January 2011

January 20, 2011

The Enduring Allure of the Secret Handshake

By Doug Stephens The world is an increasingly inclusive place and as a society, we’ve grown to expect equal and open access to just about everything.  […]
January 15, 2011

The Customer in Control: Mobile Self-Check Out

One of the hottest topics at the 2011 National Retail Federation Conference was that consumers are increasingly using brick and mortar stores as mere showrooms to […]
January 14, 2011

Can Hudson’s Bay Rise From Zellers’ Ashes?

By Doug Stephens In many ways, this week’s acquisition of Canada’s long-floundering Zellers chain is symbolic of the conditions that so many North American retailers face. […]
January 13, 2011

NRF 2011: The Real Show is Off Broadway

By Doug Stephens If you’ve never attended the National Retail Federation conference in New York it’s truly a unique experience.  A three day retail-a-thon, where delegates […]
January 12, 2011

What’s That Buzzing Sound?

By Doug Stephens Blogging live from the National Retail Federation conference in New York This morning I attended one of the opening super sessions of the […]
January 11, 2011

Our Greatest Assets?

By Doug Stephens Blogging Live from the National Retail Federation Conference It’s day one at North America’s largest retail industry gathering, the NRF conference in New […]
January 9, 2011

Reconstructing Retail: 2011 and Beyond

By Doug Stephens Unfortunately, the future isn’t as simple as the headlines might have us believe.  It can’t be neatly summed up in the words recession […]
January 4, 2011

2011: The Good, the Bad and the Reality

By Doug Stephens The Good If you’ve been reading business media lately, you’d be inclined to believe in Christmas miracles.  By some accounts, the positive holiday […]