🧵 The Weekly Thread | Issue No. 12
Retail Relates | Issue No. 12 | Sunday, July 13th
The Weekly Thread brings together all that Retail Relates has to offer in one place so you can catch up, explore what resonates, and join the conversation when it feels right.
👜 This Week’s Common Threads
Spotlighting New Conversations, Timeless Echoes & Fresh Momentum
We are four episodes into recording our second season of Retail Relates, and the excitement is building! We even have a tentative launch date (insert drum roll please), Thursday, September 4th!
We aren’t ready to announce our first guests yet - we keep changing up the order as we record new episodes. But stay tuned for that announcement…
This week’s featured Conversation (released on Tuesday) focuses on the brands and retailers that mistakenly interpret convenience as loyalty; those customers who go to the same coffee shop, or use the same streaming service, or use the same credit card not because it is our favorite, but the cost of change would create too much friction. Until it’s not.
In Echoes of Commerce, we’re exploring back rooms, front windows, and how credit went from a handshake between a merchant and a customer to a critical part of every retailer’s business model.
Milestones That Changed Commerce marks another week of legendary launches; you missed “Sliced Bread” but this week you can celebrate Disneyland, IHOP pancakes, and the original discount store, F.W. Woolworths.
And Momentum in Commerce brings you stories of progress and optimism: Retail expanding into airports, Micro-Stores and viral sandwiches, and what would a retail post be without talking about AI.
Thank you for being with us - whether you’re tuning in every week, or just dropping by to catch up. We’re building this hub with you, and your feedback, ideas, and shares mean the world.
Here’s what’s coming up (and what you might’ve missed):
WHAT’S COMING UP THIS WEEK:
Conversations
Every week, one of our hosts or guests takes the mic for a deeper exploration of commerce’s most compelling questions and emerging opportunities. This is where we unpack ideas, challenge assumptions, and start new dialogues.
Coming up on Tuesday:
💡 When Convenience Is Mistaken for Loyalty: The Hidden Friction in Customer Experience
Why Habit Isn’t Loyalty - How Brands Create Barriers to Change and What It Really Takes to Inspire Devotion
We get used to a certain brand. Maybe it’s the coffee shop that remembers your order, the car you’ve driven for years, or the software platform that sits quietly on your desktop. Sometimes it’s the route you drive to work, not because it’s fastest, but because you know every stoplight and pothole. Over time, these preferences become routines, and those routines harden into habits.
Is this the mark of a brand earning devotion, or simply the mechanics of making change inconvenient? Have companies begun to confuse our inertia with true commitment?
This article, scheduled to be published and emailed on Tuesday, examines how many brands and retailers often mistake convenience for loyalty. But fail to stock the shelves, or present the customer with a degraded customer experience, or don’t take the time to notice your competitors innovating can lead to rapid sales loss.
Check out the conversation when it releases, and we would LOVE your thoughts, comments, and feedback (a ♥️ and a SHARE would be great as well!)
🕰️ Echoes of Commerce
Each week, we explore the experiences and environments that have built lasting emotional connections between people and commerce. These Echoes aren’t just stories from the past - they’re timeless lessons, resonating with relevance for today’s leaders, brands, and communities. Here’s what’s coming up this week:
🏷️ From Back Room to Front Stage: The Evolution of Stockrooms (July 14th) - Once hidden, overlooked, and purely functional, the humble stockroom now shapes every aspect of how we shop.
🏷️ Charge It to My Account: The Original Store Credit (July 16th) - Before plastic cards and digital wallets, credit was a personal ledger - and trust was earned one purchase at a time.
🏷️ Retail’s Original Influencer: The Window Dresser (July 18th) - Before followers and likes, there were glass panes and creativity; retail’s first storytellers shaped desire from the street.
📅 Milestones That Changed Commerce
Every week, we revisit the breakthrough launches, legendary deals, and unexpected firsts that set the pace for entire industries. These aren’t just dates - they’re the moments that turned everyday life into something new, remarkable, and enduring. This week’s highlights:
🥞 July 14, 1958 – IHOP (International House of Pancakes) Founded
🎮 July 15, 1983 – Nintendo Launches the Famicom Game Console
🛒 July 16, 1995 – Amazon.com Goes Live as an Online Bookstore
🏰 July 17, 1955 – Disneyland Opens in Anaheim, California
🏬 July 18, 1879 – F.W. Woolworth Launches the First Five-Cent Store
🏭 July 19, 1802 – Éleuthère Irénée du Pont Founds DuPont Company
These are published (but not emailed) on the dates listed. We have fun with these (seriously, no one commented on the invention of sliced bread last week?), but experience tells us that no matter how much we research, we may get something wrong. Bonus points if you help us make it better!
🚀 Momentum in Commerce
Human nature is to hone in on challenges, the bad news, the doom and gloom - you see those headlines every day. Momentum in Commerce showcases encouraging results, innovative solutions, and forward-thinking ideas.
Lululemon Opens First European Airport Store
Retail Tech Innovation Hub | July 10, 2025
Lululemon expanded its retail footprint by opening its first airport store in Europe, located at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5. The new 1,110 sq ft location offers leggings, yoga gear, and travel-friendly accessories, catering to the needs of travelers and reinforcing the brand’s cult following. Heathrow’s retail director highlighted the excitement of bringing such an iconic activewear brand to the airport, reflecting both innovation in retail placement and the growing demand for wellness-oriented products on the go.
Carrefour Belgium’s Autonomous Micro-Stores and M&S’s Viral Sandwich Sensation
Retail Tech Innovation Hub | July 10, 2025
Carrefour Belgium, in partnership with Reckon.AI, launched the BuyBye autonomous micro-store in a French hotel, using AI and smart refrigerators to enable fully automated, 24/7 retail - a first for the hotel sector. This innovation is designed for travelers seeking convenience at any hour and demonstrates how retail tech can enhance everyday experiences. Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer (M&S) created a social media sensation with its limited edition strawberries and cream sandwich, inspired by the Japanese fruit sando. The product generated over 12 million views and became one of M&S’s most popular posts ever, showing the power of creative product development and digital engagement.
Retailers Accelerate AI Adoption for Smarter Operations
Retail Dive | July 10, 2025
Retailers are rapidly investing in generative AI and advanced analytics to enhance both digital and in-store experiences. Recent trends show AI is now central to pricing, personalized marketing, and operational efficiency, with platforms like TikTok Shop and agentic AI systems transforming how brands engage and convert customers. Physical stores remain dominant, but the integration of AI-driven tools is prompting retailers to rethink and modernize the in-person shopping experience for greater convenience and personalization.
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
🎤 Featured Podcast Episode:
We have an expanded slate of guests and co-hosts lined up for Season Two and will be announcing the launch date shortly. In the meantime, this is one of the episodes from Season One worth revisiting:
🎙️Episode 113: Building Teams to Lead Retail Transformation — A Conversation with Theo Killion
What does it take to lead meaningful transformation in retail, and how do you build teams that make it possible?
This episode features Theo Killion, former CEO of Zale Corporation and current board member at Torrid Holdings Inc. and Claire’s Stores. From a small town in West Virginia to the C-suite of major brands, Theo’s journey is a powerful testament to the impact of leadership, resilience, and building people-centric organizations in times of change.
🕰️ Echoes of Commerce
One of our highlighted “Echoes” that you might have missed last week:
🏷️ When Faces Sold Trust: From Catalog Models to Influencers
Before retail was digital, it was deeply human.
A smile, a stance, a stranger’s confidence - that’s what sold us.
Not a spec sheet. Not a star rating.
A face.
For over a century, faces sold trust.
And trust sold everything.
Visit the Echoes archive for additional reflections on retail’s past and its influence on today’s customer journey.
🔭 Looking Ahead
Remember that we only email our Weekly Threads recap and our weekly Conversation, so if you want to stay current with us, subscribe, download the app, and stay connected - it’s free!
We hope that you explore, and we would LOVE for you to comment, & share. Be part of the journey. If you have story ideas, guest suggestions, or internship resources to share, drop us a line.
We’re glad you’re here!
— The Retail Relates Team