Today is April 1st — April Fool’s Day. But what you’re about to read is 100% true. The kind of truth that stings a little. That makes you shift in your seat. But that absolutely needs to be said — especially if you’re in the retail game.
Over the years, through keynotes, consulting, and long conversations with entrepreneurs and executives, I’ve come across patterns. Not clichés — truths. Realities that, out of context, sound like jokes. But they’re happening every single day in stores, offices, and boardrooms.
Here are five of them:
1. Most retailers don’t know their own numbers
I’m not talking about complex analytics or dashboards with fancy charts. I mean the basics: average ticket, product turnover, margin. Every time I ask in a room full of small and medium business owners, “What’s your average ticket?” — less than 30% know the answer.
That’s not just concerning. It’s dangerous. Because if you don’t know your own numbers, how do you make decisions? How do you measure success? How do you grow? Numbers don’t lie. But not having them? That’s what fools you.
2. Everyone says they want to be omnichannel. Few know what it means.
Being “omnichannel” has become the new “going digital” — trendy to say, expensive to implement, and widely misunderstood. When I ask, “What does your customer journey look like across channels?” — silence.
Omnichannel isn’t just having a website, an Instagram, and a brick-and-mortar store. It’s integration. It’s ensuring your customer can start shopping online and finish in-store — or the other way around — seamlessly. Today, most retailers have channels. But very few have connection between them.
3. The biggest barrier to innovation isn’t stubbornness. It’s fear.
It’s easy to label a business owner as “old-school.” It’s harder to understand that, behind the resistance to change, there’s deep fear — fear of the unknown, fear of losing control, fear of becoming irrelevant in their own kingdom.
This emotional paralysis is silent — and toxic. Innovation demands courage. It demands a willingness to unlearn. And many would rather stick with what they know than risk changing the game. But in a market that constantly evolves, refusing to change is the fastest path to becoming obsolete.
4. Heirs are educated, but overlooked
I know plenty of leaders who’ve spent fortunes on their kids’ education — exchanges, MBAs, international experiences. But when it’s time to hand over the business, they freeze. They worry their kids will “ruin everything.”
It’s a cruel paradox: we build capable heirs but don’t trust them. Succession turns into a control game, when it could be a springboard for renewal. Well-prepared children can absolutely carry the legacy — and take it further. But for that to happen, leaders must let go. And trust.
5. Everyone wants AI. Few think about people.
AI is the new obsession. Everyone wants to know how it will revolutionize their business. But here’s the thing: who’s going to operate the tech?
We’re building incredible tools, but we’re forgetting to prepare the people who’ll use them. It’s like buying a Ferrari without training the driver. The result? Companies with cutting-edge tech — and leadership stuck in the ‘90s. Artificial intelligence, human leadership… still very analog.
These truths are uncomfortable. But they’re necessary.
Because as long as we pretend everything’s fine, we’ll keep making the same mistakes — and getting the same results.
So let me ask you: 👉 Which one of these truths hit you the hardest? 👉 Which one do you see happening in your daily routine?
Let’s talk about it. Because that’s how change actually begins.
If it make you think, make it happen!
Caio Camargo
