Retail Real Estate Has a Diesel Problem
October 30, 2026
Six months after the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, the cost of diesel is still climbing. At $6.53 a gallon in late September, the question
RLC Global Forum
Consumer Confidence Is Up. That’s the Catch
October 27, 2026
Consumer confidence is up. Spending is not. Here is what the data really says about where consumers are headed in 2026.
Halloween Spending 2026: Record Numbers, Savvier Shoppers
October 26, 2026
Trick or treat? As Halloween spending breaks records year after year, we unpack the 2026 numbers and what they mean for retail.
How the De Beers Sale Could Shift the Diamond Trade
October 23, 2026
Behind the potential De Beers sale is a calculated move to control the natural diamond trade from the ground up.
Saudi Economy: What Holds and What Changes
October 21, 2026
The 2026 regional disruption unsettled global markets and raised hard questions about the GCC region. The latest RLC Global Forum report examines what the numbers
AI in Retail and The Governance Question Leaders Should Be Asking
October 19, 2026
As AI in retail scales from experiment to infrastructure, the accountability question — who is responsible when AI-driven decisions go wrong — is the one
What a Supermarket Hack in France Means for Retail’s Connected Future
October 16, 2026
On the morning of 12 October, more than 500 French supermarkets woke up to spoiled stock and a criminal investigation — the first supermarket hack
$4 Billion Global Beauty Sales on TikTok— How Social Media Flipped the Industry
October 14, 2026
Global beauty sales have never been higher. The brands generating the fastest growth within that figure were not built on counters or campaigns; they were
Food Inflation and the El Niño Factor – What Comes Next
October 12, 2026
The 2026 Super El Niño is generating a food inflation shock that forecasters project will last well into 2028, driven as much by geopolitical supply
Can the Latest Zara Collaborations Change the Brand’s Identity?
October 5, 2026
The latest Zara collaborations with fashion and film powerhouses John Galliano and Luca Guadagnino are the brand’s boldest move yet. But can cultural credibility replace
In Defense of “Made in Italy”
October 2, 2026
Gucci’s latest sneaker raised an interesting and timely question: what are Italian fashion brands without “Made in Italy”?
Retail Growth at 0.4% as China’s Consumer Economy Takes New Shape
September 28, 2026
China’s consumer economy is currently restructuring by category, channel and geography. Chinese consumers are not spending less; they are spending differently. The August 2026 data
AI in Retail – Threat, Opportunity, or Both?
September 21, 2026
The AI safety debate has reached the US Senate and beyond. In retail, a quieter version of that conversation has been running for some time.
The End of Aspirational Luxury
September 14, 2026
Global luxury is growing in 2026, but aspirational luxury is losing ground. Bloomberg Intelligence data reveals who is driving the market now, and what it
Luxury Returns to Growth but Hits a Volume Ceiling
September 11, 2026
Insights from RLC Global Forum’s Leadership Series reveal a luxury market increasingly driven by concentrated wealth, changing travel patterns and new global growth corridors —