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  • Despite headlines claiming the death of the shopping mall, some developers are reimagining the experience to make it memorable, even unforgettable, for consumers.

    During this episode of Retail Remix, host Alicia Esposito sits down with someone who is helping shape the future of the mall: Justin Stein, EVP of Leasing at Tanger. During this episode, he shares details on:

    Tanger’s transformation, including thinking more like a curator and less like a traditional operator; His team’s approach to tenant mix, ensuring the right combination of retailers, restaurants, entertainment and more are integrated into experiences; How Tanger is thinking of omnichannel experience design to boost traffic and dwell time; andHis advice for helping retailers optimize their presence in shopping malls and centers.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about Tanger Read about Tanger’s transformationGet more insights on the future of the mall
  • When Anna Harman wanted to get a new ear piercing, she only had two viable options: an upscale boutique that would charge her hundreds of dollars...or a tattoo parlor. While the latter was just as safe as the former, the experience left her feeling wanting more.

    Most of all, the experience made Anna realize what a big white space there was in the market, which inspired her to start Studs with Lisa Bubbers. During this episode of Retail Remix, Anna shares Studs’s origin story, as well as:

    The essence of the Studs brand and how it adapts and amplifies across digital and physical channels; Why it's critical for the marketing team to balance fun, entertainment-driven initiatives and borderline-scientific content; How she and Lisa developed a scalable business framework and service strategy; and Entrepreneurial lessons that all retail executives can embrace and apply.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about Studs Follow Anna on LinkedIn
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  • Will Eadie is in the world of employee experience, also known as EX. He and his company WorkJam believe that a great EX leads to a great CX.

    If that’s the case, why do so many retailers struggle to invest in the right tools and strategies that drive EX? We had Will on Retail Remix to find out.

    Listen to this episode to learn:

    What EX entails and why it matters more than ever; How EX can lead to CX outcomes; How retailers like JCPenney are seeing success with their EX investments; and Tips for finding the right tools and partners to support your EX mission and vision.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about how WorkJam supports retailersGet the JCPenney case studyRead our coverage of WorkJam’s research with ForresterRead our latest report about employee technologyConnect with Will Eadie on LinkedIn
  • Alex Weinstein is equally passionate about marketing and data science, and he’s putting that passion to good use as Chief Digital Officer of Hungryroot.

    Although one could easily lump Hungryroot in with other grocery delivery services, the company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence to power customer-facing touch points as well as back-end operations. During this episode of Retail Remix, Alex shares:

    Hungryroot’s key differentiators in the fast-evolving digital grocery space; The company’s top customer experience priorities, from personalization to mobile app design;How Hungryroot uses behavioral data and zero-party insights to power back-end operations; and How AI is helping Hungryroot tackle food waste and reduce environmental impact.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about HungryrootRead the latest on artificial intelligence (AI)

    Want to hear from other innovative brands like Hungyroot to learn how they’re investing in AI and other cutting-edge technologies? Register for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, in Chicago. Click here to get your ticket and get more tactical tips from her and other forward-thinking executives!

  • We are taking this week off, but tune in next week for another great episode of Retail Remix! Be sure to subscribe to hear the latest episodes when they launch.

  • We’ve all heard about subscription models that give customers monetary perks in exchange for recurring purchases. But brands like IPSY are elevating this concept by integrating compelling content, community and exclusive access to products.

    IPSY’s merchandising team plays a central role in bringing the brand promise to life. Led by Chief Merchandising Officer Kristy Westrup, the merch division tests more than 8,000 products per year to curate the best assortment for customers. During this week’s Retail Remix, we dig into this process, as well as:

    How merchandising collaborates with marketing to create compelling content that drives member acquisition and retention; How the team applies social media insights and other data points to constantly keep a pulse on what’s trending; andHow the team integrates customer feedback consistently to refine assortment and expand into new brands and categories.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about IPSYRead how other companies are reimagining subscription commerceConnect with Kristy on LinkedIn

    Kristy’s colleagues from IPSY will dig deeper into the brand’s membership model during the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo. Click here to get your ticket and get more tactical tips from her and other forward-thinking executives!

  • As CTO and Global General Manager for Zenni Optical, David Ting plays a critical role in determining the company’s key technology investments and experience priorities.

    It should come as no surprise, then, that artificial intelligence (AI) has been at the top of his priority list. During this week’s Retail Remix, he shares how he researched, tested and optimized AI investments for the business. He shares insights on:

    How consumers search and browse on the Zenni Optical site, and how these behaviors have dictated the company’s technology decisions;
    Different AI applications and how they have supported operational efficiency and ecommerce performance; Workforce and company policies that have had to evolve with AI adoption; andLessons he has learned testing and implementing different AI-powered solutions, and the advice he would offer to peers.

    RELATED LINKS

    Visit Zenni Optical to see the site experience firsthandRead more about Zenni Optical’s innovation on Retail TouchPoints Download our Special Report on how generative AI is driving ecommerce transformation

    David’s colleague, Dennis Maxwell, Senior Director of Performance Marketing, will be speaking at the 2024 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, in Chicago. Click here to get your ticket and get his insights on how brands can use AI practically to drive performance.

  • Jill Pavlovich and Francisco Bram work very closely on shaping the customer experience for Albertsons shoppers. Together, they collect, integrate and analyze rich customer insights and then transform this information into compelling experiences across all channels.

    During this episode of Retail Remix, they share more details on:

    How their teams collaborate to shape omnichannel strategies and prioritize new tech investments; How Albertsons consumers shop today, and how Albertsons is creating experiences that drive efficiency and delight; The role that generative AI currently plays in the Albertsons experience, and how the company plans to invest in the technology moving forward; and Insights into how the retailer is using data (especially from loyalty members) to craft immersive and personalized marketing campaigns.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about AlbertsonsListen to Retail Remix, featuring Harvey Ma of Albertsons Media CollectiveRead the latest news and content about AlbertsonsRegister for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo

    Claire Wyatt, VP of Business Strategy and Marketing Science for Albertsons Media Collective, will be speaking at the 2024 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, in Chicago. Click here to get your ticket and learn how you can tap into Albertsons’ highly loyal customer base.

  • Dr. Marcus Collins isn’t just a professor. He is an author, a marketing strategist who has worked with some of the world’s top tech brands and musical acts, and a cultural translator.

    It is this rich career history that has inspired his latest book, For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be, and is why he’s taking the stage at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo this June. Host Alicia Esposito sat down with Marcus to discuss:

    How the culture of brands has evolved, and how culture impacts commerce; What commerce brands can learn from Beyoncé and other musical artists that are embedded into culture; and How brands like Patagonia are embracing cultural proximity to drive relevance and foster customer loyalty.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about Dr. Marcus CollinsGet your copy of For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to BeSee more insights from Dr. Marcus CollinsRegister for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo to join Jack on the Store Tours around Chicago

    Dr. Marcus Collins will be the headline keynote speaker during the 2024 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, in Chicago. Click here to get your ticket and learn how you can embrace culture to drive commerce.

  • As Head of Trends for Insider Trends, Jack Stratten has toured some of the world’s newest, and most innovative, retail stores. Through these tours, he has been able to uncover how consumer behaviors have shaped storytelling techniques, technology integration and more.

    During the NRF Big Show, Jack sat down with host Alicia Esposito to discuss the key trends he’s uncovered in his tours around the world, as well as what he loves most about some of the Big Apple’s top shops. Listen to learn:

    Why Glossier is a great model for innovative brick-and-mortar storytelling; How brands can incorporate surprise and delight effectively in stores; and How to do innovation right in physical retail spaces.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about Insider TrendsRegister for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo to join Jack on the Store Tours around ChicagoCheck out a recent webinar featuring Jack and his friend Ian Scott, as they discuss the evolution of store spaces

    Jack will be hosting Store Tours around Chicago during the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, along with fellow brick-and-mortar nerd Ian Scott. Click here to get your ticket and get more tactical tips from him and other forward-thinking executives!

  • Boisson was created to make it easier for consumers to discover and learn about non-alcoholic beverage brands. The company helped jumpstart the market, which is projected to have a 25% compound annual growth rate through 2028.

    Founder Nick Bodkins had a vision where Boisson was “the Sephora of NA,” bringing together the power of an immersive ecommerce experience, neighborhood-style stores with passionate employees, and a wholesale strategy that drove growth for new brands. Although Boisson recently announced it would be undergoing a restructuring and immediately shuttering its stores, Bodkins’ vision, and the innovation within the Boisson business, showed what is truly possible for the NA market. Listen to this episode of Retail Remix to:

    Hear Nick’s perspective on the evolving NA market;Learn how Boisson is thinking long-term about wholesale distribution and growth;Get insights on how the VC market could influence the current state, and future, of NA; and Understand why Boisson’s approach to brick-and-mortar was so innovative—and what your brand can learn from it.

    RELATED LINKS

    Connect with Nick on LinkedIn See what’s next for BoissonDig deeper into the Boisson story

    Do you want to hear more from Nick Bodkins on founding and scaling an omnichannel business? He will share more candid perspectives (and lessons) during the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, at McCormick Place in Chicago. He will join other senior executives from brands such as Michaels, Pinterest, Petco, Zenni Optical, Adore Me and many others. Get your ticket today and join the brightest minds in retail.

  • Brands and retailers that specialize in formal events and big “life moments” (think weddings, proms and the like) need to think about customer loyalty — how to win it and how to keep it — in a completely different way.

    For example, David’s Bridal has leaned into community and crowdsourcing to create programs that allow consumers to build beautiful life moments. During this episode of Retail Remix, Kelly Cook, the President of Brand, Technology and Finance for David’s Bridal, shares how the brand has:

    Developed the Diamond Loyalty Program to reimagine the way friends and family members can contribute to weddings; Applied trends and learnings from the Diamond program to develop a prom iteration that has supported its partnerships with schools; andCollected data and insights about Gen Z consumers to refine its approach to retention marketing and content creation across key channels such as TikTok.

    RELATED LINKS

    Visit the David’s Bridal website Follow David’s Bridal on TikTokConnect with Kelly Cook on LinkedInDownload Retail TouchPoints’ latest loyalty research

    Kelly Cook will be speaking at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo to share more insights into how David’s Bridal is rewriting the loyalty playbook. Click here to get your ticket and get more

  • Brian Librach has held leadership positions at various retail brands, from Old Navy to Pacific Sunwear and Urban Outfitters. So needless to say, he’s faced his fair share of hardships and lessons learned.

    The one big thing he has found is that many retail leaders are “stuck halfway up the ladder.” This reality ultimately inspired him to write his book: The Retail Leader’s Roadmap.

    During this episode of Retail Remix, Brian shares:

    The big lessons he learned during his rich career in retail;What he learned from his industry peers while writing the book; andHow retail leaders can get “unstuck” and embed learning, development and inspiration into their days.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about Brian LibrachConnect with Brian on LinkedInGet a copy of The Retail Leader’s Roadmap
  • Connected TV (CTV) is becoming a central marketing and advertising channel for brands as streaming networks bolster their subscription offerings. They’re becoming a conduit for delivering engaging, personalized campaigns that drive brand awareness, product discovery, in-store traffic and conversions.

    Roku is helping drive this new era of shoppable content by providing the streaming devices consumers need to access content across apps and devices. Plus, through partnerships with companies like Walmart, it is helping shape the future of the category.

    During this episode of Retail Remix, Sarah Monahan, Roku’s Head of Verticals, shares:

    How the streaming wars will continue to drive the evolution of CTV; Tips to help retailers align their CTV decisions and tactics to specific business objectives and success measures; and Details on how Roku is partnering with brands, retailers and even streaming services to support innovation in CTV advertising and creative storytelling.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about Roku’s Advertising servicesSee more CTV coverage on Retail TouchPointsRead the deep-dive report on CTV best practices
  • Retailers know that digital influences the customer journey, from initial awareness to post-purchase. So why is there still such a staggering divide between consumers’ digital and physical brand experiences?

    We explore the gaps, challenges and opportunities on this week’s Retail Remix with Justin Racine and Zach Zalowitz of Perficient. Together with host Alicia Esposito, they explore:

    The key digital influencers for in-store traffic and activation; The increasingly central role of inventory visibility and omnichannel inventory management in the customer experience; Why retailers should place more emphasis on the post-purchase experience; andHow different retail teams and functions can support the bottom of the funnel, which is becoming a new “battleground” for retailers.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about PerficientDownload Retail TouchPoints’ research on retailers’ omnichannel challenges and prioritiesRead our coverage of the post-purchase experience
  • Juxtapose positions itself as a “creation-oriented investment firm,” which means their investment process is based on businesses that don’t exist yet. Focusing on industries that are under-served, Juxtapose’s team then harnesses the power of entrepreneurialism and an investment firm’s diligence to identify and invest in new business opportunities.

    During this week’s Retail Remix, Ben West, Partner at Juxtapose, digs into the company’s investment process and how this approach shapes his perspectives on:

    What makes a successful brand; How businesses should balance brand building and scaling their business; andThe state of the investment market, and what emerging consumer brands need to know.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about JuxtaposeRead more about VC-related topics and trends on Retail TouchPoints

    Register for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-5 in Chicago, to explore the evolution of the customer journey. Hear from executives at Babylist, IKEA, Liquid Death, Rebecca Minkoff and more, about how they’re embracing the convergence of content, community and commerce.

  • Four years and 200 episodes later, we’re celebrating how far the retail industry and the Retail Remix podcast have come! What better way to do that than to listen back to the conversations that sparked some of the show’s top geek-out moments?

    Listen to find out which guests drove some of our most thought-provoking conversations on:

    Omnichannel strategy;The evolution of store design;The future of digital communities; Branded content strategy; and The unique role of mobile apps.
  • Stitch Fix has access to rich data and insights to understand consumers’ wants, needs and behaviors. Additionally, it harnesses the unique knowledge and expertise of its styling and merchandising teams to ensure it is striking the right balance between personalized service and surprise and delight.

    During this episode of Retail Remix, Loretta Choy, Chief Merchandising and Client Services Officer of Stitch Fix, shares how the team:

    Blends the traditional art of merchandising and the science of data analysis to ensure clients feel seen and understood; How the Stitch Fix Style Forecast has become a pillar of the company’s approach to service and support; andWhich trends from the Forecast will influence Stitch Fix’s merchandising decisions and even activation strategies through 2024.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about Stitch FixSee the latest Stitch Fix stories on Retail TouchPointsRead key takeaways from this Retail Remix episodeGet your copy of the Style Forecast
  • Up to 81% of consumers say they prefer to shop with brands and retailers that have both online and offline channels, according to CI&T’s latest Connected Retail Report.

    This data point may not be surprising most, but it’s the underpinning of a lot of new trends around how consumers browse, compare and purchase products across channels, and Melissa Minkow, the author of the report, sits down with host Alicia Esposito to dig into the key takeaways, including:

    Whether price-conscious consumers are willing to sacrifice their experience for a good deal; How consumers’ evolved omnichannel priorities will influence brand investments; andHow consumers want to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support their shopping behaviors.

    RELATED LINKS

    Learn more about CI&TDownload a copy of the 2024 Connected Retail ReportRead the article highlighting key takeawaysConnect with Melissa on Linkedin
  • Ron Thurston turned his passion for retail into the book Retail Pride and podcast series Retail in America. Now, he's turning his learnings speaking with retail leaders, associates and emerging talent alike into a new company: OSSY.

    During this episode of Retail Remix, he reflects on how his career pivot over the past three years has brought him to founding OSSY. He discusses:

    What’s “broken” in retailers’ approach to talent acquisition and hiring; The hidden biases in the recruitment process;
    Why it’s time for retailers to rethink talent progression and training; and How OSSY is designed to empower emerging retail talent to take charge of their careers.

    RELATED LINKS

    Connect with Ron Thurston on LinkedInLearn more about OSSYFollow Retail Pride on InstagramListen to our previous episode with Ron