Freakonomics Radio Dying Is Easy. Retail Is Hard. (Update)
206 snips
Nov 28, 2025 
Tony Spring, CEO of Macy's Inc., shares insights on revitalizing iconic brands while grappling with market pressures and store closures. Mark Cohen offers a critical historical perspective on Macy's faltering legacy and emphasizes the need for clear brand vision. Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, discusses his community-focused bookstore, highlighting challenges in the retail space and ambitious plans to redevelop downtown Plainville. The conversation bridges the gap between corporate challenges and local retail vibrancy, imagining a brighter future for both.
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Parade Is A Valuable Corporate Asset
- The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is both a cultural tradition and a strategic corporate asset.
- Its value extends beyond sentiment because it generates sponsorship and ad revenue that likely outweigh costs.
Prioritize Execution To Convert Awareness
- Tony Spring emphasizes improving customer experience across stores to drive conversion from high awareness.
- He plans to divest irrelevant stores, invest in assortments, and automate invisible costs to fund better service.
Retail Success Often Seeds Future Failure
- Mark Cohen traces retail shifts from downtown emporia to suburban malls and explains how distribution innovations reshape winners.
- He frames retail as huge and cyclical, where past dominance can breed complacency and failure.
