mornin’ merry makers 🎓🛍️📚🔗💡,

it’s back-to-school season & i’m jealous.

not of the dorm food or the freshman angst, but of that feeling when a new semester drops with all the shiny, untouched classes you might take.

in college, i treated the course catalog (& majors) like a tasting menu.

english, spanish, psychology, economics, pilates, marketing, philosophy, management information systems, finance, & more. if it sounded interesting, i ordered it. not because i was lost, but because i was (& still am) chronically curious.

then i stumbled into apple’s finance rotational program & found the loophole for a career that i’d been looking for…

retail.

retail is the rare career where being nosy about everything is a superpower. people, products, data, design, strategy, you name it. in retail it’s all one delicious interconnected real life mess.

which is why thomas mcmillan’s work at texas a&m’s center for retailing innovation feels so brilliant. he’s showing students that retail can be that playground for omnivorous minds.

he's built programs that let students tackle real business challenges, pair unlikely brands together, & learn from industry leaders who are actually doing the work.

i’m low key obsessed.

bts q&a: thomas mcmillan

Q1: can you share a little bit about you and the work that you do?

I’m Thomas McMillan, Professor of Practice in Marketing and Director, Center for Retailing Innovation at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School.  

I teach retail-focused marketing courses, evangelize career opportunities in an industry that’s far bigger and more innovative than most students realize, and connect them with companies across the retail ecosystem.  

I love building relationships that open doors for students and create value for our industry partners.  My background spans marketing, digital commerce, and merchandising, and I use that experience to prepare students for what’s next in retail. 

Q2: having switched from working in the retail industry and now teaching the next generation, what's the biggest difference between doing retail and teaching retail?

The biggest difference between doing retail and teaching retail is rhythm.

In retail and digital, I worked in agile environments built around the 4-5-4 retail calendar, launching new features, refreshing categories and launching products, leading major holiday events (hello black friday!), or running marketing programs aimed at increasing traffic (draw rate), growing customer lifetime value, and getting a strong return on investment.  

Teaching runs on a semester schedule, so the pace is more structured but the workload stays steady.  I’m running retail student programs, taking students on retail store or HQ trips, engaging with industry, hosting events, and still preparing for class, teaching retail, and grading.

It’s a different kind of busy as you’re on all the time.  I LOVE that though because it keeps me connected to both the classroom and the industry.  

Our students at Texas A&M are fantastic and they give me LOTS of energy - and this is coming from someone who many in my retail days know as the “Fired Up Friday” guy where I always had an abundance of energy and celebrated the week’s accomplishments. 

Q3: you cultivate relationships across academia, industry, and alumni. how does this network effect create value for all parties?

Our network brings together students, faculty, industry leaders, and alumni (we call them former students at Texas A&M). 

Students get connected to exciting career paths they didn’t know existed when they came onto campus.

Companies meet talented, well-prepared students and get a seat at the table to shape the future of retail education. 

Alumni stay engaged, mentor the next generation, and often become champions for the Center. 

Faculty bring research expertise, partnering with industry to explore new ideas, solve real problems, and keep our work at the forefront of retail innovation.   

Q4: what are the most loved by students programs or courses offered by Center for Retailing Innovation at Texas A&M University?

Two courses students love are Retail Merchandising and Digital Merchandising. 

1. In Retail Merchandising, last semester’s challenge was to pair a fashion brand with a non-fashion brand and create an entirely new product. Students produced realistic visuals, standout merchandising, and a full six-month merchandising plan. 

2. Digital Merchandising, which I built from scratch, blends curated topics with guest speakers doing cutting-edge work and ends with a real client project. On the program side, the NYC Retailing Trip, the M.B. Zale Leadership Scholar program, and our retailing competitions are standouts for building skills, confidence, and industry connections.

Q5: what are the most impactful programs and research coming out of the center right now?

Some of our most impactful work right now comes from industry collaborations. 

Recently, students helped a retailer on the BigCommerce platform re-evaluate their e-commerce site, delivering recommendations across the entire purchase funnel, from digital optimizations to addressing assortment gaps. 

Going forward, we are expanding into thought leadership events and research partnerships that explore innovations in retail marketing, category strategy, digital commerce, and customer engagement. Our goal is to prepare students and support the industry in shaping what comes next for retail. 

Q6: as retail changes faster than ever, how do you think retail education needs to evolve to stay relevant?

That’s why I believe every student should have some real experience serving customers, whether it is in a student-led retail project, a summer internship, or even a part-time job in a retail store or restaurant. Those moments on the floor shape how they see the business and give context for everything else we teach. 

From there, we layer in the skills to run the numbers with retail math, use data to make smarter decisions, and experiment with emerging technologies, like AI, to bring new ideas to life or make you far more productive. 

Our Professional Distinction in Retailing Program, open to any Texas A&M student, rewards four semesters of high-level participation in industry networking, real-world experience, and advanced workshops or certifications.

The Center for Retailing Innovation is committed to combining customer understanding with real-world skills so graduates are ready to make an impact on day one and prepared for the future of retail. 

Q7: what’s one thing you wish more brands knew about your Center for Retailing Innovation at Texas A&M University?

Many think of university retail programs as something just for their college recruiters. I want you to think bigger.

The Center for Retailing Innovation works with merchandising, marketing, and digital/omnichannel teams at retailers; consumer brands (including DTC companies and distributors); and retail-focused service providers such as technology, data, and marketing agencies. Together, we tackle real business challenges with the combined expertise of Ph.D. faculty and the fresh thinking of students.

retail rapid-fire round

• fave retail store of all time? 

  • REI - been a member (and huge fan) for as long as I can remember.

• retail center that gets it right? 

  • Grandscape: Texas-sized adventure where retail feels anything but ordinary

• can’t live without retail tool?

  • ChatGPT 5: my go-to for retail insights and fresh ideas

• retail metric you obsess over?

  • Revenue equation = (traffic X conversion X average order value)

• your signature style of merrymaking? 

  • Aggie sports, working out/running, spectator at my daughters’ extracurriculars

• best retail advice you've ever received?

  • Spend 20% of your time helping others succeed.

• what do you love about working in retail? 

  • It’s exciting and never the same. New products, new tech, and new ways to serve consumers - who are also always changing how they behave.

connect with thomas mcmillan

thomas is building the bridge between retail education and retail reality, making sure students graduate with skills that actually matter in the industry. so whether you're a student looking for your path or a retailer hoping to shape the next generation, texas a&m's center is eager to make those connections happen.

🔗 link up here:

• follow thomas on linkedin 

• follow the center for retailing innovation on instagram and linkedin

• learn more about the center for retailing innovation 

i’m not cracking open any overpriced textbooks this semester, but i am riding that new semester high straight into my retail client work.

retail is the ultimate continuing education.

the electives are messy real-world problems, the professors are battle-tested industry pros, and & group projects are with clients who make me look smarter than i am.

whether you’re 19 or 49, curiosity is the only major worth declaring.

& retail is the degree you earn every single day.

p.s. your homework: check out today’s merry partner by clicking below 👇️