Six Focus Areas for Retail
Exclusive Merchandise Planning Event Reveals Six Focus Areas for Retail Last week, we attended PI Apparel’s first Merchandise Planning conference, held in Brooklyn from October 23-24. PI Apparel has a strong history of industry events, typically focusing on product development and product lifecycle management (PLM). We were excited [...]
Intelligent Retail Enterprise
Five Key Elements for a More Intelligent Retail Enterprise A while ago, we discussed achievable quick wins for retailers heading into the holiday season. We still believe there is time for retailers to find some areas for improvement and make quick, impactful changes to enhance their [...]
Rethinking Allocation and Replenishment
Rethinking Allocation and Replenishment to Drive Better Inventory Outcomes Many of Parker Avery's clients are laser-focused on shoring up their inventory management capabilities while investigating and implementing advanced forecasting and demand-planning technologies to drive more collaborative, effective supply chains. Allocation for seasonal and fashion items [...]
Price Optimization: Margin Rate vs. Margin Dollars
Price Optimization: Margin Rate vs. Margin Dollars With blurring lines between channels and geographies, price optimization solutions are an area of increasing interest to the retail community. Price optimization solutions can bring immense value if properly assimilated and leveraged in a company’s business environment. One [...]
Ask the Experts: Change Management
Ask the Experts: Change Management Arguably one of the most critical components for any business transformation or system implementation project – regardless of the size or scope – is a solid change management program. When properly supported and managed, change management can not only enhance organizational [...]
The JEDI Challenge Returns
The JEDI Challenge Returns The Parker Avery Group recently concluded the second iteration of what we consider one of our most impactful initiatives since our firm's founding 16 years ago. In our typical consulting projects, we work with billion-dollar, global retailers and CPG companies on current [...]
Level Up Your Retail Store Operations
Labor shortages and tight budgets represent constant and increasing challenges for retail store operations. For many store managers and retail field leaders, these two constraints make it almost impossible to successfully accomplish the recurring operational workload and new omnichannel requirements, while simultaneously providing excellent customer service in [...]
Solving Today’s Retail Inventory Challenges
Despite increasing acceptance by retailers of newer technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality, most of the challenges remain around supply chain and retail inventory—the lifeblood and backbone of the industry. Recent news stories about major retailers falling far short of earnings expectations and the subsequent [...]
The JEDI Journey Continues: Three Days That Changed Our World
The JEDI Journey Continues: Three Days That Changed Our World How do you sum up three life-changing days in a developing country where the gross national income hovers below $5,000 USD? This question has been nagging me since our small team from The Parker Avery Group [...]
Make No Mistake: Avoiding Data Governance Issues
Make No Mistake: Avoiding Data Governance Issues Coupled with increasing investment by retailers in new systems that incorporate advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, having a solid data governance strategy in place is paramount. Members of our retail consulting team were interviewed by a media analyst [...]
The JEDI Challenge
Unimaginable Gratitude: The JEDI Challenge As we approach Thanksgiving week and the 2021 holiday season, The Parker Avery Group wrapped up what may be the most important project in our firm’s almost 15 years. It wasn’t for a multibillion-dollar global retailer. It wasn’t a strategic supply [...]
Delivering Success: A Best-of-Breed Approach to Change Management
Delivering Success: A Best-of-Breed Approach to Change Management Some time ago in our monthly newsletter, we proclaimed that “software is not your solution.” We received some interesting feedback from our technology partners and colleagues, but we meant it. It is our steadfast belief that regardless of vendor [...]
The Bright Future of Brick-and-Mortar Retail: Four Key Drivers
Amazon’s continued move into brick-and-mortar (aka physical) retail can be seen as further proof that the terminal demise of the physical store has been slightly—if not largely—exaggerated. Rather, brick-and-mortar retail is evolving to meet new customer expectations and address the continuous change in the overall retail landscape. [...]
Software is Not Your Solution
Software is Not Your Solution New technology is not the answer to your business challenges. Through many conversations with Parker Avery clients and technology partners, as well as in industry articles about the latest innovations and technologies, the words solution, system, and [...]
Remote Software Selection Projects
Considerations for Remote Software Selection Projects Talk Retail to Me Podcast | June 08, 2021 On this episode of the Talk Retail to Me podcast, Parker Avery Senior Partner Amanda Astrologo and Tricia Gustin interview retail expert Julie Cheney. Julie has over 25 years of experience [...]
Podcast | Mobilizing and Sustaining a Resilient Organization
Mobilizing and Sustaining a Resilient Organization Talk Retail to Me Podcast | June 4, 2020 During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a 4-part webinar series, Reconstructing Retail, to help our clients and friends in the industry. We shared [...]
Remote System Implementations
Considerations for Remote System Implementations Talk Retail to Me Podcast | May 04, 2021 Retail experts Marty Anderson and Russ Smith discuss how retail system implementation projects have fundamentally changed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on their experience of halting solution implementation projects [...]
Podcast | Game-Changing Advanced Analytics
A Game-Changing Advanced Analytics Solution Talk Retail to Me Podcast | January 21, 2021 On a recent Parker Avery “Talk Retail to Me” podcast episode, Chief Analytics Officer Sam Iosevich discussed Parker Avery's advanced analytics solution development efforts with the firm's Director of Solutions [...]
More than Success: ROI Significance
More than Success: ROI Significance We talk often about organizational change management for our clients, but last Friday, The Parker Avery Group sponsored an event that has the ability to truly change the world: the RetailROI (Retail Orphan Initiative) SuperFriday Virtual Event. Spearheaded by Greg Buzek, [...]
Solution Demonstration Success
Quite often The Parker Avery Group is engaged to manage retail software selection projects, and solution demonstrations are a typical part of the process. Having participated in a wide variety of software demos over our firm's history, as well as countless demonstrations when working in the retail industry (as participants), [...]
Podcast | Strategic Sourcing Considerations
Strategic Sourcing Considerations for a Disrupted Supply Chain Talk Retail to Me Podcast, September 4, 2020 In this episode of Parker Avery's,"Talk Retail to Me podcast," we take a deep dive into strategic sourcing decisions for retailers and consumer brands. This discussion features [...]
Deep Analytics in Retail
Deep Analytics: Why Retailers Need It Now More Than Ever Talk Retail to Me Podcast | July 28, 2020 In this episode of our Talk Retail to Me podcast, we focus on deep analytics. Parker Avery experts Clay Parnell and Sam Iosevich discuss how retailers and consumer brands can embrace analytics [...]
Podcast | Triaging Your Inventory
Triaging Your Inventory: Decisions for Post-Disruption Stability Talk Retail to Me Podcast | June 9, 2020 During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Parker Avery Group conducted a four-part webinar series, Reconstructing Retail. Thank you to those of you who were able to participate. This [...]
Five Proven Mindsets That Drive Implementation Success
Five Proven Mindsets That Drive Implementation Success Change is difficult, even for the most experienced teams. Whether initiated by new technology, redesigned operational processes, or modifications to an organization's roles and responsibilities, new ways of working represent change. And change [...]
Ask the Experts: Retail Master Data
Ask the Experts: Retail Master Data Understandably, retail master data is not the “sexiest” of topics and isn’t hyped on media headlines like artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR). However, master data in retail is arguably one of the most critical areas to comprehend, define, [...]