In our Season 4 finale, we peer into Steve’s crystal ball to review his annual predictions as we approach the half way point of the year. In addition to unpacking what they are all about, we go for radical accountability, assessing each of them hits, misses or, perhaps, a bit too soon to tell.
But first we open up with the retail news that caught our attention this week, including the scary inventory overload facing many of the industry’s top players, and the impact of continuing high inflation, weak consumer confidence, mounting consumer debt and lower savings rates on retail’s immediate future. We also discuss Kohl’s bizarre potential tie-up with the Franchise Group, the growing potential of a disruptor apocalypse, highlighted by disappointing earnings from TheRealReal, StitchFix, and Rent-the-Runway. We close optimistically with Tractor Supply’s remarkable financial results and aggressive store opening plans.
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Steve Recent Relevant Forbes Articles
10 No-Holds-Barred Predictions for Retail in 2022
Too Much of a Good Things. Retailers Are Drowning in Inventory
Amazon Should Buy Kohl’s–With One Big Caveat
Past Podcast Episodes We Reference
The Stores Strike Back Again. Again.
Blow It Up? It’s Time For the Great Reconfiguration
The Original Predictions Episode
Placer.Ai Department Store Traffic Data
About Us
Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his website. The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker “sizzle” reel here.
Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.
Be sure and check out Michael’s latest venture for fun and influencer riches – Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!