Doug Stephens

Once again, Tesco leads the way. One has to tip their hat at Tesco's lust for innovation and courage to try stuff!

The question "How appealing would the tools be for consumers in the U.S.?" is somewhat tricky. The answer is deeply appealing to some and completely irrelevant to...

It might sound crazy, but I don't regard experience running a large electronic chain as necessarily being the most relevant experience required to lead Apple stores through what I think could be the most challenging period they've faced yet. Maybe it's because I don't regard Apple as an "electronics"...

It's a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.

There's only one way for retailers to respond. Either sell unique things or create such an unparalleled, value-added experience that all comparisons go out the window. Do something so marvelous that consumers put their smart phone back in their pocket and forget...

Regardless of what we would like to think, the average retailer's primary occupation is going to be trying to stay in business. It will not be to make the world a better place for retail employees.

The good news, in my opinion, is that there is a sea level...

Two words... BIG MISTAKE. Repeat BIG MISTAKE.

The technology is great and it can definitely be used as a competitive leveler for brick and mortar retailers but it's not new. In fact, there are e-retailers who have been using video-calling for a few years now. In fact, some online sellers are using a combination of video-chat...

There's nothing here that can't be completely substantiated. Fundamentally, we're coming off a period of about 60-70 years where the majority of all consumer activity and brand focus was on the middle-class (the average consumer). That is what's changed and frankly, that's what's causing that queasy feeling for most...

I can't point to one single successful company, in the history of retail, that has appealed to both the discount and luxury segments at the same time and lived to talk about it.

Furthermore, Walmart is no more a "house of brands" than Louis Vuitton is the dollar store....

There's a simple adage in retail that still holds true (despite our scary preoccupation with Wall Street) That is, "You don't put sales in the bank." So, if you're able to chase a larger market, great -- so long as you're putting more total profit dollars in the bank...

This could have been a galvanizing and empowering brand moment for Lowe's. Instead, it was just an unsavory instance of abject bigotry. Too bad for Lowe's and all of us.