Brands are Becoming Retailers

Brands are Becoming Retailers

The traditional value chain boundaries separating manufacturers and retailers are starting to blur under a digital, omnichannel setting. Brands are becoming retailers and increasingly playing an active role  in the consumer Research - Shop - Buy cycle that has traditionally been the domain of retailers. We see this "direct to consumer" as a pervasive and on-going trend across numerous industry sectors. Although… Continue reading Brands are Becoming Retailers

Muji, William Gibson and the Future of No Brand

Muji, William Gibson and the Future of No Brand

In 2003,  William Gibson wrote a prescient novel - Pattern Recognition -  that explored  the tension between art and mass commercialization in retailing, among other interestingly speculative themes.  One area of Gibson's focus was consumer  fatigue against ubiquitous brands in an increasingly global and digital market through his metaphoric protagonist Cayce Pollard - a coolhunter who experiences and uses as a consulting tool her… Continue reading Muji, William Gibson and the Future of No Brand