• Innovation & Disruption

In the shifting digital landscape, it can be all too easy to cry wolf. The decline of big box stores in particular has left retailers anxiously worrying about the future of the industry. But the retail apocalypse isn’t all that it may seem, and as with all things in the digital economy, the story isn’t so much about death as it is about disruption. And as it turns out, the future of (at least some) retail is looking just fine.

• Innovation & Disruption

Modern shopping habits are changing. HBS alum Charles Gorra explains how by embracing rather than resisting these shifts in preferences, Rebag was able to build a successful business around secondhand luxury handbags.

• Platforms & Crowds

In this flash talk from our 2017 Future Assembly, Professor Andrei Hagiu from MIT Sloan School of Management highlights how companies can tap in to one of the most promising and profitable aspects of business today: the platform economy. Indeed, some of the retailers who have succeeded in the digital landscape (think Rent the Runway, Rebag, etc.) have leveraged the power of platforms to capture value.

• Data and Analysis

HBS Assistant Professor Kris Johnson Ferreira partnered with Rue La La to help the online flash sale company improve their pricing structure. So what exactly can machine learning and data analytics do for a fashion retailer? Just take a look at the bottom line to see the answer.

• Data and Analysis

Assortment rotation – swapping out products that are displayed by a store – is a popular business strategy for brick-and-mortar and online stores alike. But when and how should stores release a few products at a time versus revealing an entire product line? This new research from Assistant Professor Kris Johnson Ferreira and Visiting Scholar Joel Goh is helping retailers fine tune that answer.

• Innovation & Disruption

As the digital landscape evolves, shoppers are becoming more accustomed to having what they want, when they want it. In an age when information is ubiquitous and consumers are in “shopping mode” all the time, an over-emphasis on the holiday season no longer makes sense for either customer or retailer. Perhaps it’s time for a new model.

• Platforms & Crowds

What are some of the ways that pioneering companies are redefining the relationship with their customers in the digital age? By keeping in mind the importance of such strategies as using the right digital channels, adding value to your customers, and staying flexible to the emergence of new technologies. This article from HBR provides salient insights into how retailers can develop a similarly effective digital strategy as they navigate a rapidly changing industry.