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Publications &
Insights

Global Retail Trends & Innovations

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.

White Papers

Channel Strategies cover

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

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

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 McMillanDoolittle

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 McMillanDoolittle

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.

McMillanDoolittle Global Consumer Report Ebeltoft Group

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 (2016)

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.

McMillanDoolittle The Empowered Customer Ebeltoft Group

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.

McMillanDoolittle Services at Retail Ebeltoft Group

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.

McMillanDoolittle China Ecommerce Study GELF

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.

McMillanDoolittle Brands Going Retail Ebeltoft Group

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 McMillanDoolittle Senior Partners Neil Stern and Will Ander

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.

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Greentailing and Other Revolutions in Retail by McMillanDoolittle Senior Partners Neil Stern and Will Ander

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.

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