The Journey to Remarkable Retail

Steve helps organizations understand and respond to retail disruption by creating customer-centric, memorable and profitable growth strategies.

Steve Dennis

Leading Global Retail Influencer
Keynote Speaker & Consultant
Senior Forbes Contributor
Best Selling Author, Remarkable Retail

THOUSANDS OF RETAIL STORES CLOSE EVERY YEAR. ICONIC BRANDS STRUGGLE.

This begs the question: “In the age of Amazon, Alibaba and digital disruption, is retail dead?”

The truth is that retail is not dead. Boring, mediocre and undifferentiated retail is dead.

  1. Is it possible retail trends will disrupt your business more profoundly and sooner than you think?
  2. Is it possible your organization is not changing or responding quickly enough?
  3. Is it possible that without making immediate changes your organization may not survive?

The problem is that we often think we have time.

Your business needs to adapt strategically, become more agile and do so quickly. Steve helps you assess and prioritize what needs to change and accelerate how you shift your vision and business model to create remarkable results.

Meet Steve


Steve Dennis has over 30+ years of experience as a strategic advisor, board member, general manager and C-level executive at two Fortune 500 retailers. He has worked with dozens of retail, luxury, technology and social impacts brands to inspire, catalyze and design more remarkable and profitable growth strategies.

Steve’s signature “tell is like it is” style and ‘8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail’ framework makes him one of the industry’s most in-demand thought leaders. He has delivered keynotes, led management workshops and consulted across six continents, sharing what it takes to win and keep customers in the age of Amazon, Alibaba, and digital disruption.

He is also a senior contributor to Forbes magazine and his insights are regularly featured in the media including Bloomberg/BusinessWeek, CNBC, CNN, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal, amongst many others.

The Customer is the Channel

The 8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail is a framework that guides brands in the design of enduring, highly profitable and intensely customer-centric growth strategies.

RADICAL

Too many retailers watched the last 20 years happen to them. Brands need to take more risks and cultivate a culture of experimentation.

MEMORABLE

People buy the story before they buy the product. To command attention brands must be unique, customer relevant, authentic and wow-worthy.

CONNECTED

Boundaries between and among consumers, our networks and brands are evaporating, unleashing new business models and ways to spread influence.

PERSONAL

No customer wants to be average. Brands need to leverage customer insight to deliver more personalized marketing, products and experiences.

DIGITALLY ENABLED

It’s not about being digital first. It’s about understanding how technology can best enhance the customer journey in concert with analog.

HUMAN-CENTERED

Deliver an experience with empathy and soul. Dissect the role of all stakeholders to create more emotionally engaging business designs.

HARMONIZED

“Omnichannel” is dead. It’s not about being everywhere or eliminating friction, but showing up in the moments that matter in remarkable ways

MOBILE

We don’t go online. We live online. In an always shopping world, the best location is often wherever consumers are, smart device in hand.

Experience How Steve Helps Organizations Create Customer-centric, Memorable and Profitable Growth Strategies.

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"The Store Operations Council enjoyed every minute of Steve's presentation on retail's future. He always keeps it real and speaks the language of retail experts."

Cathy Hotka

Cathy Hotka & Associates

Store Operations Council

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"Dennis lays out a roadmap for companies to use to navigate today’s rapidly changing environment."

Steve Sadove

Former chair and CEO

Saks Inc

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"Our attendees loved Steve Dennis’ refreshing frankness and his ability to deliver a “tell-all” to help others succeed in becoming remarkable in retail."

Sonya Ruff Jarvis

Managing Partner, Jarvis Consultants

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"If you need a speaker that truly understands not only the historical picture of retail but also who has a rock-solid understanding of its future, Steve Dennis is absolutely the speaker you need. He was by far the highest-rated speaker at our event."

Johne F. Albanese

VP, Corporate Marketing, Hooker Furniture

"Steve Dennis dovetails his practical experience with original, visionary, and honest frameworks for strategically and tactically breaking through the real world challenges retailers face in the modern era."

Brendan Witcher

Vice President and Principal Analyst

Forrester Research

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Lead Your Organization’s Growth to Remarkable Retail

Which option will drive the best results for your organization?

Speaking

An objective, fast-paced view of retail trends, disruptive forces and case studies highlighting what retailers must do to thrive and win in the age of digital disruption. Steve guides the audience through a comprehensive and pragmatic framework to assess and prioritize what they need to change to succeed in a customer-first era.

Consulting

Steve advises retailers, manufacturers, investors, technology companies and other firms serving the retail industry on the future of retail. Leveraging his extensive experience across a wide spectrum of categories, customer segments, distribution formats and organization size, he creates powerful new growth platforms and helps accelerate their implementation.

Remarkable Retail 2021 Book Cover

REMARKABLE RETAIL

How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption

In this expanded and completely revised 2nd edition of his bestselling book, retail industry veteran and thought leader Steve Dennis dissects the seismic shifts brought about by digital disruption and a global pandemic, while providing a provocative, pragmatic guide to reignite growth.