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Steve Goldberg Shares Thoughts on #GrabYourWallet

Managing the reality of consumers protesting with their wallets By STORES Contributor on March 12, 2018 Business Operations, Consumer Trends A quick game of word association, anyone? What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says “Uber?” United Airlines? Chick-fil-A? Even, depending on how long one has been around, Tylenol? Each of these brands has been threatened by a boycotting public for one reason or another. Polarizing political stances, inappropriate behavior and/or statements, safety issues, perceived deception, you name it. Numerous brands have inspired the kind of strong emotions in consumers that no one wants to experience. And with the ever-increasing pool of public and private figures under fire, there’s bound to be more indignation to come. The challenge is that social media helps spread issues and passions like wildfire. But therein might also be a benefit: The flame that burns twice as bright, it’s long been said, burns half [...]

TGC2018-04-03T12:34:48-04:00

Steve Goldberg weighs in on filling Toys ‘R’ Us stores

Can Power Center Landlords Handle Toys 'R' Us' Retreat? Donna Mitchell | Feb 01, 2018 publication: National Real Estate Investor “Landlords have known this was coming for 10 years,” says Scott Holmes, a senior vice president and national director of the national retail group at brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap. Few retail real estate insiders were surprised to hear that Toys ‘R’ Us will close 180 stores in the U.S., especially after the retailer weathered a disappointing holiday shopping season, following a bankruptcy filing in September 2017. As power center landlords grapple with how they will fill the closing Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us locations, some experts say the number of targeted stores is an encouraging sign, being much smaller than expected. And while store closures remain an industry-wide issue, some experts feel that power center landlords still have options to backfill soon-to-be-vacant locations. “I was surprised that they are [...]

TGC2018-02-23T16:31:42-05:00

TGC + Janou Pakter: Transforming organizations and innovating industries

The Grayson Company (TGC), a leading global consumer consulting practice offering a full range of consulting services to retail, e-commerce, wholesale and omni-channel businesses, as well as firms that invest in the consumer sector, and Janou Pakter, a wholly owned subsidiary of JBCHoldings (JBC) and a leading global human capital solutions firm, are thrilled to announce a strategic alliance which will offer seamless and fully integrated consulting and search support to our clients. “We believe that this unique partnership represents a remarkable opportunity to find synergies and magnify our collective and extensive experience, expertise and brand strengths. This will significantly expand the scope of work that we can provide and meet the rapidly changing corporate demands for both qualified teams and talented managers to lead them,” said Kevin Mullaney, CEO of TGC. “Janou Pakter is excited to be a part of this dynamic new partnership,” said Anthony Christodoulou, President of Janou Pakter. [...]

TGC2018-10-29T15:07:27-04:00

TGC CEO Kevin Mullaney joins Trever Gallina on his new podcast ‘People in Retail’

TGC CEO Kevin Mullaney sits down with Trever Gallina to discuss the state of retail, Target’s pregnancy predictability factor, and some surprising statistics that debunk brick and mortar / ecommerce. Don’t miss this podcast! Highlights frrom the podcast: 1:00 Into to Kevin Mullaney and The Grayson Company 2:25 Kevin discusses Brick & Mortar's impact on Ecommerce 4:56 What is the right balance between Ecommerce and Brick & Mortar? 7:45 What’s hot in NYC? 12:00 How a brand should approach expanding in NYC 15:06 Target’s pregnancy predictability factor

TGC2018-03-26T08:55:13-04:00

TGC’s Chris Palma hosts keynote conversation at the 2017 NYU Stern Luxury & Retail Conference

Chris Palma, a Senior Analyst at TGC, recently hosted a keynote conversation at the 11th Annual NYU Stern Luxury & Retail Conference. The event featured Elaine Hughes, CEO of E.A. Hughes, and Ron Frasch, former President and CMO of Saks Fifth Avenue and Operating Partner at Castanea Partners. Prior to joining Castanea, Ron was President and Chief Merchandising Officer at Saks Fifth Avenue until the sale of the company to Hudson's Bay Co. in 2013. Previously, Ron was CEO and President at Bergdorf Goodman. He also held senior executive positions at Escada and Neiman Marcus. For the past 10 years, the Luxury & Retail Club at New York University's Leonard Stern School of Business has hosted an annual conference bringing together top graduate students with leading industry professionals in Luxury, Retail, Hospitality & Spirits, and Consulting. This year’s conference theme was ‘Envisioning a Connected Future’. With the retail space constantly evolving—the goal [...]

TGC2018-03-26T08:55:13-04:00

Hope is Not a Plan

TGC’s CEO Kevin Mullaney discusses standing strong in the face of the “retail apocalypse” There is no question that the U.S. is significantly “over-stored,” especially when compared to other developed countries. The “retail apocalypse” we’re experiencing now is a market correction that’s been looming for some time. The number of retailers who have announced meaningful store closures is staggering and there’s no doubt that a seismic shift in the retail landscape is taking place. Why is the “retail apocalypse” upon us now? The reality is this: over the last 45 years, the number of U.S. malls has grown at a rate that has far outpaced the U.S. population. Unproductive malls that should have been closed have instead been kept artificially afloat through “bundling” leases in unproductive centers with those in highly desirable malls. The straw that broke the camel’s back was a substantial decline in mall traffic and the record number [...]

TGC2018-03-26T08:55:13-04:00

Steve Goldberg weighs in on “Omnichannel Retailing: Retailers Adapt to Secure Future Relevance”

By Allison Zisko | HFN's April 2017 Issue Store closings and reorgs are par for the course as retailers strive to reinvent themselves.

TGC2018-03-26T08:55:13-04:00

Steve Goldberg discusses “How Technology Changes the Face of Retail”

By Galia Milovzorova | Buyer Magazine's A / W 2017-18 Issue In our technological age, brick-and-mortar stores all around the world are struggling to deliver the flawless shopping experience customers increasingly expect. Steve Goldberg, President of retail consulting firm The Grayson Company, whose client list includes Tommy Hilfiger, Cole Haan and UGG Australia, has some tricks up his sleeve. We caught up with him to learn more.

TGC2018-03-26T08:55:13-04:00

Are Retailers Exploiting International Women’s Day by Urging You to Shop?

By Alexandra Mondalek | March 8, 2017 While millions of men and women across the world seize International Women’s Day as a chance to recognize the fight toward gender equality, retailers still have the bottom line in mind. Retailers — seemingly without exception — are opportunistically leveraging the day of protest to push products. People’s email inboxes were flooded this morning with mass emails, broadcasting messages of “empowerment” and inclusiveness, as well as discount codes and promotions inviting women to shop. Normally, that kind of exploitation wouldn’t ruffle feathers, but this year it directly contradicts a central goal to International Women’s Day’s “Day Without Women” strike. The strike’s organizers (who also mobilized people for the Women’s March on Washington) outline three ways women can participate: take the day off, paid and unpaid labor; wear red as an act of solidarity; and avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small women- and minority-owned businesses). Retailers, it seems, have largely ignored the last [...]

TGC2018-03-26T08:55:13-04:00

Overstored America: Retailers Wake Up and Work It Out

Store closings, well above the usual level of trimming retailers do annually, are expected this year. By David Moin | January 25, 2017 The shakeout has arrived. For retailers across the nation and up and down the price spectrum, 2017 will be a year of dramatic square footage reduction — and no one is being coy about it. “Brick-and-mortar retailers will evaluate store fleets relative to e-commerce and make decisions on what they believe to be the right ratio of stores to e-commerce,” Marvin Ellison, Penney’s chairman and chief executive officer, told WWD at an industry fundraiser earlier this month. It was one of those feel-good kind of evenings — 1,500 people raising $3.5 million for YMA scholarships and programs — but an undercurrent of concern over the state of retailing permeated the crowd in the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt. Consumers have more disposable cash, the stock market is hitting all-time highs, yet there [...]

TGC2018-03-26T08:55:14-04:00

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