An interview with Michael Grant, Founder and Owner of the Black Cow Coffee Company, Croton-on-Hudson, New York. The Black Cow coffee shop, in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, near where I live in the Hudson Valley, is an example of a local business that serves an irreplaceable purpose. It is truly inimitable and provides something that a Starbucks … Read more
As many of us are (retail is a $5 Trillion industry) I’m researching, observing and discussing (obsessing) a lot about what’s really happening in physical retail, e-Commerce and the convergence of the two – omni-channel. And I realize some folks don’t love that term ‘omni-channel’, but actually, it’s the best one I’ve found, and I’m … Read more
The Purpose of Physical Stores Has Forever Changed “A new medium is never an addition to an old one, nor does it leave the old one in peace. It never ceases to oppress the older media until if finds new shapes and positions for them.” by Marshall McLuhan, 1964 Retail has forever and dramatically changed. This … Read more
This is likely the end of Sears’ 126-year history. Sears’ last profitable year was 2010 – it has lost $12 billion since then. But Sears holds a legendary place in the minds of U.S. consumers and the Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliance brands it created, loved by shoppers, will continue under new hands. There will … Read more
Why the Origin Story of the Enclosed Mall Matters As we observe and participate in the evolution of the $5 trillion U.S. retail industry, developments in the shopping mall industry, in particular, can help us trace our current and possible future situation. Here we look at why and how that symbol of American shopping, the … Read more