Retail

Leveraging today’s disruption to create tomorrow’s opportunities

With the future of retail in a seismic shift, A&M helps leading retailers develop and implement the right strategies and capabilities to succeed. Through periods of tremendous change and increasing consumer expectations, A&M is there to ensure retailers stay ahead and create outsized results.

HOW WE HELP RETAILERS

Our approach allows companies to focus on where and how to build the most sustainable value. Our team of retail experts shares a common passion to help companies achieve their maximum potential and be on the right side of disruption.

Because our clients require practical results and real impact, our team brings together deep consulting and industry operator experience.

Because our clients have broader and evolving needs, we drive large-scale enterprise transformations across all retail sectors beyond A&M’s deep restructuring heritage.

Because our clients deserve partners who are mutually committed to their success and shared value creation, we align interests through new commercial models.

FOR ANY PROBLEM, IN ANY SECTOR, WE’RE THERE TO HELP

Client Problems We Serve

Our full capability suite enables retail clients to address any business challenge to meet consumer needs, accelerate growth, enhance profitability, or improve cash flow

Digital
Marketing
Growth Strategy

Organization
Operations
Analytics

Retail Sectors We Support

Grocery
Restaurant
Mass Merchandise
E-Commerce

Specialty Retail
Foodservice
Convenience
Drug

DISCUSS WITH US

Learn about our integrate convenience store service

Examples of Our Work:

Full-scale business performance transformation at a US lifestyle apparel brand

A&M Consumer and Retail Group worked hand-in-hand with the client team to launch a full-scale transformation including a full cost take out effort – sourcing, supply chain, store operations, and indirect procurement; a customer-focused re-investment – eCommerce, omni-channel capabilities (BOPIS, curbside, delivery), digital marketing; and a program management approach - progress tracking, cash flow management, debt restructuring, and performance/impact tracking. Our joint work positioned the brand to survive the initial shutdown associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and is on track to deliver $75-100M in annual cost savings with significant revenue upside.

Restructuring of a US wholesale and retail corporation through COVID-19

After the global pandemic challenged the company’s financials, the client board’s engaged A&M to manage liquidity and operational improvements. A&M served as Chief Restructuring Officer overseeing all aspects of the company’s restructuring and co-led a Transformation Office with the COO. All while continuing to reliably deliver product and services to customers without disruption, the company restructured its business, including cost reduction opportunities in supply chain and organizational design of over 15% of operating costs, created over $150 million in permanent working capital benefits, and reduced funded indebtedness while raising incremental liquidity.

Rapid EBITDA margin improvement for a large international retailer

A large cosmetics retailer with outlets worldwide had seen a steady decline in EBITDA margins over several years. In response, A&M completed a rapid diagnostic review of the business operations to identify and quantify performance improvement opportunities. A&M subsequently worked with the company to implement these performance improvements to deliver the identified margin improvements. As a result, A&M delivered tens of millions in cost savings to the client within just nine months.

Food and beverage retailer COVID-19 response and recovery plan

A European food and beverage chain heavily impacted by the pandemic was forced to close a majority of its shop locations, which posed significant revenue, SG&A and real estate cost challenges. A&M was engaged to help the business manage through the crisis and reset the organizational structure. After modeling a selection of recovery scenarios from COVID-19 impacts on profitability, A&M designed the company’s future state operating model, identified significant recurring SG&A and real estate cash savings and put the company on a firm footing for strong recovery post-crisis.

Execution of an enterprise-wide productivity plan at a global general merchandise retailer

Struggling with cost, agility and driving profitable growth, the client engaged A&M to pinpoint improvement opportunities across the global organization. After standing up a Productivity Transformation Office, launching independent productivity initiatives and shaping the overall change management plan, the joint team drove over $1 billion in annualized savings, reorganized support functions by creating 6 Centers of Excellence and built core capabilities to position the future state organization for its growth journey.

Integrated transformation effort for US home goods retailer

A&M Consumer and Retail Group developed a comprehensive plan to improve store operations, dramatically improve inventory productivity and support a dramatic improvement in product margin via a shift to directly managed brands. With a joint client and A&M-led transformation office, work teams developed actionable plans for Store Operations, Store Investment Planning, Supply Chain Network Strategy and Design, Inventory Planning & Execution and Global vendor partner integration. Plans identified an 18% reduction in overall inventory, 40% reduction in leadtime to stores, and $80 million of annual cost reductions. At the same time, A&M defined plans to significantly improve the balance sheets stability through an optimization of brands & business units.

Full-scale transformation of a Pan European Apparel Retailer

With a multi billion-dollar turnover, a multi-channel apparel retailer has suffered from underinvestment in logistics and IT infrastructure, hampering growth and leading to market share loss. A&M was initially engaged to rapidly diagnose and fix causes of failure across the end-to-end supply chain. Through its work, A&M surfaced more transformative interventions required of the client against both functional and process failures across the entire value chain. A&M’s structured improvement delivered those transformative interventions as well as a revised future state supply chain operating structure. The overall program delivered hundreds of millions in annual benefits.

Thought Leadership

April’s cost crunch forces small retailers to adjust models in order to survive

April 23, 2026

April 2026 is set to hit small UK retailers with a fresh wave of cost hikes, pilling pressure onto a sector many say is facing its toughest time since Covid. Rising wage, insurance, sick pay, business rates, energy standing charges, and reduced owner take‑home pay arrive as consumer demand softens and inflation fears persist amid geopolitical tensions. SMEs enter with limited resilience and mounting headwinds—including late payments, crime, and heavier admin/tax burdens—raising the risk of closures or contraction. The piece urges defensive cost control where necessary and, where possible, smarter pricing, operational efficiency, and targeted automation/analytics to protect margins and conserve working capital.

Thought Leadership

Alvarez & Marsal Announced as Transformation Partner to the Royal Ballet and Opera

February 27, 2026

Alvarez & Marsal is proud to announce a new partnership with the Royal Ballet and Opera, one of the world’s most renowned cultural institutions. As Transformation Partner for the 2024/25 and 2026/27 Seasons, A&M joins a distinguished group of partners, reflecting a shared commitment to precision, performance and excellence at the highest standards.

Press Releases

Alvarez & Marsal Appoints Managing Director Daniel Mahler to Strengthen European Retail and Consumer Practice

January 22, 2026

Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) announces today the appointment of Daniel Mahler as Managing Director in its Retail & Consumer team, within its EMEA Corporate Transformation Services practice.

Press Releases

Alvarez & Marsal Announces Appointment of Managing Director Anna Kahn to Strengthen European Retail and Consumer Practice

January 7, 2026

Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) announces today the appointment of Anna Kahn as Managing Director in its Consumer & Retail team, within its EMEA Corporate Transformation Services practice.