Retail’s Darwinian shakeout over the last year has consolidated market power in the hands of dominant e-commerce players, like Amazon, Walmart and China’s Alibaba. But a brand, even if small, can still be mighty. The key is focus and finding a relevant niche, retail futurist Doug Stephens told BoF VOICES.

“In the post-pandemic retail era, purpose will be the new positioning,” Stephens said in a virtual presentation at BoF VOICES. What will be your brand’s reason for existing, he asked.

Stephens outlines 10 reasons why retail should exist in 2021 and beyond, from product education to activism.

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