Despite the amount of buzz leading up to this year’s RECon convention, I’m not quite sure if it lived up to the hype. I discuss why I feel that way in my latest Retail Rap column. There was quite a bit of excitement heading into this year’s RECon convention. The event is, in many respects, […]
Retail Rap
Missing the Forest for the B’s?
I’ve talked before about A malls and B malls, but recently I’ve read several articles discussing how A malls are doing better while B malls are treading water to stay afloat. In this week’s edition of Retail Rap, I offer my opinion on why this isn’t necessarily the case for B malls. I’ve read a […]
Irrational Exuberance is a Thing of the Past
Despite optimism in the industry, scars from the recent recession are still too fresh in everyone’s mind, causing a change in spending attitude. I discuss this change and offer my own observations in the latest edition of Retail Rap. This might not come as a huge surprise, but “irrational exuberance” is unlikely to be on […]
The Changing Face of the Convention
I noticed three developing trends at RECon 2012 that I share with you in the latest edition of Retail Rap, my twice monthly column in Chain Store Age. This is not your father’s (or my father’s) RECon. True, the conference wasn’t called that back then, but it is clear to me that this influential annual […]
RECon 2012: Expectations On the Rise
There is a lot of optimism and energy leading up to RECon 2012, and in my recent edition of Retail Rap I discuss some of the reasons for this and what it may mean for retailers and the retail industry. People I talk to in the industry are excited to get together this year; they […]
Where’s the loyalty?
Consumers seem to be cross-shopping more than ever before, instead of displaying loyalty to one or two retailers. I take a look at this trend and possible causes in this week’s edition of Retail Rap, my twice monthly column in Chain Store Age. Two decades ago, shoppers were relatively loyal to one or two high-end […]
