

Retail’s Mid-Year Report Card With Ethan Chernofsky Of Placer.ai | Ask An Expert
Jul 18, 2025
43:58
Placer.ai’s Chief Marketing Officer Ethan Chernofsky delivers his highly anticipated retail grades for the first half of 2024! Discover which retailers are crushing it (Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts) and which ones need improvement (Target, Lululemon).
This data-driven analysis uses real foot traffic and location analytics to reveal surprising retail trends, from the movie theater comeback to department store resurgences. Essential insights for retail professionals, investors, and anyone interested in consumer behavior and retail performance trends.
- 0:00 – Introduction: Omni Talk hosts welcome Placer AI’s newly promoted CMO Ethan Chernowski for summer retail grades
- 1:50 – What is Placer.ai: Location data company tracking tens of millions of devices to analyze retail foot traffic
- 3:25 – “A’s As Expected”: Top performers including Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, TJX/Marshalls – retailers with clear reason for being
- 8:30 – “Holding Onto Newfound Momentum”: Chili’s remarkable turnaround through menu simplification and value focus, plus department store recovery (Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s)
- 17:10 – “Blockbuster Mindset”: Movie theaters showing improvement when big films release, but need year-round merchandising strategy
- 25:00 – “Shaky But Promising”: Hobby Lobby benefiting from Jo-Ann closures, Home Depot tariff impact, Ulta recovery, and B-class mall resurgence
- 33:00 – “Needs Improvement”: Lululemon facing saturation challenges, Target’s operational issues beyond DEI controversy, Dave & Busters pricing problems
- 40:00 – Key takeaway: Success comes from knowing your “reason for being” and focusing on retail fundamentals over flashy technology
Music by hooksounds.com
#retailanalytics #retailtrends #walmart #target #lululemon #consumerbehavior #retailstrategy #omnitalk #locationdata
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