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Thinking out loud.

Insights, analysis, and lessons from the intersection of AI, retail, and Latin American business.

July 21, 2026 · 7 min
The Discount Is the Bait. The Loan Is the Product.
When you buy a TV in 12 installments during a Cyber event, it's entirely possible the retailer makes zero pesos on that TV — and it's still one of their best deals of the year. Understanding why changes how you compete.Retail, Strategy, Pricing
June 20, 2026 · 3 min
I Paid Happily.
Disney, the Mickey ice cream bar, and the one margin no bank can copy. I know exactly how the trick works — water at cents sold for dollars, a 90% margin on the ice cream — and I paid happily anyway.Retail, Customer Experience, Strategy
June 16, 2026 · 5 min
The Most Expensive Mistake I Made in Retail — and the 8 Mistakes Inside It
K-One was our bet on premium sporting goods. A 700-square-meter concept where we'd compete with the best stores in the world. It sounded perfect. And it failed. Not for one reason — for eight.Retail, Strategy, Leadership
June 6, 2026 · 2 min
It Chose to Earn Less. And That's Why It Earns More.
The Costco paradox, in three operating rules that have worked for 40 years. 3,800 SKUs against Walmart's 120,000 — and a self-imposed 14% margin cap. When your fixed costs rise on their own, you don't compete with a broad assortment.Retail, Strategy, Operations
May 19, 2026 · 3 min
What AI Will Never Understand About Your Store
Retail executives either overestimate AI or underestimate it. Very few have the right map. The map exists — Hans Moravec drew it in the '80s — and applied to retail, it's devastatingly precise.AI, Retail, Strategy
April 14, 2026 · 4 min
The Warmth Premium: Why the Hardest Thing to Manage Is Your Best Advantage
AI is making operational efficiency abundant. When something becomes abundant, its complement rises in value. The complement of efficiency is human warmth — and almost everyone is investing in the wrong direction.AI, Retail, Brand Strategy
March 1, 2026 · 4 min
Why Your AI Consultant Has Never Run a P&L
The fastest-growing segment in consulting is AI strategy. The dirty secret? Most AI consultants have never managed a budget, led a team, or shipped a real product.AI, Strategy, Leadership
February 28, 2026 · 4 min
The world's biggest brands fail in Chile. And nobody asks why.
Home Depot. Carrefour. JC Penney. Five of the largest retail chains entered Chile with everything. They all left. The question nobody asks is: why?Retail, LatAm, Strategy

The Retail Brief

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Thinking out loud.

The Discount Is the Bait. The Loan Is the Product.

I Paid Happily.

The Most Expensive Mistake I Made in Retail — and the 8 Mistakes Inside It

It Chose to Earn Less. And That's Why It Earns More.

What AI Will Never Understand About Your Store

The Warmth Premium: Why the Hardest Thing to Manage Is Your Best Advantage

Why Your AI Consultant Has Never Run a P&L

The world's biggest brands fail in Chile. And nobody asks why.

The Retail Brief