RETHINK RETAIL

As retail leaders prepare for Shoptalk Europe 2026, the conversation is no longer centered on what AI could do. It's shifting toward what AI in retail is already doing, where it is creating measurable value, and what it takes to move from pilots to profit. In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Jeremy Goldman, VP of Insights at RETHINK Retail, sits down with Joe Laszlo, Head of Content at Shoptalk, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Shoptalk Europe agenda is built, and why this year's program reflects a more execution-focused moment for retail. The conversation explores: → Why the Shoptalk Europe 2026 agenda moves beyond theory and into real-world retail AI application → How European retail leaders are navigating AI, customer connection, and physical retail reinvention → Why agentic commerce is being approached with both excitement and scrutiny → What makes the European retail conversation distinct across markets, regulations, and consumer behaviors → Which sessions and speakers are set to shape the biggest retail conversations in Barcelona With leaders from Vestiaire Collective, Arc'teryx, Christian Louboutin, Zalando, Estée Lauder, Sephora, L'Oréal, Google, and more taking the stage, Shoptalk Europe is bringing together the people defining what retail execution looks like next.

The conversation continues! In the conclusion of our special two-part coverage from eTail Toronto 2026, host Jeremy Goldman sits down with four more industry experts to explore the shifting dynamics of modern retail and what it takes to stay ahead in an increasingly automated landscape. Featured in this episode: - Janet Ihm (Vice President, Channel Strategy & Digital Experience, Ontario Cannabis Store): Using retail data programs to level the playing field for mom and pop shops and the importance of intentional, cautious AI strategy. - Thomas Hamilton (VP of Sales & Marketing): Why he's teaching his team philosophy and critical thinking to act as tastemakers who audit the machine. - Mario Lemieux (Partner, DAC): The collapse of the traditional marketing funnel and the rebirth of the physical store as a billboard for the brand. - Roger Emeka (Director of Customer Experience, Browns Shoes Inc.): Why Customer Experience is a profit center and the immediate fallback rule that keeps humans at the center of the journey. Listen now to hear the full conclusion of our eTail Toronto series!

Stanley 1913 has moved far beyond a single blockbuster product. Graham Nearn, Chief Product and Sustainability Officer, PMI WW Brands, LLC (Stanley 1913), sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss how a brand with a century of history stays absolutely relevant in a trend-driven market. Inside the Episode: - The Credibility Ladder: Why every expansion must pass the four filters of quality, originality, invention, and mission to avoid overextending the brand. - Lifestyle Evolution: How the Vitalize collection and the new Clutch Bottle move the company beyond hydration and into everyday essentials. - Universal Truths: Adapting a global strategy to meet hyper-local needs, from car culture in the US to commute culture in Asia. - Circular Success: A look at the award-winning Take Back program that reclaims 96 percent of materials for the supply chain. - Predictive Learning: Using real-time social dialogue and data to inform the next move before the market catches up. Stop managing a blockbuster product. Start fueling the human experience.

Retailers have spent 25 years trying to make in-store picking profitable. Most are still struggling because fulfillment is managed as an afterthought. In this episode, Top Retail Expert Vinny O'Brien sits down with Xavier Pym, Partnerships Development Manager at Vusion and Kristofer Browall, Head of Solution Sales at StrongPoint, to bridge the gap between digital strategy and operational reality. Discussion Highlights: - The Design Conflict - Direction Over Data - The Human Factor - The Connected Advantage Stop managing the store as a side project. Start building a real-time fulfillment engine.

Retailers have spent 25 years trying to make in-store picking profitable. Most are still struggling because fulfillment is managed as an afterthought. In this episode, Top Retail Expert Vinny O'Brien sits down with Xavier Pym, Partnerships Development Manager at Vusion and Kristofer Browall, Head of Solution Sales at StrongPoint, to bridge the gap between digital strategy and operational reality. Discussion Highlights: - The Design Conflict - Direction Over Data - The Human Factor - The Connected Advantage Stop managing the store as a side project. Start building a real-time fulfillment engine.

B2B commerce is built on a foundation of extreme complexity. When a part fails in a 100 million dollar machine, the customer needs a solution, not just a search result. Carl Holt, Director of Digital Product and Transformation at RS Group plc, sits down with Howe Gu, Group SVP, Customers and Partners at Rezolve AI, and Evan Burgess, Global Sales Director at Rezolve AI. They discuss the leap from legacy search engines to agentic commerce. Inside the Episode: - 99 Percent Rule Reduction: The automation strategy that allowed RS Group to replace 30,000 manual rules with an AI product platform. - Natural Language Moats: Why engineers are moving toward "plain English" problem solving to bypass technical jargon. - Predictive Fulfillment: A look at the future of IoT sensors and AI agents that order spare parts before a machine actually breaks. - Agent-to-Agent Commerce: How to build digital experiences for the AI agents that will soon be shopping on behalf of global organizations. Value is not found in the catalog size. It is found in the speed of the solution.

We're live from the floor of eTail Toronto 2026! In the first half of our special two-part coverage, we're digging past the buzzwords to find out what is actually driving retail innovation in 2026. Host Jeremy Goldman sits down with three industry leaders to discuss everything from boardroom AI mandates to the digital rebellion of the next generation of consumers. Featured in this episode: - Dave Stevens (CTO, Groupe Dynamite): How to achieve "10x the CX" by stripping away AI noise and focusing on exposure therapy for internal teams. - Stacey DeSantis (Content Marketing Manager, Home Hardware): Solving the "Chicken Parm problem" by prioritizing authenticity and getting to the point fast for AI search. - Paul Briggs (Principal Analyst, EMARKETER): The data behind the Canadian market, from last mile delivery hurdles to the future of automated grocery replenishment. Whether you're a CTO drafting a tech strategy or a marketer fighting for authenticity, this episode is packed with real-world takeaways you can use today. Listen now and keep an ear out for Part 2 coming soon!

Automation and Openness: Lessons from the Australian Frontline Australia has a 20-year head start on the self-service revolution. Kristie Longhurst from Diebold Nixdorf and Top Retail Expert Nick Harbaugh discuss why automation is the only viable answer to the global labor crisis and rising operational costs. Inside the Episode: - The Demographic Surprise: Why the elderly are embracing self-checkout while millennial men remain the most hesitant group. - Gentle Loss Prevention: Using AI for suggestive shrink reduction that preserves the customer relationship instead of creating friction. - The Economic Catalyst: How Australia's unique cash-handling model is forcing a massive shift toward 30-lane self-service footprints. - The Death of Lock-in: Why an open, API-driven foundation is now the primary requirement for retail scalability. Stop fighting for labor. Start building a flexible, open-tech foundation.

Shrinking margins, labor shortages, and the complexity of omni-channel fulfillment are putting unprecedented pressure on grocery and convenience retailers. On the latest RETHINK Retail Podcast, recorded live at EuroShop, Renee Hartmann, Top Retail Expert, sits down with Zsuzsa Hordai of SPAR International and Aidan Mittra of OrderGrid to unpack these operational pressures, and what they demand from retailers next. KEY TAKEAWAYS - Margins and workforce are the defining pressures: Declining profits and difficulty retaining staff at every level of the organization remain the industry's most urgent challenges. - Technology should amplify people, not replace them: The best implementations automate low-value tasks so associates can focus on customer engagement and high-value work. - Real-time data drives better decisions: Moving beyond lagging back-office systems gives retailers the visibility to act on out-of-stocks, expiring inventory, and margin risks before they escalate. - Out-of-stocks damage more than revenue: In an omni-channel world, stockouts erode customer trust and long-term loyalty. - Practical automation is already here: Computer vision, RFID, and human-in-the-loop systems are being deployed today to improve shelf availability and operational efficiency. This episode explores how a real-time data foundation can reduce friction for shoppers and staff alike, and position the physical store as a driver of lasting growth.

Beyond Vanilla AI: The Era of Agentic Commerce The retail industry has moved past experimentation. We are now in the realization phase where AI agents deliver frictionless, store-like expertise to digital channels. Vic Miles from Microsoft and Crispin Lowery of Rezolve AI join Jeremy Goldman to discuss why the early adopter advantage is now a requirement for brand survival. Key Discussion Points: - The Expertise Bridge: How agents bring the nuance of an in-store associate to the digital checkout. - The Tesla Analogy: Why retail tech is shifting from rigid engineering to fluid, software-first experiences. - Personalization as a Killer App: Using AI to move from broad demographics to solving singular problems for individual shoppers. - Choosing the Right Foundation: Why no-hallucination platforms and transparent brand voice control are the new vendor table stakes. Stop managing metrics. Start mastering the human experience.

Store design used to be about defining a set path for the customer. Today, it is about providing a flexible canvas. Crate and Barrel's VP of Store Design, Nicholas Effler joins Top Retail Expert Cynthia Ortiz to discuss how Crate & Barrel balances historic architecture with the high-tech expectations of the modern shopper. Inside the Episode: - Digital Echoes: How the pace of app-scrolling translates to physical shopping behavior. - Associate Centricity: Why clearing out menial tasks through design is the fastest way to boost sales performance. - Right-Sizing the Fleet: The transition from homogenous 40,000 square foot "cathedrals" to contextual, localized footprints. - Architectural Restraint: The discipline required to modernise historic buildings without losing their soul. Stop building static spaces. Start designing for the fluid shopper.

Retail design is at a crossroads. As customer expectations rise, physical stores must offer more than just products: they must deliver animation, meaning, and connection. Steve Calhoun and Andy Hunt, from The Hershey Company, join Top Retail Expert Elisa Servais to discuss how Hershey's uses technology to amplify nostalgia and joy without overstimulating the shopper. Inside the Episode: - The Digital Interface: Moving beyond multichannel silos to make the mobile phone an integral part of the store journey. - The AR Sandbox: Using spatial computing and AR to field-test "blue sky" merchandising concepts before they hit the sales floor. - Inclusive Innovation: Why Hershey's implements "calm hours" at Chocolate World to accommodate neurodivergent visitors. - The Invisible Tool: Ensuring technology serves the "moment of goodness" rather than distracting from the brand markers. Stop building stores. Start designing experiences.

On the latest RETHINK Retail Podcast, host Toby Pickard of the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) sits down with Aidan Mittra, Co-founder of OrderGrid. They explore how real-time inventory technology is transforming store efficiency, supply chain management, and the future of grocery retail. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Location and expiry awareness is now essential: Retailers need to know exactly where items are and whether they are sellable, not just whether they exist in the system. - A real-time data layer connects the dots: Bridging ERP and POS systems gives retailers full visibility across the front of house and back room. - Better data means better orchestration: Precise item location reduces picker search time, improves staff deployment, and enables automated replenishment. - Hybrid fulfillment is redefining store design: OrderGrid's patented approach blends traditional retail with a micro-fulfillment dark store component, dramatically reducing picking times. - Emerging technologies are raising the bar: RFID, 2D barcodes, and computer vision are set to transform expiry traceability and strengthen sustainability across the supply chain. - The hyper-connected store is within reach: AI-empowered physical retail spaces are creating better experiences for staff and shoppers through improved availability and operational transparency. This episode explores how a clean, real-time data foundation positions retailers to compete in an increasingly connected grocery landscape.

Traditional retail is designed to drive the next transaction, but Patagonia is built to drive a movement. Angela Clark, VP of Digital at Patagonia, joins Marie Schwartz to discuss leading a digital organization where activism is a primary KPI and short-term conversion is never the goal. Activism as a Metric: Why Patagonia treats a local cleanup sign-up with the same weight as a high-value product purchase. The Used Gear Edge: How side-by-side "New vs. Used" product pages have transformed customer acquisition and brand transparency. Membership vs Loyalty: Why the brand ditched the points-and-coupons model for a community-led experience guided by a company philosopher. Authentic Transparency: Moving beyond "greenwashing" by openly discussing the challenges of global manufacturing and carbon-heavy supply chains. Stop building for the next quarter. Start building for the next generation.

The real bottleneck in retail planning isn't a lack of data; it's the time lost reconciling it. When planners spend the first half of their week manually pulling reports, they aren't strategizing—they're just catching up. The tension for 2026 is moving past "Black Box" AI that demands blind faith to Agentic AI that provides actionable transparency. Karen Beebe, CTO of Bealls, Inc., details how a 111-year-old retailer scales innovation by integrating AI directly into their core business strategy. Rather than treating AI as a standalone project, Bealls uses autonomous agents to automate data-gathering drudgery. KEY INSIGHTS: - Automating the Monday Morning Grind: Bealls utilizes agents for Agentic Evaluation & Optimization (AEO). The system reconciles disparate data sources automatically, delivering a recommendation and its justification simultaneously so planners can act immediately. - Trust as a Technical Requirement: Transparency is the antidote to the "Black Box." By exposing the logic behind AI outputs, Bealls allows human experts to validate anomalies and local nuances, ensuring the machine learns from human intuition. - Integrated Innovation: AI use cases at Bealls are tied to the specific flow of off-price retail. This ensures technology serves the primary goal—inventory efficiency—rather than chasing technical novelties for their own sake. In the era of autonomous retail, trust is built on visibility. If your merchants don't understand the "why" behind the data, they shouldn't execute the "what."

Emerging brands cannot outspend the giants. They have to out-think them. Avani Oswal, Head of Digital at Elizée, joins Marie Schwartz to share how they build trust for a high-price product in a market dominated by legacy names. THE HIGH-LEVEL INSIGHTS: - The Margin Trap: Why focusing on contribution margin is the only way to build a sustainable luxury business. - The Discovery Layer: Moving beyond SEO to win the race for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). - Creative Velocity: Using technology to 5x your content output without losing the luxury human touch. - Double-Duty Dollars: Why the wall between "brand building" and "performance marketing" has to come down. Value isn't found in the algorithm. It is found in the connection.

Innovation is often confused with complexity. In this episode, Jennifer Peters, Director of DTC and Martech at OLLY, argues that the most successful brands in 2026 are the ones that execute the fundamentals with relentless consistency. They move past the hype of custom builds to focus on what actually moves the needle for a modern wellness brand. WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN: - The Headless Trap: Why the trend of overly complicated, custom builds is fading and why almost no business is as "unique" as they think. - Beyond the $10 Coupon: How OLLY uses receipt scanning to build a unified view of the customer across Walmart, Target, and D2C. - Boring AI: Why the real power of AI lies in "un-glamorous" tasks like catalog enrichment and data hygiene rather than creative prompts. - AEO is the New SEO: How the role of the brand site is shifting from a revenue driver to a discoverability hub for Answer Engines (LLMs). THE TAKEAWAY: Stop sinking costs into flashy trends. Start investing in a site that actually converts.

The long waves of efficiency are over. If your brand waits 18 months to pivot, you have already lost the margin. Jason O'Toole, Head of Connected Commerce & Media at Gildan, and guest host Spencer Lian-Thornton, VP Growth & Partnership of Mindgruve, discuss why the "Fail Fast" culture is now a requirement for survival. INSIDE THE EPISODE: - The ROAS Trap: Why high returns often hide cannibalization and how Gildan focuses on incremental growth instead. - Test and Learn: Placing experimentation at the center of the operating model to find the 3% of initiatives that actually scale. - The Final Differentiator: As AI automates the grunt work of reporting, strategy becomes the only competitive moat left. Stop managing channels. Start managing the consumer footprint. Watch the full episode here.

On the latest RETHINK Retail Podcast, host Fritz Finlay sits down with Jeannie Scarlet Freis-Terry of Albertsons and Aidan Mittra, Co-founder of OrderGrid, to discuss how grocers can modernize their technology stack. They explore building lasting vendor relationships and laying the operational foundation for an AI-driven future in the grocery sector. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Great partnerships solve big problems: The best vendor relationships go beyond a single solution, enabling capabilities retailers could not build independently. - Modernization is a journey, not a switch: Given legacy system complexity, a phased deployment approach is far more practical than a full rip-and-replace strategy. - AI needs a solid foundation: Effective AI deployment requires trusted, real-time data. Without it, even the most sophisticated tools will underdeliver. - Pilots should be focused and measurable: Testing in five to twenty locations over four to six weeks allows retailers to prove value without overcommitting to full integration. - Feedback from the floor matters: Input from associates and customers early and often surfaces insights that data alone cannot capture. - Small-scale experimentation beats hesitation: Retailers who embrace controlled testing learn faster, fail cheaper, and build stronger strategies over time. IN SUMMARY: This episode explores how grocery retailers can move from legacy constraints to a modern, partnership-driven model built for the demands of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.

The era of curiosity is over. Retailers are finding that moving from a flashy demo to a trusted, scalable production environment is much harder than a slide deck makes it look. In this episode, op Retail Expert & AI Leader, Charisma Glassman sits down with Mark Abramowitz, CMO of Dataiku, to discuss how leaders can hit their performance targets before the 2026 budget reckoning. WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN: - The Regret Gap: Why 74% of CIOs are second-guessing their AI platforms and how to pivot before budgets are frozen. - The Success Formula: Moving beyond "AI Chaos" by focusing on the three pillars: People, Orchestration, and Governance. - Agentic Reality: How organizations like SoftBank and Roche are saving hundreds of thousands of hours by operationalizing AI on day one. - Vibe Coding and Creativity: Why accessible AI is turning non-technical leaders into creators and why that is the ultimate competitive advantage. Stop managing the hype. Start building for business impact.

Consumer habits are shifting fast, and the pressure on grocery retailers to keep up has never been greater. On the latest RETHINK Retail Podcast, R.J. Hottovy of Placer.ai and Aidan Mittra, Co-founder of OrderGrid, discuss the state of the industry and how retailers can adapt to modern demands. THE KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Shoppers are more fluid than ever: Consumers are moving freely across in-store, pickup, and delivery channels based on convenience. Consistent execution across every touchpoint is now critical. - Retail routines are expanding: Macroeconomic pressure is driving shoppers to spread spending across discounters, club stores, and convenience retailers rather than relying on a single grocery brand. - Back-end operations are the differentiator: Heavy investment in front-end digital experiences means little without reliable inventory accuracy and quality behind the scenes. - AI in grocery is finding its footing: Current applications are largely front-end focused, but the foundation being built today will determine how effectively retailers can deploy AI operationally in the future. Winning in modern grocery retail starts not with the customer-facing experience, but with the operational infrastructure powering it.

Here is the Spotify-optimized version for the Inventory Truth episode with Ted McCaffrey and Tom Meehan. I've focused on making those "Core Perspectives" pop so listeners can quickly see the technical value of the conversation. The Optimized Spotify Version Copy and paste this text directly: DESCRIPTION Retail transformation fails in the gap between corporate data and the sales floor. In this episode, Top Retail Expert Ted McCaffrey and Tom Meehan, CEO of CONTROLTEK, discuss why "inventory truth" is the only metric that matters in 2026. THE CORE PERSPECTIVES:

Most growth leaders spend their lives chasing the promotional calendar. Ankur Goyal spent his time building a brand that didn't need one. In this episode, Marie Schwartz sits down with Ankur Goyal, the man who helped lead Coterie to a major acquisition. They move past the standard "growth hacks" to reveal the discipline required for true innovation. THE GROWTH BLUEPRINT:

The era of "testing" AI is over. For retail leaders, the tension has shifted from theoretical potential to a mandatory operational overhaul. If you aren't actioning data within 24 hours, you're already behind. Recorded at Shoptalk, quip CEO Meredith Glansberg joins Kimberly Morgan, a Top AI Leader, to dismantle the hype surrounding retail tech. Glansberg argues that AI isn't a "point solution"—it is a foundational layer that must support the high-trust, high-touch reality of wellness products. KEY INSIGHTS:

Most brands treat influencers as a side project. At Allbirds, it is a unified revenue engine. Sarah Grosz joins Marie Chevrier Schwartz to discuss moving the brand beyond ad-hoc product seeding to a 3,000-plus member network that drives predictable ROI. THE CORE STRATEGY:

Most organizations break the same way: they get bigger, slower, and more rigid. Ujjwal Dhoot of Tractor Supply Company argues for the opposite approach: if you want to scale, you have to build like water—not like a box. ADAPTABILITY OVER RIGIDITY:

Top Retail Expert Joshua Rockoff was joined by Yuliya Samsonava from EPAM and Vic Miles from Microsoft onsite at Shoptalk Spring to explore how agentic AI is being applied within luxury retail. In this episode, we dive into connecting data across systems, supporting decision-making in real time, and elevating the role of store associates. RETAILERS WILL GAIN INSIGHTS INTO:

If your digital team and your store team are arguing over attribution, you don't have a measurement problem. You have a customer problem. Most retailers still treat stores like isolated P&Ls—judged on what happens inside four walls. But something else happens the moment a store opens: Search spikes. Traffic shifts. Conversion improves—everywhere. On the ground with Courtney Hawkins of CH Retail Group, we got into why the real metric isn't store revenue. It's market-level impact. HERE'S THE SHIFT:

Most retail AI isn't solving problems; it's hiding them. The industry is currently addicted to "overlays"—cheap, automated layers that promise instant compliance—but building on a mask is just waiting for the legal or operational consequences to catch up. At Shoptalk, Gustavo Cardona, VP of Technology at Levain Bakery, joined us to dismantle the "plug-and-play" fallacy. For a brand scaling from a neighborhood bakery to a national powerhouse, technology isn't a silver bullet—it's a foundation. Cardona's playbook rejects "set-it-and-forget-it" tools in favor of code remediation (fixing the source, not the surface) and API flexibility. By integrating eight source systems into one "cent-perfect" data warehouse, Levain Bakery transformed tech from a cost center into a strategic engine. THE KEY UNLOCKS:

The Central Nervous System: Rewiring Retail with Modular Architecture Diebold Nixdorf and Kitestring explain how modular architecture serves as the foundation for resilience. Guests Bernd Kraus and Eugene Park move beyond the "rip and replace" mentality to show how retailers can modernize while keeping the lights on. Core Insights: - By separating hardware from software, retailers gain the freedom to innovate on the storefront without waiting for a hardware refresh cycle. - Store uptime is non-negotiable. The challenge is balancing the rapid "sprint" culture of e-commerce with the enterprise-grade reliability required for brick-and-mortar operations. - From EV charging to third-party delivery, retailers are losing visibility into the customer journey. A modular backend is the only way to unify these disparate data points into a single, loyal experience. The Bottom Line: A future-proof system does not exist. What exists is an agile system that allows you to say yes to the unpredictable.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) gave brands control over experience, data, and customer relationships. As brands grow, that model alone becomes limiting. This episode explores how brands move from subscription-based models into retail and multi-channel strategies — and what changes when products leave controlled environments and enter broader distribution. Podcast Overview Fritz Finlay is joined by Reba Hatcher, Chief Commercial Officer at ButcherBox, and Jennifer Cline, CMO of SubSummit. Together, they discuss the transition from DTC to retail, focusing on how brands scale while maintaining consistency across channels. Key Topics Covered - Why DTC alone is no longer sufficient for growth - How brands transition from subscription to retail - The trade-offs between control, scale, and visibility - What changes in product positioning, messaging, and packaging - Operational challenges of multi-channel expansion - How DTC and retail strategies can work together About SubSummit This episode is part of SubSummit (May 13–15, Kansas City), a leading event focused on subscription, commerce, and retail. SubSummit brings together brands and operators working through multi-channel growth, including the shift from DTC to retail environments.

Most retailers are still optimizing for a world where a human types a keyword into a bar. But at Hanna Andersson, Matt Ezyk is architecting for a reality where AI agents browse and filter on behalf of the consumer. In this episode, we discuss the architectural survival of brand identity in a decentralized world. - The Bilingual Storefront: LLMs crave data density (fit, texture, origin) that ruins human UX. Use "Accordion" Architecture to hide technical metadata from the human "dopamine hit" while keeping it readable for the bots that control discovery. - LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization): Your brand identity is being reconstructed by AI using Reddit and training data. To stay relevant, return to the basics of structured data to ensure the machine treats your quality as a fact, not a slogan. - The Intuition Guardrail: AI is a rearview mirror. It fails at "newness." Human merchandising "hunches" are the only way to signal relevance for new collections that lack historical data. The Bottom Line: In 2026, building for the click is a legacy strategy. To survive the Agent Era, you must build for the conversation. If your site doesn't speak "bot," your human customers will never find your story.

What if the real problem with AI in retail isn't intelligence—but expertise? Recorded live at Shoptalk Spring in Las Vegas, this conversation breaks down how Boot Barn is tackling one of retail's hardest challenges: scaling deep, technical product knowledge across 500+ stores—without losing credibility on the floor. Instead of relying on generic chatbots, Boot Barn built a custom AI “associate” designed to know the difference between looking right and being right—especially when safety, compliance, and performance matter. Key Insights: - AI is only as good as what it knows. Boot Barn uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to ground AI in real product specs, safety standards, and brand knowledge—reducing hallucinations and increasing trust where it matters most. - The real unlock isn't AI—it's humans training it. Professional copywriters aren't being replaced—they're evolving into AI trainers, shaping how the system communicates and ensuring the brand voice stays authentic to the Western and workwear customer. Expertise, on demand. In a high-turnover retail environment, AI becomes a “digital co-worker”—giving store associates instant access to complex product knowledge they might otherwise take years to learn. Search is no longer the battleground. As discovery shifts toward AI-driven answers, Boot Barn is preparing for a world where visibility depends on how well your knowledge is structured for machines—not just humans. Listen to the full conversation to see what retail AI actually looks like when it works.

Moving Beyond the Buzzwords Unified Commerce isn't a new term, but true execution remains the "Holy Grail" for enterprise retailers. In this episode, Steven Bailey, Partner at EY and Jonathan Aitken, SVP at RADAR, discuss why the gap between vision and reality is still so wide, and how to close it. The Foundation of Real-Time Retail From the friction of in-store returns to the high cost of order cancellations, the duo explores how fragmented data ruins the customer experience. They break down why "throwing AI at the problem" isn't a fix for a broken architectural foundation. Key Insights include: - Journey vs. Channel: Why structural alignment matters more than technology. - The Smart Store: Transitioning physical locations from "sales points" to "intelligence hubs." - Inventory Truth: Why 99%+ accuracy is the non-negotiable starting point for 2026.

The “Connected Store” has moved from concept to operational priority. In this episode, Pauline Monin (Vusion) breaks down how digital shelf technology is transforming physical stores into responsive, data-driven environments. Operational Excellence & Local E-Commerce Automated pricing removes manual processes and reduces errors at scale, allowing store teams to focus on higher-value tasks. At the same time, stores become more effective local fulfilment hubs. With “Flash-to-Pick” LED guidance, associates can follow optimized picking routes, improving speed and consistency for online order fulfilment. The AI & Retail Media Opportunity Through EdgeSense, fragmented in-store data is unified into a single intelligence layer. This enables AI-driven recommendations across pricing and assortment, while also opening the door to in-store Retail Media. Digital displays can measure engagement such as dwell time, giving brands clearer visibility into performance at the shelf.

Recorded live at Shoptalk Spring, this episode of the AiR Podcast tackles the shift from AI experimentation to real-world accountability. Mark Williamson, AVP of Retail Media at Costco Wholesale, joins Kimberly Morgan, CEO of The Fashion Tech Exec and a Top AI Leader, to discuss why Costco is building its technology ecosystem "from the studs up." The Path of Most Resistance While many retailers opt for "plug-and-play" black-box solutions, Williamson explains why Costco is intentionally choosing a more complex, transparent path. By keeping member data behind its own firewall and inviting partners to work natively inside the Costco data cloud, the company eliminates signal loss while upholding its core code of ethics: respect for the member and respect for the supplier. No AI Strategy Without a Data Strategy The conversation centers on the necessity of a modular, interoperable tech stack. Morgan and Williamson explore how this foundation prepares Costco for the era of agentic commerce. By organizing data properly today, Costco ensures it can provide relevant value wherever members shop in the future—whether via an LLM, a search engine, or the warehouse floor.

This podcast features Darko Pavic, CEO at Fiscal Solutions and Michael Zakkour from 5 New Digital, discussing a critical yet overlooked pillar of global expansion: fiscalization. Why Compliance is Your Transaction Architecture: Fiscalization is more than bureaucracy. It is the technical foundation of every global transaction. Darko introduces his new book, The Fiscalization Compliance Maturity Model: To help retailers move from "firefighting" emergencies to a structured, strategic advantage. The 4 Levels of Compliance Maturity: - Level 1 (Reactive): Ad hoc responses and constant emergencies. - Level 2 (Fragmented): Siloed regional teams and high double work costs. - Level 3 (Connected): Shared tools and unified data architectures. - Level 4 (Strategic): Compliance as a high speed growth engine. Whether you are expanding into 5 countries or 50, this session provides a checklist for turning legal risks into a competitive edge. Watch the full interview to future proof your global retail operations.

Most AI projects die in the boardroom because they ignore the person holding the handheld scanner. In this episode, Sharon Gai, Matt Redwood, and Paula Angelucci move past the hype to discuss what actually works on the shop floor. The Pivot from Shiny to Useful Stop starting with the technology. Matt Redwood argues that the most successful AI implementations begin with a specific human frustration. Whether it is identifying non-barcoded produce or managing "dark" areas of the store, the tech must serve the journey. One pilot even saw a 75 percent reduction in shrink, but the real win was the store staff lobbying to keep the tools because they made their jobs easier. Empowering the Artist Paula Angelucci views AI as the ultimate tool for the frontline. By automating the "laundry" of the industry, retailers can finally return to being entertainers and experts. From AI-driven leadership coaching to real-time product insights, the goal is to give associates their time back. Watch the full interview to see how Diebold Nixdorf and WHSmith are turning data into a genuine competitive advantage.

Your product data wasn't built for AI agents. Here's why that's a problem. In the latest episode of RETHINK Retail's award-winning AiR (AI in Retail) podcast series, host Jamie Tenser sits down with @Anne-Claire Baschet, Chief Data & AI Officer at @Mirakl and a Top AI Leader recognized by RETHINK Retail, to explore the seismic shift happening in retail discovery right now. Anne-Claire brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and strategic vision, from her roots as a Data Scientist at AXA to leading e-commerce platforms at Aramis Group, and now driving AI innovation at Mirakl. As a recognized leader in the AI retail space, she's at the forefront of what she calls the "agentic era" in commerce. The reality check: • 53 million shopping queries happen daily on ChatGPT alone • 60% of shoppers now use AI in their shopping journey • Traditional keyword optimization? It's no longer enough What retailers must do now: ✓ Product data & API infrastructure – Make your catalog AI-responsive, not just mobile-responsive ✓ Brand content & social proof – Build trust signals that AI agents recognize ✓ Pricing transparency – Show the real price (product + promo + tax + shipping) ✓ Fulfillment capabilities – Accurate stock and delivery promises matter more than ever ✓ Performance tracking – Test, learn, and optimize for agentic channels Anne-Claire's advice for 2026? "Experiment. The ones who win are going to be those whose products AI can actually find, understand, and recommend."

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail podcast, Julia Rogers Vargas, VP and GM, Identification Solutions at Avery Dennison and Sasha Wallinger, contributor at Forbes move past the buzzwords to find the "magic" in the retail grind. The End of the Visible Transaction We are rapidly approaching a "post-transactional" world. As AI bots begin to automate our daily chores, from replenishing diapers to choosing grocery brands, the traditional checkout experience is fading. Sasha and Julia explore why this shift forces a total pivot in marketing: if a bot is making the purchase, a brand's only survival strategy is a deep, emotional relationship with the human behind the machine. Data as the Non-Negotiable Floor You can't build "magic" on a broken foundation. Julia highlights that while everyone is chasing AI, the real winners are those perfecting their data accuracy through RFID and sensor technology. If the information feeding your digital models is inaccurate, the entire ecosystem collapses. Accurate "track and trace" is what allows the logistics to become invisible, leaving room for the human touch. Freeing the "Hardy" Retailers Retail has always been about "humans serving humans." By automating the tedious, manual processes, what Julia calls the "laundry" of the industry, we aren't replacing the workforce. Instead, we are re-empowering retailers to be the entertainers and artists they were meant to be, bringing intimacy and delight back to the physical space. Watch the full interview to see how Avery Dennison is bridging the gap between digital intelligence and physical artistry.

Liza Amlani (Retail Strategy Group) and Aimee Heuschkel (Lectra) joined RETHINK Retail at NRF to discuss why the industry is currently making too much of the wrong product. The Overdevelopment Crisis Right now, brands are throwing supply at consumers and hoping demand follows. With 81% of retailers struggling to keep up, the result is massive waste and shrinking margins. The fix requires moving from reactive systems to predictive, data-led models. Breaking Down Retail Silos Teams are often "rowing in different directions." Success in 2026 requires bringing design, sourcing, and materials together at the very start of the process. When everyone aligns on business goals rather than siloed targets, efficiency skyrockets. Materials as a Strategic Unlock Instead of fabric being a "service" to design, it should be the starting point. Elevating materials teams reduces waste and simplifies calendars, ensuring your brand is ready for upcoming transparency regulations like Digital Product Passports (DPP). Listen the full podcast to future-proof your product journey.

Marie Schwartz caught up with MaryLeigh Bliss from Ypulse at NRF to talk Gen Z in 2026. The old marketing playbooks? They're history. The 20-year trend cycle is over. MaryLeigh explains how social media has created a "firehose" of fragmented trends where Gen Z is nostalgic for everything at once. Whether it's a 90s reboot or a meme from two weeks ago, the pace is moving faster than most retailers can keep up with. We're also seeing the rise of the "AI Detective." Gen Z is hunting for glitches and demanding that AI-generated content be clearly labeled. Transparency is now a requirement for trust, which is why brands like Aerie are winning by doubling down on human authenticity. Finally, the "post-social" era has arrived. Follower counts don't guarantee reach anymore, the algorithm is the new gatekeeper. From the "social closet" (dressing up for TikTok but living in sweatpants) to the surprising return of cinema-going, this episode covers exactly how to reach the next generation in 2026. Watch the full interview for the complete Gen Z playbook.

In this episode, RETHINK Retail host Marie Schwartz sits down with Jake Randolph and Adel Cruz from LINKED Permanent Jewelry to discuss the explosive growth of experiential retail. Key Highlights: - Experiential Sales: Why "permanent" products are winning on social media. - The AI Advantage: How solo owners use AI to scale marketing and operations. - Future of Retail: A first look at LINKED's new "no-welding" model for traditional stores. Building 2026 Entrepreneurs From Air Force pilots to estheticians, the permanent jewelry business model is empowering a new wave of retail owners. Discover how simple tech and a "community-first" mindset are redefining the gig economy.

Retailers often chase AI for its own sake instead of solving specific operational problems. In this session of Retailer Tech Tips, Thaddeus Segura from VusionGroup and Guy Courtin from Tecsys discuss how to move past "irrational exuberance" to build an operating model that survives the current industry bifurcation. Key Discussion Points: - The Hardware Flywheel: Intelligence starts at the shelf, using battery-powered cameras to gather necessary AI signals. - Managing Expectations: The industry must move away from "magic beans" toward transparent conversations about AI capabilities. - The Future of Discovery: AI tools are changing how consumers find brands, shifting loyalty from ads to personalized recommendations. - The Omnichannel Hurdle: Traditional safety stock is no longer viable as modern retail demands real-time inventory precisio Are you ready to "bite the bullet" on tech costs now, or will you wait for another budget cycle?

As Shoptalk Spring 2026 approaches, one theme is shaping the conversation across the retail industry: AI is moving from experimentation to real-world application. In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Fritz Finlay speaks with Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights at Shoptalk, about the ideas and trends expected to define this year's event. Their discussion explores several themes emerging across AI in retail today: - Human-Centric AI As automation expands across retail operations, successful brands are focusing on how technology can enhance, not replace, the human elements of service, connection, and experience. - AI as a Multiplier Rather than asking what roles AI replaces, retailers are increasingly exploring how AI can expand what teams are capable of accomplishing. - From AI Hype to Retail Impact The most valuable AI applications are solving long-standing retail challenges, from merchandising decisions and demand planning to customer engagement and discovery. Joe also shares how these themes are reflected in the Shoptalk Spring 2026 agenda, where leaders from companies such as New Balance, Victoria's Secret, and Reddit will discuss how AI is shaping the next phase of retail innovation.

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Digital Shelf Institute Executive Director Lauren Livak joins Paul Murphy to discuss what's shaping the next phase of ecommerce, from changing shopper behavior to the growing gap between browsing and buying. They discuss why many digital experiences still struggle to help shoppers make decisions, and what retailers can do differently to better capture attention and support the path to purchase. Key discussion points include: - The Conversion Gap: Why rising site traffic doesn't always translate into completed purchases. - The “Imagination Gap” in Ecommerce: How visualization and contextual experiences help shoppers understand products in their own environment. Explore the insights shaping the next phase of ecommerce.

Is Your Store Ready for What's Next? Modern retail is about more than just selling products. It's about being fast, reliable, and smart right when the customer needs it most. In our latest podcast, Intelligence at the Edge: Powering the Store of Tomorrow, we're breaking down how the world's leading retailers are using edge computing to transform the shopping experience. Why Listen? Host Michael Klein talks with Mariya Zorotovich, General Manager at Intel and Frank Baur, COO at Diebold Nixdorf about the tech that keeps stores running at peak performance. Forget the buzzwords. We're talking about real solutions for real-time retail. What You'll Discover: - Speed That Matters: Why processing data in the store (not the cloud) is the key to zero-friction checkouts. - Reliability at Scale: How to keep thousands of locations synced and surging without system failures. - Smart Growth: How to build a modular foundation that supports AI, computer vision, and personalization today. Don't let your infrastructure hold you back. Tune in to find out how to build a store that is truly future-ready.

Luxury Retail: High-Tech Meets High-Touch In a market saturated with options, true luxury is defined by the depth of the experience. In this episode, Barney Stacher and Shunda D. Lynch of Bloomingdale's, explore how leading retailers stay relevant in a digital-first world.They break down the necessity of storytelling and why the most advanced AI should serve the sales associate, not replace them. What we explore in this session: - The secret to turning one-time shoppers into lifelong clients through rapport. - Leveraging AI to pinpoint manufacturing defects and minimize return rates. - How different age groups are adapting to new retail tools and follow-up strategies. Discover how to blend predictive data with authentic human connection to keep your brand at the top of the luxury market.

The Human Heart of Retail Innovation The message from NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show was clear: Technology is the tool, but humanity is the strategy. In this episode, Chris Igwe and Dominik Olejko, Head of Customer Insights at Pepco, debrief on the "thousands of years of experience" that met in New York this year. They dive into how global leaders are integrating AI to empower staff and why the "User First" mantra is more critical than ever. Why Tune In: - Beyond AI: How to shift from "AI everywhere" to "AI integrated." - Dark Social & Community: Why the best customer insights are moving to private spaces. - Authenticity: The secret to building trust in an automated world. Get the boots-on-the-ground insights you need to stay future-ready.

Is your AI strategy solving problems or just building more dashboards? Retailers are drowning in data, yet most still struggle to move the needle on store performance. In this episode of the AI in Retail podcast series, Top AI Leader David Polinchock sits down with Corey Spencer, GM & GVP of AI at UKG, to dismantle the "ivory tower" theories failing the frontline. They explore why the industry must shift from static lagging indicators to real-time orchestration. By making AI an "invisible assistant," managers can stop "scheduling" and start coaching, effectively cooling down frontline burnout before it hits the breaking point. Strategic Takeaways: - From Reports to Orchestration: Moving beyond Monday morning dashboards to real-time "AI angels" that flag compliance and staffing gaps as they happen. - The Semantic Layer: Why unifying payroll, HR, and workforce data is the non-negotiable first step to avoiding AI "hallucinations." - The Wisdom Luxury: How AI handles the "knowledge" (facts) so humans can provide the "wisdom" (connection) that defines high-end retail. Stop chasing "shiny objects" that end up as shelfware. Tune in to learn how to build an AI strategy that empowers your people and drives operational excellence.

At a time when "agents" and AI dominate every conversation, it is easy to forget that the ultimate channel is the consumer. In this RETHINK Retail episode, host DeAnn Campbell, Head of Retail Strategy at AAG Consulting and Scott Wueschinski, AVP of Retail Applied Advisory at Genpact, cut through the noise to explain why the human experience is the only real competitive advantage left. They dive into the friction points technology alone cannot fix, from punitive return fees to the "magic" of a store associate who actually knows their craft. Strategic Takeaways: - Cooperative Returns: Moving away from punitive fees by giving customers better tools to get the fit right the first time. - Associate-First Design: Shifting toward frontline tools that employees actually want to use, rather than systems they are penalized for ignoring. - The Data Reality: Why AI agents won't save a business if the foundational data is "crap in, crap out". - The Multiplier Effect: How fixing low-hanging fruit in the store, like removing outdated kiosks, at the same time you deploy AI drives immediate results. Stop chasing "shelfware." Tune in to learn how to balance high-tech agents with the human touch that builds true brand stickiness.