MarketScale Retail 01/07/19: A Good 2018 and a Bright 2019

 

The future of retail is bright, according to industry analysts Stephanie Sullivan and Tony D’Onofrio. Both agree that the economy is driving the retail boom, especially the fantastic holiday sales. However, innovation is also acting as a major disruptor. What this means for the retail industry as a whole, as well as specific sectors within the industry, are investigated in these two fascinating interviews.

Confessions of a Black Friday Shopper

The world doorbuster brings a smile to Stephenie Sullivan’s face as she remembers lining up on Friday morning with her family to get a great deal. Nowadays, Stephenie is an Arkansas retail analyst, professional development consultant, and frequent Marketscale Retail guest who recently shared her insight on this year’s holiday sales results.

“This was an outstanding year in holiday retail sales, the best in years,” Stephenie says, citing a 5.1 percent increase in overall sales over 2017. “This goes hand in hand with a good economy, a low employment rate, and people with money in their pockets, feeling confident in their spending.”

Millennials & Cashier-less Stores: Trends for 2019

Tony D’Onofrio, CEO of TD Insights, says that retail had a very good year in 2018, especially during the holiday season. He says the department stores struggled through the holiday season, but the rest of retail did extremely well. “2019 will be the year 73 million Millennials will overtake the 72 million Baby Boomers, which was the largest generation,” D’Onofrio says. “and I think that’s a major opportunity for retailers going forward.”

D’Onofrio says that Millennials want experiences more personalized and brands that understand their unique needs, and brands that take advantage of that will succeed. He also says that connectivity with smart phones is going to be more important going forward, especially connecting them to physical stores to create unique personal experiences and even eliminating cashiers. Overall, D’Onofrio is bullish about the future of retail, both because of the booming economy and because of the disruptive innovations already working their creative destruction magic.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Retail Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @RetailMKSL
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

DXpedition
Icom Powers 3Y0K : Ham Radio’s Most Ambitious DXpedition to Remote Bouvet Island Part 1
July 11, 2025

Bouvet Island sits at the edge of the world. It is frozen, uninhabited, and almost impossible to access. Fewer people have set foot there than in space. That level of remoteness is exactly what makes it so valuable to amateur radio operators. The island ranks tenth on ClubLog’s list of Most Wanted DXCC entities,…

Read More
entrepreneurial success
The Hidden Key to Entrepreneurial Success: Build Momentum Through Personal Branding and Authentic Networking
July 10, 2025

What if the biggest pivot of your career started with a conversation?  In this episode of Professional Quotient, host Jason Winningham welcomes Fanny Dunagan, CEO and Content Strategist of PathLynks, LLC. Fanny shares her journey from high-pressure consulting in Singapore to founding her own media and branding company — and why learning to network…

Read More
Q2 2025
RM Q2 2025 Wrap Up
July 9, 2025

Rogue Marketing continues to lead with intention in a space often driven by noise. Q2 2025 reflected a strategic focus on substance, where each initiative supported long-term brand growth. The team transformed internal recognition efforts into enduring brand assets and refined event strategies through immersive, results-driven experiences. Website launches during the quarter balanced visual…

Read More
amateur radios
Hamvention Spotlight: Emergency Preparedness Led PrepHam Paul to Amateur Radios and a Rising Voice in the Field
July 9, 2025

PrepHam Paul (K5VLP) celebrated his first visit to Dayton Hamvention by marking a major channel milestone. He hosted a giveaway of the  IC-2370B mobile radio from Icom to thank viewers for helping him reach 10,000 subscribers. His passion for emergency preparedness, rooted in his experience as an Eagle Scout and later studies in emergency management,…

Read More