Terry Lundgren on retail strategy
From Retail & The Runway: Terry J. Lundgren (Episode 2) · · Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing
“I think the the the retailers who for the most part are going to be the the the the strongest in the future, whether they're individual specialty store, whether they're offpric, or whether they're mass or department stores, are going to be the ones who really focus on the customer and who offer a, you know, an omni channel shopping experience. So you you can look at your phone, you can decide whether you like the product or not. Then you can come in and actually try the product on, feel the fabric if that's if it's apparel, uh try the shoe on, whatever it is, and then actually think think about it, make sure you're you're satisfied that the pricing is right by doing your research online and then pulling the trigger perhaps on a laptop or or a desktop. And so so I think that that omni channel experience will always be important. Amazon hasn't really had that as much and they've done extremely well. Obviously, they have almost half of the online business today is done by Amazon. So, they have their own uh success story certainly without stores. They they they did do stores with uh with food and in Whole Foods that they own. But, you know, they really haven't mastered the the the physical uh side of the business yet, but they certainly have on the online on the online business. And there's a longer story to that, but I but I but I believe that for most other uh most other retailers, the the the the most successful formula will be one who sells in physical stores as well as online.”
On , Terry Lundgren, Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at Macy's, spoke about retail strategy during Retail & The Runway: Terry J. Lundgren (Episode 2) on Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing.
About Terry Lundgren
Terry Lundgren, former chairman and CEO of Macy's, appeared on the podcast "Retail & The Runway" on May 1, 2026, hosted by Ashley Morgan. During the episode, Lundgren discussed the responsibilities of a CEO, stating that he felt responsible for the 140,000 employees he oversaw at Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Blue Mercury. He also addressed the future of retail, arguing that the strongest retailers will be those that offer an omnichannel shopping experience, combining physical stores with online sales. He noted that Amazon has succeeded without mastering the physical side of the business but said that for most other retailers, a formula involving both physical and online sales will be most successful. Lundgren also commented on the role of artificial intelligence in retail, saying that while many believe AI will help them, they are unsure how. He advised that people should learn more about technology and AI, adding that AI "will more than likely replace some jobs but will create other jobs." Additionally, he encouraged students to make personal connections with executives, suggesting that taking the initiative to introduce oneself can leave a positive impression and provide a competitive edge.