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The consumer and retail consulting market is fragmenting. Specialists are winning deals that used to go to the big firms – and the clients driving that shift aren't going back.
2 partners from this year's Top Consumer & Retail Consulting Firms ranking break it down. 
Keith Fogerty from Advancy and Shikha Jain from Simon-Kucher share what's actually happening in the market – revenue growth pressure, AI's real role, private equity's tightening standards, and why a pretty PowerPoint that collects dust is a failed engagement.
If you're building a career in consumer or retail consulting, or running a practice in this space, this is the market intelligence you can't get anywhere else.
Full speaker bios and firm profiles here.
Resources:
See this year's Top Consumer & Retail Consulting Firms ranking
Ready to break into a top consulting firm? Black Belt is where serious candidates get the coaching to do it
Explore top firms hiring in Consumer and Retail on the Management Consulted Job Board
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Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
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Bruno had every disadvantage on paper: international student, non-target school, three internships that didn't add up to one clear story.
He didn't let it hold him back, landing a full-time offer at BCG.
In this episode of Recruiting Reality Check, Katie – MC's Black Belt Advisor – breaks down what got Bruno there. Spoiler: it wasn't more cases. It was a plan he stuck to even when it felt too "boring" to work. 
Turns out, unsexy habits get results.
We cover:
Why stacking cases with peers doesn't fix a weak strategy
How Bruno turned a shared home country into 3 real referrals
The unsexy habit Katie tells every candidate to copy
Resources:
If you're stacking cases and still not landing offers, Black Belt fixes the approach, not just the reps
Not sure your profile is competitive for MBB? 15 minutes with Katie will tell you where you stand
Your free MC account unlocks Case Foundations and the same tools Bruno used to build his plan
Connect With Management Consulted
Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Every McKinsey interviewee last year got at least 1 non-traditional case. Most candidates are still only prepping for standard business cases.
Namaan breaks down what's actually different about case interviews in 2026, and it's not just the case types.
McKinsey is piloting an AI-enabled interview round. Bain's also adding one this summer. 
The bar on communication and presence just went up too, because AI raised the floor on sounding prepared – but sounding ready isn't the same as being ready anymore.
Resources:
If you've only drilled business cases, Case Foundations will get you ready for the case types firms are actually giving in 2026
Want a coach who is up to date on 2026 cases? Black Belt builds your prep around what firms are testing for right now, not two years ago
Connect With Management Consulted
Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Energy consulting grew in line with the market for a decade. Flat. Unremarkable. Nobody paid attention.
That changed. 
The market's now projected to grow 11% in 2026, and leverage for candidates with ops or technical backgrounds is higher than at any point in recent history.
Japheth sits down with Namaan to break down what's driving the boom. Spoiler: it's not just the data center buildout you've been reading about.
Whether you're hunting for your next role or you're a firm trying to win the talent war, this one's for you.
Resources:
Go deeper on the data:
Want the full picture from the firms themselves? Watch our Energy & Utilities panel with the leaders driving this hiring wave
Curious where energy consulting firms rank for 2026? Check out our Energy & Utilities ranking
That 11% growth number comes straight from Business Insider's reporting on AI's power demand surge
Go act on it:
If you're still leading with sustainability credentials, Black Belt helps you reframe your profile around the implementation experience firms want
Ready to see who's hiring right now? Browse open energy consulting roles on our job board
Connect With Management Consulted
Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

Send us Fan Mail
The reality of MBB recruiting: 100 candidates apply. 15 get an interview. 1 gets the offer.
Most of the 99 who don't get it aren't underqualified. They just had a bad plan.
Kabreya Ghaderi, who coached hundreds of candidates and spent time at McKinsey, PwC, and Bridgespan, sees strong candidates still miss because their prep plan has a hole in it they can't see from the inside.
In this episode, Kabreya walks through the 4 gaps that sink even candidates who are doing everything "right." What stood out:
Logging more cases can actually lock in the wrong habits, faster
One candidate did 80 practice cases and was still nowhere near ready
Feeling ready and being ready are two different things, and most people can't tell which one they are
Resources:
Get the personalized plan you need + expert coaching by joining Black Belt
Book 15 minutes with Katie to get your questions answered
Start building case proficiency today with our free Case Foundations starter course
Book 1:1 coaching with Kabreya
Connect With Management Consulted
Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more