Retailing 2020 – 2030: taking a long view

The next generation of brands will still start with the story, but the other moats (logistics, distribution, sponsorships, etc) wither from there. We’ll see the next generation of “DTC” (direct to consumer) brands migrate to traditional retail channels, join large cross-brand data co-ops, shift marketing dollars to community management, and generat... See more

While New Retail claims to give customer data, the scale is nearly not as compelling as traditional retail. Product feedback is good, but there is a selection bias. The SoHo crowd cannot make a brand succeed, but they may give one its start. Middle America is where D2C brands have to go to grow (that is, if they want to be big). New Retail does not... See more

While e-commerce is accelerating to offer multi-layered experiences for customers and brands, bricks-and-mortar stores are becoming physical bastions of extraordinary, sensorial moments.

For a long time, retail survived on taste and real estate — curation and distribution. The internet made it possible for regional clothing stores like Need Supply to sell to a global audience and build larger businesses. But then it also made it easier for consumers to find everything, anywhere — at the lowest price — challenging any sense of loyal... See more

We are entering a new evolutionary stage of retail, in which big companies will get bigger, many mom-and-pop dreams will burst, chains will proliferate and flatten the idiosyncrasies of many neighborhoods, more economic activity will flow into e-commerce, and restaurants will undergo a transformation unlike anything the industry has experienced sin... See more

Traditional and institutional brands and retailers will continue to lose market share to local retailers and community-based shopping platforms.