Retales From the Frontline

In this episode, recorded at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show in New York City in January 2024, host Matt Rubel discusses current trends in the retail industry with NRF President & CEO Matt Shay and Forrester Retail Industry Analyst Sucharita Kodali. Topics of discussion include the role of technology (especially AI and generative AI) in shaping the industry, the rise of retail media and the significance of a strong online presence and social commerce for brands. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The beauty industry has become one of the retail world's biggest success stories of the past two years. Beauty continues to empower with its transformational abilities while remaining a multi-billion-dollar industry. The evolution of the business makes it one of the most dynamic and fast-paced in the business world today. With indie and celebrity brands proliferating and wellness becoming front and center, Big Beauty is no longer just about selling the hottest lipstick color of the season. In this episode, Matt Rubel interviews Debbie Perelman, President, and CEO of Revlon—the first woman to lead this iconic brand in its 89-year history. Debbie is leading Revlon's profound transformation while driving diversity, sustainability, and speed to market. Matt and Debbie talk about authenticity, digital transformation, mental health—and the evocative power of a particular pink lipstick. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The COVID-19 vaccine is one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs in 100 years, but transparency and overcommunicating about its safety and efficacy will be key to making millions of people feel confident enough to get the vaccine. That’s why President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Mike Pence both got vaccinated on camera this week—to stress that the science is sound and the vaccine is safe. In this episode, host Matt Rubel interviews Sally Susman, EVP and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Pfizer, which received the first emergency use authorization in the US for a COVID-19 vaccine, to talk about the important role the retail industry has in building confidence through transparency. Listen to the full episode to hear what specific steps retail leaders can take to support the vaccination efforts that will hopefully lead to a full economic recovery. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recommerce is growing as more consumers look to “shop their values” and buy fewer, better things in order to lessen their consumption footprint. For brands, taking control of their own resale operations is one key to not being left behind. In this episode, host Matt Rubel interviews Andy Ruben, CEO of Trove—a company that powers circular shopping for Levi’s, Patagonia, REI, Eileen Fisher and others—to find out how branded resale will figure into holiday shopping this year and in the future. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With retail stores beginning to reopen, everyone wants to know what the new retail reality will look like. In this episode, guest host Marigay McKee of Fernbrook Capital interviews EVRYTHNG CEO Niall Murphy, Lafayette 148 CEO Deirdre Quinn and Harvard Business School Professor Jeffrey Rayport about the impact the pandemic will have on the consumer mindset and the supply chain—and what retailers and brands need to do now to prepare for the post-COVID future. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Governor Cuomo and several other governors have now made wearing face masks in public mandatory. Meanwhile, essential retailers such as Kroger, Walmart and Sam’s Club have announced that all employees will be required to wear masks. Now that masks are compulsory for so many of us, everyone needs to know what makes one mask safer or better than another. In this episode, guest host Melissa Gonzalez interviews Angela Chan of Chargeurs and Christy Raedeke of Noble Biomaterials to find out what retailers and consumers should know about masks. Chargeurs and Noble have recently joined forces to create washable, reusable cloth face masks with an antimicrobial filter, which will be available to consumers in the US within weeks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re pleased to share this exclusive Retales From the Frontline interview with NRF CEO Matt Shay, who joins our host, Matt Rubel, and retail influencer Steve Sadove to examine the impact of the recently passed stimulus package and its likely long-term effects on retail. Listen now to learn about these thought leaders’ key insights on the topic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, the third and last of our NRF 2020: Retail’s Big Show series, host Matt Rubel discusses voice of the customer data, 3D design tech and sustainability with First Insight CEO Greg Petro and Li & Fung President of Supply Chain Solutions Sean Coxall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At NRF 2020: Retail’s Big Show, host Matt Rubel sat down with several high-profile executives to get their takes on where the retail industry is headed. In this episode, the second of our three-part Big Show series, John Caplan, Head of B2B North America for Alibaba.com, and Nicole Reyhle, Founder of Retail Minded and Spokesperson for American Express Small Business Saturday, discuss how small businesses can find the partners and tools they need to successfully sell across borders. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At NRF 2020: Retail’s Big Show, host Matt Rubel sat down with several high-profile executives to get their takes on where the retail industry is headed. In this, the first of our three-part Big Show series, NRF President and CEO Matt Shay shares his thoughts on some of the most important issues in retail and the trends and developments that are likely to drive the industry in 2020. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The first phase of the new American Dream mall has just opened under the creative direction of Ken Downing, who served as Fashion Director of Neiman Marcus for nearly three decades before joining mall developer Triple Five Group as Chief Creative Officer. In this episode, Downing sits down with host Matt Rubel to share his creative vision for American Dream and talks about all the ways the new complex is redefining the American mall experience. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Weaving social good into your brand’s DNA is no longer optional—customers expect it. In fact, 89% of Gen Zers would rather buy from a company that is addressing social or environmental issues than from one that is not, and 92% say they would switch to a brand associated with a good cause. In this episode, Lisa Gurwitch, President and CEO of Delivering Good, and Kelly Cobb, Vice President of Community and Giving at Bombas, sit down with host Matt Rubel to talk about how companies do well by doing good and how their partnership is helping families affected by poverty and disaster in communities across the US. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nancy Berger is Publisher of Cosmopolitan—the biggest young women’s media brand in the world—as well as Seventeen and Women’s Health. She’s seen consumer magazines’ evolution into the digital age from the inside over her storied career, which has also included senior roles at Gourmet, Allure and Marie Claire. In this episode, Berger sits down with host Matt Rubel to talk about her career, the magazine business and what she’s learned about building brands that resonate with millennials and Gen Zers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The electricity went out during one of the runway shows. At another, the fashion editors got stuck in a broken elevator. But the last straw was when ceiling plaster came crumbling down on both the models on the catwalk and the press in the front row at one of the New York Market Week shows in 1991. That mini disaster was what spurred Fern Mallis to create a cohesive, modern iteration of New York Fashion Week that would let the industry (safely) put its best foot forward. In this episode, host Matt Rubel sits down with Mallis, who served as Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America from 1991 to 2001, to talk about how she organized and modernized NYFW, how it changed the industry and where American fashion is headed next. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jessica Anuna is CEO and Founder of Klasha, the first online marketplace to offer affordable fast fashion to millennials in all 54 countries in Africa. At just 27 years old, Anuna is already a veteran of Amazon, Net-A-Porter, Shopify, the Techstars Dubai Accelerator program and the Alibaba/UN eFounders Fellowship program. In addition, she has just been named to the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list. Anuna recently sat down with guest host Stacey Widlitz to talk about why Africa’s massive, young population and economy provide long-term prospects for growth and what international retailers need to know to succeed on the continent. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kerry O’Brien quit her corporate PR job in NYC after 9/11 and moved to Vermont with her husband to start a new chapter in life. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but she’d always loved fashion and had long been frustrated that there wasn’t an intimates brand that seemed to understand what she wanted—the best-quality fabrics combined with great styling and fit. So, she decided to launch her own intimates brand, Commando, and create underwear that “loves you back.” O’Brien recently sat down with host Matt Rubel to share her story and her tips for entrepreneurs planning to launch their own brand. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A whopping 70% of online daters lie in their dating profile, mostly about height, weight and age, but only major exaggerations seem to matter much. That’s according to relationship and online dating expert Dr. Jess Carbino, who recently sat down with host Matt Rubel to talk about how people create their own personal storefront and romantic brand to attract the attention of potential mates on dating sites like Tinder and Bumble. She shared some surprising differences in how men and women personally brand themselves on dating platforms and why those brand stories may not be quite accurate. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christine Hunsicker had an idea to bring the sharing economy to apparel. Airbnb’s success had convinced her that consumers would embrace fashion rental: if people were willing to lay their heads on strangers’ pillows, she thought, they’d certainly be willing to wear clothes someone else had worn. So, she founded rental site Gwynnie Bee and CaaStle, the infrastructure platform that now powers fashion rental for Vince, Rebecca Taylor, American Eagle, Ann Taylor and others. In this episode, Hunsicker sits down with host Matt Rubel to talk about why rental is a great, profitable complement to retail and how fashion retailers should approach it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Before Mindy Grossman joined WW International as CEO, she told board member Oprah Winfrey she wanted to reinvent the company to align with where the culture was moving, toward a more holistic view of health and wellness. Grossman already had a strong reputation as a business transformer. Earlier in her career, she had successfully led change at Ralph Lauren and Nike before being named CEO of HSN and reinventing the network as a retail powerhouse. In this episode, Grossman sits down with host Matt Rubel to talk about her career path and what it truly takes to transform a business. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What’s the best way to leverage Instagram as you build a brand from scratch? For entrepreneur Dani Beckerman, founder of specialty dessert company Jars by Dani, the platform is much more than a place to showcase product. In this episode, Beckerman shares how she has used Instagram to identify her core customer, cultivate brand ambassadors, find the right talent and grow her company from a single social media post into a thriving business with multiple retail partnerships in just a few years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

CBD is the most exciting new trend in beauty and wellness, with the potential to treat everything from fine lines to arthritis. In this episode, host Matt Rubel sits down with Jay Lucas, head of LB Equity, one of the first firms focused on investing at the intersection of beauty, wellness and cannabis. Lucas discusses the future of CBD beauty and shares the specific criteria the firm uses when deciding to invest in an emerging CBD brand. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What if you could virtually “feel” a fabric swatch when you’re shopping for a sofa on your smartphone? That tech isn’t available yet, but the team at Wayfair is already imagining how it would work. For the last episode of our four-part Shoptalk series, presented by Mastercard, host Matt Rubel sat down with Wayfair’s Director of Next Gen Experiences, Shrenik Sadalgi, and Need Supply Co. Founder and CEO Chris Bossola to discuss what they’ve learned about how millennials browse and shop, and how their companies are using those insights to create next-gen shopping experiences. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marriages between retail companies and investors often fall apart, but Zola and Lightspeed have one of those partnerships for the ages. Their relationship is based on shared values and a common vision of reinventing the wedding business in a way that addresses younger consumers’ pain points. For the third episode of our four-part “Retales From the Frontline” Shoptalk series, presented by Mastercard, host Matt Rubel sat down with Zola CEO Shan-Lyn Ma and Nicole Quinn of Lightspeed Venture Partners—an investor in Goop and Lady Gaga’s new beauty brand as well as Zola—to talk about why their relationship is so strong and why you should never partner with an investor who isn’t as excited about your business as you are. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Did you ever think you could have an office at the mall, or rent a store for just a month or two to show off a new product, collection or innovation? Today’s reimagined mall lets you do just that, with an experience that feels like a great magazine – offering a thoughtful collection of food, shopping, housing, entertainment, and community. Two mall experts from different sides of the world, Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne of Dubai-based Emaar Malls and Kevin McKenzie of Brandbox and Macerich sat down with host Matt Rubel to talk about how they are reinventing the mall. This is the second episode of our four-part Shoptalk series of “Retales From the Frontline” presented by Mastercard. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cowen and Company’s Oliver Chen, known as one of the most stylish equity analysts on Wall Street, and Steve Sadove, former Saks CEO and current Mastercard advisor, sat down with host Matt Rubel at Shoptalk to give their insider perspectives on the store as community point, distribution site and entertainment venue. Stores are no longer just stores—shoppers want fun, unique experiences along with convenience, seamless shopping and fresh, curated assortments. That means brick-and-mortar locations have to serve multiple new functions. This is the first episode of our four-part Shoptalk series of “Retales From the Frontline” presented by Mastercard. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Whether you’re a digitally native brand launching a store footprint, an established retailer testing a new product or market, or even Amazon Prime releasing a new season of the popular "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," pop-up stores are the new way of storytelling, and they’re bringing brands to life. Our host, Matt Rubel, spoke to Melissa Gonzalez, aka the “Pop-up Queen,” who has created more than 150 pop-up experiences for brands like The RealReal and haircare specialist Madison Reed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Retailers and brands are looking for customer insights and ways to personalize the shopping experience using Data, but can be distracted by bright shiny AI tech solutions. Show host Matt Rubel sat down with First Insight CEO Greg Petro, Forrester Principal Analyst Sucharita Kodali, and Synchrony Financial Head of Analytics Michael Bopp to talk about how retailers and brands are using Data and AI…and how they should be using them. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Two powerhouse millennial entrepreneurs share what makes their generation tick… and shop. Show host Matt Rubel digs deep with Nick Molnar, who at age 28 has built the over $2B company Afterpay, and Jane Lu also known as @TheLazyCEO, who used social media to build fashion site Showpo. Learn how retailers can engage the generation who will earn half of all disposable income in the US by 2025 (hint: it’s all about building trust, authenticity, purpose and community, not to mention joining Lu’s Like Minded Bitches Drinking Wine club!). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Show host Matthew Rubel, a global Chairman and investor in retail and consumer brands takes you on an insiders journey to easily make sense of tariffs and trade and how they affect the retail industry and ultimately the consumer and shopping. Rubel sat down with National Retail Federation CEO and President Matthew Shay, and Founder SW Retail Advisors and retail analyst at CNBC Stacey Widlitz to capture the essence of these important topics and how they could impact prices, manufacturing and the overall economy. Shay and Widlitz have real and timely insights on what US retailers and consumers can expect from tariffs and trade. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Show host Matt Rubel offers a preview of things to come, on Retales from the Frontline. We are honored to have spoken with three of the most insightful minds in the retail commerce space to get their predictions for the year.Steve Sadove, Founding Partner of JW Levin Management Partners and Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saks IncorporatedMarigay McKee, who has led luxury brands such as Saks Fifth Avenue and HarrodsKeval Desai, a former Google executive and investor and board member of some of the most successful brands today like the RealReal and Cuyana See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.