HeadCount Corporation

"All retailers – and businesses in general – are trying to figure out how to apply generative AI and other technologies to deliver better results," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "Since many retailers simply do not have a depth of expertise in-house, it makes sense to hire firms that do. And while the successful implementation of these types of technologies can have a material impact, they’re not a panacea that will automatically deliver positive comp sales. Accenture’s report claiming that companies applying GenAI can anticipate a 25% higher revenue increase compared to those concentrating solely on productivity enhancements is based on surveys they conducted, not actual outcomes from work that they completed. I question this claim and it’s a good reminder that these types of “reports” are often merely marketing devices for these firms. Notwithstanding their recent results, BBW is still a successful retail operation with a solid track record. In FY 2023, they generated $7.4B in revenue and adjusted net earnings of $747M. To BBW management I say, go ahead and get some good advice – that’s smart – but also don’t forget that no one knows your business better than you do." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, Shepard (Shep) Hyken, Patricia Vekich Waldron, David Biernbaum, Clay Parnell, Gene Detroyer, John Lietsch, Brian Cluster, Georges F. Mirza, and Mark Self.

"Clearly the Family Dollar acquisition fell far short of Dollar Tree’s expectations. This outcome isn’t all that surprising when you consider the outcomes of many acquisitions," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "I suspect that part of the motivation to acquire Family Dollar had to do with preventing other players (like Walmart), from buying it and creating an even more formidable competitor. The question is, now what? Dollar Tree management says that they’re still committed to Family Tree, but I wonder if Family Tree will only ever be dilutive and distracting to what they’re doing with Dollar Tree? With Family Tree’s 1.1% operating margins, I’m not sure this business is worth saving ‘as is’. Closing stores and tightening up the financials is an important step for Family Dollar – regardless of whether it’s to prepare for divesture or to position for a turnaround. " Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, David Biernbaum, Clay Parnell, Perry Kramer, Robert Amster, Gene Detroyer, Dick Seesel, Dave Wendland, Anil Patel, and Mark Self.

"Notwithstanding this recent approval by the FAA to fly beyond line-of-sight, I still see plenty of hurdles to this becoming a widely used and accepted means of delivery," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "Amazon has invested so heavily in this space, they are determined to see it through. But that still doesn’t mean it will succeed. What happened to Just Walkout? Assuming all the safety issues get cleared by the FAA, there’s still the issue of noise and annoyance. Swarms of drones, flying around dropping off goods – hopefully never in my neighborhood. And I suspect a lot of people will feel the same way. Drone delivery does have a place in the delivery ecosystem, I just don’t see it being a big place." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, Cathy Hotka, Brian Numainville, David Biernbaum, Oliver Guy 🚀, Lisa Goller, MBA, Gene Detroyer, Robert Amster, Carol Spieckerman, and Mark Self.

"Any change in behavior can be met with resistance, and no doubt Costco management considered how members will feel about this new change," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "However, it is entirely Costco’s decision to create and enforce their policies. Obviously, Costco team members should be conducting their work in a way that is respectful and member-friendly, but some shoppers will be offended no matter how nicely they are engaged by store personnel. Scanning tickets for concerts, sporting events and airports, is all part of how the world moves today. I doubt that the scanning will significantly reduce customer flow, but if it does, there’s an easy solution: add more staff and scanners. There will be a much bigger backlash if Costco ever raises the price on their $1.50 hot dog." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, Brian Delp, Ryan Grogman, Arnjah Dillard, CAPM, David Biernbaum, Perry Kramer, Georganne Bender, Cathy Hotka, Mohammad Ahsen (Socially Ahsen), Verlin Youd, Clay Parnell, Gene Detroyer, David Spear, Brian Numainville, Robert Amster, Gary Sankary, Mark Self, Richard George, and Karen Wong.

"I don’t believe the stigma of selling on Amazon has evaporated, but it has subsided," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "The more top brands that choose to sell their goods on Amazon, the more brands it will attract. Lots of brands are still staying away, and that’s their prerogative, but it’s hard to deny the reach and exposure of Amazon which is very compelling. Brands that choose to sell on Amazon should remain vigilant about how their products are advertised and sold and be prepared to take action if they feel that the Amazon relationship is tarnishing their brand in any way. For these brands I say, Caveat Venditor…let the seller beware." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, Melissa Minkow, Brian Numainville, Doug Garnett, David Biernbaum, Jenn McMillen CLMP, Clay Parnell, Gene Detroyer, Jeff Sward, John Lietsch, Mark Self, Brett Wickard, Lisa Goller, and MBA, Kai Clarke -L.I.O.N.

"As Burlington’s CEO says and I agree, “I see nothing out there that seriously threatens the long-term growth of off-price.” Not only has the appetite for off-price remained strong in North America, but the treasure hunt model travels well internationally, which creates new growth opportunities for TJX and others," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "The risk factors to off-price’s growth haven’t changed much, with access to quality merchandise at the heart of their model. But the strong results these off-price retailers and especially TJX have consistently delivered, suggest that this model has plenty of room to grow domestically and internationally." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, Mohammad Ahsen (Socially Ahsen), David Biernbaum, Cathy Hotka, Clay Parnell, Gene Detroyer, Jeff Sward, David Naumann, and Mark Self.

"People still got to eat, but they’re doing it at different times and in different places," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "Restaurant operators who have historically relied on downtown business district traffic and the lunch hour rush must accept the fact that it has been permanently altered by work-from-home. No one can say if or when it will ever return to it’s prior levels. As difficult as it may be, restaurant operators must take steps to adjust their offerings, hours of operations and even change locations to align their offerings with where people are and when and what they want to eat…follow the traffic. Cause people still got to eat." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, David Biernbaum, Mark Self, Gene Detroyer, Karen Wong, and Brad Halverson.

"By expanding access to consumers through Uber and Instacart, Costco can attract new members while minimizing any resentment from current members," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "Costco has struck a delicate and appropriate balance of offering the right kind of incentives. Higher prices for non-members and delivery services will only help it sell more memberships. But even for those consumers who prefer not to be members, they still have a way to purchase, albeit at a higher price. Costco has one of the very best (if not the best) membership programs in retailing, and their commitment to putting members first is at the heart of it." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, Georganne Bender, Christopher P. Ramey, Alexandros Siskos, David Spear, James Tenser, Lisa Goller, MBA, Shepard (Shep) Hyken, David Biernbaum, Rachelle King, Oliver Guy 🚀, David Naumann, Carol Spieckerman, Scott Benedict, Richard George, Melissa Minkow, and Mark Self.

"As the founder, I respect Kevin Plank’s perspective and believe that he’s done an excellent job at defining the many problems – now the challenge is to actually fix them," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "There’s no doubt that the recent change in CEO has been a set-back for Under Armour, and no doubt contributed to some of the disfunction. But Under Armour’s challenges pre-date the CEO transition stuff. The general direction to get back to focusing on real product innovation and leaning to premium offerings makes good sense. But beyond it’s own internal challenges, Under Armour is also facing a consumer that is financially stretched and general demand is tepid, which doesn’t help matters." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, John Lietsch, David Spear, David Biernbaum, Mohammad Ahsen (Socially Ahsen), Clay Parnell, Lucille DeHart, Jeff Sward, Mark Self, Brandon Rael, Michael Zakkour, Shannon Flanagan, and Nicola Kinsella.

"As with many trends, it’s never either or, but rather a continuum of consumer behaviors," says Mark Ryski, Author, CEO & Founder of HeadCount Corporation. "The argument for quiet luxury sticking around seems sensible given the still somewhat delicate state of the consumer. A pick-up of shoppers in higher income brackets at Walmart suggests that quiet luxury may persist. Ultimately, this comes down to consumer confidence. Consumers are more exuberant when the economy is growing, unemployment is low, the stock market is up and overall economic growth is favorable. However, despite positive economic signals, there’s still plenty of uncertainty on the geo-political front, not to mention the upcoming election in the US." Check out more insights from one of the retail industry’s leading experts - https://buff.ly/3qRfPx2. More great comments on this topic by RetailWire's BrainTrust experts including: Neil Saunders, David Biernbaum, Cathy Hotka, Christopher P. Ramey, Georganne Bender, Jenn McMillen CLMP, Allison McCabe, Michael Zakkour, 🏷 Ricardo Belmar, Anil Patel, and Albert Thompson.