RETHINK Retail

As traditional checkout lanes disappear, what’s replacing it directly addresses retail’s biggest pressures: shrink, labor shortages, and rising customer expectations. Computer vision, AI, and agentic commerce transforms the front end from a simple staffing task into an operating model retailers must actively manage. In our latest report, Senior Retail Analyst Lavina Suthenthiran examines how modern retail infrastructure enables a continuous shopping experience from aisle to payment. Inside the article: - Why checkout is no longer a single stop, but an end-to-end store strategy - How AI is evolving to anticipate shopper needs in real time - Why self-checkout value comes from shrink control and labor flexibility, not higher sales - How compliance, theft laws, and labor rules are forcing infrastructure upgrades 📖 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/esa53fWn

One marketing mistake. 24,000 employees retrained. A CEO out the door within days. All because a global brand launched a campaign without understanding the local market it landed in. In this episode of our Global Lens series, Senior Retail Analyst Lavina Suthenthiran joins Jeremy Goldman to break down why 7 in 10 cross-border expansions fail, and why international growth has officially shifted from a demand problem to an execution problem. Nobody is too big to make a costly global mistake. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eRTCp_vy 📖 Download the full Global Lens Report: https://lnkd.in/eD2DRzYZ #CrossBorderCommerce #GlobalRetail #Fulfillment #RetailStrategy

Looking for a little food for thought (and some actual premium dining) while you're at eTail™ Boston? We invite our Global Retail Leaders to join the RETHINK Retail team for dinner at two of Boston’s best spots. Arriving early? Join us Sunday, August 9 at Mistral (French-Mediterranean cuisine). Already booked Sunday? Join us Monday, August 10 at The Banks. Come for the peer networking, stay for the incredible steak and seafood. Seats are limited and reserved for retail executives. Secure your spot: → Mistral | August 9: https://lnkd.in/e_p-RjCd → The Banks | August 10: https://lnkd.in/e9-TkQCF We hope to see you there. #eTailBoston #GlobalRetailLeaders #RetailCommunity

THE AGENTIC STORE IS COMING. Agentic AI is driving autonomous operations, real-time inventory intelligence, and self-running stores. On October 28, senior executives from Ahold Delhaize, Tony Roma's, KEH Camera, & Diebold Nixdorf share their real-world strategies for building autonomous, AI-driven retail stores. AiR Virtual Summit: The Agentic Store October 28, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM ET 👇 RSVP below to save your spot on the calendar. #AIinRetail #AgenticAI

In her latest article, Senior Retail Analyst Lavina Suthenthiran explores why some online grocery operations continue to struggle despite significant investment, and why long-term profitability depends on far more than automation or faster delivery. Read the full piece to explore why the biggest competitive advantage may be an operating model in which fulfillment, inventory, routing, and delivery function as a single connected system. 📖 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e-5td_Zw #GroceryTech #RetailOperations #AutomationStrategy #eGrocery

What does a high-efficiency front end actually look like? - 1.2-second transaction speeds - 5,000 hours of store labor saved annually - Building loyalty at checkout Retail leaders from The Vitamin Shoppe, Batteries Plus, and Ingenico share the exact blueprint in our upcoming webinar on August 6th. 👇 Learn more below.

Experience is the ultimate teacher. We're heading to eTail™ Boston to learn battle-tested solutions from peers who’ve already solved retail’s biggest workflow hurdles. No guessing. No trial and error. Just execution. 👉 Join us in Boston: https://lnkd.in/enA2hhXb Heading to the event? We’re also hosting invite-only executive dinners to connect top retail leaders over fine dining: 🍷 August 9 | Mistral: https://lnkd.in/e_kUSfpM 🦞 August 10 | The Banks: https://lnkd.in/e9-TkQCF Hope to see you there! #eTailBoston #RetailLeadership #CustomerExperience #RetailInnovation

"We don't want to do technology just for technology's sake. We don't want to run a science experiment." Watch below as Jeremy Goldman, Mark Propes (Vusion) and Hitha Herzog (H Squared Research LLC) outline how leading global retailers turn connected store tech into daily operations: → Cross-functional alignment: Bring business, product, tech, and design leaders to the table on Day 1. → Real-world durability: Build for actual store associates on a busy Tuesday. Not a sterile lab environment. → Clear exit criteria: Establish explicit KPIs, ROI targets, and financial buy-in before deploying a single test. 👇 Learn from the leaders who know what it takes to build for real enterprise impact. 🎧 Listen to the full discussion: https://lnkd.in/ejvz9J9r #AIinRetail #RetailTech #RetailOperations #FutureOfRetail

👀 What's separating retailers that scale from those that struggle? The latest RETHINK Retail Weekly Newsletter explores the strategies, technologies, and operational decisions helping retailers build for long-term growth in an increasingly complex market. 📖 Read the latest.

TGIF! ☀️ As you wrap up the week and look ahead, here’s a quick lineup of what we’ve got coming up over the next couple of weeks: 1. GRL Dinners @ eTail™ Boston: We’re hosting two private dinners for Retail & Brand Execs. Good food, great wine, and even better conversation! 🍸August 9 @ Mistral: https://lnkd.in/e_kUSfpM 🍤 August 10 @ The Banks: https://lnkd.in/eEnF3NBr 2. If you know someone doing incredible work with AI in retail, be sure to nominate them for our 2027 Top AI Leaders list before time runs out! ⭐️ https://lnkd.in/eQMBv9cV One last thing before you head offline— If you get a chance, check out our latest report: Global Expansion: The New Operating Model for Global Ecommerce. We dive into how market leaders are building one smooth, unified global setup, as cross-border shopping becomes the norm. 🌎 https://lnkd.in/ecP7Scgf Have an awesome weekend! 👋 #AIinRetail #eTailBoston #GRLDinner #eCommerce