The Retail Leadership Carousel and the Cost of Staying Relevant

It’s championship Sunday in the NFL, the winners of today’s games get their chance at Superbowl LX. For those who are not playing today, and for the teams that have consistently not played deep into the playoffs, the coaching carousel and “Next Year We Are Back” conversations have begun. I can’t help

Retail has quietly developed its own version of the coaching carousel. Every year, brands announce new CEOs, new presidents, new chief merchants, and new digital leaders. Some are first-time executives with modern skill sets. Others are familiar names cycling through yet another role. And a growing number are seasoned leaders trying to prove they can still operate in a retail world that looks nothing like the one they built their careers in.

The parallels to the NFL are striking. Just like head coaches, retail leaders operate in a high-pressure environment where expectations are massive, patience is thin, and results are demanded almost immediately.