Announcing the release of our Direct-to-Consumer Global Research Study Download your copy of the research to explore the full report and underlying data. Our latest global publication, developed in collaboration with our international Ebeltoft Group alliance, examines how traditional and DTC brands have embraced direct-to-consumer…
Across Asia, retailers are redesigning stores from the ground up, rethinking how people shop, how employees work, and what a physical store is meant to be. From Singapore to Seoul, the store is no longer just a place to buy things. It is becoming a…
For our second Retail Innovations trend of 2026, we are exploring Easy Journeys, effortless shopping experiences. “Easy” used to mean convenient. Today, it means intuitive, confidence-building, and frictionless at every touchpoint. Download your free copy of Retail Innovations Modern shoppers compare every experience to the…
Three Forces Reshaping Retail: A Better World, Engaging Destinations and Easy Journeys Retail has always been an exciting—and demanding—business. Successful retailers must stay relentlessly focused on consumers who now have more choices than ever over where, when, and how they shop. With agentic AI accelerating…
Plaza del Lago, a historic, open-air center in Wilmette, Illinois, sits in one of the Midwest’s most affluent trade areas, yet has long operated with a convenience-forward mid-market tenant mix led by Jewel-Osco (owned by Albertsons) and CVS. Its Spanish Revival architecture and lakefront setting…
Our McMillanDoolittle team braved the long wait times to visit the newest Harry Potter Shop. As Chicago-based consultants, we’re eager to see if this new store can continue to bring much-needed energy and excitement to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Take a virtual photo tour of the…
McMillanDoolittle is pleased to present the 20th edition of Retail Innovations, our annual publication that features the most cutting-edge retail concepts. We’ve curated 49 case studies, across 21 countries, in collaboration with our global Ebeltoft Group partners. These cases embody one of this year’s four themes:…
Our McMillanDoolittle team attended the inaugural Shoptalk Fall conference in Chicago from October 16-18. This event is the latest addition to Hyve Group’s portfolio, which also includes Groceryshop, Shoptalk Europe, and Shoptalk Spring. Shoptalk focuses on digital and technology innovation. The theme for Shoptalk Fall…
McMillanDoolittle partnered with Shoptalk Fall, a premier conference for consumer brands and retailers, to host the inaugural “Shopwalks” store tours in Chicago. The event brought together more than 50 senior retail leaders to visit flagship stores including Starbucks Reserve Roastery, Ralph Lauren, and Eataly on…
Pleasing – Harry Styles’ beauty and lifestyle brand – recently arrived in Chicago with a retro, space-themed pop-up dubbed the “Pleasing AstroMilk Bar.” Located in Wicker Park, this imaginative and immersive pop-up introduces Pleasing’s latest product line – the AstroMilk nail polish collection, named for…
