We're all about accountability on the Remarkable Retail podcast, so as we bring this season to a close once again it's time to grade Steve on 2024 predictions. In part 1 we dig into six of his baker's dozen of retail prognostications, which include:

1. The bifurcation of just about everything accelerates.

2. For many brands, flat is the new up.

3. AI: This time its personal.

4. The D continues to come out of DTC—except for top vendor brands

5. There is a culling of the once and future unicorn herd

6. Honey, I shrunk the store (again).

But we start with the retail news that caught our attention this week including lots of deals in the news: the end to the Kroger/Albertson's merger, the likely beginning of Saks and Neiman's, a possible go private transaction on the part of Walgreens, and yet another activist takes on Macy's. Then we assess Tik Tok's future in the US, before wrapping up with earnings news from Costco, Lululemon, and RH.

Steve's Prediction from Forbes (Part 1)

FootPrints AI Retail Media Event

The Great Vanilla Fudge from the Ed Sullivan Show: Keep Me Hanging On!

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.