the ICSC illuminates, one of the reasons is the critical role that physical stores play in driving e-commerce success. And vice versa.
Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls, It Tolls For Sears
Import from forbes.com
October 10, 2018
Sears Holding is reportedly about to file for bankruptcy. While shocking in some respects, the now-decades-long struggles of the retailer are well documented, and any hope for a reversal of "the world's slowest liquidation sale" has seemed highly unlikely for years.
Will Amazon 4-Star Live Up To Its Reviews?
Import from forbes.com
October 01, 2018
Amazon surprised most observers with the opening of 4-Star, a physical store featuring a selection of the retailer's best sellers. In translating what works online to brick-and-mortar retail brands need to be careful not to overplay their digital experience.
The Retail Lesson Of The Last Decade: Disrupt Or Be Disrupted
Import from forbes.com
September 28, 2018
Retail history--and the retail graveyard--is littered with brands that failed to see how disruption was likely to effect them and watched while they should have been acting. The dynamics of the mattress industry are yet another lesson in how
Plot Twist: Amazon's Future May Soon Be Tied To Brick-And-Mortar
Import from forbes.com
September 21, 2018
The first two decades of Amazon's explosive growth and disruptive power have been all out about online shopping. As they get further into their third decade a deeper brick & mortar presence will be key to unlocking market share in certain large categories.
Nordstrom Ups The Ante With New Loyalty Program
Import from forbes.com
September 14, 2018
Nordstrom is introducing a new loyalty program. Some aspects are merely playing catch up. Others hold the potential to move the retailer from average to remarkable.
Physical Stores: Assets Or Liabilities?
Import from forbes.com
September 07, 2018
For several years the narrative was that physical retail was dead. Recent reports suggest a resurgence. Yet the reality is more nuanced. Winning retailers don't approach it as a black and white question but leverage the pieces of brick-and-mortar retail that bring a competitive edge.
Here's What Investors Are Missing About The Sears-Amazon Partnership
Import from forbes.com
August 28, 2018
The news that Sears is expanding its tire partnership with Amazon sent the company's shares sharply higher. For the most part, this is much ado about nothing as it does little to change the inevitable continuing decline of the storied retailer.
Retail Earnings: The Best Of Times And The Worst Of Times
Import from forbes.com
August 23, 2018
As retailer earnings reports roll in, a few things are becoming more clear. Physical retail is not dead, but boring retail is. The difference between the haves and have nots is becoming more pronounced. And better is not necessarily the same as good.
Eddie Lampert Just Can't Stop Picking At Sears' Carcass
Import from forbes.com
August 20, 2018
Eddie Lampert, Sears Holdings' CEO and primary shareholder, seems destined for the Chutzpah Hall of Fame as his hedge fund scoops up Sears' once highly valuable assets.
Mickey Drexler And The De-Schlepping Of Retail
Import from forbes.com
August 06, 2018
An increasingly important driver of online shopping growth is, as former J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler has coined it, "de-schlepping." The consumer value of having bulky and heavy items shipped is clear. Whether retailers can make the economics work over the long term is another matter entirely.
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
"Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be" with Steven Pressfield
REMARKABLE RETAIL
September 13, 2022
We're back with Part 2 of our provocative interview with Steven Pressfield, acclaimed screenplay writer (The Legend of Bagger Vance, among others) and bestselling author of fiction (A Man at Arms, Gates of Fire), as well as several ground-breaking non-fiction works on unlocking our creative potential, including the classic The War of Art, which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide
Slaying the Dragon of "Resistance" with Steven Pressfield
REMARKABLE RETAIL
September 06, 2022
Our guest this week is Steven Pressfield, acclaimed screenplay writer (The Legend of Bagger Vance, among others), bestselling fiction author (A Man at Arms, Gates of Fire) and, as you'll learn, a "servant to the Muse." But he's joining us to discuss his breakthrough efforts to help people walk through their fear to create and deliver their best work.
The Store As Brand Hub with Target SVP Nancy King
Import from wordpress feed
April 19, 2022
Our guest this week is Nancy King, SVP, Product Engineering at Target who shares the remarkable story of her company's journey to omni-channel--or is it harmonized?--leadership. This episode provides a deep-dive, insider's perspective on how Target has embraced the blur of modern retail and put the
No Cake For You!: Celebrating Remarkable Retail's Birthday with special guest Sucharita Kodali
Import from wordpress feed
April 12, 2022
“I think it’s terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people’s expectations. If you feel safe in the area that you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of you
No Cake For You!: Celebrating Remarkable Retail's Birthday with special guest Sucharita Kodali
Remarkable Retail
April 11, 2022
On the 1st anniversary of the release of the revised and expanded 2nd edition of Steve's best-selling book Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption--which confusingly is also the 2nd anniversary of the 1st edition's release--we celebrate its success and impact with our very special guest Forrester Research VP & Principal Analyst Sucharita Kodali. Sucharita is not only one of retail's top thought leaders, but she was our very first guest on the podcast back in September of 2022 and she graciously wrote the Foreword to Remarkable Retail's 2nd edition.
Stepping Out in Style with Crocs President Michelle Poole
Import from wordpress feed
April 05, 2022
Our guest this week is Michelle Poole, President of Crocs. As Crocs celebrates its 20th anniversary we dig into the remarkable growth story behind the increasingly iconic footwear company. We address head-on the polarizing (or is it fundamentally under-estimated?) nature of the brand and how Michell
Live from Las Vegas: Shoptalk 2022 Recap
Import from wordpress feed
April 01, 2022
We're live and in-person together for the first time since we launched the Remarkable Retail podcast for this special bonus episode.Steve and Michael sit down together in the Vegas Podcasting Studio (i.e. Michael's hotel room!) on the third and final day of the Shoptalk 2022 show in Las Vegas and di
Rethink Retail's Top Influencers (Part 2): The Outlook for Retail in 2022.
Import from wordpress feed
March 29, 2022
This episode we welcome our fellow "Rethink Retail Top Influencers" Cate Trotter, Hitha Herzog, and Rob Garf. Julia Raymond Hare and Gabriella Bock also join us to explain what the Rethink Retail's list is all about. But first we take on the news of the week, including what to make of Nike's
Rethink Retail's Top Influencers (Part 1): What's New & Next in Remarkable Retail
Import from wordpress feed
March 22, 2022
This episode we welcome our fellow "Rethink Retail Top Influencers" Nikki Baird, Ricardo Belmar, and Alicia Esposito. Julia Raymond Hare and Gabriella Bock also join us to explain what the Rethink Retail's list is all about. But first we take on the news of the week, including the continuing "pro
Crafting a Compelling Omnichannel Strategy with guest Richard Armour, SVP eCommerce for Michaels Stores
Import from wordpress feed
March 15, 2022
Richard Armour is a deeply experienced omni-channel retail executive having cut his teeth at Travelocity and Gamestop. Now he is helping drive the digital transformation for Michaels Stores, one of North America's largest provider of arts, crafts, framing, and more for makers and do-it-yourself home
The Great DTC v. Wholesale Debate with guest Simeon Siegel
Import from wordpress feed
March 08, 2022
This episode we welcome Simeon Siegel, the retail rockstar analyst from BMO for a provocative discussion on whether going direct-to-consumer is all it's cracked up to be. In a Masterclass on retail growth strategies, we first clean up some of the often confusing nomenclature, then discuss whether wh
Why Does It Take A Crisis for Retailer's to Innovate?
Import from wordpress feed
March 01, 2022
"The future is already here--it's just not very evenly distributed."- William Gibson In this episode we delve into why unremarkable retailers often struggle to make the changes they must until essentially being forced to, as well as what it takes to embrace a true culture of experimentation.Among t
The Stores Strike Back Again. Again.
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February 22, 2022
“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”- Mark TwainTurns out physical retail isn't dead. In fact, brick & mortar retail seems to be undergoing a renaissance of sorts.In this episode we go sans guest, and delve into how a few savvy retailers (e.g Target) started seeing their stores a
The Citizenry Founders Talk Passion and Purpose
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February 15, 2022
We love lifting up emerging remarkable retailers that may not have (yet) hit our audience's radar screen. So this episode we welcome Rachel Bentley and Carly Nance, the co-founders of The Citizenry, the fast-growing, thoughtfully designed, ethically crafted, home furnishing company. We dig into the
Blow It Up? It's Time for "The Great Reconfiguration"
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February 08, 2022
“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.”- Henry Ford Is it possible that you are not changing as dramatically and profoundly as you should? Is it possible that many of the strategies that have brought you success may actually prevent future success? Is i
Remarkable Retail Gets Active with Vuori's CEO Joe Kudla
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February 01, 2022
This episode we welcome Joe Kudla, CEO and Founder of Vuori, the fast-growing Southern California-inspired activewear brand. Joe's journey is a fascinating one that anyone in retail and branding will enjoy and can learn from. We discuss the origin story of the company and discover how two big pivots
10 No-Holds-Barred Retail Predictions for 2022
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January 25, 2022
We go sans guest this week to unpack Steve's 2022 Retail Predictions, previewed in his recent Forbes article.We cover a lot of ground including future of certain unremarkable retailers, what's next for Amazon, the importance of understanding 'buying' vs. 'shopping' and more. We also unveil "The Grea
Ulta's Remarkable Growth Story featuring Dave Kimbell, CEO
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January 18, 2022
Our new season kick-off episode features an illuminating interview with Ulta CEO Dave Kimbell. Ulta has become one of the most remarkable growth stories in all of retail, growing from a small regional player to an $8 billion powerhouse with more than 1,300 stores and an expanding presence within Tar
Shift Happens: Get Ready for Season 4!
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January 11, 2022
This is Steve Dennis, trusted strategic advisor, keynote speaker and author of Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption.If the last two years has taught us anything it’s this: Shift Happens. But becoming and staying remarkable is not about predicting the future. It
Season Finale with Special Guest Scott Galloway
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December 21, 2021
We wrap up Season 3 with the inimitable, irrepressible and always provocative Scott Galloway. For those who have yet to jump on the Big Dawg train, Scott is a Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, author of 3 best-selling books, podcast host, and the founder of Section4, where he teaches Strategy and
Fulfillment is More Than a Feeling: Featuring Fabric Co-founder & CEO Elram Goren
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December 14, 2021
As the battle for convenience continues to escalate the supply chain is becoming far more hybrid in nature and retailers are challenged to able to create a flexible--and profitable--solution for last-mile delivery.To unpack the evolution of the space and the exploding world of micro-fulfillment we'r
What's New & Next For Luxury Retail, with Karen Katz, Steve Sadove and Oliver Chen
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December 07, 2021
This week we've got a blockbuster panel featuring three of the most experienced and insightful veterans of the luxury world: Karen Katz (former President & CEO of the Neiman Marcus Group, Steve Sadove (former Chairman and CEO of Saks) and Oliver Chen (Managing director and senior equity research ana
Perch CEO Chris Bell Clearcuts His Way Through the Amazon Jungle
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November 30, 2021
We're joined by Chris Bell, CEO & Founder of Perch, one of the fastest growing and most acquisitive companies offering a platform to e-commerce brands leveraging "Fulfilled by Amazon" and other third party marketplaces. We learn how the model works, why the business model is attracting so much inves
The Profitless Prosperity of Disruptor Brands
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November 23, 2021
For more than a decade, digitally-native, vertically integrated brands (Warby Parker, Allbirds, et al)--as well as other innovative direct-to-consumer (companies (from Wayfair to Rent-the-Runway to Poshmark)--have sucked up a lot of attention in the industry and attracted many billions of venture ca
Everything You Wanted to Know About Private Brand (But Were Afraid To Ask!)
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November 16, 2021
Why are private branding strategies becoming increasingly important to the retail industry? We unpack this question in detail, first clarifying some often confusing terminology, while also making the important distinction between "private labels" and "private brands." Mostly we center the important
The Future of Grocery with Guests David Marcotte and Sylvain Charlebois
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November 09, 2021
No part of retail has been facing more transformative forces than the grocery business. In this episode we explore how the retail food business is being disrupted with globally recognized experts David Marcotte, SVP at Kantar Retail and Sylvain Charlebois (aka "The Food Professor") Senior Director,
What We Get Wrong About E-Commerce
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November 02, 2021
This week we dig into some of the myths, misleading clickbait headlines, and often unfortunate misunderstandings surrounding the growth of online shopping, both across the last two decades and accelerated more recently by the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, we dig into:The evolution of modern retail
Kara Goldin, Founder & CEO of Hint, is Undaunted, and Our Very Special Guest
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October 26, 2021
This week's special guest is Kara Goldin, CEO and Founder of Hint, the No.1 non-sweetened beverage company not owned by Coke, Pepsi or Dr.Pepper in America and the bestselling author of Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts & Doubters We learn about Kara's journey from tech executive to food entrepreneur
The Fault in Our Stores
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October 19, 2021
This week special guests Anne Mezzinga and Neil Saunders help us deliver a MasterClass in driving retail sales through better store execution. Retailers need a remarkable business design, but while they mount their transformation they also need to convert more traffic, drive average basket size and
The Membership Economy with the World's Leading Expert on Subscription Pricing Robbie Kellman Baxter
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October 12, 2021
This week we welcome special guest Robbie Kellman Baxter, the world's leading expert on subscription pricing and membership models--and bestselling author--for a robust discussion of "The Membership Economy." We delve into what's been behind the phenomenal success of brands like Netflix and other di
Honey, I Shrunk The Store: Retailers Go Smaller to Grow Bigger
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October 05, 2021
It may seem like a paradox, but retailers like Macy's, Ikea, Nike, Target, Amazon, Nordstrom and more are all pursuing small store format strategies in hopes of getting closer to customers and reigniting market share growth. While this isn't fundamentally a new idea--and one could argue that for som
Will the Holidays Be Merry & Bright? Deloitte's Vice Chairman Unpacks Their Retail Forecast
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September 28, 2021
Rod Sides, Deloitte's Vice Chairman and US Retail & Distribution practice leader, joins us to discuss his firms forecast for robust holiday sales. We delve into the underlying drivers, specific category dynamics, as well as which trends are likely to persist into next year. We also get Rod's perspec
Understanding Warby Parker and the Power of Customer-Based Valuation with special guest Daniel McCarthy
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September 21, 2021
As pioneering digitally-native brands Warby Parker and Allbirds prepare to go public--and the fortunes of other highflying disruptor retailers like Peloton and Chewy ebb and flow--we get the chance to dissect how to make sense of key customer metrics with Daniel McCarthy, professor of marketing at E
Do Department Stores Have a Future (Part 2)
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September 14, 2021
After a robust kick-off discussion on the future of department stores last week, we return to go even deeper on how department stores went from being the original "must visit" everything stores to also-rans during the past two decades. We unpack how many iconic players have experienced "death by a t
Do Department Stores Have a Future? (Part 1) w/ Simeon Siegel and Ethan Chernovsky
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September 07, 2021
This week we go deep on the future of department stores with Simeon Siegel, senior retail & ecommerce analyst at BMO Capital Markets and Ethan Chernovsky, VP of marketing at Placer.ai. Our fast-paced discussion covers a lot of territory, from how department stores have evolved, to what we mean when
A look behind the Magic Door with Ben Kaufman, CEO CAMP
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August 31, 2021
This episode we welcome Ben Kaufman, CEO and founder of Camp, the fast growing "family experience" company, which now features multiple locations in the New York area and Dallas, with more on the way (including the Los Angeles and Boston areas). We explore Camp's unique approach to the toy category-
The Future of Physical Retail: Definitely Different, Far From Dead
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August 17, 2021
With brick & mortar continuing to grow--and retailers continuing to open thousands of stores--by now hopefully most have accepted that the "retail apocalypse" narrative is nonsense. But it's clear that what separates the remarkable from the also-rans is evolving quickly and that the role of physical
Custom Fit Retail Solutions: Drew Green, CEO & President, INDOCHINO
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August 03, 2021
This episode we welcome Drew Green, celebrated Canadien entrepreneur and CEO of the custom menswear retailer Indochino. In our fast-paced conversation we delve into how the rapidly growing apparel brand delivers a remarkable customer experience by creating one-of-a-kind garments through the marria
The Hybridization of Retail
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July 20, 2021
Welcome to the Remarkable Retail podcast Season Three, Episode Two! I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Steve Dennis. This week we go deep on a growing trend that Steve introduced in his book, and recently unpacked in a Forbes article: namely how so many aspects of retail--stores, supply chains, bran
Amazon Unbound with author Brad Stone
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July 06, 2021
We're back with Season 3 and we kick it off with our special guest Brad Stone, senior executive editor for global technology at Bloomberg News and bestselling author of several books, including his latest Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire.We open up the episode with our
Nope, physical retail, still not dead. Not even close. Get ready for Season Three!
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June 28, 2021
Nope, physical retail, still not dead. Not even close. Yet the lines between physical and digital continue to blur and it continues to get harder and harder to be the amplified signal to stand out for all the noise.So get ready for season three of the Remarkable Retail podcast as we move into post
Season 2 Finale with Matt Shay, President & CEO, National Retail Federation
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June 15, 2021
We wrap up our second season with special guest, Matt Shay, President & CEO of the National Retail Federation (NRF). Many of us may know about the NRF because of its annual "Big Show", but as you'll learn in our interview it is much, much more.In our fast-paced discussion we dive into the many facet
Retail's Great Acceleration with guest Carl Boutet
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June 08, 2021
This week the "3 Amigos of Retail" re-unite, as we welcome our special guest Carl Boutet for a discussion of "The Great Acceleration." When Carl first coined the term during Steve's virtual book launch event in April of 2020, little did we know how much it would catch on--and how prophetic it would
Retail On Purpose. The Phluid Project's Rob Smith
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June 02, 2021
This week our guest is Rob Smith, CEO & Founder of The Phluid Project and Get Phluid. After many years as a senior executive working with Macy's, Victoria's Secret, Levi's and Nike, Rob followed his passion for social justice and launched The Phluid Project, a rapidly growing non-binary, gender expr
Retail's Turning Point?
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May 25, 2021
This week we go sans guest and go deep on the latest retail earnings and overall big picture trends--and what they portend for a retail recovery and future winners and losers.We all knew this quarter was going to be hard to dissect given the crazy comparisons to this time last year where we saw cons
What's Next for Fashion Resale with Fashionphile Founder Sarah Davis
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May 18, 2021
This week our guest is fashion resale pioneer Sarah Davis, the Founder, President & CCO of Fashionphile, the leading purveyor of preowned ultra-luxury accessories. We learn all about Fashionphile's 20+ year journey from scrappy boot-strapped start-up to its break-through partnership with Neiman Mar
SPECIAL, NOT BIG: Featuring Voodoo Doughnut CEO Chris Schultz
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May 11, 2021
This week our very special guest is Chris Schultz, a veteran executive with previous stints at Starbucks and MOD Pizza, who now serves as CEO of Voodoo Doughnut the remarkable Portland, Oregon based company that invented the gourmet donut category and has developed a cult-like following, despite exp
Getting to the Heart of Business with Best Buy turnaround CEO Hubert Joly
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May 04, 2021
This week our very special guest is Hubert Joly, former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and the author of the just released bestselling book The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism.In a wide-ranging interview we explore Hub
AWS's Tom Litchford and the Amazon Technology Revolution
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April 27, 2021
This week our special guest is Tom Litchford, Head of Worldwide Business Development for Amazon Web Services (AWS). We cover a lot of ground, touching on the key benefits of cloud-computing (turns out there are quite a few), how AWS fits into the Amazon eco-system (spoiler alert: quite nicely), why
AWS's Tom Litchford and the Amazon Technology Revolution
REMARKABLE RETAIL POD CAST
April 26, 2021
This week our special guest is Tom Litchford, Head of Worldwide Business Development for Amazon Web Services (AWS). We cover a lot of ground, touching on the key benefits of cloud-computing (turns out there are quite a few), how AWS fits into the Amazon eco-system (spoiler alert: quite nicely), why it takes a crisis for retailers to innovate (don't get us started) and why a culture of experimentation is so important. We also tackle the proverbial elephant in the room.
Remarkable Retail 2nd Edition Book Launch Celebration
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April 20, 2021
This week we celebrate the publication of the expanded and completely revised edition of Steve's bestseller Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. On this special episode we share the (slightly edited) recording of our virtual book launch event, hosted by Michael, a
Behind the scenes of retail reporting with CNBC’s Lauren Thomas
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April 13, 2021
This week we welcome CNBC's ace retail reporter Lauren Thomas, who talks about the journey into her current position, what her beat is all about, and the trade craft of choosing and developing stories. We also dip into what's surprised her about the retail industry and the evolving nature of consume
Disruption, Destruction and What Matters Most for Retail Right Now" w/ Brendan Witcher (Forrester)
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April 06, 2021
This week we welcome Forrester's Brendan Witcher for a wide-ranging, thought provoking and no holds barred discussion of what's most important right now in retail. Among the topics we explore are what strategies are working best, why it takes a crisis for retailers to innovate, the often critical ro
Instacart and the Last Mile Delivery Journey with Special Guest Kiri Masters.
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March 30, 2021
This week we talk about the broader eco-system of last mile delivery and the role of 3 rd party services. Specifically, we go deep on Instacart, with our special guest Kiri Masters, founder & CEO of Bobsled Marketing and co-author of Instacart for CMOs (a follow-up to her 2019 book Amazon for CMOs).
What's new and next for store traffic
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March 23, 2021
This week we welcome Ethan Chernofsky, VP of Marketing for Placer.ai, a leading analytics firm that harnesses mobile data from tens of millions of devices, to deliver visibility and insight into offline behavior. We discuss what changes in foot traffic across retail product categories and geographie
Remarkable Retail in the Land Down Under
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March 16, 2021
This week we welcome Michael Schneider the Managing Director of a truly remarkable retailer: Bunnings Group, the leading retailer of home improvement and outdoor living products in Australia and New Zealand. In our discussion we discover how Bunnings became Australia's most trusted brand, the differ
The 6 New Forces Of The COVID Economy
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March 09, 2021
This week we delve into some of the new material in Steve's expanded and completely revised 2nd Edition of Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption, which will be released on April 13th (see below for a special listener book offer).We dig into the effects of the pandem
Obsessed: Building A Brand People Love from Day One
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March 02, 2021
This week we welcome Emily Heyward, the cofounder and chief brand officer of Red Antler as our guest to help understand what branding is all about, why it is so important and what it takes to build and sustain a remarkable brand. We discuss lessons learned from her career working with top companie
The Ticking Time Bomb of eCommerce Returns
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February 23, 2021
Product returns have always been part of the retail equation--and an often high cost of doing business. But over the years, free and easy returns have become a new basis of competition. As e-commerce typically brings with it return and product exchange rates 3-5 times as high as those in brick & mor
Stores Rise Again: Retail Engagement in the Post-COVID World
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February 16, 2021
"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." - Mark TwainNot only isn't physical retail dead, but brands big and small are innovating in many ways to improve conversion, drive up average transaction value and create memorable moments that keep customers coming back for more. More and more,
Putting the Pride & Joy Back into Retail
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February 09, 2021
Steve knows a thing or two about how hard it is to write a best-selling business book on retail. And our guest, Ron Thurston has done just that. ... on this episode we delve into a few of the key themes in Ron's great new book Retail Pride: The Guide to Celebrating Your Accidental Career. We discus
Predictions For A Volatile Retail World
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February 02, 2021
We kick-off Season 2 with a predictions focused episode, wherein we try to make educated guesses about what's likely to unfold in 2021 and our uncertain and volatile retail economy. Among the predictions we discuss are:The longer-term impact of work-from-homeHow cheaper real estate may spur a new ro
Get Ready for Season Two of Remarkable Retail!
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January 20, 2021
Get Ready for Season Two of Remarkable Retail debuting February 2, 2021!If you think the COVID era has brought the narrative of the retail apocalypse to life, you’re only half right - retail isn't dead - boring retail is.As a C-level executive at two Fortune 500 companies, as a strategic adviso
A Brave New World
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January 12, 2021
“You can't stop the waves. But you can learn to surf.”- Jon Kabat-ZinnIn the final episode of our first season, before delving into the key themes from Chapter 20 ("A Brave New World") of Steve's book, we share two pieces of big news. The first is that an expanded and completely revised 2nd edi
Becoming a Retail Radical
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January 05, 2021
“If failure is not an option then neither is success.”- Seth GodinWe discuss the final component in Steve's 8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail framework: "Radical" with guests Pier Fawkes and Scott Lachut from PSFK, a leading retail experience design and innovation firm. Being "Memorable" is wh
This One Goes to 11
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December 22, 2020
"Great brands don't chase customers; customers chase great brands."- Gary Friedman, CEO Restoration HardwareWe are on to #7 ("Memorable") in Steve's 8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail framework. Being Memorable is critical to not simply offering a slightly better version of mediocre and competing rel
Retail Without Boundaries with guest Mitch Joel, bestselling author, keynote speaker and founder of Six Pixels Group
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December 15, 2020
We move on to the 6th Essential ("Connected") in Steve's 8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail framework, discussing how an abundance of connection and the erosion of boundaries between consumers and brands has fundamentally redefined marketing communications and created entirely new business models. We
Treat Different Customers Differently with guest Bridget Brennan, bestselling author and CEO of Female Factor
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December 08, 2020
"Without data, you are just another person with an opinion.”- W. Edwards DemingWe move on to the 5th Essential ("Personal") in Steve's Essentials of Remarkable Retail framework, delving into the criticality of defining our core customer (including who are offering is NOT for), why the "1 to 1 futu
Retail's New Front Door with guest Stephan Schambach, author and CEO & Founder, Newstore
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December 01, 2020
“We no longer go online, we live online”- GoogleIn our discussion of the 4th Essential ("Mobile") in Steve's Essentials of Remarkable Retail framework we probe how smart devices have created a world where we can always be shopping and the new best location for our brand is wherever the customer
The Customer is the Channel with guest Rob Mills, EVP, Chief Technology, Digital Commerce and Strategy Officer at Tractor Supply Company
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November 24, 2020
“Silos belong on farms.”- Bob Thacker, former, Sears VP MarketingWe're moving on to the 3rd of the "8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail": Harmonized, which revolves around the idea that we must drop our channel-centric thinking, processes and metrics, embrace the blur that is shopping today and se
Human-Centered Retail with guest Rishad Tobaccowala, author of Restoring the Soul of Business
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November 17, 2020
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."- Maya AngelouWe're moving on to the 2nd of the "8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail": Human-Centered, where we open the aperture on concepts of customer-centricit
Digitally Enabled
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November 10, 2020
This episode we begin the journey to remarkable by digging into Essential #1 in Steve's "8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail" framework. And we've gone global with a great panel of joining us from New York City, Montreal and London.Our panel of experts, includes UNTUCKit CIO/CDO Lockie Andrews, digita
Choose Remarkable
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November 03, 2020
"The problem is, you think you have time."- Carlos Castaneda, Journey to IxtlanAs we transition to the second part of our inaugural season, we take a brief look back at the core principles behind why even very good is not good enough any more and why we must choose remarkable. As the pace of digital
Challengers of the Status Quo with Coresight Research's CEO & Founder Deborah Weinswig
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October 27, 2020
"How did you go bankrupt?" Bill asked."Two ways," Mike said. "Gradually, then suddenly."- Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also ArisesWhy do so many companies defend the status quo even when it becomes increasingly obvious that their business model is losing customer relevance and remarkability? Why do oth
The Future Will Not Be Evenly Distributed with Publicis' Chief Commerce Strategy Officer Jason "Retail Geek" Goldberg
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October 20, 2020
William Gibson, the great American-Canadian speculative fiction author, once said: "The future is already here, it's just not very evenly distributed." This episode features a deep dive into several key concepts to navigate the COVID economy and execute the journey to remarkable. First and foremost
The Collapse of the Middle with Deloitte Consulting's Kasey Lobaugh
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October 13, 2020
In this episode we delve into a topic that sits at the core of the need to be remarkable: the on-going bifurcation of the retail market.For more than a decade success has largely been found at either end of the spectrum. At one end, brands that offered incredible value and convenience have been gobb
The End of Scarcity with best-selling author Seth Godin
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October 06, 2020
In this episode we talk about the end of scarcity that previously characterized much of retail's evolution. As we entered the 21st century, some 98% of all retail was done in brick & mortar locations where access, product choice and the information about what product and services would best meet our
A World Turned Upside Down: the epic revolution that has happened in retail and The Five Emerging Forces of retail’s new normal, featuring special guest Sucharita Kodali, Vice President, Forrester Research
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September 29, 2020
Welcome to the Remarkable Retail podcast episode 1, A World Turned Upside Down, I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Steve Dennis!In this episode we explain what Season one is about and the concept of the podcast, I talk to Steve about why he wrote the book from big picture level, and why ...
A World Turned Upside Down with Forrester Research's Sucharita Kodali
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September 29, 2020
In our inaugural episode we explain what Season 1 is about and the structure of the podcast. We talk about why Steve wrote his book, the underlying concepts of ""Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Digital Disruption" and his "8 Essentials" framework. We unpack the idea that
Retail isn't dead - boring retail is.
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September 04, 2020
I'm here to tell you: retail isn't dead - boring retail is. As a C-level executive at two Fortune 500 companies, keynote speaker and strategic advisor to dozens of retail, consumer and technology brands I help organizations accelerate their growth. I’m also the author of the new best...
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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?
The Toys Are Back In Town: A Reimagined Toys ‘R’ Us Returns
Here We Go Again. Can Barneys Survive In Luxury's New World?
What We Get Wrong Every Year About Amazon Prime Day
With The RealReal's Blockbuster IPO, Is 'Recommerce' Retail's Next Big Thing?
Pier 1 Imports: From Bad To Worse To Dire
Retail Delivery Wars: Smart Strategy Or An Inevitable Race To The Bottom?
Neiman Marcus Kicks The Can Down The Road. So Now What?
Omnichannel Is Dead. The Future Is Harmonized Retail
Kohl's, JC Penney And The Relentless Collapse Of Retail's Boring Middle
Bed, Bath & Beyond Boring: The Challenges Facing The Retailer As CEO Temares Steps Down
Nordstrom's 'Local' Expansion Has National Implications For All Of Retail
Succeeding In Retail Is All About Experience -- Here's What That Means
Will Story Help Macy's Launch An Exciting New Chapter?
Is Canada Goose Luxury Retail's Next Highflier?
Despite Defying The 'Retail Apocalypse,' At Home Reportedly Puts Itself Up For Sale
Sears Tries Small Stores -- Again. Here's Why They'll Fail -- Again
Wayfair Joins The 'Online-Only' March Into Physical Stores
Go Big Or Go Home: Restoration Hardware's Radical Approach Is Paying Off
Another Store Bites The Dust: Why Retailers Like Shopko Fail
Ulta And Sephora Keep Defying The 'Retail Apocalypse'
Four Truths And A Lie From This Year's ShopTalk
Macy's And JC Penney Earnings Offer Evidence Of The Stall At The Mall; Here's How They Can Get On Track
Despite A Booming Stock Price, Wayfair Is No Amazon
Barneys And MedMen Hope 'High' Fashion Will Be A Big Hit
Sears Lives To Die Another Day
Why Are Some Retailers Only Now Realizing They Have Way Too Many Stores?
The Stores Strike Back
Retailers' Pointless Pursuit Of The Promiscuous Shopper
NRF's Big Show: Addressing The Knowing-Doing Gap
Out On A Limb: 14 Predictions For Retail In 2019
Blake Nordstrom: Gone Too Soon, But His Impact On Retail Will Long Be Remembered
Was 2018 The Best Shopping Season In Years? Let's Wait And See
The 3 Big Problems With Omnichannel Retail
My 'Provocative' Retail Predictions For 2018: How'd I Do?
Dead Brand Walking: Sears Is Going Out With A Bang
Forget Black Friday And Cyber Monday -- For Most Retailers, It's Really About December Sales
Cyber Monday And The World's Easiest Retail Prediction
The Mass Hysteria We Call 'Black Friday'
Nordstrom: No Good Deeds Go Unpunished
The Critical Question For Struggling Retailers: Too Much Store Or Not Enough Brand?
Pure-Play E-commerce's Scaling Woes Continue
Are Private Brands Key To Beating Amazon?
We've Created A Monster: Retail's Growing Returns Problem
Strange Bedfellows? Legacy Retailer And Disruptive Brand Partnerships Are On The Rise
Retail's 'Halo Effect': New Stores Boost A Brand's Website Traffic By 37%, Study Finds
Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls, It Tolls For Sears
Will Amazon 4-Star Live Up To Its Reviews?
The Retail Lesson Of The Last Decade: Disrupt Or Be Disrupted
Plot Twist: Amazon's Future May Soon Be Tied To Brick-And-Mortar
Nordstrom Ups The Ante With New Loyalty Program
Physical Stores: Assets Or Liabilities?
Here's What Investors Are Missing About The Sears-Amazon Partnership
Retail Earnings: The Best Of Times And The Worst Of Times
Eddie Lampert Just Can't Stop Picking At Sears' Carcass
Sorry, Alexa: Voice Shopping Is Mainly Hype -- For Now
Mickey Drexler And The De-Schlepping Of Retail
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
"Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be" with Steven Pressfield
Slaying the Dragon of "Resistance" with Steven Pressfield
The Store As Brand Hub with Target SVP Nancy King
No Cake For You!: Celebrating Remarkable Retail's Birthday with special guest Sucharita Kodali
No Cake For You!: Celebrating Remarkable Retail's Birthday with special guest Sucharita Kodali
Ulta's Remarkable Growth Story featuring Dave Kimbell, CEO
Shift Happens: Get Ready for Season 4!
AWS's Tom Litchford and the Amazon Technology Revolution
Becoming a Retail Radical
This One Goes to 11
A World Turned Upside Down: the epic revolution that has happened in retail and The Five Emerging Forces of retail’s new normal, featuring special guest Sucharita Kodali, Vice President, Forrester Research
Retail isn't dead - boring retail is.
Forbes Contributor Site
