Retail Consulting Archives - The Grayson Company

ACQUIRED – Podcast Series

My best friend recently introduced me to a podcast series called ACQUIRED, hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal. They do deep‑dive explorations into the stories and strategies behind some of the world’s most successful companies. While I may be late to the game, I’m fully obsessed now—currently binging episodes. Two of my favorites so far are the Costco and Trader Joe’s episodes. They’re fantastic examples of companies that managed to reinvent themselves over time while staying true to their core mission and values. If you haven’t listened yet, I highly recommend starting with the Costco episode: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/esbcQyAm Enjoy! Kevin Mullaney CEO The Grayson Company

TGC2026-03-26T09:40:48-04:00

Case Study: North America’s Largest Family of Indoor Water Park Resorts

Productivity improvement, assortment rationalization, planning & operational process re-engineering. At TGC, we develop novel, structured approaches to increase client revenue. We recently worked with a national resort and active experiential entertainment company to reinvent and re-engineer their grab-and-go convenience shop concept, achieving a dramatic 61.3% improvement in revenue Please contact us to learn more about this case study.

TGC2025-02-05T15:46:25-05:00

The Grayson Company Turns 30

Celebrating our 30th year as a retail strategy consulting firm, I want to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for your support. Over the past three decades, we have focused on bringing our clients fact-based, data-driven, actionable solutions and perspectives that are practical, objective, and global. At TGC, we provide our clients the most experienced industry experts to tackle the most difficult challenges faced by omnichannel retailers, digital natives, vertical brands, and investors around the world. Despite the ups and downs of the industry, we have been able to grow and expand our business, a testament to our business model and our incredible team. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, our reach extends to twenty-six countries across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Our talented team is distinguished by their deep, hands-on experience and their ability to adapt to the industry's rapidly changing landscape. David Ball, our President, and [...]

TGC2023-04-05T18:51:05-04:00

Farm Rio’s US Retail Strategy

TGC recently sat down with Daniel Martinez, Farm Rio’s Global Retail Director to discuss his new role, the current state of the business and the US retail strategy that TGC developed with the Farm Rio team. Farm Rio, a vertically integrated Brazilian apparel company that designs, produces, and markets colorful print garments inspired by its local cultural and environmental roots, was founded in 1997 by Marcello Bastos and Katia Barros. In 2010, it became part of the newly created Grupo Soma, a multi-brand company which has grown to be one of the largest apparel groups in Brazil. The brand began planning for its US debut in 2018 and a year later opened a store in the SoHo section of New York and then one north of Miami in Aventura Mall, along with a few experimental pop-up stores in select markets. Within a year of opening stores, COVID hit. Against all odds, Farm [...]

TGC2022-11-03T07:21:11-04:00

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 Kevin Mullaney and Chris Palma discuss retail real estate trends at The Harvard Club NYC

The Grayson Company’s Kevin Mullaney and Chris Palma were recently invited by The Real Estate Special Interest Group of The Harvard Club NYC to lead a panel on current trends in the retail industry, with an emphasis on how these trends are impacting real estate property values. TGC discussed the rapid pace of change in consumerism, the recent wave of retail store closings and areas of strength in the brick & mortar retail environment. TGC's provides broad expertise in retail and brand consulting, as well as investor due diligence and assessments. TGC has successfully helped numerous brands navigate the layers of real estate complexity in the U.S, with specific retail real estate services, such as real estate strategy development, site selection and lease negotiation.

TGC2017-09-19T08:05:40-04:00

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

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

Top Sears Execs Depart

More concerns emerge about the company’s health and viability By David Gill | December 6, 2016 Two of Sears Holdings top executives left the company last week, again raising questions about the retailer’s future. Joelle Maher, president and chief member officer of the Sears chain, and Jeff Balagna, executive vice president, both departed the company. Maher, who took her post in July 2015, was in charge of the chain’s merchandising, marketing and profit-and-loss operations, along with the development of its Shop Your Way member-centric business strategy. Balagna joined Sears Holdings in May 2013 as head of its information technology operations. Sears Holdings announced Balagna’s departure in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which said he left “to focus on his other business interests and pursue other career opportunities.” Maher’s departure was confirmed by Howard Riefs, spokesman for the company. Successors have not yet been named, Riefs added. Press reports about [...]

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

5 Secrets to Small-Business Success at the Holidays

By Jackie Zimmermann | November 23, 2016 The doorbuster deals are set and the Black Friday ads are out, perennial indicators that the holiday shopping season is in full swing. The National Retail Federation predicts $655.8 billion in holiday sales this season, up 3.6% from 2015. In addition to securing enough working capital and inventory, you’ll want to prepare for the rush in other ways. NerdWallet asked Steve Goldberg, president of retail consulting firm The Grayson Company, for tips on how to get started. 1. Advertise early To attract early shoppers, your marketing needs to be in front of the right consumers at the right time. According to a survey by the NRF in the first week of November, 56% of respondents had already started buying gifts. But hope is not lost if you’re getting a late start, Goldberg says. Small-business owners can react more nimbly than larger stores, he says. “They can make decisions without having to [...]

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

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