Retail Prophet Doug Stephens

We've spent the last 20 years technologizing retail, making it bigger, faster and more global.  But that's also meant an unprecedented and often deadly level of competition in every category.  In this episode Doug discusses the greatest challenge facing all retailers and brands today, and why technology alone won't save them. But something else just might. 

Geopolitical events have disrupted retail, but retail has also contributed to geopolitical disruption, argues host Doug Stephens.  And it's making us all unsafe. 

In this special episode, Doug sits down with Retail Dive columnist Daphne Howland for a wide-ranging interview on the future of retail. From emerging technology and demographic trends to the new strategic imperatives to succeed in retail, and much more. 

Amid the sea of turmoil in the retail sector and the weekly waves of disastrous news, at least one brand is not merely staying afloat but thriving. Nike has not only endured the crisis but also managed to accelerate through it. But far from being the result of a desperate pandemic-induced pivot or some happy accident, the seeds of Nike’s current resilience were planted deep into its strategy several years ago.  In this episode Doug looks at how that strategy unfolded and the lessons all brands can take from Nike's radical approach.

The global decline of religion and eroding faith in government is creating a societal vacuum where trust in conventional institutions once existed.   It's a vacuum that some brands are daring to fill. But can brands succeed in instigating lasting social and environmental good and, if so, at what cost? 
In this, the premiere episode of 2020, Doug explores the human need for community, purpose and belonging and how astute consumer brands are turning corporate activism into an competitive advantage. 

In this episode Doug argues that the most important metric in retail is something that most retailers aren't even measuring.