September 16, 2020

The Store of the Future Is Not a Store

People don’t have to go to stores anymore, they have to want to go to stores

Author Lee Peterson EVP, Thought Leadership & Marketing WD Partners Although we've been talking about that statement for quite some time now, this year has really taken it to another level. Store and mall traffic were at all-time lows in 2019 but boy, would we take those numbers now. Many retailers were closed, literally closed...

July 14, 2020

Research Issue 44

How to Reorganize Like a 21st Century Business

Authors Joanne Heyob SVP, Operations Strategy & Design WD Partners John Bajorek EVP, Strategic Growth & Innovation WD Partners Lee Peterson EVP, Thought Leadership & Marketing WD Partners We recently heard someone say that the Coronavirus didn’t disrupt retail—it actually accelerated retail. We couldn’t agree more. Brands have been catapulted into a dramatic state of...

July 14, 2020

Research Issue 44

WD’s State of Shopping Research

Author Lee Peterson EVP, Thought Leadership & Marketing WD Partners No one truly knows what will happen post-COVID, mostly because we haven’t reached the post part yet. The country has tried to make some semblance of a reopening happen to various levels, but most would agree that we’re not where we all want to be...

July 14, 2020

Research Issue 44

More Than a Store: The Grocery Store of the Future

Authors Lee Peterson EVP, Thought Leadership & Marketing WD Partners Joanne Heyob SVP, Operations Strategy & Design WD Partners The grocery industry, as a whole, has been reluctant to change. For years, brands have been comfortable knowing they provided an essential service for customers. Executives have seen innovation as an unneeded expense instead of an...

May 13, 2020

Research Issue 43

The Store of the Future is Not a Store

The following is a preview of our upcoming white paper. The last couple months have seemingly changed everything about stores. Social distancing. Employees behind shields. Customers wearing masks. And how about these stories exemplifying how quickly things have changed: Walmart’s app sees record downloads, surpasses Amazon by 20% (TechCrunch) Amazon stops accepting new online grocery...

May 13, 2020

Research Issue 43

21st Century Grocery: Open for Business

In the last two months we’ve witnessed an already turbulent grocery market explode into a flurry of activity. From safety measures, to empty shelves, to reduced store hours and all the missing toilet paper, grocers are being forced to respond and react quickly to the changing and demanding needs of their associates and customers. This...