Demandware XChange 2013
Spring conference season kicked off with a bang this year as I trekked out to Las Vegas for Demandware’s annual user conference and a most delightful experience. I’ll wax poetic about Tim Gunn’s...
View ArticleRequiem for a Heavyweight: Ron Johnson and JC Penney
As we bid a last farewell to Ron Johnson at JCP (or Penney, or whatever new name comes along) it’s worthy to take a look back at his sixteen month tenure. Most industry observers were excited to see...
View ArticleRon Johnson and JCP
As we bid a last farewell to Ron Johnson at JCP (or Penney, or whatever new name comes along) it’s worthy to take a look back at his sixteen month tenure. Most industry observers were excited to see...
View ArticleThe CEO as Rock Star: My Evolving Mindset
When politicians say their opinion on a particular subject has “evolved” you know you’re about to hear a complete flip-flop. I suppose it’s easier than saying “I was wrong.” Well, I’ve been thinking a...
View ArticleWho Says the Store is Dead? Whole Foods Market Theater Comes to North Miami
This year, for the first time, I’m not co-authoring RSR’s annual store benchmark report. Of course, the report is in great hands with Nikki and Steve, and having seen an early draft, I can tell you...
View ArticleHANA and Her Sisters: A Rejuvenated SAP Looks Forward at Sapphire 2013
The most graphic way to describe the change in SAP expressed at Sapphire 2013 is to start from the end: co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe on the stage at the Amway arena introducing the...
View ArticleRetail, Bangladesh and Corporate Social Responsibility
The last weeks have been emotional for me, and steeped in irony. The story of the factory disaster in Bangladesh (and the death of more than 1,100 people) made me incredibly sad. A legally binding...
View ArticleBRIDGES: GT Nexus Creates a Supply Chain Network of Networks
As the spring conference season chugged along, I had the opportunity last week to attend “Bridges,” a conference for users of two different, yet surprisingly complimentary products. The company is GT...
View ArticleOmni Channel Retailing: Easier Said than Done
Brian and I just finished writing this year’s Cross Channel Benchmark report, and I think it’s fair to say we were a bit surprised by what we found in the data. The issues haven’t changed, so that...
View ArticleSports and Entertainment: The Next Digital Frontier Gets Colonized
It’s hard to imagine that there’s an industry that’s still under-served by technology providers. Especially the Sports Industry, which seems from the outside to have a heavy reliance on statistics and...
View ArticleCross-channel, Omni-channel, Any-channel: Maybe It’s Time to Let Them Go
As many of you know, I’ve started a little side gig blogging for Forbes.com. This has proven just a little challenging, as I have to adjust my writing style and topic choices to suit a more general...
View ArticleVideo Analytics: A Tale of Two Cities
Partner Steve Rowen and I recently began our review of the Video Analytics benchmark survey we’ve been floating for a couple of months. I ‘ve been really surprised to see some of the responses. You’d...
View ArticleThe Tyranny of Turn
Last week I spent a long weekend in St Croix, USVI. I have a small condo there, and generally love it. While I love my space, the island has had some tough times these past few years. Hovensa, located...
View ArticleSAP and hybris Consummate their Marriage: What Does it Mean for You?
On August 6, I attended a Global Virtual Press Event to discuss the completed acquisition of hybris by SAP. The acquisition has been in the works for quite some time and in fact, RSR partner Brian...
View ArticleSoftware Quality: What the Heck Has Happened?
I originally published a version of this piece in July on my Forbes blog, but it continues to seem relevant. It was inspired by “cloud-based” software we’d just purchased ourselves that continues to...
View ArticleRetail Personalization vs. Profiling: Why I’ll Never Buy a New Audi
Last week two events highlighted why it’s so important to know your shopper, and to double and triple check to insure your data is right. The value lies in creating a personalized experience for the...
View ArticlePayPal Will Win the Mobile Payments Race
I originally posted a version of this piece on Forbes.com, but thought it was worthwhile to write an updated version of it here. The topic is hot. Mobile Payments has been touted as the next frontier...
View ArticleMerchandising Magic Bullet Syndrome
We’ve just recently released our annual Merchandising benchmark report, and with it, we’re starting to see a more focused picture of today’s merchant. There’s some good news in there, but when you dig...
View ArticleAngela Ahrendts Set to Run Apple’s Stores: What it Means
When I first heard the announcement that Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts is stepping down next year to take a new role at Apple her position hadn’t been clearly defined to the public yet. It took several...
View ArticleFive More Lessons Learned Cleaning Up a Technology Mess
A couple of weeks ago, Brian did a great job explaining what retailers can learn from the healthcare.gov debacle. I was content to leave him the last word, but after receiving a newsletter from old...
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