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.
Retail
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.
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
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
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
When Britishness Becomes Strategy
September 25, 2026
From the English countryside to the global luxury market, the brands embracing their Britishness are seeing a strong commercial comeback. Stiff upper lip and dry
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 Retail Giants Finding Their Place at New York Fashion Week
September 18, 2026
This September at New York Fashion Week, the most interesting conversation was happening off the official calendar. Walmart and Target set up their own productions
Uneven Futures: Why Commerce No Longer Moves as One
September 9, 2026
Global commerce has stopped advancing as one. Markets are now moving at different speeds, toward different priorities, under different rules. These uneven futures are becoming
Will AI Replace Search Engines? What the Data Shows
August 28, 2026
How people browse, shop and make decisions is changing fast in 2026. But will AI replace search engines? Here’s what the latest research shows.
Why Global Brands Keep Getting the African Retail Market Wrong
August 24, 2026
The African retail market crossed $2 trillion in consumer spending in 2025. Most brands competing for a share are doing so in the wrong markets,
GLP-1 Impact on Retail Is Bigger Than Anyone Predicted
August 17, 2026
A pharmaceutical intervention is doing what decades of dietary trends could not, restructuring consumer demand at scale. The GLP-1 impact on retail is already visible
The Indian Retail Real Estate Market and the Boom Nobody Saw Coming
August 3, 2026
The Indian retail real estate market is expanding at a pace that demand is outrunning supply, even as Western counterparts continue to contract. Whether the