Region:
Welcome to the third edition of Vend’s Top 50 Retail Influencers list. Back by popular demand, this year’s roundup consists of the industry’s top analysts, reporters, researchers, and professionals.
The definitive list of retail influencers worth following in 2016.
1.
Sucharita Mulpuru
Analyst at Forrester Research with the retail beat.
2.
Bob Phibbs
Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor. Professional speaker on retail sales, training and marketing. Author, blogger, makeover specialist and Harrier hound lover.
3.
Nicole Reyhle
Founder Retail Minded. Co-Founder Independent @RetailerConf. @Forbes Contributor.
4.
Leslie Hand
IDC Retail Insights Research Vice President.
5.
Paula Rosenblum
Technology-driven customer-centric retail is my passion.
6.
Miya Knights
Twittering Head of Global Retail Technology Practice at Planet Retail & Publisher of Retail Technology magazine.
7.
Krystina Gustafson
Content Editor CNBC. Tweeting about the latest retail news.
8.
Doug Stephens
Speaker, author of The Retail Revival and advisor on the future of retail and consumerism. Syndicated columnist for CBC Radio. Co-host of The Future In Store.
9.
Neil Saunders
Managing Director of Conlumino where we analyse all sorts of things to do with retail and consumers. Font fanatic and campaigner against Comic Sans.
10.
Debbie Hauss
Editor-in-Chief, Retail TouchPoints.
11.
Chris Petersen
#Retail & Measurement Consultant. Founder IMS Retail University. Owner IMS Results Count.
12.
Tony C. D'Onofrio
Top 15 Retail Influencer / Top 25 Retail Website / Global Visionary Connector of Ideas & People for Profitable Business Growth / Views and content are my own.
13.
Stacey Widlitz
Founder SW Retail Advisors, CNBC Analyst, polo player, int store hunter, perma jet-lag, voted Twitter top 50 retail influencer.
14.
Francesca StaAna Nicasio
Writer, cheerleader for aspiring writers, wife, friend. Retail Expert and Content Strategist at Vend.
15.
Bryan Gildenberg
Head of Research at Kantar Retail — a global retail research and consulting firm.
16.
Nick Bubb
The legendary Retail Guru and author of The Daily Retailer. Also cricket lover, racing tipster, bookworm, gardener, weather expert and avid newspaper reader!
17.
Natalie Berg
Retail analyst / commentator / author. Tweeting about future retail trends and changing shopping habits.
18.
Keith Anderson
Forward-thinking insights on retailing and CPG in a digital world. VP, Strategy Profitero. Previously VP, Advisory Retailnetgroup.
19.
Kasey Lobaugh
Deloitte's Omni-Channel Retail Practice Leader and Chief Retail Innovation Officer, Board Member Shop.org.
20.
Anne D'Innocenzio
National Retail Writer for The Associated Press. Foodie & theater lover. Having fun with standup comedy. Manhattan.
21.
Clare Rayner
Media Contributor, Speaker, Writer. Retail Expert, High Street Campaigner, Consumer Champion, Business Mentor. Entrepreneur, Investor, Non-Exec.
22.
Deborah Weinswig
Retail Tech Guru; Top Wall Street Retail, Retail Tech, & Drugstore/PBM Analyst 17 yrs. Expertise: Emerging Retail Technolgies, Fashion, and Real Estate Trends.
23.
George Anderson
Editor-in-Chief/Associate Publisher, RetailWire.
24.
Jim Roddy
President, BSMinfo RetailMag. Author, Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer.
25.
Barbara Thau
Business reporter specializing in retail and consumer trends.
26.
27.
Laura Heller
Journalist, blogger, retail geek and provider of industry intelligence Executive Editor, FierceRetail.com.
28.
Greg Buzek
Retail/Hospitality Technology Analyst, Orphan/Human Trafficking advocate.
29.
Fiona Briggs
Retail business journalist with 20 years' experience, available for freelance editorial projects. Editor of the popular retail news portal Retail Times.
30.
Andria Cheng
Senior reporter / writer / photographer / video talent. Alum of @WSJ, @MarketWatch, @Business. I care about stories that matter and stories that touch a heart.
31.
Ian Jindal
eCommerce and Multichannel Retail. Consultant, publisher, speaker, trainer, NED.
32.
Diane J. Brisebois
President/CEO of RCC. Passionate about retail & this great industry. Unapologetic about promoting merchants & their role in our economic wellbeing!
33.
Shelley E. Kohan
Vice President of Retail Consulting at RetailNext.
34.
Cathy Hotka
Knows most of the CIOs in retail. Assists technology companies in reaching key decision-makers.
35.
Christopher Durham
Private Brand Strategy, Insights & News | Founder My Private Brand | VP of Retail Brands Theory House.
36.
Jason Goldberg
SVP Commerce & Content Practice, Razorfish.
37.
Mary Portas
Founder of Portas Agency, and Mary's Living & Giving charity shops, broadcaster, retail expert, author of Shop Girl & highstreet campaigner.
38.
Bryan Eisenberg
Founder, CMO www.idealspot.com, Keynote speaker, best selling author. Dad of 3. Youth #baseball coach.
39.
Matthew Shay
President and CEO at National Retail Federation.
40.
Kevin Graff
Just the guy who's helped thousands of retailers sell more stuff through their staff. 25 years on stage and now online everywhere.
41.
Alicia Fiorletta
Content Strategist for G3 Communications; Retail TouchPoints; Content4Demand; Demand Gen Report; music junkie and fashion/beauty lover.
42.
Glynn Davis
Business Writer - chiefly covering the retail industry along with pubs and beer. Founder of www.retailinsider.com and www.beerinsider.com.
43.
Brian Kilcourse
Managing Partner at RSR Research & Senior Partner of BEK Consulting.
44.
Melissa Gonzalez
Pop-up Retail Architect and author connecting the digital world w/ immersive brick-and-mortar. Founder of @lionesquegroup, advisor @FotoFwd #popupshop.
45.
Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender
He's Kizer. She's Bender. Together, we're speakers, authors, consultants and all about retail. We teamed up in 1990. We're married... just not to each other!
46.
47.
Erin Harris
Editor In Chief at Innovative Retail Technologies.
48.
Jeff Roster
VP of Retail Strategy at IHL & blogger focused on understanding the tech retailers use & the vendors that make it. Orphan advocate with a focus on the Congo.
49.
Phillip Russo
Editor and Publisher of Global Retail Brands magazine.
50.
Tristan Pollock
EIR + VP @500Startups + Co-founder of @Storefront, @SocialEarth. Alum: @AngelPad, @BestBuy, @NDSU, @AUTuni. MN to NZ to SF.
Get updates from these top retail experts by simply following this handy Twitter list.
How we created the 2016 retail influencers list.
Once again, we scoured the web to find the individuals who are sharing the best retail insights. We also invited existing influencers to nominate people they think are worthy of being on the list, and we looked at reader comments from our previous lists to ensure we didn’t miss anyone.
From there, we assessed each individual’s expertise and clout in the retail industry. We read their articles, listened to their commentaries, then looked at their experience, social following, and presence in retail events and publications. We used all the above factors to determine their place on our list.
What we mean by “retail influencers.”
Retail influencers are people who consistently share valuable content and commentary about the industry. They have a deep understanding of retailers and shoppers and have extensive industry experience.
Most importantly, influencers educate and inform retailers on trends, current events, and best practices, so merchants can run their businesses better.
How you can be part of the list.
Being relevant is a top factor when we’re determining who makes the list, so if you want to be part of Vend’s influencer roundup, you must be consistent in sharing retail-centric content.
We also look at social influence, so having an engaged following goes a long way. Finally, it doesn’t hurt to have a strong presence in retail publications as well as mainstream media.
Did we miss anyone?
Think someone is missing from this year’s list? Leave their names in the comments and we’ll consider them for next year’s roundup.
Thank you.
Many thanks to the following individuals for helping us create this list:
Paula Rosenblum - @paula_rosenblum
Phillip Russo - @philliprussopov
Bryan Gildenberg - @bryang_kr
Sucharita Mulpuru - @smulpuru
Melissa Gonzalez - @melsstyles
Kevin Graff - @graffretail
Tristan Pollock - @writerpollock
Joseph Skorupa - @joeskorupa
Nicole Leinbach Reyhle - @RetailMinded
Miya Knights - @mazzaknights