Letter from the Publisher

They all want to portray unique qualities for best-in-class leadership practices. In varying degrees, the candidates espouse consistent performance, trustworthiness, flexibility, and knowledge of and service for their constituencies' needs.

Gergen, senior political correspondent for CNN and former presidential advisor, covered a variety of topics including the state of America, the 2016 presidential election, leadership and trust, and the new generation of emerging political and business leaders.

The most frustrating part of my job in informing, and exhorting, the retail industry to make those changes is about as difficult as rooting for the Chicago Cubs to play in a World Series.

Following in no particular order are a few random musings about the good and the bad in our industry, and a variety of perspectives on the world of management, as I (and others) see them.

Meanwhile, one of America's most treasured events will take place in a couple of weeks: the Super Bowl. That monumental game will dominate our country's headlines, and interests, far surpassing the importance and relevance that the "game" deserves.

This 2015 Leading Retailers issue highlights specific reasons and innovations that have garnered these premier companies well-earned recognition. And the Special Trends section covers the course of direction all businesses will need to perform to experience leading–edge growth.

about how the retail industry has changed during the years. Tom has always been a student of the marketplace, with a deep understanding of not only the business, but also the dynamics of what makes executive teams function at the highest level.

The retail industry has embraced the only publication dedicated to its executive management. And to commemorate this milestone, I thought it would be interesting to revisit some of the more notable thoughts that leading retailers shared with us during the past three years.

Wow, a brand new world is shaping up. These are my lofty predictions. What are yours? – Harry Stagnito, President and CEO, Stagnito Media

We wish it was as easy when introducing a new product in the retail industry. Even the best of products, based on the traditional attribute of quality, generally stand only a 25 percent chance of succeeding.

An annual report focuses on the state of the business for the past year. It also projects the primary events, and critical issues, impacting the industry for the next year.