Many retail executives have asked us to share our thinking on the opportunities for profitable growth. In response, we’ve produced our first non-holiday Retail Insights newsletter.

The theme that runs through these reports and videos is that it’s an exciting time to be a retailer. For starters, think about the abundance of data that is just beginning to fuel the retailing innovation engine. More than 90% of global data was created in the past ten years, and the volume will quadruple over the next five years. Retailers are discovering creative ways to harness this data to transform existing operations and create new businesses. And retailers now benefit from digital design tools that reduce both cost and development time, advanced analytical approaches that optimize assortment allocation and inventory management, and in-store technology that offers innovative ways to engage and build loyalty with customers. The opportunities appear endless.

As every CEO knows, turning opportunities into realities is the challenge. Retailers need to not only design winning strategies, but also find ways to fund required investments and mobilize their organizations. This newsletter examines each of these challenges. In their videos, Marc-Andre Kamel explores the strategic choices for Europe’s hypermarkets and Erika Serow discusses innovation in retailing—and why stores still matter. Our Bain Brief “A fresh look at store labor” shows retailers how winning companies optimize investments in the associates working in their brick-and-mortar stores, a key contributor to customer advocacy. The Bain Brief “Three rules for building the modern retail organization” shows how the best companies mobilize their organizations to profitably deliver on omnichannel retailing strategies ahead of their rivals.

We hope you’ll find our insights valuable, and we welcome your feedback.

Darrell K. Rigby is a partner in the Boston office of Bain & Company and heads its Global Retail practice.