Fifty years ago one of the founders of McMillanDoolittle, Norm McMillan, worked with the leadership team at Dayton Hudson on the strategic direction of their fast-growing discount retail concept called Target. One of the key outputs of that work was a remarkable document titled “Guides…
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…
As summer comes to a close, back-to-school and back-to-college season are a make-or-break moment for retailers and brands, not only to capture sales but to cultivate loyalty and build momentum heading into the holidays. Back-to-school is a pivotal season for retailers, when families establish shopping…
With discretionary spending under pressure, capturing consumer attention, and their wallets, is becoming increasing challenging and essential. Retailers tapping into innovation are creating must-visit experiences and must-purchase products, especially for younger generations seeking discovery and relevance (see our recent Gen Alpha research). “Newness” has become…
The latest census data revealed a surprising trend: consumers are still selectively spending money on discretionary items despite inflationary pressures. Notably, purchases of toys – such as building sets, plush toys, and outdoor games – fall into this discretionary spending category, with 43% of adults…
The ninth annual GELF NYC conference is on October 12th in midtown Manhattan, and promises to be one of our best programs ever. The conference is free to attend for qualified retailers and brand executives – register here. McMillanDoolittle is proud to be a partner…
Sonic Automotive and Audi of America’s Open Hotly Anticipated Modern Showroom This spring, Sonic Automotive debuted a new Audi dealership and service concept in Nashville. The 35,000 square foot, two-story dealership is located in the heart of Nashville’s SoBro neighborhood – steps away from some…
McMillanDoolitle is based in Chicago – which is also home to a wide and inspiring breadth of retail companies and stores. Our team visits stores frequently and leads immersive study tours showcasing new, innovative, and best in class retailers as part of our strategic innovation…
Los Angeles has become a go-to city to visit outstanding retail concepts. McMillanDoolittle designs and leads immersive and inspirational retail study tours to help our clients stay on top of global retail innovation. (To learn more about how our team of retail experts can help…
At the turn of the year, premium fitness club Equinox made waves with its “We Don’t Speak January” initiative, banning new member registrations on January 1st. Turning away potential members during the New Year signup surge may seem counterintuitive, but this deep commitment to their…
