Commentary

By Neil Stern, Senior Partner, McMillan Doolittle, LLP It goes without saying that the retail marketplace has truly become a global one in recent years. The apparel industry has been upended by the rise of global fast fashion retailers like Zara (Spain) and H&M (Sweden), not to mention rising entrants like Primark (Ireland). The largest…

By Olga Stella, Executive Director, Design Core Detroit Neighborhood commercial design is at the forefront of driving inclusive growth in urban markets, Detroit being a prime example. Thanks to the tremendous entrepreneurial energy over the past ten years, new businesses are successfully opening not only in downtown, but also in nearby neighborhoods (such as Detroit…

By Andrea Weiss, Founder, The O Alliance  One of my favorite tunes was always Pat Benetar’s “Heartbreaker.” Pat studied voice at my alma mater and practiced her craft in the bars and clubs of my youth in Richmond, Virginia, before becoming a rock legend.  Pat’s powerful voice and edgy look, changed the way we would…

By Jeremy Bergstein, President, The Science Project The store of the future is now. Brands around the world are investing millions of dollars in rebuilding entire retail platforms, reconsidering the role physical store plays in the wider customer journey. This raises the question, though, what will the role of shops be in the future? Will…

By JGA Creative Director Miho Koshido-Downey & Marketing Manager Tara Liong As always, we attended CES this year, to expand our minds and to stay ahead of our industry, as well as surrounding and influencing industries. We were thrilled to be at the debut of the High-Tech Retailing Summit. Here are our key retail takeaways,…

First and foremost, Jon will be remembered as a loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. Beyond that, he will be remembered as a noble businessman and for his great accomplishments in the business world. Jon founded Jon Greenberg Associates, JGA, in 1971. The company is approaching 50 years in business, a particular accomplishment in the…

By Pamela Danziger, Unity Marketing and author Shops that POP! 7 Steps to Extraordinary Retail Success In a recent Adobe Think Tank: The Future of Experience Business, one of the speakers provocatively proclaimed, “Marketing is an outdated practice, period.” The statement arose around a question about marketing’s role in the experiential retail economy now that…

By: Judy Bell, Founder and CEO (Chief Energetic Officer) of Energetic Retail Why think about becoming a mentor? Because it may be just the ticket to refresh and inspire your own creative process. A new book titled One Minute Mentoring was released in 2017 by Ken Blanchard and Claire Diaz-Ortiz. The authors introduce their text…

By Jacques Panis, President, Shinola Authenticity No matter the industry, we know that there is a hunger in this country for authenticity, quality, and for things made here by American workers. American consumers have been duped and are demanding transparency, demanding to know the “why, where, what and who” behind the products they are buying…

By John McCullough, COO, James Avery Jewelers For many years and through multiple generations, James Avery Jewelry has been honored to be a part of our customers’ lives. It started over 60 years ago, when James Avery’s mother-in-law urged him to set up shop and pursue his passion – making jewelry. With her encouragement, James…