Steve Dennis

MARCH 24, 2018

It may make for intriguing headlines, but physical retail is clearly not dead. But, to be sure, boring, undifferentiated, irrelevant and unremarkable stores are most definitely dead, dying or moving perilously close to the edge of the precipice. Far from it, in fact. Absolutely.

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Retail Workshop Definition Channel 123

Steve Dennis

MARCH 24, 2019

It seems like more and more brands didn’t get the ‘retail apocalypse’ memo. As many in the media shout “bring out your dead,” it turns out quite a few major retailers keep cruising along despite being heavily invested in physical stores. Physical retail continues to grow.

Retail 134

Retail Channel Technology Other 134

Steve Dennis

FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Amidst all the retail apocalypse nonsense it turns out that physical retail isn’t dead after all. Last year some 3,000 new stores were opened and physical retail continued to have positive growth in most major global markets. So how do we explain all this? Not every customer is like you. Good for you.

eCommerce 124

eCommerce Retail Channel Fashion 124

Steve Dennis

JUNE 18, 2020

Over the last few years I’ve gotten a fair amount of mileage out of my catch-phrase “Physical retail isn’t dead. Boring retail is.” Yet I’m coming to believe that an even better answer is “extreme.” Will we be extremists for hate or for love?

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Books Events Technology Retail 176

Steve Dennis

FEBRUARY 10, 2024

In 2018 I started sharing my annual retail predictions. But some—like “physical retail isn’t dead—boring retail is” and my dour outlook on many much hyped disruptor brands (aka “wobbly unicorns”)—have held up pretty darn well. Once in a generation inflation also served to prop up many retailers same-store sales.

Retail 88

Retail Department Stores eCommerce Article 88

Steve Dennis

APRIL 11, 2022

When it comes to the vast and complex world of retail, nothing in the past three decades has been more disruptive than the advent and wide-spread adoption of online shopping. Yet, the e-commerce of today is often vastly different from what began to re-define the industry in the late 1990’s. A Brief History of E-commerce.

eCommerce 88

eCommerce Shipping Costs Fulfillment Multi-channel 88

Steve Dennis

JULY 26, 2019

The iconic toy retailer—which filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after piling up more than $5 billion in debt—closed its more than 800 U.S. doors and seemed destined for the retail graveyard. Of course, even with a significantly re-engineered format, the long-term promise of Toys ‘R’ Us’ rise from the dead remains to be seen.

Toys 124

Toys Omnichannel Presentation Retail 124

Steve Dennis

DECEMBER 27, 2018

‘Tis the season for annual retail predictions and, fear not dear reader, I will be sharing mine early in the New Year. Yet amidst all the prognostication nary a modern day Nostradamus gets fact checked on how well-honed their gift of prophecy actually turns out to be. Physical retail isn’t dead.

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Retail eCommerce Books Omnichannel 118

Steve Dennis

FEBRUARY 8, 2021

Nevertheless, I throw caution to the wind with my (mostly) educated guesses on what will turn out to be noteworthy in the VUCA world of retail this year. Perhaps the biggest COVID-related headline of 2020 was how just about every retail trend accelerated, most notably digital commerce. Physical retail: Still not dead.

Retail 103

Retail eCommerce Home Furnishings eCommerce Software 103

Steve Dennis

JULY 6, 2021

As I finished writing the second edition of my new book late last year, the predominant retail narrative was the so-called great acceleration of all things e-commerce. Physical stores are key to it. Physical stores are key to it. For much of my career, retail was pretty straightforward—and rather dualistic.

eCommerce 148

eCommerce Retail Shipping Costs Multi-channel 148

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 14, 2020

The iconic toy retailer—which filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after piling up more than $5 billion in debt—closed its more than 800 U.S. doors and seemed destined for the retail graveyard. Some leading “omnichannel” brands have long recognized that digital drives physical and vice versa, and that store metrics need to evolve.

Toys 99

Toys Omnichannel Presentation Retail 99

Steve Dennis

AUGUST 7, 2019

In January I went out on a limb with my 14 Predictions For Retail in 2019. The retail apocalypse narrative continues to be part of the zeitgeist, and it looks like we could see a record number of store closings this year. And my perspective continues to be physical retail isn’t dead; boring retail is.

Retail 92

Retail Definition eCommerce Channel 92

Steve Dennis

JUNE 12, 2018

For a couple of years now pundits, analysts, journalists and various other retail observers have been advancing the “retail apocalypse” narrative. Alas, facts are stubborn things, as I point out in my keynote talks and highlighted in a recent Forbes article, “Physical Retail Is Not Dead.

eCommerce 106

eCommerce Retail Workshop Department Stores 106

Steve Dennis

DECEMBER 13, 2019

He quickly followed that up by extending it to the retail industry in particular. In a similar vein, many on the Street believed Target, Walmart and other relatively mature legacy retailers with large store counts, were doomed by the explosion in online shopping. Retail has always been dynamic. That’s not changing any time soon.

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Retail eCommerce Channel Books 97

Steve Dennis

SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

The fact is only a handful of venture capital funded “pure-plays” have (or will ever) make money and most are now embarked on a capital intensive foray into physical retail that even Alanis Morissette would find deeply ironic. It also helps explain why so many pure-plays are investing heavily in physical locations.

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eCommerce Shipping Costs Customer Multi-channel 222

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 14, 2020

It seems like more and more brands didn’t get the ‘retail apocalypse’ memo. As many in the media shout “bring out your dead,” it turns out quite a few major retailers keep cruising along despite being heavily invested in physical stores. Physical retail continues to grow. Eschew the boring middle.

Retail 76

Retail Channel Technology Other 76

Steve Dennis

DECEMBER 31, 2019

As far as I can tell, retail has always been pretty darn dynamic. Yet few would dispute that during the past decade we have witnessed the most seismic changes of all, largely driven by the spread of digital technology. Below is my take on seven of the most profound factors that drove this decade’s epic retail revolution.

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Retail eCommerce Channel Home Shopping 117

RTP blog

APRIL 4, 2018

RevTech , a venture accelerator focused on developing early-stage retail technology companies, is hosting its 11 th semi-annual Tech Trends in Retail event in the flagship Neiman Marcus store in Dallas on April 5. Mmmm, Toblerone and macadamia nuts.) And social networks have more than enough advertising for my taste.

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Events Technology Food and Beverages Retail 150

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 19, 2022

What’s the difference between a retail futurist and God? God doesn’t think he’s a retail futurist. And the idea that anyone has the gift of prophecy when it comes to the dynamic world of retail seems pretty down right ridiculous. Physical Retail: Still Not Dead. (A). Bifurcation 2.0

eCommerce 60

eCommerce Retail Multi-channel Fulfillment 60

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 8, 2020

Here I channeled my inner Mark Twain opining that reports of physical retail’s death are greatly exaggerated. I did think the pace of closings would moderate more than it did, but the idea of a retail apocalypse is clearly nonsense. As I’ve been saying for a few years now physical retail isn’t dead, but boring retail is.

Retail 97

Retail eCommerce Channel Other 97

Steve Dennis

NOVEMBER 8, 2019

As much as “retail apocalypse” continues to show up in the headlines, by now most people that take the time to look at the facts know it’s nonsense. The truth is while much of retail is definitely different–in some cases radically–it’s far from dead. Another popular narrative centers on the impact of disruptive retail brands.

eCommerce 128

eCommerce Retail Home Furnishings Clothing 128

RTP blog

JULY 12, 2017

In his new book: Makeover: How Mobile Flipped The Shopping Cart (And What To Do About It!) , NewStore Founder and CEO Stephan Schambach shares how the proliferation of mobile is changing retail as we know it — and how retailers must build a road map for mobile success via technology, data, loyalty programs and the brand itself.

Mobile 150

Mobile Retail Shopping Carts Technology 150

Optimizely

MARCH 27, 2018

Shoptalk 2018 was huge — the world’s largest conference for B2C, retail, and ecommerce innovation sold out for the third time in a row with more than 8,500 attendees from some of the biggest brands in the world. AI is here, but the experience is not amazing just yet. But we’re not there yet.”.

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B2C Omnichannel Channel Customer Experience 150

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 14, 2020

As much as “retail apocalypse” continues to show up in the headlines, by now most people that take the time to look at the facts know it’s nonsense. The truth is while much of retail is definitely different–in some cases radically–it’s far from dead. Another popular narrative centers on the impact of disruptive retail brands.

eCommerce 107

eCommerce Retail Home Furnishings Clothing 107

lateshipment

NOVEMBER 20, 2020

The complete virtual experience has made them uncertain until they receive a physical product in hand. eCommerce retailers must consider similar situations and should leverage the touchpoints to: . The Impact of Post-Purchase Interactions on Your Customer Lifetime Value. How important is the post-purchase experience?

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Shipping Costs Shipping Information Customer 234

Steve Dennis

MAY 29, 2020

It’s anyone’s guess how quickly retail will mount any semblance of a meaningful rebound from the COVID-19 crisis. Yet, regardless of the pace and distribution of potential outcomes from such a recovery, five major forces are revealing themselves. Yet, more and more the middle has been collapsing. 1: Bifurcation 2.0.

Retail 147

Retail Payment Services Home Furnishings Automotive 147

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 17, 2019

Last year I started making annual retail predictions–some more provocative than others. Yes 2018 was yet another year of massive store closings and retail bankruptcies. Repeat after me: Physical retail isn’t dead. Boring retail is. For a first-timer I must say I think I did pretty well.

Retail 94

Retail eCommerce Jewelry Channel 94

Steve Dennis

MARCH 14, 2019

Once again ShopTalk proved itself to be the must-attend retail event of the year. The delineation between physical and digital is increasingly a distinction without much of a difference. TRUTH: It’s about markets, not just physical locations. TRUTH: Physical retail isn’t dead.

Presentation 117

Presentation Channel Supplies Retail 117

Fabric

JULY 26, 2023

These issues have led to major consequences for retailers. If customers place an order for a product that is currently unavailable for immediate shipment, typically due to it not being on-hand and in the retailers fulfillment centers, then these orders are classified and called out as “backorder” during the purchase.

Merchant Services 130

Merchant Services eCommerce Fulfillment Shipping Costs 130

Steve Dennis

OCTOBER 9, 2017

Yet while we are used to talking about e-commerce as a separate thing — and isolating statistics for digital transactions versus brick-and-mortar same-store sales — it’s increasingly clear that these are becoming distinctions without much of a difference. Physical retail might be different, but it clearly is not dead.

eCommerce 103

eCommerce Channel Books Download 103

Steve Dennis

MARCH 18, 2018

billion offer from the Nordstrom family to take the namesake retailer private was rejected as inadequate. Freedom to invest in physical retail. Despite the retail apocalypse narrative, physical retail is not dead; boring retail is. Recently a roughly $8.4

eCommerce 95

eCommerce Payment Services Toys Department Stores 95

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 9, 2018

2017 was one of the most transformative years for the retail industry that I can remember. Physical retail isn’t dead. Boring retail is. By this time next year roughly 90% of all retail will still be done in physical stores, so please can we shut up already about the “retail apocalypse.”

eCommerce 102

eCommerce Retail Multi-channel Channel 102

Ecommerce Platforms

JULY 4, 2017

A few weeks ago when Jack Ma was in Detroit trying to convince small and medium sized businesses to sell to Chinese customers he said something that was largely under reported. Alibaba is hoping to become an economy instead of being a seen as a marketplace exclusively. Their first real ecommerce investment was putting a Billion dollars into Lazada.

Small Business Retail 120

Small Business Retail Merchant Services eCommerce eCommerce Platforms 120

Kissmetrics

MARCH 30, 2018

According to a recent study by Statista , retail e-commerce sales worldwide reached $2.4 Interestingly, this growth pattern is not solely a retail B2C phenomenon. The shopper is more technologically advanced than ever before and is empowered to drive disruptive changes in traditional retail business. trillion in 2021.

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eCommerce eCommerce Marketing Marketing Shipping Costs 210

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 24, 2018

Every year 35,000 or so of my closest friends assemble in New York City for the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show” –a three day extravaganza featuring dozens of presentations, a huge technology EXPO and networking, networking, networking. The death of physical retail has been greatly exaggerated.

eCommerce 122

eCommerce Workshop Technology Retail 122

Steve Dennis

JANUARY 26, 2019

Just about every year for the past 25 or so, I make the trek to New York to rub shoulders (quite literally) with nearly 40,000 of my closest friends (not literally) during the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show.”

Vend 98

Vend eCommerce Events Channel 98

Steve Dennis

AUGUST 16, 2017

Yet many observers seemed encouraged by the overall improvement in sales trend. Yet the overall sector is still losing market share, just not at quite as fast a rate. Yet physical retail is not going away. Brick & mortar retail is becoming very different, but it’s far from dead.

Department Stores 84

Department Stores eCommerce Consumer Channel 84