Sanford Stein

1 month ago | therobinreport.com | Sanford Stein

Joann Fabrics and Crafts has fueled the imaginations of its loyal customers for eight decades. Regrettably, now that it has become just another moribund brand it’s sad to think that Joann’s leadership simply lacked the insight and imagination to reshape the brand to compete and prosper in the “new world” of unified commerce. But that’s what happened, along with bankruptcy.

2 months ago | therobinreport.com | Sanford Stein

Retailing has never been more challenging and is only going to become more complex. While seemingly endless numbers of specialty fashion retailers have been relegated to the growing list of defunct brands, Urban Outfitters has been a survivor. Imagine Reclectic rolling out special weekends of “make-tailing” events. Reclectic identifies local fashion designers and stylists with abroad social media presence to take center stage in the store.

Nov 26, 2024 | forbes.com | Sanford Stein

Mall of America remains an anomaly among shopping malls. Besides its ginormous 5.6 million square feet, its over 520 world-class stores and restaurants, and its indoor Nickelodeon Universe theme park, several striking statistics make it stand out. MOA has consistently drawn forty million visitors annually, since opening in 1992. That’s roughly the same number of folks who bump fists with Mickey and Minnie at the 27,000-acre Disneyworld Theme Park.

Sep 16, 2024 | therobinreport.com | Sanford Stein

Terms like “private label, privately owned, generic and direct-to-consumer brands” are popular buzzwords among both retailers and consumers. Yet their roots go back over a century. What’s new is that their meaning in the retail price/value paradigm has been transformed over recent decades. What’s perplexing is whether the major Consumer Package Goods (CPG) brands have been playing into private label brands’ hands by flexing their “elastic pricing powers” only to end up losing market share.

Aug 12, 2024 | therobinreport.com | Sanford Stein

Wayfair’s newly opened 150,000 square-foot flagship store in upscale Wilmette, Illinois has created much speculation about their future brick-and-mortar plans. Does the retail prototype foreshadow a major unified commerce push, or is it simply splashy retail theater to help mitigate Wayfair’s institutional investors’ anxiety about the company’s lack of profitability? Wayfair needs to demonstrate a path to profitability, which has eluded them almost from the start.