Something's Coming for Independent Retailers Who Are Tired of Guessing
A few years back, I stepped away from M1 for a while.
During that time, I stayed close to the independent retail community. I was still talking to owners, still hearing what kept them up at night. And one thing kept coming up, over and over, no matter who I talked to or what category they were in.
They wanted a peer community. And they wanted real benchmarks. Not national retail data that has nothing to do with running a specialty store. Something built for them.
So I started building it.
By the time I came back to M1, I knew it couldn't just sit on the side. It had to be part of the ecosystem. Because here's the truth: it's lonely out there running an independent store. You're making buying decisions, staffing decisions, pricing decisions, mostly alone, with no real way to know if you're on track or off in the weeds.
That's what we're building. A community of like peers, and the data to back it up.
And it's already happening. The peer community is live, retailers are in it, and it's gaining real traction. Real conversations, real questions getting answered by people who actually get it.
Introducing Indie Insights Community: full launch this September
This September, we're opening the door wider on something that's already underway: a way for independent specialty retailers to finally see what's happening in their own category, and connect with the peers who are living it too.
Here's what's inside:
Brand-level sell-through data. We rebuilt our integrations so you can see what's actually selling by brand, across retailers that match your profile. This isn't something anyone else can offer. Only the largest provider of merchandise planning data, with over 40 years of history behind it, has the depth to show you that.
A real peer community. Discussion groups, articles, and the Indie Insights podcast. Conversations with retailers who understand exactly what you're dealing with, plus expert commentary that actually applies to your world.
Vertical-specific insight. Not generic retail trends. Commentary and analysis built for your category, whether that's outdoor gear, footwear, gift, or wherever you sit.
A real taste of the data. Basic trending and benchmarking numbers by vertical, so you can start answering the question every retailer asks themselves: how do I actually compare?
Why we're doing this
We've spent 40 years building the deepest benchmark dataset in independent specialty retail. That data has always lived inside our planning tools, available to clients doing the deep work of merchandise planning.
But there's a simpler need that comes before all of that: retailers just want to know what's happening in their vertical. They want a place to compare notes, ask questions, and stop guessing in isolation.
Indie Insights Community is that place. Whether you're an M1 Planning client or you've never worked with us before, this is built for you.
What happens next
The community is already growing, and September is when we bring the full experience online: the vertical data, the podcast, the full front door into the M1 ecosystem. If you want in now, while it's still small and the conversations are close knit, don't wait for the official launch.
We'd rather build this alongside a group of retailers who are genuinely hungry for it than open the floodgates on day one.
Onwards and Upwards,
Marc Weiss
Co-founder and CEO
Management One
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