You're Welcome (and Other Good Vibes from a Retail Tour)
What is Great Project Management for Branded Environments?
Consider these complicated, high-priority branded environment projects: The nation’s largest retailer wanted to execute rebranding for its interior and displays while also leaning..
Décor & Fixtures: How to Ensure Your Environmental Refresh Succeeds
Successful environmental branding requires outstanding décor and fixtures, which need to be both delightful and purposeful.
Make Sure Your Environmental Design Delivers ROI
It’s common for environmental design conversations to start with structures and spaces. But when banking clients asked us to figure out how to set up branches in grocery stores,..
End-to-End Service: No “Handoffs,” from Ideation to Installation
Some companies do retail research. Some offer environmental design. Others focus on print, décor, POP or hardware production. Still others focus on digital kiosks.
Five Factors for Building Customer Trust
Cultivating loyalty post-COVID-19 The National Retail Foundation is predicting that retail sales are going to surge as more individuals get vaccinated and the economy reopens...
Panel: Travel & Retail Are Reemerging
Optimism in retail is growing. With strong vaccination numbers, it’s not difficult to see a path toward a post-COVID-19 society and economy.
The Digital Path Forward
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of in-store digital initiatives because of expediency. Those who had been digital leaders found themselves ahead of the curve, while..
How to Overcome Supply Chain Breakdowns
COVID-19 spawned unprecedented challenges for international trade, particularly with the North American supply chain, where there’s never been a bigger imbalance between imports..
Proud Goodbye to Miller Zell from Ron Lutz
Miller Zell EVP & Chief Retail Officer Ron Lutz announced his retirement from Miller Zell this month. We asked him to write a few words in advance of his departure.
Reflecting on 2020 and What Lies Ahead
No question, 2020 has been an unprecedented, anxious year, for people and businesses. Yet as we at Miller Zell reflect on what 2020 entailed and what we can expect from 2021 and..
Renewing Focus on Long-Term Planning
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many retailers to accelerate the adoption of their future plans, particularly digital innovations that reduced person-to-person contact. Kicking the..
Five Initiatives Retailers Should Focus on Right Now
The COVID-19 pandemic forced changes in how we manage public spaces. First, there was an urgent reaction based almost entirely on safety and uncertainty. Then there was a..
Evolving Public Spaces in a Post-COVID-19 World
It’s easy to say that the only certainty right now is uncertainty, as the societal reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic so far has not gone well. We still don’t know the potential..
COVID-19 Accelerates Need for Innovation
Before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted people’s lives and the international economy, every retailer knew it needed to consistently innovate in order to stay ahead of its..
Back-to-School, Holiday Shopping During COVID-19
Our nation and world are reopening in phases and with caution, so retailers are adopting new standards while also aspiring to create the best possible customer experience.
Creating Safe, Optimized Spaces for Customers and Associates
The Covid-19 pandemic shutdown provoked anxiety, frustration and uncertainty. The reopening, at least initially, won’t be much different, though it includes a clear element of..
Retailers Join Fight Against COVID-19
Retailers are on the front lines of the both the battle against and ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Euroshop 2020: A Retail Tour
A crew from Miller Zell attended Euroshop 2020 in Dusseldorf and came away inspired by the potential for innovation in brick and mortar retail. Not only did the February event..
Ready to Adopt the Latest Tech?
There were 4,500 exhibitors and 20,000 tech products at CES in January. Many were captivating. Some could become transformative in the industry. Digital innovation is..
What's Top-of-Mind for Retailers in 2020?
While every retailer enters 2020 with a specific set of priorities and challenges, Miller Zell has been hearing six on a regular basis.
Beware of the “Guaranteed Savings Model” in Print Management
The name sounds so good: “Guaranteed Savings Model.” What could be better than the certainty of savings when deciding upon a print management partner? Even the shortened version,..
Flash Over Substance Fails in Retail
Guest post written by our friend and retail consultant, Flora Delaney. It was March 2015, and my client needed help. The home improvement and major appliance retail chain was..
Worried About an Economic Downturn?
Is the longest, consumer-led economic expansion in U.S. history running out of steam?
Back-to-School Shopping is a Two-Headed Beast
While we would never compare the gift-seeking festiveness of the holiday season in December to the back-to-school shopping frenzy of late July through September, retailers should..
Miller Zell Design Saves Time and Money
Fram oil filters created a classic TV commercial in the 1970s that concluded with a catchphrase: “Pay me now… or pay me later.” Either properly maintain your car with our oil..
Create a Unique Customer Experience to Drive 2019 Success
The retail industry spent the last decade investing in and expanding “how” a customer can shop. Many were successful with what became termed “omnichannel” retail, blending on- and..
How to Meet Customers’ Elevated Expectations During the Holidays
First, experts are projecting increased retail spending this holiday season. Second, demanding customers want seamless, personalized experiences that engage them during their..
Retailers Enhance Shopper Journey Through Storytelling
A J.P. Morgan analyst told CNBC that we could have the "best back-to-back [seasons] that the consumer has seen in five-plus years.” Shoppers could spend more than $1.1 trillion,..
What Does Prime Day Mean for Retailers Other Than Amazon?
When Amazon decided to invent a new holiday, we wondered if it would become the next thing in online shopping. Three years later, the answer is obviously yes. Each Prime Day has..
Boomers or Bust
Facing greater competitive pressure, retailers are transforming the Store of the Future into a modern reality. Tactics such as a more futuristic store design, virtual and..