Tony D'Onofrio
- March 30, 2026
What’s Next for Retail in 2026: An Industry Perspective
Confidence in physical retail remains solid this year. More than 55% of survey respondents said they feel confident or very confident about brick-and-mortar performance in 2026, while only around 20% expressed concern. - From Place AI
- March 17, 2026
British Retail Consortium (BRC) Crime Report 2026
Theft also remains a significant challenge for retailers. There were 5.5m detected incidents of shoplifting last year, costing retailers nearly £400m, but with many incidents going undetected, the true cost is likely to be much higher. Organised criminal gangs are increasingly targeting high-value, easily resold goods, exploiting the lack of consequences from law enforcement.
- February 10, 2026
2026 Retail Industry Global Outlook
Despite expectations of a modest slowdown in economic growth and the prospect of a further squeeze in consumer spending power in some regions, 96% of global retail executives surveyed expect industry revenues to grow, while 81% foresee margin expansion in the year ahead. - From Deloitte
- January 20, 2026
Retail Tech Reality Check
AI is reshaping how consumers shop. From where journeys begin to how people pay, what they trust, and the prices they expect, retail is in flux. - From CI&T
- December 30, 2025
Our 2026 Retail Predictions: Unlocking New Customer Experiences
No.5 - RFID Reaches a Tipping Point: 59% of shoppers have checked on a retailer’s website to see if the product is available in store and 52% have made an online purchase to pick up at a store. - Salesforce.com
- November 10, 2025
The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2025
USA retailers reported an 18% increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents per year in 2024 versus 2023 and threats or acts of violence during shoplifting or theft events increased 17% during that same time period, indicating that criminal enterprises are becoming more brazen and dangerous. - From National Retail Federation
- October 20, 2025
2025 Mid-Year Retail Fatalities Report
For USA, 306 retail fatalities in the first half of 2025, up 25% from 2024. Customers make up 59% of fatalities and store associates 25%. - From D&D Daily
- August 11, 2025
Closing the Execution Gap: How Leading Retailers Turn Inventory Accuracy into Market Leadership
Winners 95% more likely to deploy AI solutions, 76% more likely to use RFID technology, and they’ve mastered supply chain diversification strategies that delivered 54% higher profits in 2025. - From IHL Services
- July 07, 2025
Retail's Evolving Landscape: Store Experience Study 2025
For 2025, overall store counts are up, IT spend is up, and respondent retailers are more optimistic than NRF’s forecast. The National Retail Federation forecasts retail sales growth of 2.7% to 3.7% for 2025, with “signficant policy uncertainty” affecting the range of its outlook. From Chain Store Age
- June 16, 2025
The Retail AI Readiness Index
Which retailers are ranked highest in Retail AI Readiness to take advantage of this both old and emerging technology? Who has their data in order, who has the scale and talent to fully take advantage of this transformational technology? How do companies rank by $$$ impact and readiness? Check out the Retail AI Readiness Index. - From IHL Services
- May 20, 2025
Uncharted Territory: Global Economic Outlook 2025-2027 - 1H 2025
A decline to 2.3% global output growth is anticipated for this year and next, followed by a modest rebound to 2.9% in 2027. Our latest projections suggest 2025–2027 average growth of 2.5%, marking a decline from the 2.8% projected in January. - From Kearney
- May 12, 2025
The Real Retail Reality: Stores Thrive Among Uncertainty
With new retail supply projected to drop by 45% in 2025, the focus is shifting to optimizing existing spaces. As a result, vacancy rates remain tight, and interest in existing retail properties continues to grow. Physical stores still account for the vast majority of core retail sales—76.2%—and the pace of erosion is slowing as online growth stabilizes. - From Colliers
- May 05, 2025
State of Grocery Europe 2025
Grocery sales grew by 2.4% in Europe, slightly above the food price inflation rate of 2.3%. Discounters and private labels continued to gain market share, although at a much slower pace than in 2023, largely in line with a longer-term trend observed in previous years. - From McKinsey & Company
- April 22, 2025
Tariffs could spell trouble for the resilient consumer
Consumers are navigating a paradox: they feel less flexible and less able to impact the macroeconomic challenges they are facing but simultaneously are vocalizing less concern about persisting challenges, particularly financially. - From Kearney
- April 14, 2025
The Mobile Economy 2025
Mobile technologies and services now generate around 5.8% of global GDP, a contribution that amounts to $6.5 trillion of economic value added. By 2030, this figure will rise to almost $11 trillion, or 8.4% of GDP. - From GSMA
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2
It is a Small World
"We are the champions, my friends, and we'll keep on fighting till the end." – Queen
On the journey to learn something new, we travel to Montreux Switzerland. After the creation of a Jazz Festival by Claude Nobs in 1967, the founding of the world-class Mountain Studios inside the local casino in 1975, and favorable tax benefits, this quiet Swiss Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman) town became a destination to create music by legends such as Queen.
The earliest settlement in Montreux dates back to the late Bronze Age. The name Montreux comes from the Latin word monasteriolum, meaning "small monastery". Over hundreds of years, the local language changed this Latin word into Mustruel by 1215, and later into the modern name Montreux.
Deep Purple got the inspiration to the song “Smoke on the water” here. The rock group Queen with lead singer Freddy Mercury recorded 6 albums here. The studio was inside the casino that burned down in 1971 that inspired the Deep Purple memorable song.
For Freddy Mercury, Montreux became his second home; a place where he could escape the spotlight and focus on what he loved most: making music. Today, his legacy lives on through the iconic Freddie Mercury statue overlooking Lake Geneva in this picture.
Being a fan of classic rock, I truly enjoyed my visit to Montreux and blasted “Smoke on the Water” in my ear pods on arrival. This particular pose with Freddy was a personal reminder that life is short and never forget to let your guard down and have fun.
Psychologist Mike Rucker once wrote that "Happiness is a state of mind, but fun is something you can do. It doesn't require education, money or power. All it requires is intentionality. If happiness is a mirage, fun is your backyard oasis."
My oasis is celebrating life, always having a positive attitude, listen to all types of motivating music, and living each single moment as it was my last. At the top of my voice, I will continue to scream that we are all champions of possibilities that must keep on fighting towards our destined end. Rock on my friends.
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Brilliant Research
What’s Next for Retail in 2026: An Industry Perspective
Confidence in physical retail remains solid this year. More than 55% of survey respondents said they feel confident or very confident about brick-and-mortar performance in 2026, while only around 20% expressed concern. - From Place AI Read more
Smart Infographic
Mapped: The Happiest Countries in the World
The Number 1 country continued lead reinforces a broader trend: countries with strong institutions, high trust, and robust social safety nets consistently rank highest in life satisfaction. - From Visual Capitalist
