Rewriting the Playbook for Predicting Consumer Demand

 

First Insight approaches retail with a forward looking view to consumers via predictive analytics. Through their extensive longitudinal data they are formulating insights around how consumers are being reconditioned. They are seeing a convergence of demographics and a shift to online happening as people shift to staples and stockpiling, but what does the future look like?

This week on Retail Refined, learn how Greg Petro and his team are collecting data to access the future as companies will no longer be able to build models on historical data alone.

What Melissa Asked

  • Tell us how First Insight approaches its research?
  • How are you seeing the approach to data shifting during COVID-19?
  • Who are some of your customers/this can be verticals (ie: Brands, manufacturers, etc)
  • What are the early trends that you are seeing and how do you think they will evolve?
  • Follow up to trends, are you starting to see demographics converging in opinion creating more unity amongst generations and their approach to shopping?
  • How does a brand or retailer approach demand/order planning for Q3/Q4?
  • How are you personally prioritizing spend right now?

More About Greg Petro

With decades of experience in retail, economics and growing SaaS businesses, Greg has helped to build First Insight, a technology company transforming how retailers make product and pricing decisions, into the world’s leading platform for creating differentiated products.  Greg has extensive knowledge in the retail and technology industry, having held previous roles at i2/JDA, Saks, Inc. and Macy’s. His expertise and dedication to the industry have been touted at events including the NRF Big Show and WWD CEO Summit and in publications such as Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, CNBC and the Financial Times where he’s discussed how retailers can navigate today’s disruptions. Recently Greg was recognized as one of NRF’s “25 Most Influential People in Retail” and as Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year.”

Melissa will be back every Tuesday with new episodes! In the meantime, tune in every Thursday with Jennifer Kaylo Ruscin on Bricks and Clicks.

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

Image

Latest

career
Stop Chasing Titles, Build a Career That Matters – From a CAO
March 11, 2026

Career advice in finance and accounting often centers around promotions, titles, and compensation. But in an era where professionals frequently change jobs every few years—the average American worker now stays in a role less than four years—industries are facing growing talent shortages and reevaluating what long-term career success looks like. The question many professionals are…

Read More
Career success
A CEO’s Blueprint for Career Success: Leading with Love to Drive Performance and Culture
March 10, 2026

Leadership right now feels heavier than it did just a few years ago. Teams are stretched, expectations are high, and many employees are quietly disengaged. In fact, Gallup’s 2025 U.S. data shows that only about 31% of employees are actively engaged at work, leaving the majority feeling disconnected or indifferent. For CEOs and senior…

Read More
employer-sponsored apprenticeships
The Degree That Pays You Back: How Employer-Sponsored Apprenticeships Are Rewriting Higher Ed
March 9, 2026

Higher education is under pressure. Over the past few years, public confidence in the value of a four-year degree has declined significantly, with fewer Americans expressing a strong belief that traditional higher education delivers a worthwhile return on investment. At the same time, employers consistently report that graduates lack job-ready skills—particularly the “durable skills”…

Read More
Denial Data
Turning Denial Data Into Action: How Healthcare Organizations Can Fight Back Against Payer Denials
March 5, 2026

Healthcare providers across the U.S. are facing a growing wave of claim denials that is putting pressure on already strained hospital finances. Industry research from the American Hospital Association shows that nearly 15% of medical claims submitted to private payers are initially denied, forcing hospitals and health systems to spend about $19.7 billion annually attempting…

Read More