Retail's Seismic Shift: How to Shift Faster, Respond Better, and Win Customer Loyalty

In their previous book, The New Rules of Retail, Dart and Lewis predicted nearly every defining characteristic of today’s marketplace. Here, they do the same for the next era, in which retailers will have to be ready for anything.

For one hundred years, retail was designed for the car―buildings and malls to travel to. Now it is designed for the mobile smart device―for consumers to travel with. In a world with an overabundance of material goods, consumer values and the drivers of retail success are being radically redefined. The smartphone has created a world of limitless expectation and logistical possibility: What will the retail experience look like in ten, twenty, or even fifty years―and how should all companies be preparing?

Industry experts Michael Dart and Robin Lewis identify the major trends in our economy that will shape the future of retail and determine who wins. Imagine aworld where entertainment, experience, or values matter more than the product. We are approaching the time in which distribution begins and ends with the consumer, mass markets give way to fragmented markets, and the necessity of entirely new business models is paramount. Amazon, Uber, and AirBnB are just the beginning; new technologies will continue to grow and uproot existing business models. And now, with the emergence of the technology-empowered young consumer culture, retailers will be forced to transform their offerings.

Michael Dart is a partner with A.T. Kearney in the Private Equity Practice and co-author of Retail’s Seismic Shift and The New Rules of Retail. He is an accomplished consultant and advisor with a wealth of experience leading major strategic transformations and due diligence studies for many of the largest private-equity funds and global retailers. He also has extensive experience leading the development and implementation of business strategies and growth efforts. Michael is based in A.T. Kearney’s San Francisco office. Michael has been recognized by Consulting magazine as one of its top 25 consultants. In additional to being frequently quoted in the press, he has spoken at major conferences and delivered keynote speeches at the Women’s Wear Daily Apparel & Retail CEO Summit in New York and the Global Department Store Summit in Paris and Beijing.

Before joining A.T. Kearney, Michael was a senior partner in the strategy and private equity practice at Kurt Salmon, where he led engagements for seven of the top 10 private equity funds and multiple retailers in the United States. He was also a partner with Bain & Company. Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Oxford University and an MBA in finance and strategic planning from the Wharton School of Business.

Michael is the coauthor of The New Rules of Retail and Retail's Seismic Shift with Robin Lewis.