Retail’s Mental Health Matters: Building a Culture of Trust
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Retail’s Mental Health Matters: Building a Culture of Trust

ByMary Beth Garcia

Retail has always been a people business. Every interpersonal interaction, connection, and relationship—whether externally with customers or internally among team members and with leaders—is a vital link in the chain that creates results. In today’s environment, though, where every department is being asked to do more with less and the pace of change feels relentless, this pivotal…

Navigating Tariffs: The Ripple Effect on Retail
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Navigating Tariffs: The Ripple Effect on Retail

ByMary Beth Garcia

As I began planning this month’s newsletter, one word kept flashing across headlines, economic reports, and retail roundtables: tariffs. Whether looming at 145% or fluctuating and retracting, the mere possibility of increased tariffs is already impacting the way retail teams are planning, pivoting, and preparing. From sourcing to sales, tariffs are top of mind. While…

Celebrating International Women’s Month: Women Leading the Way in Retail
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Celebrating International Women’s Month: Women Leading the Way in Retail

ByMary Beth Garcia

As International Women’s Month draws to a close, we are reflecting on and celebrating the remarkable contributions of women around the world—and in our own industry. I am an unusual retailer in the sense that I knew by the age of 13 that this was the career I wanted to be in. It was not…

4 Issues Shaping the Future of Retail Leadership
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4 Issues Shaping the Future of Retail Leadership

ByMary Beth Garcia

February is Black History Month in the United States, a time to reflect on the invaluable contributions of Black leaders, innovators, and frontline workers who have shaped the retail industry and beyond. As we honor this history, we must also acknowledge the evolving landscape of today’s retail environment—one that presents both opportunities and challenges for retail…

Where Have All the Retail Managers Gone? A Shift with Significant Implications
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Where Have All the Retail Managers Gone? A Shift with Significant Implications

ByMary Beth Garcia

The Impact of Flattening Retail Leadership I have been in retail for a long time — long enough to see retail initiative pendulums swing from one extreme to the other time and time again. Retail never seems comfortable in the middle. With the seemingly constant evolution we have to go through in order to keep…