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Phil Wahba

Phil Wahba

Fortune

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Lululemon’s Chip Wilson is giving the company a severe case of ‘post-founder syndrome’

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

17.03.2026 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Nordstrom’s ‘glow-up’: How going private is helping the retailer thrive as Saks Global languishes

Freed from Wall Street’s glare, Nordstrom is is betting on fun, food, and beauty to win back shoppers.

16.03.2026 7

Fortune

Phil Wahba

The Lululemon founder who invented athleisure is now the company’s harshest gadfly

Chip Wilson says the brand that ushered in the era of $100 yoga pants has lost its soul, and he’s using a very public proxy campaign to make his...

14.03.2026 20

Fortune

Phil Wahba

New Target CEO Michael Fiddelke is putting candor at the core of his turnaround plan: ‘You can’t solve problems you’re not talking about’

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

06.03.2026 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Target’s new CEO lays out a $6 billion plan to revive ‘Tarzhay’

Michael Fiddelke, who took the top job Feb. 1, admits the retailer "lost its way" and promises a reset.

06.03.2026 20

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Chains like Sweetgreen and Chipotle are finally realizing they need to look beyond the “slop bowl”

Wraps and protein are emerging as the next fast-food bandwagons.

27.02.2026 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

With Trump’s tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, Costco stands to win big both financially and on reputation

Every seemingly political move Costco has made, like fighting tariffs and defending DEI, was ultimately about serving the customer.

21.02.2026 250

Fortune

Phil Wahba

The man who fixed Walmart’s grocery business was just appointed CEO of Kroger

Former Walmart U.S. chief Greg Foran is just the direct, no-nonsense CEO the supermarket chain urgently needs.

10.02.2026 30

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Did Target’s CEO miss the mark by ignoring Minnesota?

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

03.02.2026 9

Fortune

Phil Wahba

In his day one message, Target’s new CEO ignored the the elephant in the room. People noticed.

The pressure is mounting on the brand new CEO to speak out against ICE

03.02.2026 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

AI is changing the CEO’s role—and could lead to a changing of the guard

Even seasoned CEOs must show they can match the speed of technological change—and generate tangible returns from investments in it.

03.02.2026 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Inside Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s nascent turnaround plan—and why it’s working

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

30.01.2026 20

Fortune

Phil Wahba

How stroopwafels and saffron tiramisu fit into Starbucks’ plan to get to 40,000 stores around the world

The CEO of its international division doesn’t see anti-U.S. sentiment hurting business.

29.01.2026 6

Fortune

Phil Wahba

A once-unthinkable C-suite appointment solidifies Walmart’s new identity as a tech company

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

29.01.2026 8

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Amazon is closing its futuristic Go and Fresh stores—showing logistics and tech aren’t enough to make old-school retail work

The e-commerce giant seems unable to nail the brick-and-mortar shopping experience.

29.01.2026 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

The British retailer riding the wave of America’s always-booming sneaker market

With Foot Locker struggling, JD Sports sees a chance to grab market share.

27.01.2026 9

Fortune

Phil Wahba

As Winter Storm Fern barrels in, all eyes are on the Weather Channel. Its CEO is charting the company’s next big forecast: growth

CEO Rohit Agarwal says hype and scaremongering amid a dangerous storm are counter-productive when the company is building its business based on trust.

24.01.2026 20

Fortune

Phil Wahba

The Walmart C-suite reshuffle shows how the retailer sees itself now: as a tech company

The retail giant is bolstering its tech cred with a focus on AI and e-commerce, and a major appointment.

22.01.2026 30

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Can Saks’ new CEO repair the damage done to the luxury retailer by years of being treated as a ‘financial plaything’?

Geoffroy van Raemdonck's first order of business will be to win back fashion brands.

15.01.2026 20

Fortune

Phil Wahba

How a real estate scion’s risky dealmaking pushed Saks Global to the brink

With vendors angry and luxury shoppers deserting in droves, the department store chain’s new CEO, Richard Baker, faces a tough slog.

12.01.2026 7

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Saks Global’s near bankruptcy is the result of risky dealmaking—and a neglect of business basics

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

08.01.2026 20

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Survey overload: Companies are inundating customers with endless surveys—and getting worse insights

This avalanche of survey requests doesn't even help improve products or services, experts say.

28.12.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Activist investors are disproportionately targeting female CEOs—and it’s costing corporate America dearly

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

10.12.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Why smart CEOs are looking past the rosy ‘record Black Friday’ headlines

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

02.12.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Your Christmas tree may be pricier this year—but there are ways to get a deal

This year, natural trees might be a better bet.

22.11.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Walmart and Target are both getting new CEOs—one succession plan has gone smoother than the other

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

20.11.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

A tale of two CEO successions: Walmart’s clean break vs. Target’s much-criticized transition

Both companies have new incoming CEOs, but Walmart's appointment has been better received by Wall Street.

19.11.2025 20

Fortune

Phil Wahba

How Macy’s, Dillard’s, and Nordstrom are getting their groove back

Department stores have a new playbook to win back shoppers from discount stores and Amazon.

07.11.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Starbucks’ new China strategy shows that winning over that lucrative market is easier said than done for Western brands

Now the CEO can devote more time to turning around Starbucks' U.S. business.

04.11.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

How emerging economies are banking on their massive young populations to become innovation hotbeds to rival Silicon Valley

With aging populations in many leading economies, these countries see an opening.

27.10.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

The CEO behind Abercrombie & Fitch’s turnaround says the retailer isn’t chasing ‘cool’—it wants to be a ‘lifestyle’ brand instead

The CEO has lined up the NFL and Macy's as partners to keep its momentum going.

16.10.2025 6

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Best Buy’s CEO says growing spending power gap between affluent and poor ‘keeps me up at night’

Growing reliance on rich shoppers is a long term threat to the economy, the CEO says.

14.10.2025 9

Fortune

Phil Wahba

How REI’s store closings in New York and Boston could derail the CEO’s efforts to win over employees

The CEO told staff that the co-op had to make some "tough choices" to fix the business.

10.10.2025 7

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Inside PepsiCo’s beverage overhaul: A Gatorade reboot, the $2 billion Poppi buy, and a gut-health play, all under activist scrutiny

Activist investor Elliott Management took a $4 billion stake in PepsiCo, and recently called the company a “dramatic underperformer” in a scathing...

09.10.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

IKEA’s new U.S. strategy: Amid tariffs and economic uncertainty, the furniture retailer is looking beyond the big blue box

The Swedish furniture chain is going bigger into the U.S.—by going smaller.

01.10.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

One big winner of Trump’s H1-B crackdown could be Canada

Every time new H1-B restrictions appear, jobs go to Canada.

24.09.2025 6

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Why Walmart’s U.S. CEO says staffing levels will remain steady even as A.I. becomes a bigger part of work

AI will create jobs to replace those it eliminates at Walmart.

10.09.2025 9

Fortune

Phil Wahba

What the CEOs of Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, and others are saying about the nervous consumer

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

02.09.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Investors like Kohl’s turnaround plan despite risk that cuts will hurt sales in the long run

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

28.08.2025 5

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Relieved Kohl’s investors give the stock a 20% boost—but the CEO’s plan to get ‘back to growth’ is far from a done deal

As it embarks on its latest turnaround, the Kohl's saga remains a show-me story.

27.08.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

How Walmart’s CEO navigated tariffs to post a solid quarter: ‘We’re keeping our prices as low as we can for as long as we can’

Walmart has a three pronged strategy to deal with tariffs, and is making sure shoppers aren't the only ones taking a hit.

21.08.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

How Target let Walmart steal its rizz

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

21.08.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Target stock is down 64% over 4 years—and investors who were ‘hoping for an external CEO’ are disappointed by the choice of its next leader

New CEO Michael Fiddelke faces a major cleanup, and fierce competition.

20.08.2025 7

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Tapestry takes an $855 million write down on Kate Spade—and offers a reminder of how risky M&A is in the fashion world

But Coach is firing on all cylinders at least.

14.08.2025 9

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Can Allbirds get its groove back? Once the go-to shoe of tech elites, the eco-friendly brand is going back to its roots

WIth shares down 95% since 2021, Allbirds is a definitely a show-me story for Wall Street.

08.08.2025 7

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Athleta’s CEO is out and being replaced by a woman with a long track record at Nike

Maggie Gauger will be charged with reinvigorating the one high-flying division of Gap Inc.

29.07.2025 7

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Inside Home Depot’s $4.3 billion pivot toward the professional trade

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

10.07.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Home Depot’s $5 billion purchase of an unsexy building products distributor is a prime example of smart M&A

The home improvement tailor has been deliberate in its efforts to win the pro contractor market.

01.07.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Walgreens’ lost decade: How M&A mania and retail neglect shrunk a $100 billion giant to a $10 billion private equity gamble

As Walgreens exits Wall Street after 98 years, its new owners face a daunting turnaround. Will a renewed focus on its pharmacies and more financial...

17.06.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba

Brooks Running’s CEO shares the best piece of leadership advice he got from Warren Buffett’s Berskhire Hathaway

The ability to see past your biases is critical.

10.06.2025 10

Fortune

Phil Wahba