Thought
Leadership
Thought
Leadership
Welcome to the “new” normal.
In addition to new game-changing retailers developing disruptive formats, more traditional retailers have launched reinvention as well. Use our reports, white papers and publications to keep up on the the changing world of retail.
Retail Innovations
For over a decade, we have been tracking retail innovations and new store concepts around the globe. In collaboration with the Ebeltoft Group, Retail Innovations helps today’s retailers and manufacturers prepare for the ongoing changes shaping the retail marketplace. The yearly publication highlights best in class case studies that inspire innovation for the future.
Please Contact Us for prior years’ reports.
White Papers
Digital Marketplaces: A Global Study of Your Next Growth Channel
Digital marketplaces have and will continue to capture significant market share of the overall retail landscape. Investors, including some of the largest retail technology players, have been drawn to the global opportunity.
World’s Coolest Retailers
Retail is all about newness. It is all about innovation and creativity. And it is all about finding new ways of connecting with consumers by enticing them, exciting them and surprising them.
2024 Global Executive Research
Read our 2024 edition of the Global Executive Survey, a collaborative study by the World Retail Congress and the Ebeltoft Group, Global Brand & Retail Experts. In the ever-evolving landscape of retail, where change is the only constant, it is our pleasure to present to you the latest insights gathered from retail executives worldwide.
New Business Models to Drive Sustainable Prosperity
Economic sectors and regions worldwide are searching for new ways to produce, sell, and consume to reverse environmental and social damage. Innovations and new business models are emerging as a means to survive in a world of finite and exhausted natural resources.
Channel Strategies for Brands & Retailers
As stores struggle while e-commerce and marketplace platforms boom, many brands and retailers are reconsidering their channel strategies.
Sustainable Brands & Retail
Why should companies take environmental and social issues seriously? With recent crisis, far from being a passing fad, it seems that this will be the best way to have a sustainable business over time.
Consumer Trust in the Time of COVID
Today’s consumers are re-examining their priorities and scrutinizing where they spend their money in new and powerful ways, especially as the nation faces a period of uncertainty and ongoing fear stemming from the global COVID-19 pandemic. A shifting consumer focus on products and services that are driving positive change and delivering dependable value has created new challenges and new opportunities for brands and retailers. In the post-COVID environment, building trust with the consumer has never been more critical.
Grocery E-commerce Fulfillment – 2020 State of the Industry
Grocery E-commerce Fulfillment – 2020 State of the Industry is a snapshot into the rapidly shifting state of the grocery E-commerce industry and the next-gen fulfillment solutions being deployed today and built for tomorrow.
Different Leaders / Different Results (2019)
Different Leaders / Different Results details how both digital natives and legacy retailers have blind spots stemming from their origins and the backgrounds of their executive leaders. These retailers must anticipate and overcome these blind spots in order to survive and thrive as consumers expect retailers to adapt to their rising expectations.
Global Consumer Report (2019) Ebeltoft Group
Understanding consumers, their behavior and preferences has become increasingly difficult for brands and retailers in a world defined by rapid digital development and technological innovations. It is critical for retailers to understand the macro trends driving consumer behavior at a global level. The Global Consumer Report 2019 uncovers consumer attitudes and behavior across 14 countries.
Transforming International Retail Distribution; Global Ecommerce’s latest Wave of Disruption — Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum (GELF) (2019)
International marketplace platforms are flattening retail’s global distribution ecosystem. McMillanDoolittle and GELF dive into how marketplaces and data-savvy digital natives are shaking up how retail brands sell globally by reviewing four key areas: growth strategies, execution, local distributors, and future foundations.
The Empowered Customer: The Digitalisation of Retail (2018)
Potentially disruptive technologies are changing the status-quo in the retail industry. McMillanDoolittle and Ebeltoft Group dig into the impact of technology and digital innovations on retailers and their customers. This report highlights key considerations when working with both emerging and established technologies such as AR, voice, AI, 3D printing, blockchain, and provides examples of businesses currently utilizing innovative digital tools to grow customer engagement.
The Future of Services in Retail — Ebeltoft Group (2018)
Retailers are fighting for a scarcity for today’s consumer – time. The future of retailing involves the integration of services, products and channel to deliver frictionless solutions for time saved or engaging experiences for time well spent. Simultaneously, the intensification of retail competition and pressure on already reduced margins of the sector compel retailers to seek alternatives to reinvent their businesses. Read more to understand how services will shape the future of retail.
Catching the China Ecommerce Wave — Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum (GELF) (2017)
Utilizing benchmarking data collected from over 60 executives, this report details 10 challenges U.S. brands face when conducting online sales in China. Led by McMillanDoolittle Partner Jim Okamura, the GELF report includes insights from ecommerce leaders who shared their perspectives on what works and what doesn’t in China.
Brands Going Retail – Accelerating Growth through Consumer-Direct Channels — Ebeltoft Group (2016)
Brands Going Retail studies global direct-to-consumer business and the critical one-to-one relationships they are able to build with the end consumer. Created by gathering survey results across 24 countries this report includes best practice cases from Warby Parker, Nespresso, Lindt, Hering and Rituals. Brands Going to Retail outlines key insights and recommendations for any brand or manufacturer considering opening an owned channel.
Books
Winning at Retail by Senior Partners Neil Stern and Will Ander
First published in 2004, Winning at Retail is our seminal book on retail strategy and illustrates what separates retail’s winners from the losers. More important now than ever, understanding Winning at Retail is vital to companies who wish to remain relevant to consumers and succeed as demographic, societal, and technological changes shift retail’s playing field.
Greentailing and Other Revolutions in Retail by Senior Partners Neil Stern and Will Ander
Published in 2008, Greentailing documents the opportunities we foresaw for retailers and suppliers to capitalize on the growing demand for organic, sustainable, and socially conscious products and services. Greentailing and Other Revolutions in Retail explains the strategies leading retailers and suppliers are using to connect with eco-conscious consumers and gain a competitive advantage over rivals. It also illustrates key trends that are changing the face of retail.