Once, exclusivity was a viable marketing option for fashion brands. Mono-retail distribution strategies were attractive because they offered companies complete control over how their goods were marketed. Today, however, fashion retailers have little choice but to broaden their distribution strategies if they are to survive.

Holiday retail sales during November and December of 2016 increased 4% over 2015 to $658.3 billion, according to a report from the National Retail Federation. While this time period has traditionally been viewed as the most important for sales, consumers are increasingly purchasing holiday gifts throughout the 12 months of the year.

Digital and e-commerce are surging in the grocery retail industry. We are in the fortunate position to learn from the disruption that digital has already created in other retail verticals. But we are now moving with urgency to keep pace as the forces of digital disruption within grocery retail are accelerating.

National Watermelon Day, National Ice Cream Day, National Hot Dog Day, National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day - the list goes on and on. With so many "holidays" being celebrated by the consumer, brands would be remiss to not take advantage of these opportunities, whether it's simply participating or even creating their own. Taking advantage of a holiday is an easy way for brands to create more compelling consumer experiences and outcomes.

As data and tech continue to advance, never forget that consumers are, in fact, still people.