This podcast covers a Forbes article titled "Rethinking Retail - A Data Driven Blueprint For Thriving In Uncertainty," authored by Gary Drenik, a contributor focusing on AI and innovation, which outlines the contents of a new book on retail strategy from professors at Northwestern University. The article emphasizes that traditional retail models relying on backward-looking transaction data are failing in the current tech-enabled market, advocating instead for a forward-looking approach grounded in zero-party consumer data from Prosper Insights & Analytics. The piece details thirteen data-driven success factors from the book for retailers, such as monitoring economic confidence and leveraging behavioral clustering over simple demographics, to help brands navigate disruption and make decisions with greater foresight. A case study involving Kohl’s serves as a cautionary example, illustrating the financial consequences of ignoring real consumer signals and intentions captured by proprietary data. Ultimately, the source promotes the book as a playbook for executives, offering actionable recommendations for using emotional and intention-based signals to inform strategic planning and forecasting.