Objective:
Consumers today face evolving macroeconomic pressures. Circana’s executive thought leaders will deliver insights on these forces, explore how Holiday 2025 is taking shape, and provide forward-looking perspectives on what will drive success in retail this season.
Who Should Attend:
All Toy Association members are invited to participate. The webinar is recommended for CEOs, CFOs, and heads of marketing, sales, and strategic planning.
What You Will Learn:
The future of retail continues to be shaped by a complex mix of economic and geopolitical forces. In this session, Circana’s thought leaders will provide fact-based insights into the evolving retail landscape, focusing on Holiday 2025 performance and beyond.
The discussion will cover key macroeconomic trends including inflationary pressures, labor market shifts, tariffs and trade policy implications, and consumer confidence swings.
You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how these factors influence shopper behavior, pricing strategies, and category performance. The conversation will be led by Circana’s thought leaders, including Don Unser, president of thought leadership, and Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor, who will share executive-level perspectives on timing, strategic planning, and opportunities for growth.
Additionally, Juli Lennett, Circana’s U.S. toy industry advisor, will provide a focused look at how these dynamics are shaping the toy industry for the holiday season.
Moderator: Anne McConnell, senior director, market research & educational initiatives, The Toy Association
Presenters: Don Unser, president, thought leadership, Circana
Don Unser leads Circana’s thought leadership for executive audiences. Unser’s expertise in consumer and retail trends spans the portfolio of Circana’s covered industries, making him a trusted advisor to some of today’s most successful brands and retailers. He is a frequent guest in the C-suites of companies such as Target, Apple, Best Buy, Newell, Kroger, and many others. They rely on him for insight into industry and category performance, the state of retail, and winning strategies of best-in-class companies. Unser also serves on the board of directors at the Retail Industry Leaders Association and on the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee.
Prior to joining Circana, Unser was a 20-year veteran at Hewlett-Packard and held a variety of positions with the company, including Vice President of Retail Sales. Unser holds an MBA from the University of Tampa and a BSBA/Finance from University of Central Florida, where he sits on the Deans’ Advisory Board.
Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor, Circana
Marshal Cohen is a nationally known expert on consumer behavior and the retail industry. He has followed retail trends for more than 30 years at Circana and as the head of leading fashion and apparel manufacturers and major retailers.
As part of his work at Circana, Marshal leads many top firms in long-range and strategic planning sessions. He often utilizes motivational presentations to help launch corporate goals and kick-off meetings. Marshal is the author of two books, “Why Customers Do What They Do” (2006) and “Buy Me! How to Get Customers to Choose Your Products and Ignore the Rest” (2010).
In addition to his duties at Circana, Marshal is a member of several boards of directors and was appointed to the Cotton Board and American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). He is also a guest professor at North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, where he introduces students and faculty to techniques for analyzing and applying data. Marshal has been a guest lecturer at the Wharton School of Business, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Savannah College of Art and Design. He has also twice been named to the Footwear News Power 100 list.
Marshal is a regular contributor to many major media outlets. He is frequently quoted in publications like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Women’s Wear Daily. Additionally, he appears on various television news programs, including “Today,” “Good Morning America,” and “CBS Sunday Morning,” and he has been a regular guest on Bloomberg TV and Radio. He is also a sought-after speaker at key industry events such as MAGIC, The Fairchild CEO Summits, The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Annual Convention, and The American Apparel and Footwear Association’s (AAFA) Annual Executive Summit. Marshal was the only industry expert who appeared in the documentary, “God Save my Shoes,” produced by Caid Productions.
Marshal has held a variety of positions analyzing and interpreting Circana’s uniquely combined consumer and point-of-sale tracking services for the apparel, footwear, accessories, and sports industries. His career began in the training program at Bloomingdale’s, where he worked his way up to merchandise manager. From there, he became president of WilliWear and subsequently president of Stanley Blacker. He was also founder, owner, and president of Motive Marketing Group.
Juli Lennett, vice president, industry advisor, toys, Circana
Driven by her own passion for toys, Juli Lennett has spent more than two decades with Circana’s U.S. Toys practice helping manufacturers and retailers identify growth opportunities. As the firm’s U.S. toy industry spokesperson, Lennett offers insights on retail and consumer trends in toys to manufacturers, licensors, retailers, and the media. A nationally known industry expert, she has a proven track record of connecting the dots between what is happening within and outside of the toy industry to help companies understand today’s trends while anticipating future change and its implications.
Prior to joining Circana, Lennett spent eight years in various kids’ industries, including a role at Scholastic as director of marketing and sales for the edutainment software group. She previously spent 10 years working for companies in the technology sector.