PROFILE
Lee Kent
Principal, Your Retail Authority, LLC
Ms. Kent is Owner/Principal of Your Retail Authority, LLC. and creator of Retail’s former Social Network, TheRetailTradecenter.com. She is recognized by retail industry insiders as an authority on retailing and is a seasoned user of new media strategies. Lee likes to talk and exchange ideas about retail particularly on the in-store path to purchase and customer experience design. Look for invitations from Lee to exclusive Retail executive events. You can find her opinions most days on the Retail Wire where she is happy to share her 2 cents.
Lee's current practice focuses on uncovering a brands point of view, customer promises and ability to deliver on them through the creation and/or co-creation of thought leadership initiatives.
In addition to talking endlessly about her passion, Retail, she has directed numerous consulting and strategic initiative engagements. Her clients have included world-renowned companies as well as software providers and start-ups. Lee has served as the NA Retail Industry Practice Leader for a major global managed services provider, Retail Technology Consulting Principal for a Big 4 consulting firm, Director Supplier Management and Integration for an e-commerce start-up venture, Director of Managed Services for a major retail company and has brought her subject matter expertise to smaller organizations in order to help them build strong retail practices.
To learn more, visit Lee's LinkedIn profile...
Lee's current practice focuses on uncovering a brands point of view, customer promises and ability to deliver on them through the creation and/or co-creation of thought leadership initiatives.
In addition to talking endlessly about her passion, Retail, she has directed numerous consulting and strategic initiative engagements. Her clients have included world-renowned companies as well as software providers and start-ups. Lee has served as the NA Retail Industry Practice Leader for a major global managed services provider, Retail Technology Consulting Principal for a Big 4 consulting firm, Director Supplier Management and Integration for an e-commerce start-up venture, Director of Managed Services for a major retail company and has brought her subject matter expertise to smaller organizations in order to help them build strong retail practices.
To learn more, visit Lee's LinkedIn profile...
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- Posted on: 04/11/2018
Death Wish Coffee goes from small roastery to Amazon’s ‘most wished for’ brand
Great name, optimum price, excellent storytelling and the message will develop legs. Then it's about listening to customers as well as employees to move it the rest of the way. For my 2 cents. - Posted on: 04/09/2018
Where will the ‘new generation of female explorers’ take The North Face’s business?
It is great that North Face is creating a campaign around women. Many of us love the great outdoors, hiking, camping, climbing. Reminding us of the fun in getting outside is great however I question the role models mentioned here. These names are not ones that many will even recognize. It's nice to set the tone so this is a good first step for my 2 cents. - Posted on: 04/03/2018
Why are there so many employees in a cashier-less store?
Amazon likes to throw things at the wall to see if they stick and they can afford it through AWS. Not knowing the numbers, I can only guess how expensive this little adventure has been but it surely has gotten Amazon a lot of press. I do think there is merit in seeking alternative ways to move and check people out of the store but this technology, IMHO, may not be as sustainable as others. And that's my 2 cents. - Posted on: 04/02/2018
Walgreens focuses on healthcare services in new store format
The concept of a pharmacy offering more healthcare services makes perfect sense. Especially when our healthcare system has so many weaknesses. Small footprint clinics to do such things as flu shots, run blood panels, take blood pressure and other procedures that don't require a doctor could certainly add value. For my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/30/2018
Microsoft, Walmart and other brands play content police
Today's consumers want brands to stand for something. They look for those extra reasons to spend their money with one versus the other. Although this can be risky for retailers, fence sitting may not always be in their best interest. For my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/28/2018
Retailers can reduce turnover by treating employees like consumers
Treating employees with respect, giving them the tools they need to get the job done and a good "Voice of the Employee" program go a long way. For my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/28/2018
Are Amazon lockers turning Whole Foods into a quick shop destination?
I find it interesting that the study did not indicate how many of the short trips resulted in in-store purchases. Bringing traffic into a store is a good thing and that part appears to be working but where is the lift to Amazon? Are Amazon sales increasing due to the lockers? Amazon can certainly benefit from this move and it will be interesting to see which way they go. For my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/26/2018
Has Facebook become toxic for advertisers?
As long as the people keep coming to Facebook to connect with friends and family, the advertisers will too. This too will pass for my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/21/2018
Albertsons launches an online marketplace for small CPG brands
If marketed right, this might give Albertsons the opportunity to create their own Etsy type department to woo new customers or simply bring loyal customer back more often. They would absolutely need to vet each product and stay on top of customer feedback and interest. The biggest challenge I see is in delivery. Will these small CPG brands be able to deliver and meet the standards that the Albertsons customer expects? And that's my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/15/2018
Chef’d has a different recipe for growing its meal kit business
I do like the concept of meal kits and whether they are outsourced or done in house, I stick with the more lucrative option of selling them in-store. There are just so many obstacles for home delivery and I can only imagine the cost of the Chef'd packaging. Is it sustainable? I know we love convenience however for a single, special meal, I'm thinking I would want to make sure I am getting what I expect. But that's just my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/13/2018
Will department stores regret their off-price push?
Yes, Nikki. Many off-price brands got their start as a way for higher-end department stores to outsource merchandise after the third markdown. As retailers get to know their customers better, improve buying practices and merchandising, how will the off-price brands be sustained? Private labels? There is a lot to think about for my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/13/2018
Home Depot commits $50M to create trade jobs and secure its future
Good move by Home Depot and the communities they serve. They will likely see loyal customer graduates from this program and communities will see more and more-skilled tradespeople. Kudos and my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/08/2018
Amazon offers special Prime rate for millions of Medicaid recipients
Exactly what I was thinking. - Posted on: 03/07/2018
Are photos of packages on doorsteps helpful?
I agree, however, there is one more nit to add. Maybe this doesn't happen where you live, but it happens all the time to me. A package is suppose to arrive, the status says it is on the truck, then I get a status that there was no place to deliver and no one home. I will then have to call or come by to pick up. The problem is, I work at home and every time this has happened, I was home all day. They NEVER tried to deliver. We are having great problems with our mail these days, some days no mail at all and this would be a great way to put a stop to this foolishness. IMHO and for my 2 cents. - Posted on: 03/02/2018
Aldi to open grocery stores next to Kohl’s
Instead of a store-within-a-store, this sounds like a sublet with a twist. It will always be the same subtenant. Would it be interesting to have different subtenants depending on the neighborhood? This looks to me to be a great approach in addressing the need to reduce square footage and, by choosing your next door neighbor, drive the right traffic. This concept is worth watching and my 2 cents.
