Where Retail Went Wrong - and How to Make it Right

09/30/20 • 44 min

A SEAT at THE TABLE: Conversations with Today's Top Industry Leaders

For nearly a decade, retail has been stuck in a quagmire of discounts, flagging consumer demand and rounds of bankruptcies.
There’s been lots of discussion about what went wrong.
Now the important question is “What do we need to do to fix it”?
While many will point to Amazon as the evil demon that devastated retail, a closer look shows that Amazon and other e-commerce players might have simply profited from the mis-steps that traditional retailers made.
And is it only e-commerce that’s to blame the for the current situation in retail - or are there other factors at play?
In this episode, I’m speaking with Kate Newlin, founder of Kate Newlin Consulting and author of the two bestselling books “Shopportunity” and “Passion Brands”.
She’s a specialist in working with Fortune 1000 companies to identify unmet consumer needs, and then helping them to figure out to fulfil them.
Prior to starting her own business, Kate was president of BrainReserve, a New York-based futurist marketing consulting firm.
Today she’ll share her views of where retail went wrong - and what brands could do to get back on track.
USEFUL LINKS
Do you have something to share? You can contact us here: https://seat.fm/contact-us/
Are you looking for Kate Newlin's books? You can find them here:
"Passion Brands"
http://prometheusbooks.com/books/search/Passion%20Brands

"Shopportunity"
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/shopportunity-kate-newlin?variant=32207951101986

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

"Shopportunity"
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/shopportunity-kate-newlin?variant=32207951101986

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm

Previous Episode

Why The Apparel Industry Needs Bangladesh

Any conversation about apparel production sooner or later includes Bangladesh.
From a turbulent period when the nation’s industry was plagued by factory fires, building collapses and high levels of industrial pollution, Bangladesh has faced gruelling pressure to meet international standards.
Over the past 7 years it has painstakingly worked to clean up and green up the industry.
Today, Bangladesh is home to some of the world’s best apparel manufacturing facilities and has the greatest number of eco-friendly factories.
Still, Bangladesh’s image is more of a reflection of its past than a vision of its future.
Recently a growing number of industry experts are starting to shine a new light on what they believe could an overlooked opportunity for buyers.
Today we’re talking with Deepika Diwan.
Deepika has spent three decades managing buying, sourcing and manufacturing for some of world’s biggest retailers.
From heading up clothing sourcing in South Asia for Sainsbury’s, working with Marks & Spencer in Bangladesh and tripling its business there in less then 5 years, to working as Global Procurement Director for Kiabi, and helping Pepkor establish their South Asian sourcing offices, Deepika knows Bangladesh. She also understands the growing need to manage lead times, as well as the ongoing pressure on price.
Today Deepika is managing director of Carrots, consulting company that designs and executes bespoke solutions for international footwear, apparel and accessories retailers.
Years of up close and personal experience living and working Bangladesh has enabled her to see Bangladesh for what it is becoming rather than what it was.
She’s the perfect person to speak with in order to find out what are the big opportunities in Bangladesh, opportunities that others might be missing.
Do you have something to share? You can contact us at https://insidefashionlive.net/contact/.
Our website: https://insidefashionlive.net

Visit A Seat at The Table's website at https://seat.fm