Four brands took an Instagram marketing tactic that’s become stale and created a cross-brand customer experience in Soho

How big a role does brand play in people’s decisions about where to work out? Regardless of its significance now, I think its importance will increase as fitness companies continue to define and amplify their brands.

Looking at stores I’ve visited recently (here and here) and what’s next on my list (future visits coming via Instagram Stories) and paying close attention to my daily inclinations, I have two main thoughts.

Someone visiting town for the holidays asked me what retail to see while in New York. I could go on and on (and on) but here's what came to mind first. Please comment or tweet and tell me what you'd add! 

By now, we know Alibaba's 11.11 Global Shopping Festival broke all sales records this year. But there are two lesser-discussed parts of 11.11 that are reflective of Alibaba's broader strategy and the company's - and China's - growing influence on global brands.

The best thing about Amazon making shopping boring is that stores - at the least the good ones - are being reborn as shopping experiences. And not just shopping, but education and community, as shown at ADAY in the thumbnail image.

Walmart and Nike both have taken dramatic action recently, but only one company's tale is being told as that of disruption.

As Amazon closes in on estimates it will account for half of all online retail sales by 2021, networks that forge alliances among non-Amazon players have sprung up. I'm really curious how many more there will be and the extent to which Amazon-indoctrinated consumers will adopt them.

At the Brit + Co #CreateGood pop-up in Soho, worlds converge as the media company for women advertises its own platform, while bringing other brands to life inside its "5-day experience of all things good". Truth be told, #CreateGood uses these brands to round out Brit + Co IRL by providing visitors with sustenance and entertainment.

I attended TAP 2017 last week and I'm excited about how Button is addressing the gap between affiliate marketing effectiveness on desktop vs. on mobile.

Let's make retail connections. Have an opening? Looking for a job? I know of roles and candidates.

I wrote this as a guest blog post for Reachify, a business intelligence platform for the buyers and sellers of software. Much of it also is relevant for vendors selling physical goods, not just technology products. It's published on their blog now.

My reactions to recent news that's been widely shared.

Let's make retail connections. Have an opening? Looking for a job? I know of roles and candidates.

Personally and professionally, I love stores. But in the past three days alone, I've observed too many of them failing on the basics.

As the food shopping space anticipates innovation coming from Amazon/Whole Foods, here's my grocery tech wish list.

Let's make retail connections. Have an opening? Looking for a job? I know of roles and candidates.

Customers may or may not realize that when they're shopping online with multi-brand retailers, some of the product doesn't touch the retailer's hands and instead is sent directly from brand to end-user. This has benefits for all parties, as well as customer experience implications.

Twice last week, fashion startup founders asked me for ideas about how to tell the story of what they're building without relying on paid digital marketing or having influential friends. Here are some ideas.