Podcast appearances and mentions of Doug Stephens

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Doug Stephens

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Best podcasts about Doug Stephens

Latest podcast episodes about Doug Stephens

The Main Column
Live at AFPM: How AI is enhancing safety at plant sites, a discussion with Detect Technologies

The Main Column

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 20:30


On this episode, Hydrocarbon Processing speaks with Daniel Raj David, CEO, and Doug Stephens, Head of Sales, of Detect Technologies on how artificial intelligence is being used to stay ahead of emerging threats in the oil and gas industry, including managing safety fatigue, utilizing data for operational decision-making, and much more.

What's Next! with Tiffani Bova
RELOAD: The Future of Retail with Doug Stephens

What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 39:51


Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    This week I am thrilled to share a conversation I had with Doug Stephens a while back. Doug is the Founder of Retail Prophet. He is one of the world's foremost retail industry futurists whose intellectual work has influenced well-known international retailers, agencies and brands like Walmart, Google, L'Oreal, Disney, BMW, Citibank, and LVMH. Doug is the author of two groundbreaking books, The Retail Revival: Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism (2013) and Reengineering Retail: The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World (2017). Doug is also the nationally syndicated retail columnist for CBC Radio and sits on multiple corporate and academic advisory boards, including the David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retail & Services at St. Mary's University. His unique perspectives on retailing, business and consumer behavior have been featured in many of the world's leading publications and media outlets, including The New York Times, The BBC, Bloomberg Business News, TechCrunch, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone looking to understand the future of retail and what value brands can derive from maintaining storefronts, investing in multi-channel engagement and what disruptions might be right around the corner.   TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… Doug Stephens breaks down the past, present, and future of retail and talks about bringing metrics and experience into the future to keep stores open. Have we come full circle? Doug thinks so, and he is sharing just how. He also shares his insight on giants like Amazon, why he thinks they are ripe for disruption, the retail experience, how our current metrics are living in the past, and how brick-and-mortar stores can be your most powerful and measurable media channel.   WHAT I LOVE MOST…So often ,I get asked about the death of retail, so it was really great to get a chance to talk to an expert like Doug, who can shed more light on the realities.   Running time: 39:50   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X   Find Doug Online: LinkedIn Instagram X   Doug's Website: www.retailprophet.com   Doug's Books: The Retail Revival: Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism Reengineering Retail: The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World

The Current
Will Trump's tariffs mean the end of cheap online fashion?

The Current

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 11:32


Clothing hauls from online stores like Temu and Shein could face a steep price hike next month, as U.S. President Donald Trump plans to remove the de minimis exemption, which excludes packages worth less than $800 US from tariffs. Retail analyst Doug Stephens explains what this rollback means for ultra-cheap fast fashion.

The Gospel on the Radio Talk Show with Pastor Jack King of Tallahassee, Florida

Our special guest today is Pastor Doug Stephens of Live the Life marriage ministry as well as pastoring a church in Midway, FL. You can find more information about Doug and Live the Life here: https://www.livethelife.org/doug-bio Episode #1217 ******* This is the radio program with the music removed. By the way, I have written a new book, and you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Visions-Stories-Faith-Pastor/dp/161493536X

live midway pastor doug doug stephens dreams visions stories faith pastor
Let's Talk Business
Scaling with Purpose with Retail Expert Doug Stephens

Let's Talk Business

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 45:54


In today's episode of Let's Talk Business, we are thrilled to chatting with Doug Stephens, a visionary in the retail industry and founder of Retail Prophet. Hosted by Meny Hoffman, this episode delves into Doug's extensive experience and his expert perspective on the evolution of branding, retail trends, and the essential elements of customer experience. Doug shares his journey of observing and shaping the retail landscape for over two decades, highlighting critical observations about how brands can remain relevant and thrive in an ever-changing market. This narrative underlines the importance of having a clear brand purpose and consistently animating this purpose across all facets of a business. Doug discusses the dual nature of a brand, comprising both visible elements like logos and advertising, and the less visible components such as company culture and supply chain practices. He emphasizes that true brand success hinges on a brand's ability to integrate and manifest its core purpose in every business process, creating a genuine connection with their audience. Additionally, Doug provides a compelling analysis of post-pandemic retail dynamics, discussing the fusion of physical and digital experiences, the rise of third-party marketplaces, and the strategic adjustments businesses must make to cater to modern consumer behaviors. His insights are particularly beneficial for retailers and business owners seeking to navigate the complexities of today's market while aiming to deliver unparalleled value and experience to their customers. Through thoughtful anecdotes and expert advice, this episode offers actionable strategies for business owners and leaders to leverage the principles of effective branding and customer experience design. Tune in to explore how maintaining a clear brand purpose and innovating on customer touchpoints can drive business growth and customer loyalty. Whether you're a seasoned retailer or an emerging entrepreneur, this episode is packed with insights to help you refine your strategy and strengthen your brand's impact. 04:21 - Retail Profit's Market Vision 09:02 - Purpose: Key to Brand Success 12:04 - Apple's Renegade Vision 13:46 - Retail Innovation and Founder Vision 18:51 - Branding Commitment vs. Lip Service 21:34 - Brand Identity vs. Strategic Focus 27:25 - Amazon's Delivery Evolution & Marketplaces 29:53 - Identifying Market Opportunities 32:37 - Experiential NYC Toy Store 37:26 - AI Transforming Retail Workflow 40:07 - End of Retail Era 44:08 - Dominate One Area, Maintain Values 45:04 - Align Business Purpose & Delivery   Select one primary area to dominate from the four positions mentioned: culture, entertainment, expertise, or design. Focus on excelling in one area rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Experience your own customer service channels firsthand, just as Doug suggested CEOs should do quarterly, to identify gaps in service delivery. If you're growing, create systems to maintain your brand purpose and values even as the organization expands, preventing the "watering down" effect that often happens with scale Create clear guidelines about what your brand promises and ensure all business decisions (from sourcing to pricing) align with these commitments. Review how your stated purpose is actually showing up across all aspects of your business - from products to customer service to employee culture. Look for gaps between what you claim and what you deliver.  

Conversational Commerce with Retail Dive
Doug Stephens looks to 2025 and beyond

Conversational Commerce with Retail Dive

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2024 53:15


The retail and brand expert discusses the hype around AI, how marketers can preserve human creativity and his optimism about the future.

Shaye Ganam
Do senior' discounts still make sense?

Shaye Ganam

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2024 6:32


Doug Stephens, Founder and CEO of Retail Prophet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conversational Commerce with Retail Dive
Doug Stephens' retail predictions for 2024

Conversational Commerce with Retail Dive

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2023 49:12


The retail and branding expert discusses the state of the consumer, the habits companies should leave behind in 2023 and what lies ahead in the new year.

Wednesdays with Wade
Episode 08: Amending the Toledo City Charter to Improve MORE Roads!

Wednesdays with Wade

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2023 9:55


If you're one of approximately 70,000 Toledo residents who live on an unimproved street, you'll be happy to know that passing the Toledo City Charter amendment (Issue 24) means we can start putting money toward improving those roads which the previous version of the charter has prevented us from doing for 58 years. Join me in this discussion with the Toledo Department of Transportation Director, Doug Stephens and Senior Professional Engineer, Tim Grosjean for a quick rundown of what all this means and preview the exciting changes to come!

Brian Crombie Radio Hour
Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 815 - Trends in Retail Stores with Doug Stephens

Brian Crombie Radio Hour

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2023 51:34


Brian speaks to Doug Stephens. Doug is one of the world's foremost retail industry futurists. His intellectual work and thinking have influenced many of the most widely known international retailers, agencies and brands including Walmart, Google, Estée Lauder, BMW and LVMH. Doug is the author of three internationally bestselling books: Resurrecting Retail: The Future of Business in a Post Pandemic World (2021), Reengineering Retail: The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World (2017) and The Retail Revival: Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism (2013). We talked about trends in retail stores; shopping centres, malls, power centres and downtown Main streets.

The Retail Razor Show
S2E9 - Top 10 Predictions for 2023

The Retail Razor Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 41:53


It's a new year, and after wrapping up another NRF Big Show, we felt it was time to share our Top 10 Predictions for retail and retail tech in 2023! What will retailers focus on this year? How will consumer shopping and buying habits change? From the evolution of retail media networks and loyalty programs, to web3, the metaverse, and ChatGPT, what technologies make the cut and deserve your attention? Hosts Ricardo and Casey cut through the clutter and give you their top 10 trends for 2023 in this episode. See if their predictions match yours and let us know on LinkedIn!Plus, our new segment, Retail Razor Data Blades returns, with another special data insight from Georgina Nelson, CEO of TruRating, learned from their 100,000's of point-of-sale customer survey polls. In this episode learn how aligning with consumer values still plays a critical role in consumer buying decisions!News alert #1: The Retail Razor Show was a finalist for The Retail Voice Award at the Vendors in Partnership Award ceremony during the NRF Big Show 2023!News alert #2! We've moved up to #18 on the Feedspot Top 60 Best Retail podcasts list - please consider giving us a 5-star review in Apple Podcasts! With your help, we'll move our way up the Top 20! Leave us a review & be mentioned in future episodes! https://blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer for 2023, 2022 & 2021, RIS News Top Movers and Shakers in Retail for 2021, a Top 12 ecommerce influencer, advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformation, and director partner marketing advisor for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft.Casey Golden, CEO of Luxlock, and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer for 2023. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring E-Motive, Overclocked, and Tech Lore, from the album Beat Hype, written by Hestron Mimms, published by Imuno. The Retail Razor ShowFollow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/TwRRazorConnect with us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LI-RRazorSubscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTubeSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/RetailRazorShowRetail Razor Show Episode Page: https://bit.ly/RRShowPodHost → Ricardo Belmar,Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twRBelmarConnect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LIRBelmarRead my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWRBelmarCo-host → Casey Golden,Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twCaseyConnect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LICaseyRead my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWCaseyTRANSCRIPTS1E9 Top 10 Predictions for 2023[00:00:00] Ricardo Belmar:[00:00:20] Show Intro[00:00:20] Ricardo Belmar: Hello and welcome to season two, episode nine of The Retail Razor Show. I'm your host, Ricardo Belmar.[00:00:26] Casey Golden: And I'm your co-host, Casey Golden. Welcome retail show listeners to retail's favorite podcast for product junkies, commerce technologists, and everyone else in retail and retail tech alike.[00:00:38] Ricardo Belmar: Well, Casey, this is the moment many of our fans have been waiting for.[00:00:43] It's time for our top 10 retail predictions for 2023, and as a huge bonus, we are recording live and in person in New York City right after the end of the N R F big show. We're literally sitting face-to-face and we never get to do that for this show.[00:00:59] Casey Golden: never, I [00:01:00] mean, we're always sitting face to face from the shoulders up, [00:01:02] Ricardo Belmar: and a little square on a screen, but,[00:01:06] Casey Golden: I can't think of a better way to wrap up NRF than sharing our hot takes live.[00:01:10] Ricardo Belmar: Absolutely. We don't often get to do this live and in person.[00:01:13] Retail Razor Data Blades - "How aligning with consumer values still plays a critical role"[00:01:13] Ricardo Belmar: But first, it's time for the newest segment of our show Retail Razor Data Blades, where we talk real world numbers and slice through measurable consumer insights. It's a bit like, show me the math so I understand where this data's coming from and bringing us that slicing and dicing of data is Georgina Nelson, CEO of TruRating.[00:01:30] TruRating is changing the way retailers track how customers feel against how they spend with an innovative multi-channel feedback solution with an average of 80% response rate from consumers. Georgina will share with us some key data points and offer a bit of insight into what's behind those numbers based on their extensive customer survey data at the point of sale.[00:01:48] Casey Golden: Welcome, Georgina.[00:01:50] Georgina Nelson: Thank you so much for having me![00:01:52] Casey Golden: So today's Retail Razor Data Blade segment is "how aligning with customer values still plays [00:02:00] a critical role".[00:02:01] Georgina Nelson: So, yeah, to that point, we wanted to really find out what was driving consumers loyalty behavior. As you know, as a time when retailers are, are feeling the, the pinch of inflation as of their shoppers. You know, we can often get to this race to the bottom where prices are slashed in desperation to, to try and win that customer loyalty.[00:02:25] And so we, we asked some simple questions as to what was driving that loyal behavior. Interestingly, we found just over smidgen, over 50%, so 51% of consumers said they were influenced by their loyalty card and by money off vouchers. , but a staggering 77% said what actually drives their behavior and their loyalty is whether their retailers' values resonate with them and they affiliated with it.[00:02:56] And so I think in this modern time of loyalty, [00:03:00] you know, that sends a really clear message for retailers to understand what values do their customers really affiliate with and how can they market those to them and ensure that that's understood and really build that, build that bond with their consumer base.[00:03:17] Casey Golden: Yeah, really backs up the, you know, communicate your brand and your values. Stop talking about price.[00:03:24] Georgina Nelson: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And you know, even just recently, we've still seen that over 75% of US consumers. They do want to buy ecologically sound products. They do want to buy organic when those choices are available. And so it's really to retailers, you know, don't scrimp on these initiatives just because times might be toughed because consumers are still are looking for those.[00:03:50] And looking for that stance in values to make their choices.[00:03:54] Casey Golden: Yep.[00:03:55] Ricardo Belmar: Georgina, it seems like for this to really be [00:04:00] beneficial for the retailers that are going to, like your data, is suggesting that they need to lean into this and, and not stop investing. They'd have to really understand how to communicate that to their customers to, to make it really worthwhile and beneficial.[00:04:14] Georgina Nelson: Yeah, I, you know, I think strategies need to be, it's not like a blanket one, one email, one shot in the dark. We really need to have a nuanced understanding of the customer base and what drives that loyalty. And then that needs to be communicated across a website, across product placements, across brand messaging.[00:04:36] And I think what's important is that, you know, all customers are not alike. You know, there's gonna be a mix. And what we see is that mix is more, you know, is obviously very prevalent at a store level. In terms of each store is a snowflake with different customer segmentation and really beginning to understand that at a store level, how you know, and testing and asking [00:05:00] customers now how have your, you know, have they understood the green initiatives which you are pushing?[00:05:07] Do they understand the drive on organic produce in, you know, understanding that awareness and then being able to tailor. Better coms and better marketing is absolutely key. And and we recommend doing that at a granular store level.[00:05:23] Casey Golden: I couldn't agree more. Well, that does it for another edition of Retail Razor Blades.[00:05:28] Georgina Nelson: Does this mean I get to keep the segment intro music every time? I'm on the show.[00:05:34] Ricardo Belmar: I, I think we can arrange that[00:05:36] Georgina Nelson: Thank you so much both.[00:05:38] Casey Golden: Absolute pleasure.[00:05:39] So now let's get right to those predictions. Ricardo, what would you say there are any underlining themes that we'll see across our 10 predictions?[00:05:53] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, I think there are at least two big themes. One would be the impact of the economy, of course, [00:06:00] that's having on retailer investments and consumer shopping habits, and I think the second is frankly, gen Z.[00:06:05] We'll see how Gen Z's shopping and buying habits are gonna have a bigger impact this year than they have in past years.[00:06:11] Prediction #1 - Private Label take over[00:06:11] Casey Golden: Let's dive into number one. Private label is taking over our shelves. You all know that I love a good brand and I'm a label of label lover, but a lot of products have become brand neutral with the help of the homogenization of marketplaces, like Wayfair and Amazon marketing convenience over the brands that they carry. Many private label brands are actually in our cupboards without even knowing it.[00:06:41] Margin is king, especially during these uncertain economic environments. Retailers need the most control over the product assortment and the bottom line. Finding a lot of Gen Z doesn't have the brand loyalty in CPG that a lot of other generations do. [00:06:58] Ricardo Belmar: yeah, I think that's [00:07:00] probably a key one right there too. Especially after a year of inflation consumers want lower cost options, but everyone still wants high quality. Nobody wants to go down in price and then get something that's just too cheap and not good enough. But I think the big difference that you just pointed out, it's, gen Z doesn't seem to care about brand loyalty, especially not with, with CPGs, might be a slightly different story if we're talking apparel or home goods. But I think at the end of the day, unless you're buying on the high end luxury side of home goods, most people don't care what the brand name is on it. It's just whatever looks good and feels good to them. When it's apparel, it all depends on who we're talking about.[00:07:35] Department stores for sure, probably would love to have a third of their sales or more be their own private labels, but the fact is a lot of 'em haven't traditionally been good enough for most buyers, but Gen Z doesn't seem to care.[00:07:46] Casey Golden: No. I mean, gosh, Shein did like a billion dollars in sales [00:07:49] Ricardo Belmar: yeah, exactly.[00:07:50] Exactly. So , so, so what does that say? So yeah, I think that that's a, that's definitely a, a good number one to kick off the list. [00:07:58] Prediction #2 - Retail Media Network evolution [00:07:58] Ricardo Belmar: So let me take us to number two, [00:08:00] which for me is, is a big one. And everybody knows I love talking about this topic, and that's retail media networks and how they're gonna evolve. [00:08:07] This year it's all gonna be about the, in-store media experience and how that gets combined with all the digital channels to really make a, a good end-to-end media experience that retailers can sell to brands. So, everyone likes to debate this a little bit because it seems like a trend and yes, we all know that Amazon has the majority of the share, but the fact is even if a retailer can get one percent, of this total media network share.[00:08:33] Those are big numbers and, and they're big numbers that come with big margins, so it really is helpful.[00:08:39] for a[00:08:40] retailer, and if, if we look at some relevant context to this, I mean, you've got a lot of things that are going on that make this special. I mean, one, there's all the first party data that retailers are getting from these media networks, and that's huge.[00:08:51] That lets them deliver really strong return on the a on advertising spend, right? Good ROAS for the brands. And one of the things we heard during nrf, that's a [00:09:00] big trend on this that I a hundred percent agree with. You know, you've got a decline in TV advertising in general. We've got cookies going away and, and we've got just in general, right, the digitization of the store.[00:09:10] All this stuff kind of combines to make it super attractive to actually put media bys and advertising at the point at which a customer makes a buying decision. So why would this not increase?[00:09:22] And there's even, I think more from that, I mean, you know, people also like to debate where is the, where are these dollars coming from?[00:09:28] You know, brands look at all these media networks and as a brand say, oh, do I have to spend now on 20 different retail networks in addition to all the other ads spend? I have? Well, well, maybe they do, but the truth is right, they're gonna shift the spend a little bit. So it, the, the answer is, you know, when you ask where do the dollars come from?[00:09:43] Well, pretty much everywhere else, it's not a retail media network. But I think probably the biggest threat is to Facebook or Meta and to Google because it's their ad dollar spend that's gonna go to these retail media networks, Amazon and everybody else.[00:09:54] Casey Golden: 100 Percent. They're already, brands have already and been shifting these [00:10:00] budgets and not by a hundred thousand dollars, but like numbers.[00:10:04] 875,000 for those month[00:10:06] Ricardo Belmar: it's big numbers. It's big numbers. And when you roll in, the more advanced networks, they're gonna have tie-ins to streaming tv. They're gonna have connections into, players like Netflix, Hulu, and everybody that are gonna tie into it.[00:10:18] And it's all comes down to audience data, right? And, and when you start applying this in-store, let's remember that 85 percent of all retail sales still happen in stores. So this isn't just an e-commerce play anymore. This is about doing what, you know, Doug Stephens and others used to talk about the store as, as theater, the store as media.[00:10:36] Well, this is the year that we're really gonna start to see that because of these retail media networks and, and I think the last thing I'll add to it is, The end goal isn't just, I think the media network. The end goal is for the retailer to introduce a collection of B2B services. They can sell to brands or, and even to other retailers.[00:10:54] So, sure, Walmart's the obvious first one to do it because of their size and scale. But that doesn't mean that, Best [00:11:00] Buy, couldn't do it or, or any other large enough retailer couldn't take exactly what they're doing in these services, bundle 'em up and sell 'em as a package. They're gonna have so much more first party customer data.[00:11:11] Every brand wants access to that.[00:11:13] Casey Golden: I agree. And everybody's spent a lot of money over the last decade on creating their audience and all of their customer data. So this is just another monetization strategy that they can go ahead and not put it all just into the individual products that they're selling.[00:11:29] Ricardo Belmar: That's right, that's right. And, and I'll just repeat again, one reason why I think this is such a, a major thing for the year, the margin is better than just selling products to consumers. So while it might not be, you know, it might only be a fraction of your total. Sales volume, it comes with a good margin.[00:11:45] So it just helps the financials for the retailer. [00:11:48] Prediction #3 - Returns management is a top IT investment[00:11:48] Ricardo Belmar: So speaking of things that help the financials for the retailer, let's go on to number three. And I think that's all about returns management becoming a top IT investment. [00:12:00] Particularly powered with AI-based solutions because every retailer has an issue with returns right now.[00:12:05] It's not just because of of growing e-commerce buy, it's because it's just the new habits that consumers have had to buy more than what they need in return, what they don't after they decide. But this has caused massive logistics challenges for retailers. Huge cost impact. And it's one thing to say we just need to get consumers to not return things.[00:12:25] But the fact is you can't just change those buying habits for, for consumers, you need to really look at it and say, well, what can I do to prevent the cause of the return in the first place? So, yes, we all know that this is hardest to do in apparel because we still have issues with fit. There's new fit tech coming around.[00:12:43] We've seen some players in that. More and more of that is gonna be made available until that gets solved it's gonna be a real challenge to, to improve this situation in apparel. But if we look at any other product category, I think the key is retailers investing in solutions that are going to help them understand why the [00:13:00] returns are happening and then make adjustments.[00:13:01] And it might even be in some cases, as simple as your product page description on your e-commerce isn't good enough. And people are buying it by, because without realizing it's not what they want in the first place,[00:13:11] Casey Golden: a hundred percent better images, I'm seeing more 3D images, I'm seeing more videos available on the products. And I think that was pretty much the, one of the main topics that I heard from over the last week has all been about returns.[00:13:26] We need to control our returns, we need to reduce our returns. And I think, you know, we still have to remember, too, every single time that package hits the doorstep and we pick it up, we get a dopamine hit, We really don't need what's in the box. We just wanted that dopamine hit. So there's, you know, there's that, too, [00:13:45] Ricardo Belmar: too there's, that too. [00:13:45] Casey Golden: some consumer buying behavior here that has caused some, a little bit of package addiction.[00:13:50] Ricardo Belmar: Absolutely. And that has a, a huge sustainability impact. So as we see retailers lean in more into sustainability issues and control than ha controlling that [00:14:00] returns problem is a big, big part of their sustainability process.[00:14:04] So, so that's definitely, I think gonna be a huge, again, huge area of investment is this.[00:14:08] Casey Golden: Yeah. If you're a brand or a retailer and you have a a 35% online return rate, you're not alone[00:14:15] that's right, [00:14:15] Ricardo Belmar: that's right, that's right. And, and that's, you know, at the risk of the new pun intended, but it's just not sustainable to keep having those high return rates.[00:14:23] Casey Golden: Not unless you got a 60% conversion rate.[00:14:26] Ricardo Belmar: Exactly. Exactly. [00:14:27] Prediction #4 - Store Automation for Frontline Workers [00:14:27] Ricardo Belmar: So I'm gonna move on to number four. Continuing this little mini theme on where the investment dollars are going and technology, let's talk about store automation and how that's going to help frontline workers and store operations. Why?[00:14:40] Because the, that labor shortage retailers have had this past year. It's not going away. It's not going away this year. There's still an issue of you don't have the staff that you want, which means you need that store team to be more efficient in what they're doing, more productive, but you also need to retain them.[00:14:55] And retaining them means you need to make the environment better and and more [00:15:00] interesting, more enjoyable for them. So what are you gonna invest? When you're gonna invest in technology? Is it help get rid of all those mundane tasks that everybody doesn't want to do because they're not complicated, they're just kind of routine and they're tedious.[00:15:12] Find ways to automate and get rid of all, all[00:15:14] Casey Golden: mine. We all wanna walk the aisles and do a price change.[00:15:18] Ricardo Belmar: Exactly. Which, so, so things like electronic shelf labels comes into play here? I mean, that's not even a new technology, right? It's been around for a while, but because of the cost, no one's had a motivation to put it in.[00:15:29] Now we're starting to see a lot more interest in that because it takes that job away from the store team so they don't have to deal with it and they can do more work in front of a customer. Workforce management, right? More investment in shift management. Let your employees manage their schedules.[00:15:42] That's what every store team employee wants is flexibility in their schedule. Just give it to them. Put the tools in place, let all your store teams work with a mobile device, have the right tools on it. And then there's new things. We, we've talked on this show before about store associates leading your live streaming efforts from the store, especially in [00:16:00] smaller retailers.[00:16:00] There are plenty of associates who are good at this and who probably already have their own livestream effort on YouTube or something on their own time. So why not take advantage of those skills, put those skills to work, which by the way, is gonna make that job more interesting.[00:16:14] Exactly. For those story searches. Yeah.[00:16:15] Casey Golden: it, it makes it a longer job retention because what used to be like, well, I'm gonna do this for a year. It turns into potentially five years and moving actually into your marketing department, [00:16:27] Ricardo Belmar: right? Which gives you a career path. And the whole goal is to make those jobs, not just jobs, but to turn it into a career path so that this is an area and a field that people want to work in now.[00:16:38] And that's is gonna start with this, this new level of investment in these technologies this year.[00:16:42] Casey Golden: I agree. I sure know. I expect people to know about the product when we walk up to them. Can't do that if they, they don't [00:16:50] Ricardo Belmar: it. Absolutely. And they gotta have access to the data and the information or, or they, they're, you can't expect them to know everything as the retailers, so you gotta put the information[00:16:58] Casey Golden: Yeah, it's gotta be fine.[00:16:59] Ricardo Belmar: [00:17:00] Accessible. Exactly. [00:17:02] Prediction #5 - BNPL explodes even more[00:17:02] Casey Golden: B N P L. [00:17:04] Ricardo Belmar: Number five [00:17:05] Casey Golden: Explodes or implodes. We'll see. But this holiday, B N P L got a big boost mostly from Gen Z. Regulators have started to look into this in 2022, but the debt this is causing could potentially, catch up in 2023. But we're seeing that they are expanding their businesses beyond their core, buy now, pay later product by launching new revenue channels, implementing new solutions, or even making new acquisitions.[00:17:41] To become more than just a BNPL, but to be a marketplace, to be managing customer acquisition and getting more brands and products through as a connection point, I think we'll definitely also see more sustainability and wellness for financial literacy and, and [00:18:00] financial wellness tools to increase that engagement and, you know, potentially mitigating some of the regulatory concerns.[00:18:07] But I think we'll, we'll definitely see something here mature as a product and a, and a space in general and could be a better opportunity for more brands to actually be exposed to some new customers and customer acquisition much like a, a marketplace.[00:18:27] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, I think that, I think that one makes sense. And there's definitely, you know, again, that Gen Z connection o over the holidays for this one. I, I think you're right. We, we kind of predicted that last year.[00:18:36] It didn't totally happen the way we thought it would or as quickly as we thought. So I think it's, it's fair we're kind of shifting in a little bit to this year because it, it's just inevitable at this point. I, I think the more this grows, the more attention it's gonna get, the more of the financial stability issues matter for consumers. So it's gonna get looked at. And I think to their credit, right, the BM p l providers that they know this is coming and that's why they're all [00:19:00] kind of protecting themselves at expanding beyond that core. Like you said, Casey turning into marketplaces,[00:19:05] Casey Golden: they've changed their narratives. [00:19:06] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah.[00:19:06] I mean I think at the end of the day you can kind of say buy now, pay later in of itself probably wasn't an entire business, it was a[00:19:13] Casey Golden: It was[00:19:13] feature. so Right. [00:19:14] Ricardo Belmar: gotta be part of something else and, and that's what drove a lot of those acquisitions.[00:19:18] Casey Golden: it was a feature, not necessarily the, the[00:19:20] Ricardo Belmar: Exactly.[00:19:21] Casey Golden: And just coming outta holiday, we've got a, and then going into what many would associate as like a recession or an economic downturn. There's a lot of debt sitting out there. There's multiple players.[00:19:34] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. [00:19:35] Casey Golden: So [00:19:36] Ricardo Belmar: definitely, definitely.[00:19:37] Prediction #6 - CDP explosion[00:19:37] Ricardo Belmar: All right, Casey, bring us to number six. [00:19:40] Casey Golden: Well, it's 2023 and everyone's a C D P. A term that, there was a few of us that knew what A C D P was, you know, three years ago.[00:19:49] Now its seems to be everybody is a C D P. . And at the same time, nobody knows what a CDP is.[00:19:54] Ricardo Belmar: is. . That's right. . It's so true. That's so true.[00:19:57] That's so true.[00:19:58] Casey Golden: So everyone [00:20:00] is, you know, essentially brands are continuing to build their own from scratch. While the marketplace landscape creates more sophisticated products these consumer data platforms create a persistent, a more unified consumer database and make this data accessible to other systems.[00:20:16] Really pulling in from all of these multiple sources, being able to have this, single customer profile and really be able to manage consumer data to support compliance and governmental regulation requirements. This is definitely becoming a bigger and bigger concern over privacy and security, consumer data loss and, and protection in general.[00:20:37] It's definitely a high priority for all retailers and brands right now, and even SaaS companies that are processing consumer data. But I think here is where we'll also see a big uptake in more productized solutions coming in with different AI and ML use cases that can be powered [00:21:00] because of the efforts going into scrub all of this data and create these, single API to be able to access it.[00:21:10] And I think it's gonna be able to drive a lot of personalization going forward.[00:21:16] So I am very excited about this trend.[00:21:19] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. I, I agree. I agree. And I think you're, you're absolutely right that that , while everybody's either wants to be a CDP or claims to be a cdp, there's still a lot of confusion over exactly what is a customer data platform.[00:21:30] When you talk to retailers and understanding what, what can you do with it? What am I gonna use it for, and what's the right solution out there for it? And there are different, different products or different needs, just like in any other category, but this is definitely one that when you look at, like you're saying, anything related to all requirements around privacy and data security.[00:21:48] There are new regulations, variations by state, by country you know, it's just becoming really hard to manage all of this. So if you don't have the right platform underneath it all, then how are you really ever gonna comply [00:22:00]with everything? Not to mention, before you even get to how you're using all this data and your own marketing efforts to consumers[00:22:05] Casey Golden: Exactly. Just getting it in one place is one thing. Exactly. And being able to make an edit or a change or validate.[00:22:11] These are not simple builds.[00:22:14] Ricardo Belmar: right? Yeah, yeah. These[00:22:15] Casey Golden: heavy [00:22:16] Ricardo Belmar: builds. That's right. [00:22:17] Casey Golden: And this, this is gonna be involv. 40 different other software companies that are plugging [00:22:22] Ricardo Belmar: That's right. That's right. That's why [00:22:24] Casey Golden: may or may not be new.[00:22:25] Yeah. [00:22:25] Ricardo Belmar: So making the right choice is, is super important. And just making sure you have a good c d p is absolutely critical. Now it's, I think this, what we're saying, I guess we're saying this is the year that it becomes table stakes as you just have to have [00:22:37] Casey Golden: this[00:22:38] yes. This is not, also not a fail fast product.[00:22:41] Ricardo Belmar: That's right. That's right. [00:22:44] Prediction #7 - Loyalty program evolution [00:22:44] Ricardo Belmar: All right, Casey, give us number seven,[00:22:46] Casey Golden: Loyalty. Loyalty. Loyalty programs are definitely going to be evolving beyond a point system or a punch card. I've never seen loyalty take such [00:23:00] a center stage as I have in the, the last probably four months of conversations and going into 2023. Retention, retention, retention, retention.[00:23:10] And I think that all kind of goes back to the CPM cost the lack of performance from Facebook ads, the marketing costs lower conversion rates, and really being able to engage your customer. , we're seeing more paid tiers as a new revenue source for a lot of brands to pay more for better service or, or additional perks.[00:23:31] And there's the web three evolution for the NextGen loyalty programs. And I think this is very interesting because there are so many. How do you communicate and how do you manage these VIPs online and in-store across different locations? via email[00:23:51] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. That's gonna work [00:23:52] Casey Golden: well.[00:23:52] Right? You know, I mean[00:23:53] Ricardo Belmar: E emails that they're likely to ignore. [00:23:54] Casey Golden: Right? Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, we really go back to a email communication with our customer, [00:24:00] which is always one-sided. And so managing loyalty programs, potentially just by email not the best utility. And I see a lot of opportunity here with the blockchain and leveraging these different web three types of loyalty programs to manage this much better.[00:24:21] And with Unlockables, I think that there's a lot of room here to grow and I think it's one part of Web three that makes sense for retail because we don't have 10 VIPs. , we have 1.5 million globally.[00:24:38] Ricardo Belmar: Exactly. Exactly, exactly. I think this is one of our more interesting predictions, as well, but kind of putting it in context, what do you think then of what Starbucks is doing?[00:24:48] Casey Golden: I love Starbucks. I've never used a loyalty at Starbucks. I pay full price since I should have bought stock when I was like 10. I should own a[00:24:56] Ricardo Belmar: right? . [00:24:56] Casey Golden: So I mean, I think that what they've done is great. I'm a big fan [00:25:00] of the vendor that they're using. Of course, I think we all are right. But I, I love the fact that they just moved on web three and went on with the loyalty program and really focusing on the retention piece because when you are a regular, you are a regular, not for a year, but like 20,[00:25:16] Ricardo Belmar: right?[00:25:17] That's right. [00:25:18] Casey Golden: You know? [00:25:19] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. We're talking real loyalty. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. And, and we know from, not even considering that the web three. evolution of this, which I think is going to have huge impact. But when you look at the most successful loyalty programs, right, I, I will call Starbucks existing one, one of those.[00:25:34] I mean, Ulta Beauty's loyalty program is massively successful. Like huge, almost all of their customers are in that loyalty program. So it'll be interesting to see how they evolve it. But this is, I, I think this is a big one, and, and. . I, I would stress too, you, you mentioned that, the idea of having paid tiers and full membership programs as part of these loyalties, so loyalty is finally becoming more than just a discount.[00:25:55] And, and I think now it's, yeah,[00:25:56] Casey Golden: And this is a way to actually make it a club tier [00:26:00] and manage it, because otherwise you're managing it literally in email segments,[00:26:04] Ricardo Belmar: emails that just get ignored.[00:26:05] Casey Golden: You just, they just get ignored. And it's just, it's not scalable solution. And I think that this could be, Really, really compelling to be able to scale one your own loyalty program, but to be able to collaborate with other people's loyalty programs.[00:26:20] So what if Starbucks loyalty program communicated to Ulta's loyalty program? And this is where Web three can play [00:26:29] Ricardo Belmar: very [00:26:29] Casey Golden: interesting, is it [00:26:30] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. [00:26:31] Casey Golden: the collaboration's a [00:26:33] Ricardo Belmar: these an, an even more useful and, and valuable club like relationship[00:26:38] Casey Golden: Yeah. I'm not exporting my, my email list and giving it to you. It's against yeah, it's against compliance.[00:26:43] Ricardo Belmar: That's right. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. customer data. Yep. [00:26:47] Prediction #8 - Anywhere Commerce vs Immersive Commerce[00:26:47] Ricardo Belmar: All right. Let's go to number eight, and this one I'm kind of referring to as anywhere commerce versus immersive commerce. Why? Because we all know that consumers want to transact commerce pretty much anywhere and everywhere [00:27:00] they are.[00:27:00] And yes, we, everybody says that all the time. We all know you can sort of, kind of do this with, with mobile. The fact is it's still not quite good enough and not always quick enough to meet your in the moment needs, with just a, a phone or, or mobile device. , so what's new in this prediction is that the context of where you are and how that changes how you would conduct that transaction? It's not necessarily the same process that you want as a consumer if you're in your car or on the subway or walking down the street versus sitting on your couch or sitting at a desk. I mean, each of these has different requirements in how you shop and how you buy.[00:27:37] And we've kind of generalized them to date, right? And maybe two or three different form factors. And, that's what we're saying. So, so to me, this idea of anywhere commerce is completely new kinds of solutions coming out. Some of them were at ces, some of them have been just started come out in, in the last year.[00:27:52] We'll hopefully be talking to some of those in future episodes this year. But it, it's all about adapting the medium to [00:28:00] work in a matter that still reduces that friction, eliminates complexity and makes it easy to transact commerce for the consumer in that contextual moment. And, and that's not quite the same as just saying mobile solves everything.[00:28:11] So that's the anywhere commerce side[00:28:12] Casey Golden: I mean, we've really, I mean, how many years have we tried to get live inventory feeds for physical stores to go with mapping, right? I mean, and I, I keep saying this over and over and over again, like when I am, you know, speaking with, with people over the, the evolution of commerce, our physical software is just not digitally native.[00:28:35] And so being able to work in real time it's, it's doable. And I think we're, we're finally gonna get to that point where you're gonna know the inventory one block ahead of you.[00:28:47] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, I agree. I agree. And, and how it's presented to you matters. So you might need to know that inventory, but depending on what you're doing, it doesn't do you any good to be shown an image of it. Right. Or to be shown, how to find it. You just need to be told [00:29:00] that it's there. Yeah. And that's all you need to know in that moment to, to make a decision. So that kind of adaptability, it makes a difference and it has an impact on conversion.[00:29:08] So that, I think there's that. So now let's talk about the immersive commerce part of this. So that's the anywhere commerce piece. I like immersive commerce as a new term. And, and I'm gonna just kind of say this sort of for me replaces the broad. Metaverse discussion because I, I kind, if I break out the AR and the VR pieces for metaverse applications and, and look at, you know, how do you actually expect consumers to engage in commerce?[00:29:31] I, I still don't think every metaverse example we have now implies that everybody's gonna sit around with a lot of gear on their head and on their hands. And who wants to do that for hours at a time? [00:29:40] Casey Golden: wants, who wants to be responsible for that for society? [00:29:44] Ricardo Belmar: there's that too. So, I don't see that yet happening for just general commerce.[00:29:49] I mean, I can see it for, you know, if, if you're, if companies are hiring new employees and they want to do some new employee training and onboarding in a metaverse version of their [00:30:00] headquarters, I think that's a totally applicable use case. That makes a lot of sense when you've got so many people working remotely.[00:30:06] But that doesn't mean they're doing it for eight hours a day. It means they might do it for half an hour and then take a break and then come back in another half an hour or, or, or whatever it is. But it's not all day long and I haven't seen enough examples. Yeah, I mean, the whole point to doing this is not just to replicate a store, but to do things that you can't do in a physical space.[00:30:25] So we, we had Alan Smithson on here before talking about the mall in the Metaverse, and they're doing it a little differently, which I think is the right answer to enable you to do things that you couldn't do in the physical space, not just replicate it. But again, let's take the, the technology pieces out of it and let's look at, for example, AR. You can create as a retailer a really immersive experience with AR that lets someone understand the product.[00:30:46] Feel like they're engaging it, seeing it, feeling it, touching it without actually having it there. You know, this year's NRF had a lot of hologram demos of showing people what outfits might look like. Look, very three-dimensional. That's pretty immersive. I think the one thing [00:31:00] coming out of a pandemic, everybody wants to go back to this experiential retail, and that's where the immersive commerce comes in.[00:31:06] But you don't have to do it in the metaverse. So if you're a retailer, you know, where am I gonna invest money? And time and resources to do something that I expect to have a short term impact this year on consumers buy more from me. I think it's chasing those immersive experiences than chasing a brand new thing that the marketing team wants to do in the metaverse.[00:31:25] Casey Golden: I agree. And I think it's, it's also too we went with like the metaverse and it's something else and you need to go to it, to I don't know, what was it, say like, decentral land had like 31 user, daily active[00:31:36] Ricardo Belmar: something like that.[00:31:36] Casey Golden: Where it's just like, okay, maybe the user adoption, it's too far of a bridge.[00:31:42] So now everything's kind of coming back into a web two scope. To make it feel more immersive, but it's not necessarily using these technologies that are, are metaverse the way we defined it. I don't know. Or end of 2021 [00:32:00] all of last year. Right, right. You know, that too big a bridge. So now it's kind of changing.[00:32:05] So I think it's more about more about what than where.[00:32:08] Ricardo Belmar: Right.[00:32:09] Prediction #9 - web3 vs metaverse[00:32:09] Casey Golden: but it's, I mean, that can lead us into the, the web three versus Metaverse[00:32:14] Ricardo Belmar: which is our number nine,[00:32:15] Casey Golden: which is number nine. Web three is carving out its space in commerce. While the Metaverse is a marketer's new shiny object you know, where we have this underlining technology.[00:32:27] Can provide a more scalable utility and a more secure utility for a lot of different commerce applications. But it's not necessarily the metaverse. And I think that there's been some confusion over last year, everybody kind of figuring out what's an N F T, what's a digital twin, What is phygital, right?[00:32:46] Like all of these different opportunities. Where, and then we have the crypto crash So then it's just like, oh, maybe the hype's over. Web three is a definitely, I feel here to stay. Digital twinning has become [00:33:00] much more operational after all of these players experimenting in it last year, and we'll see more mature products and use cases from streaming the operational and production changes for business processes for physical apparel, phygital apparel and really being able to leverage almost another type of infrastructure as we go into more scalable and digital, digital native software solutions. And the metaverse, I see being more of like that new immersive marketing medium where instead of it being a flat Instagram image or a reel or a video this is an opportunity to move from broadcasting to interactive brand experiences becoming the destination.[00:33:48] But actually being able to have that fantasy that a lot of brands just can't afford to do in real life, you know? [00:33:57] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. I, I think at the end of the day, [00:34:00] Meta and our friend Zuckerberg out there really burst the bubble on, on the excitement to this I think. Everybody thinks that they're just failing by throwing good money after bad. And, and that's soured a lot of people on it.[00:34:10] But I agree. Digital twins is probably the, to me, the top use case that comes out of the metaverse. It's got real utility. There are lots of brands using that, especially on, on the CPG side to do a lot of new product development model their, their factories and production lines so that they don't have to.[00:34:25] Figure out and spend money in the physical world and to make changes. They'll know before they make the first change, whether it's gonna work or not, and how much it's gonna save by doing the digital twins. So there's real value there. And I think you're, you're right, the web three part of it, you touched on it before on the loyalty program, so that's got real, real world value in that.[00:34:41] So we'll see more of it. Yeah, so I think that's definitely web three versus the metaverse. I think Web three is gonna be the winner there this year. [00:34:48] Prediction #10 - Generative AI[00:34:48] Ricardo Belmar: So let's move into the last one, number 10, which we would be remiss if we didn't have a predictions episode without talking about all these generative AI solutions that have come up in recent weeks, [00:35:00]whether it's ChatGPT and Dalle-2, all these things.[00:35:03] And what does that mean . To me this is, these are cool technologies, these are amazing applications of AI that retailers, just like every other business, are gonna figure out where and how are they gonna make use of it. I mean, you could see , something like ChatGPT being used to help write their marketing material.[00:35:19] For example,[00:35:20] Casey Golden: like, why did we not just ask the question and. In chat, G P T before the podcast,[00:35:26] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, we should, I'm afraid of what it would've[00:35:27] told us. , I'm afraid what it would've told us, wonder if would've, we would've matched up to any other ones. It tells us are the, the top 10 [00:35:35] Casey Golden: All [00:35:35] Ricardo Belmar: like to know. Okay, so, so yeah.[00:35:37] Homework for all our listeners is go ask ChatGPT for the top 10. And my big question, would it list itself as one of the big predictions and big trends for the year?[00:35:47] Casey Golden: Right?[00:35:47] Ricardo Belmar: right. But if you think. There are tools coming out already to integrate these technologies into other applications, other areas?[00:35:55] I mean, I'm, I'm just thinking of you know, this, this could have an impact in changing how people search for [00:36:00] products. For example, if I'm a retailer and I incorporate this into my app, maybe there's new reasons now as a consumer for me to go into the app and not spend time going to Amazon or Google to search for products.[00:36:09] I can just do it in their app and I can do it in a conversational way by just talking to the app. I. I don't know. I personally don't think there are a lot of people asking Alexa or Siri to help them shop[00:36:20] Casey Golden: No, I mean, you know, it it, it comes back to garbage in, garbage out.[00:36:25] And so in shopping, we've had a lot of garbage in.[00:36:27] Yeah, right. I just wanna see pencil skirts that have a double, double kick plate.[00:36:31] I've never seen the word double kick plate on any e-commerce listing in my life. And I have to go store by store. Yeah. But there's opportunity here,[00:36:41] Ricardo Belmar: right? And, and. Connect the dots on this to our retail media networks and B2B services prediction.[00:36:48] I mean, you apply these things to all the media that you're putting into the network and how the retailer interfaces that with the brands there. There's impact on both sides of this, right? For the brands and using these technologies to generate the media they're [00:37:00] placing into the network on the retailer and how they're presenting it in store on digital screens.[00:37:05] There's amazing applications and potential here. I, it's this one. I think at the same time, it's easy to predict. It's also hard to predict because knowing exactly what we're gonna see retailers create with this, I, I don't think anybody can legitimately do that right now in January. But I think, you know, it would be foolish not to have this on any predictions list for the year that it's gonna have a major impact.[00:37:26] Casey Golden: No, I mean, it's really interesting.[00:37:27] I've spoken to a lot of people in this, more on the tech side of the space. Everybody knows what it is, but when I've spoken to some brands and designers and and whatnot, they've never heard of it.[00:37:44] Right.[00:37:44] It's too soon. [00:37:45] there is definitely going, like, there, should[00:37:50] we move so fast for, for these, these retailers and brands on the tech side that, you know, they can't keep track of all of these things.[00:37:57] Thankfully there's, you know, a lot of retail consultants and a [00:38:00] lot of technologists that are really diving into here and finding the value . To bring back some type of a solution for Branson retailers with a use [00:38:08] Ricardo Belmar: case.[00:38:08] Yeah. And, and I think this is a lot like what's we've been saying and the other predictions is happening with web three, right? Where we, where we're finally seeing major examples in loyalty. It's where the actual retail tech that's being used in some ways hides all of the complexities and, and things that you have to know to implement on the tech side for this or the retail.[00:38:27] The brand doesn't need to deal with it, the solution just doesn't. And I think the same thing will happen here once we start to see the tools. Right now everybody's playing around with the raw capability that ChatGPT gives 'em or Dalle two. But when that gets integrated with the right tools and APIs so that you can put it in other things, we'll see new retail tech solutions come up that are going to use this, but they're gonna deliver a business outcome for the retailer of the brand without having to know that this is what's going on in the [00:38:54] Casey Golden: Exactly.[00:38:54] They're probably not even gonna know.[00:38:56] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. And And that's what's gonna help at scale[00:38:57] Casey Golden: what's coming in. Right. And I've seen a [00:39:00] lot more success on these solutions. when you have the context of the end use case. Right. And I'm, I think we're just gonna see in general a huge push of people from retail that are in tech are going to be making some really big moves in the industry.[00:39:20] I think the most need for a retail technology consultant in general. It's not about omnichannel, it's not about bricks, it's not about clicks. It's literally about getting a technologist to work with you that understands the retail[00:39:36] business. [00:39:36] Ricardo Belmar: There's, there's a big opportunity there for the consultants in the industry and for all the, the services companies that are gonna help with implementations[00:39:43] Casey Golden: because it's a lot of, it's a lot of whiplash,[00:39:46] Ricardo Belmar: It is. Yeah. . That's right, [00:39:50] Casey Golden: that's plus running your own business, you[00:39:52] Ricardo Belmar: Exactly. Yeah.[00:39:53] Casey Golden: has a job already, right? So[00:39:55] Ricardo Belmar: Kind of implied, not so much because it's not really worth as a prediction, but kind of implied across all of [00:40:00] these that every retailer is actually focusing on the core business while dealing with all these things.[00:40:04] So yeah, that's sort of a given to that. All right, well, those are the 10, those are our 10 predictions. So for all of our listeners and show fans, hit us up on LinkedIn. Give us your comments and feedback. Let us know what you think. And we'll be checking in throughout the year to see how we're doing on these, like we did last season and see what happens from there.[00:40:25] Casey Golden: I, I've never been more excited for a year to work in my life. like 2023 Yeah. Is going to be the most fun.[00:40:34] Ricardo Belmar: Right, right. There's so much potential here. Absolutely. Absolutely. . Well, Casey, I think that is a wrap for this episode.[00:40:42] Casey Golden: Love it.[00:40:43] Show Close[00:40:43] Casey Golden: We hope you enjoyed our show and we can't ask you enough to please give us a five star rating and review on apple podcast to help us grow and bring you [00:41:00] more great episodes. If you don't wanna miss a minute of what's next, be sure to smash that subscribe button in your favorite podcast player. And don't forget to check out our show notes for handy links and more deets. I'm your host, Casey Golden. [00:41:14] Ricardo Belmar: And if you'd like to learn more about the two of us, follow us on Twitter at Casey c golden and Ricardo underscore Belmar, or find us on LinkedIn. Be sure to follow the show on LinkedIn and Twitter at retail razor. Plus our YouTube channel for videos of each episode and bonus content. I'm your host, Ricardo Belmar.[00:41:31] Casey Golden: Thanks for joining us.[00:41:32] Ricardo Belmar: And remember, there's never been a better time to be in retail, if you cut through the clutter! Until next time, this is the Retail Razor Show. 

Conversational Commerce with Retail Dive
Ushering in the new year with Doug Stephens

Conversational Commerce with Retail Dive

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2022 51:03


What retailers should know about the realities of the metaverse and more futuristic observations from the retail prophet.

In Clear Focus
In Clear Focus: Cyber Week Special

In Clear Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 35:45


In Clear Focus: With 166 million Americans shopping for deals, a special episode to coincide with the most important shopping week of the year. Previous guests Doug Stephens, Devora Rogers, Ibrahim Ibrahim, and Ksenia Newton discuss how retail is evolving. We discuss trends in shopping behaviors: the growing importance of social media for brand discovery, logistical challenges facing omnichannel brands, why stores are like media and their potential for re-invention as community spaces.

Free 2 Worship Ministries with Pastor Ken Colvin of Tallahassee, FL
The Life of Joseph by Pastor Ken Colvin and Pastor Doug Stephens

Free 2 Worship Ministries with Pastor Ken Colvin of Tallahassee, FL

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2022 29:15


Let's open our Bibles to Genesis 37. When all you have is favor and a dream. "When God has favored you, no man can curse you." --Pastor Ken Colvin +++++++ Follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/f2wministries

Channel Mastery
2022: The Year of The Great Weirdness.

Channel Mastery

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022 20:13


Featuring: Kristin Carpenter is the founder of Verde Brand Communications and the host of the Channel Mastery podcast. She earned her stripes in the $873 billion outdoor recreation industries through a decade-long career as a journalist. In 2001, she pivoted from reporting on stories to helping brands create their own stories in the launch of Verde Brand Communications, award-winning brand communications, PR, and digital marketing agency. In 2018, Verde launched the Channel Mastery podcast to help outdoor recreation brand leaders modernize their businesses to be exceptional to today's connected shoppers.    Show Highlights:  In this solo-cast episode of the Channel Mastery podcast, Kristin brings resources and a call to action to leaders of outdoor recreation brands to boldly adopt and execute new approaches, minimizing risk along the way. The year 2022 is proving to be one of the most unique to date in terms of leading through a challenging business climate, considering headwinds from inflation, supply-chain woes, softening consumer sentiment, and global political unrest, all underscored by one of the most divisive times in history. This episode of the Channel Mastery podcast declares 2022 to be: The Year of The Great Weirdness.  In this episode, Kristin reflects on how our “best-laid plans” continue to elude even the most disciplined of teams and shares tips on adopting new approaches with quick execution to further growth and traction. This episode also covers the outdoor rec consumer's resemblance to luxury consumers, a Q3 view on consumer ‘buying vs. spending', and hand-selected resources, including an ‘ode to evolving the legacy supply chain' by Doug Stephens, the “Retail Prophet,” and Euromonitor International's take on the luxury consumer, and more.  RELATED LINKS Listen to More Channel Mastery Episodes Like This: Channel Mastery: 191 with Scott Buelter Ecommerce Times: Luxury Consumers Dismiss Inflation, Say ‘Full Shopping Ahead!' Euromonitor International's: Five Trends Shaping the Global Luxury Goods Landscape Remarkable Retail: Understanding 'Buying' vs. 'Shopping' Retail Prophet: The Future of Retail in the New Era of Risk  

In Clear Focus
In Clear Focus: ENVISION 2022 - Doug Stephens, Retail Prophet

In Clear Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2022 29:43


In Clear Focus: Bigeye recently released ENVISION 2022, an on-demand video exploring key findings from our report, Retail Disrupted. This week's podcast is an extended interview with ENVISION guest Doug Stephens, a retail futurist, author, and CEO of Retail Prophet. During our interview, Doug shared his thoughts on luxury retail's resilience among Asian consumers, Amazon's experiments with physical store concepts, and social and sustainability issues around retailing in the metaverse.

Business Matters with Karl Fitzpatrick
Doug Stephens, the Retail Prophet reveals how the world's leading retailers are innovating

Business Matters with Karl Fitzpatrick

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2022 18:33


Free 2 Worship Ministries with Pastor Ken Colvin of Tallahassee, FL
Watching and Praying Our Way to Victory by Pastor Doug Stephens and Pastor Ken Colvin

Free 2 Worship Ministries with Pastor Ken Colvin of Tallahassee, FL

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2022 31:37


Let's open our Bibles to Luke chapter 11...the only time the disciples specifically asked Jesus to each them something. Continuing our series on prayer, the principles, benefits, and more. This is a tag team sermon with Pastor Ken Colvin of Free 2 Worship, along with Pastor Doug Stephens who begins the sermon. Here is some biographical information on Pastor Doug: Doug Stephens was born and raised in Maryland. He received his Bachelors degree from Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville in Secondary Education and his Masters in Counseling from Luther Rice University. Doug was married in 1991 to Anna. They have 7 children: Gabriel, Alexa, Mikayla, Alaina, Jason, Angelo, and Nathan. Doug has been a long time teacher, coach, and community leader. He planted Fellowship at Midway Church in 2007 with several other families, and where he still serves as the Senior Pastor. Doug is passionate about Jesus, family, marriage, and helping young people. He is serving as Live the Life's Relationship Education Director.

Fashion Questions...
What will the future retail store look like?

Fashion Questions...

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2022 32:32


What will the future retail store look like? This is the question of our second episode of Fashion Questions… To help us understand where the retail market is heading, we've invited Doug Stephens to talk to us about it. He is a retail futurist, renowned author, and founder and CEO of Retail Prophet, a consultancy specialising in trends forecasting and consumer behaviour.

The Business of Fashion Podcast
What Consumers Will Buy | Retail Reborn Season 2

The Business of Fashion Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2022 40:20 Very Popular


In the final episode, professor of psychology Sheldon Solomon, Depop's head of sustainability Justine Porterie, The Fabricant's head of content and strategy Michaela Larosse and Chloé's chief sustainability officer Aude Vergne join retail futurist Doug Stephens to explore how evolving consumer preferences are shaping purchasing decisions. In this final episode of Retail Reborn, we explore the future consumer's preferences and needs, and how this is shaping their purchasing decisions, from the V-shaped recovery of the personal luxury goods industry in 2021 to the renewed verve in, and take on, the experiential economy as the world reopened post-global lockdowns. “It's worthwhile to question the extent to which some of the changes we are witnessing are truly indicative of longer-term shifts in behaviour, or an almost primally motivated response to the profound medical threat of the pandemic, not to mention the social, political and economic unrest that it has unleashed,” says podcast host and retail futurist Doug Stephens. The conversation examines human behaviour and the effects the pandemic might have played in the mindsets of young consumers, before discussing evolving attitudes towards ownership, the rise of responsible goods and sustainability in a luxury fashion house and the resale market — an industry expected to nearly triple by 2025. Finally, we explore virtual technology's presence in consumption preferences, from the evolution of sampling processes to the increased interest in digital products. Indeed, the metaverse is projected to provide a $50 billion revenue opportunity for luxury by 2030, according to Morgan Stanley, and the first Metaverse Virtual Fashion Week took place last month. To break down what consumers will buy, four global experts share their insights and expertise with host Doug Stephens. Listen to all episodes of Retail Reborn Season 2 on the BoF Podcast, to discover actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges the consumer of tomorrow will bring. Brookfield Properties is building marketplaces of the future that meet the needs of the modern shopper. Discover more.

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion
What Consumers Will Buy | Retail Reborn Season 2

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2022 40:20


In the final episode, professor of psychology Sheldon Solomon, Depop's head of sustainability Justine Porterie, The Fabricant's head of content and strategy Michaela Larosse and Chloé's chief sustainability officer Aude Vergne join retail futurist Doug Stephens to explore how evolving consumer preferences are shaping purchasing decisions. In this final episode of Retail Reborn, we explore the future consumer's preferences and needs, and how this is shaping their purchasing decisions, from the V-shaped recovery of the personal luxury goods industry in 2021 to the renewed verve in, and take on, the experiential economy as the world reopened post-global lockdowns. “It's worthwhile to question the extent to which some of the changes we are witnessing are truly indicative of longer-term shifts in behaviour, or an almost primally motivated response to the profound medical threat of the pandemic, not to mention the social, political and economic unrest that it has unleashed,” says podcast host and retail futurist Doug Stephens. The conversation examines human behaviour and the effects the pandemic might have played in the mindsets of young consumers, before discussing evolving attitudes towards ownership, the rise of responsible goods and sustainability in a luxury fashion house and the resale market — an industry expected to nearly triple by 2025. Finally, we explore virtual technology's presence in consumption preferences, from the evolution of sampling processes to the increased interest in digital products. Indeed, the metaverse is projected to provide a $50 billion revenue opportunity for luxury by 2030, according to Morgan Stanley, and the first Metaverse Virtual Fashion Week took place last month. To break down what consumers will buy, four global experts share their insights and expertise with host Doug Stephens. Listen to all episodes of Retail Reborn Season 2 on the BoF Podcast, to discover actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges the consumer of tomorrow will bring. Brookfield Properties is building marketplaces of the future that meet the needs of the modern shopper. Discover more.

The Business of Fashion Podcast
How Consumers Will Buy | Retail Reborn Season 2

The Business of Fashion Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2022 38:39 Very Popular


Adjunct professor in global digital economy Winston Ma, design and blockchain expert Marjorie Hernandez de Vogelsteller, and fashion tech lawyer Gina Bibby join founder of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens, to assess the evolving payment space and behaviour. This episode tackles how consumers will shop, deep diving into the transaction processes themselves and how methods of payment are changing, from biometric payment to the Replenishment Economy, as well as innovative paths-to-purchase and how brands and retailers are engaging with them, including the gamification of sales and products. In 2020, Epic Games reported over $1 billion in microtransaction sales from the mobile version of the Fortnite game alone, across in-game upgrades, costumes and player capabilities. Seeing the potential in this space, brands across the value spectrum have embraced the world of gaming, from Nikeland on Roblox to Balenciaga's Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow to showcase the brand's Autumn Winter 2021 collection. “Both gaming and livestreaming are part of a broader move toward [...] ambient retail — a state where retail is everywhere, woven into every social or entertainment experience. [It is] an evolution that may spell the end of the centralised and search-driven web shopping convention we've lived with for the past 30 years,” says podcast host and founder of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens. The conversation also considers the evolution of currency, from crypto and blockchain to Bitcoin and Ethereum, detailing their distinct qualities, entrance into the mainstream payment space and popularity among next-gen consumers. Indeed, more than half of Millennial millionaires have at least 50 percent of their wealth in crypto, while nearly 60 percent of Gen-Z believe wealth is achievable through investments in cryptocurrency, according to Business Insider. To deep dive into how the next-gen consumer will buy products and experiences in the future, BoF gathers three global authorities to share insights with host Doug Stephens. Follow the series to ensure you never miss an episode and discover actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges the consumer of tomorrow will bring, and how retail's transformation will impact your business. Brookfield Properties is building marketplaces of the future that meet the needs of the modern shopper. Discover more.

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion
How Consumers Will Buy | Retail Reborn Season 2

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2022 38:39


Adjunct professor in global digital economy Winston Ma, design and blockchain expert Marjorie Hernandez de Vogelsteller, and fashion tech lawyer Gina Bibby join founder of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens, to assess the evolving payment space and behaviour. This episode tackles how consumers will shop, deep diving into the transaction processes themselves and how methods of payment are changing, from biometric payment to the Replenishment Economy, as well as innovative paths-to-purchase and how brands and retailers are engaging with them, including the gamification of sales and products. In 2020, Epic Games reported over $1 billion in microtransaction sales from the mobile version of the Fortnite game alone, across in-game upgrades, costumes and player capabilities. Seeing the potential in this space, brands across the value spectrum have embraced the world of gaming, from Nikeland on Roblox to Balenciaga's Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow to showcase the brand's Autumn Winter 2021 collection. “Both gaming and livestreaming are part of a broader move toward [...] ambient retail — a state where retail is everywhere, woven into every social or entertainment experience. [It is] an evolution that may spell the end of the centralised and search-driven web shopping convention we've lived with for the past 30 years,” says podcast host and founder of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens. The conversation also considers the evolution of currency, from crypto and blockchain to Bitcoin and Ethereum, detailing their distinct qualities, entrance into the mainstream payment space and popularity among next-gen consumers. Indeed, more than half of Millennial millionaires have at least 50 percent of their wealth in crypto, while nearly 60 percent of Gen-Z believe wealth is achievable through investments in cryptocurrency, according to Business Insider. To deep dive into how the next-gen consumer will buy products and experiences in the future, BoF gathers three global authorities to share insights with host Doug Stephens. Follow the series to ensure you never miss an episode and discover actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges the consumer of tomorrow will bring, and how retail's transformation will impact your business. Brookfield Properties is building marketplaces of the future that meet the needs of the modern shopper. Discover more.

The Business of Fashion Podcast
Which Consumers Will Buy | Retail Reborn Season 2

The Business of Fashion Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2022 38:24 Very Popular


McKinsey's head of retail practises in Central and South America Tracy Francis, luxury analyst Erwan Rambourg and Warby Parker's SVP of retail Sandy Gilsenan join Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet, to examine the global forces redefining consumer behaviour and circumstances, and the implications on retail habits. BoF assesses how the climate crisis and economic downturns are impacting consumer behaviour and retail practices, before addressing the new centres of wealth and income polarisation on a global scale. In the US, for example, more than 50 percent of American wealth in 2020 was held by Baby Boomers, or those born between 1946 and 1964, while Millennials held less than 10 percent, according to Harvard Business Review. In contrast, young consumers in China are powering an unprecedented level of spending as the first generation to come of age during China's economic revolution — almost 80 percent of luxury spending in China today is by those under the age of 40. The conversation goes on to analyse younger consumers' relationship with luxury, and the industry's evolution in democratising access for such consumers, before considering the strategy behind one direct-to-consumer brand's post-pandemic brick-and-mortar expansion plan, attuned to the next-gen consumer whose expectations far exceed those of previous generations. Follow the series to ensure you never miss an episode and discover actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges the consumer of tomorrow will bring, and how retail's transformation will impact your business. Brookfield Properties is building marketplaces of the future that meet the needs of the modern shopper. Discover more.

Retail Prophet
How Retail Weakens The West

Retail Prophet

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2022 11:07


Geopolitical events have disrupted retail, but retail has also contributed to geopolitical disruption, argues host Doug Stephens.  And it's making us all unsafe. 

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion
Which Consumers Will Buy | Retail Reborn Season 2

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2022 38:24


McKinsey's head of retail practises in Central and South America Tracy Francis, luxury analyst Erwan Rambourg and Warby Parker's SVP of retail Sandy Gilsenan join Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet, to examine the global forces redefining consumer behaviour and circumstances, and the implications on retail habits. BoF assesses how the climate crisis and economic downturns are impacting consumer behaviour and retail practices, before addressing the new centres of wealth and income polarisation on a global scale. In the US, for example, more than 50 percent of American wealth in 2020 was held by Baby Boomers, or those born between 1946 and 1964, while Millennials held less than 10 percent, according to Harvard Business Review. In contrast, young consumers in China are powering an unprecedented level of spending as the first generation to come of age during China's economic revolution — almost 80 percent of luxury spending in China today is by those under the age of 40. The conversation goes on to analyse younger consumers' relationship with luxury, and the industry's evolution in democratising access for such consumers, before considering the strategy behind one direct-to-consumer brand's post-pandemic brick-and-mortar expansion plan, attuned to the next-gen consumer whose expectations far exceed those of previous generations. Follow the series to ensure you never miss an episode and discover actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges the consumer of tomorrow will bring, and how retail's transformation will impact your business. Brookfield Properties is building marketplaces of the future that meet the needs of the modern shopper. Discover more.

The Business of Fashion Podcast
Where Consumers Will Buy | Retail Reborn Season 2

The Business of Fashion Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 37:56 Very Popular


Associate professor Thomas J. Campanella, ‘Godmother of the Metaverse' Cathy Hackl and Stôur Group co-founders Sonny Gindi and Eden Melloul join Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet, to discuss how physical and virtual consumer landscapes are evolving to meet next-gen consumer demands.  Presented by Brookfield Properties, BoF investigates the consumer of tomorrow — how new fundamentals will shape the lives and behaviours of the next-generation consumer, and the impact on the retail industry today. We begin by examining the redrawing of city life as new lifestyle patterns have propelled a seismic shift in the urban landscape. Globally, cities experienced a mass exodus of residents and commuters as the pandemic popularised remote living and working.  The episode goes on to discuss how retailers are exploring innovative methods and use-cases for physical retail to better engage consumers in-store, such as New York's Allure Store and its focus on media as the store's metric for success.  The conversation also illuminates the fast-emerging retail opportunities within the metaverse, discussing luxury fashion and beauty's initial steps into this space, and the potential in leveraging the likes of NFTs, skins and blockchain technologies. Indeed, BoF and McKinsey & Co.'s State of Fashion Report 2022 cites estimates that the total addressable market for digital fashion is $31 billion. Follow the series to ensure you never miss an episode and discover actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges the consumer of tomorrow will bring, and how retail's transformation will impact your business.

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion
Where Consumers Will Buy | Retail Reborn Season 2

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 37:56


Associate professor Thomas J. Campanella, ‘Godmother of the Metaverse' Cathy Hackl and Stôur Group co-founders Sonny Gindi and Eden Melloul join Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet, to discuss how physical and virtual consumer landscapes are evolving to meet next-gen consumer demands.  Presented by Brookfield Properties, BoF investigates the consumer of tomorrow — how new fundamentals will shape the lives and behaviours of the next-generation consumer, and the impact on the retail industry today. We begin by examining the redrawing of city life as new lifestyle patterns have propelled a seismic shift in the urban landscape. Globally, cities experienced a mass exodus of residents and commuters as the pandemic popularised remote living and working.  The episode goes on to discuss how retailers are exploring innovative methods and use-cases for physical retail to better engage consumers in-store, such as New York's Allure Store and its focus on media as the store's metric for success.  The conversation also illuminates the fast-emerging retail opportunities within the metaverse, discussing luxury fashion and beauty's initial steps into this space, and the potential in leveraging the likes of NFTs, skins and blockchain technologies. Indeed, BoF and McKinsey & Co.'s State of Fashion Report 2022 cites estimates that the total addressable market for digital fashion is $31 billion. Follow the series to ensure you never miss an episode and discover actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges the consumer of tomorrow will bring, and how retail's transformation will impact your business. Brookfield Properties is building marketplaces of the future that meet the needs of the modern shopper. Discover more.

The Business of Fashion Podcast
Welcome to Retail Reborn Season 2

The Business of Fashion Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 3:17


Podcast host and founder of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens, is joined by 14 global authorities and thought leaders, from fashion and retail executives to futurists and academics, in this second series of Retail Reborn. Guests will share insights on the changing consumer lifestyles and expectations shaping the retail ecosystem, discussing generational expectations as shaped by the pandemic, climate crisis and economic downturns, as well as examining where, how and what next-gen consumers will buy. Retail Reborn Season 2 launches on 28th March 2022. Subscribe now to never miss an episode. Sign up for BoF's Daily Digest newsletter. For comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail: podcast@businessoffashion.com For all sponsorship enquiries, it's: advertising@businessoffashion.com

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion
Welcome to Retail Reborn Season 2

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 3:17


Podcast host and founder of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens, is joined by 14 global authorities and thought leaders, from fashion and retail executives to futurists and academics, in this second series of Retail Reborn. Guests will share insights on the changing consumer lifestyles and expectations shaping the retail ecosystem, discussing generational expectations as shaped by the pandemic, climate crisis and economic downturns, as well as examining where, how and what next-gen consumers will buy. Retail Reborn Season 2 launches on 28th March 2022. Subscribe now to never miss an episode. Sign up for BoF's Daily Digest newsletter. For comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail: podcast@businessoffashion.com  For all sponsorship enquiries, it's: advertising@businessoffashion.com

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion
Introducing: Retail Reborn, Season 2

Retail Reborn from The Business of Fashion

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2022 0:50


In this second season of Retail Reborn, podcast host and founder of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens is joined by 14 global authorities and thought leaders, from fashion and retail executives to futurists and academics. Guests will share insights on the changing consumer lifestyles and expectations shaping the retail ecosystem, discussing generational expectations as shaped by the pandemic, climate crisis and economic downturns, as well as examining where, how and what next-gen consumers will buy. Retail Reborn Season 2 launches on 28th March. Follow now to never miss an episode. Sign up for BoF's Daily Digest newsletter. For comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail: podcast@businessoffashion.com. For all sponsorship enquiries, it's: advertising@businessoffashion.com

From Paint to Purpose | FCP Services
Doug Stephens, Founder / Speaker / Author / Consultant - Retail Prophet

From Paint to Purpose | FCP Services

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2022 45:53


Doug Stephens is a Canadian futurist, keynote speaker, author and business advisor on the future of retailing and consumerism.

Conversational Commerce with Retail Dive
Our traditional interview with the retail prophet, Doug Stephens

Conversational Commerce with Retail Dive

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2021 52:59


While the pandemic isn't over, 2021 seemed to show that physical locations remain important to retail. But each store must have something to offer, Doug Stephens tells Retail Dive's Daphne Howland.

In Clear Focus
Retail Disrupted: What Shoppers Want From Brands Today, Episode 2

In Clear Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2021 29:21


IN CLEAR FOCUS: The second in a special series of podcasts reflecting insights from Bigeye's national study, Retail Disrupted, looks at the role that smart speakers and displays play in consumers' shopping behaviors. We also learn which consumers are most likely to use augmented reality apps to support their purchasing decisions. Discussing the findings are antitrust expert Tim Hwang, retail futurist Doug Stephens, and Justin Hadaegh from the mobile shopper survey platform, MFour. 

Afternoons With Mike PODCAST
S3E211 DOUG STEPHENS is a senior pastor in the Panhandle, and with LIVE THE LIFE, he is working to equip and save marriages.

Afternoons With Mike PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2021 50:18


A longtime teacher, coach and pastor, Doug Stephens started the Fellowship at Midway in 2007. He has a real love and a burden for strengthening the marriages of believers. He does this both through his pastoral work at his church, and also as the North Florida Director for LIVE THE LIFE, an outreach ministry that aims at helping Christians break out of complacency and truly "live their life".

In Clear Focus
Retail Disrupted: What Shoppers Want From Brands Today, Episode 1

In Clear Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2021 30:41


In Clear Focus: The first in a series of podcast episodes accompanying Bigeye's 2021 study, Retail Disrupted: What Shoppers Want From Brands Today. Based on a national survey of over 1,500 US shoppers, it's clear that consumers are demanding more from retailers than ever before. In this pod, we explore key data points from the report with retail futurist Doug Stephens and influencer marketing expert Paige Garrett and discuss what the findings mean for retail and direct-to-consumer marketers. 

Retail Redeveloped
What is the Metaverse? Looking into the Future of Retail

Retail Redeveloped

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2021 56:14


The Fundamental purpose of both digital media and brick-and-mortar retail are rapidly changing.  Today we're talking through those changes with Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens. Doug is one of the world's foremost retail industry futurists. His intellectual work and thinking have influenced many of the world's best-known retailers, agencies and brands including Walmart, Google, Home Depot, Disney, BMW, Coca Cola, and Intel.  Listen along as we discuss how brand media impressions take place within physical retail, what the retail metaverse is and how it will radically change retail, and what's next for retail in a post digital world. 

Relationship Realtalk

This was a fan favorite so we decided to  bring the boys back! In this week's episode of Relationship Realtalk the men of North Florida regional office, Richard Albertson, Doug Stephens, Cameron Briggs, and Jimmy Cash, join Alphonso again to have an open, honest discussion about men finding their worth in today's society, men dealing with the pressures of life, and the benefits of having support.  Whether you're new in a relationship, married for a while or single, every guy will get something out of this episode!

In Clear Focus
In Clear Focus: Resurrecting Retail with Doug Stephens

In Clear Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 29:30


In Clear Focus: Doug Stephens is an internationally recognized retail futurist. His new book, Resurrecting Retail, explores the challenges today's big-box retailers face from online giants like Amazon and niche, direct-to-consumer brands. We discuss how retailers are responding with innovative, immersive shopping experiences that bring customers back to physical stores. Doug identifies the emerging technologies that will shape the future of shopping for the remainder of this decade and beyond.

Ontario Morning from CBC Radio
Ontario Morning Podcast - August 27, 2021

Ontario Morning from CBC Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2021 55:04


Earlier in the pandemic the price of lumber skyrocketed - now it's fallen so far at least one producer is cutting production. Joel Neuheimer of the Forest Products Association of Canada explains the ups and downs we've seen; Serious video game players are now turning to coaches to improve their play - just like athletes. Game developer Liana Kerzner from Holland's Landing tells us more; What are the prospects for us voting online in future federal elections? Aleksander Essex is a cybersecurity expert who teaches Software Engineering at Western University in London. He cautions that there are still shortcomings with the current technology; 10 year-old Tyler Elliot and 11 year-old Emma Graham tell us about growing their own plants for the local gardening competition; Mustafa Farooq of the National Council of Canadian Muslims offers his perspective on the controversy over federal minister Mayam Monsef's reference to the Taliban; Who wants a pumpkin spice latte in the midst of an August heat wave? Retail analyst Doug Stephens discusses the idea of 'seasonality' and why product marketing is becoming detached from events on the calendar; Michelle Eaton of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce outlines the tip sheet they have created to help workplaces implement their own proof-of-vaccination policies; Zabrina Douglas is a registered nurse - and a standup comic. She'll be performing tonight at Laughter From the Frontlines, a virtual comedy show featuring healthcare workers across Canada. She tells us how she came to combine two very different vocations.

The Business of Fashion Podcast
How Retailers Can Use Data to Improve Customer Experience

The Business of Fashion Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2021 31:07


Retail futurist Doug Stephens is joined by a panel of experts to tackle the tricky business of collecting, understanding and using data to improve retail.   In retail, data can be a powerful tool to help brands understand their customers and how they engage with products. But just as retail itself has changed dramatically over the past few years, so have a retailer's most important metrics of success — it's no longer just about sales. As highlighted in the BoF Professional Summit: What's a Store For?, it's not sufficient for retailers to solely measure variables related to purchase — such as sales per square foot, or average footfall. But while there is no shortage of data that retailers can capture (and hundreds of ways to do it), not all data is worth paying attention to. Knowing what data is worth paying attention to can be tricky. “Simply because you can measure something, doesn't necessarily mean that you should or it doesn't necessarily make it important,” said Doug Stephens, retail futurist and BoF columnist. This week on the BoF Podcast, Stephens is joined by Brittany Hicks and Jessica Couch of Fayetteville Road, a consulting firm which helps retailers understand niche markets and women of colour, as well as Alexei Agratchev, co-founder and chief executive of in-store analytics firm RetailNext to discuss how retailers should be using retail data. Retailers have access to an overwhelming amount of information: what percentage of passersby enter a store, how much time those visitors spend inside, what merchandise they interact with and how many times they return to the space, as well as demographic details like age and gender. “The most important thing that stores can do to be great is to constantly invest in tools and processes to listen and respond to their customers,” said Agratchev. Retailers need to be agile and translate the information they gather into actionable strategies for trying out new formats, layouts and sales associate engagement tactics. “It's not not just a matter of implementing the technology to gather data but potentially using it as a means of experimentation and testing as well,” said Stephens. Couch says retailers also need to dig deeper to understand some of the more complicated attributes about their consumers, like where they come from, what communities they belong to, and what their sentiments are about the brand. “There is a disconnect,” said Couch. “A lot of brands don't understand how people feel about their products or experience.” Related Articles: The BoF Professional Summit: What's a Store For? What's a Store For? Selfridges' Andrew Keith on Post-Pandemic Retail Join BoF Professional for the analysis and advice you need. Get 30 days for just $1 or explore group subscriptions for your business.

Thought and Leaders
Doug Stephens -The Retail Prophet on Thought and Leaders global podcast

Thought and Leaders

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2021 33:45


Doug Stephens is one of the world's foremost retail industry futurists. His thinking has influenced many of the world's best-known retailers, agencies and brands, including Walmart, Google, Home Depot, Disney, BMW, Coca Cola and Intel. Doug is also listed as one of the industry's top 5 global influencers by Vend.com.Before founding Retail Prophet, Doug spent over 20 years in the retail industry, holding senior international roles, including the leadership of one of New York City's most historic retail chains.He is the author of three ground-breaking books, The Retail Revival: Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism, Reengineering Retail: The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World and Resurrecting Retail: The Future of Business in a Post-Pandemic World, which asks what if Covid-19 is not a cataclysm, but a catalyst for retailers? Doug's perspectives on retailing, business and consumer behaviour are regularly featured by media outlets including The New York Times, The BBC, Bloomberg Business News, TechCrunch, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company.Doug regularly speaks to major brands and organizations across North and South America, Europe, Asia, The Middle East and Australia.In this compelling episode of Thought and Leaders, Doug talks candidly to Jonathan Gabay about ‘IR' (Integrated Retail and the rise of the ‘Metaverse Merchandiser'.  The broadcast is highly recommended for any retailer looking to secure a brand that can succeed post-2020.Thought and Leaders is heard around the planet.  If you want a cost-effective way to reach a highly influential audience of decision-makers, why not sponsor the series?   We provide everything you need to ensure your support for the show is converted into solid sales.DM us or email: ask@thoughtsandleaders.com https://www..thoughtandleaders.com(Listening time - 33 minutes). 

Customer First Thinking
The Future of Retail: An Interview with Doug Stephens, Founder and President, Retail Prophet

Customer First Thinking

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2021 47:44


Battered by the pandemic, and facing even more disruption ahead, the retail industry is in crisis. With even more stores expected to close in the coming years due to declining foot traffic and the flight to ecommerce, retailers will need to offer shoppers a more distinctive experience if they hope to survive. A new retail model is needed, argues retail futurist Doug Stephens, which will pull shoppers away from their screens and entice them to shop in person.

Retail Transformation Show with Oliver Banks
144: Resurrecting Retail After The Pandemic

Retail Transformation Show with Oliver Banks

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2021 35:11


The pandemic has disrupted all areas of life, and retail is of course no exception. But as the world's super-large retailers continue to expand their businesses, there are questions that we must all ask ourselves. These will not only help us survive but present a real opportunity to thrive. In this episode, retail futurist Doug Stephens joins Oliver Banks to explore retail in a post-pandemic world. The post 144: Resurrecting Retail After The Pandemic appeared first on OB&Co.

Estoy para Servirte
¿Cómo Sobrevivir En El Futuro Del Retail En Un Mundo Post-pandemia? con Doug Stephens | Retail Stories

Estoy para Servirte

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2021 72:45


¿Se puede crecer un negocio de retail en un mundo post-pandemia? La respuesta es Sí, y en esta entrevista aprenderás cómo. Doug Stephens es el Profeta del Retail, uno de los futuristas del comportamiento del consumidor más importantes del mundo. Es consultor de empresas como Microsoft, EBay, Google, The Home Depot, Disney, y muchas más.

This Week in Retail
Special Edition: This Week in Retail x Doug Stephens

This Week in Retail

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 38:24


Last week I interviewed one of the best minds in the retail industry; Doug Stephens. We talked about everything from Amazon, to the future of physical stores and changing consumer behaviors. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Six Pixels of Separation Podcast - By Mitch Joel
SPOS #561 - Reengineering Retail With Doug Stephens

Six Pixels of Separation Podcast - By Mitch Joel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2017 57:55


Welcome to episode #561 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Mirum Podcast.  Here it is: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Mirum Podcast - Episode #561 - Host: Mitch Joel. Doug Stephens is one of the world's foremost retail industry futurists. His work and thinking has influenced some of the world's best-known retailers, agencies and brands. Prior to founding Retail Prophet, Doug spent over 20 years as a professional in the retail industry. He is the author of two business books: The Retail Revival - Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism and his latest, Reengineering Retail - The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World. The world of retail is facing disruption, innovation and digitization all at once. Is this the end or just the beginning of retail? Enjoy the conversation... Running time: 57:55. Hello from beautiful Montreal. Subscribe over at iTunes. Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation. Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook. or you can connect on LinkedIn. ...or on twitter. Six Pixels of Separation the book is now available. CTRL ALT Delete is now available too! Here is my conversation with Doug Stephens. Reengineering Retail - The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World. The Retail Revival - Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism. Retail Prophet. Follow Doug on Twitter. This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'. Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Mirum Podcast - Episode #561 - Host: Mitch Joel. Tags: advertising advertising podcast audio blog blogging brand branding business blog business book business podcast business thinker consumer consumerism david usher digital marketing digital marketing agency digital marketing blog digital world digitization disruption Doug Stephens facebook futurist google innovation itunes j walter thompson jwt leadership podcast management podcast marketing marketing blog marketing podcast mirum mirum agency mirum agency blog mirum blog mirum podcast post digital world reengineering retail retail retail futurist retail industry retail prophet selling social media the retail revival twitter wpp

Coffee Break with Game-Changers, presented by SAP
Retail in 5 Years: Digital Dinosaurs vs Survivors - Part 2

Coffee Break with Game-Changers, presented by SAP

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2017 56:29


The buzz: “Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping” (Bo Derek). Ongoing digital innovations in our hyper-connected world have dramatically impacted consumer buying behaviors and expectations, challenging retailers to change or become obsolete. Smart retailers are already taking action to avoid becoming dinosaurs. But is it too late for the laggards? The experts speak. Brian Kilcourse, Retail Systems Research: “Amazon and online sales is killing traditional retail, and what's true there is going to be true throughout our economy” (U.S. President Barack Obama, Jan. 2017). Doug Stephens, Retail Prophet: “We try to rationalize why innovations from other sectors don't apply to us, rather than focusing on why they do” (George Blankenship, Apple, Tesla, GAP). Greg McStravick, SAP: “There is nothing wrong with change if it is in the right direction” (Sir Winston Churchill). Join us for Retail in 5 Years: Digital Dinosaurs vs Survivors – Part 2.

Coffee Break with Game-Changers, presented by SAP
Retail in 5 Years: Digital Dinosaurs vs Survivors - Part 2

Coffee Break with Game-Changers, presented by SAP

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2017 56:29


The buzz: “Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping” (Bo Derek). Ongoing digital innovations in our hyper-connected world have dramatically impacted consumer buying behaviors and expectations, challenging retailers to change or become obsolete. Smart retailers are already taking action to avoid becoming dinosaurs. But is it too late for the laggards? The experts speak. Brian Kilcourse, Retail Systems Research: “Amazon and online sales is killing traditional retail, and what's true there is going to be true throughout our economy” (U.S. President Barack Obama, Jan. 2017). Doug Stephens, Retail Prophet: “We try to rationalize why innovations from other sectors don't apply to us, rather than focusing on why they do” (George Blankenship, Apple, Tesla, GAP). Greg McStravick, SAP: “There is nothing wrong with change if it is in the right direction” (Sir Winston Churchill). Join us for Retail in 5 Years: Digital Dinosaurs vs Survivors – Part 2.

Six Pixels of Separation Podcast - By Mitch Joel
SPOS #364 - Peeking Into The Future Of Retail With Doug Stephens

Six Pixels of Separation Podcast - By Mitch Joel

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2013 44:02


Welcome to episode #364 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. He has been called "one of the world's foremost retail industry futurists" (put that in your pipe and smoke it!). For over twenty years, Doug Stephens has worked with some of the world's biggest brands, agencies and retailers helping them to achieve the success that they demand today with a keen eye on how quickly the world of retail continues to evolve. Currently, he is the founder of Retail Prophet and the author of the book, The Retail Revival. Do shopping malls have a future? How much of an impact does e-commerce have on retail and where is this all headed? How will retail figure out attribution in a world where people can shop the store while physically being there, or on their smartphone (at the same time)? How is this all going to shake out and what will the future of retail look like? This is a meaty one... enjoy the conversation... Here it is: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #364 - Host: Mitch Joel. Running time: 44:02. Please send in questions, comments, suggestions - mitch@twistimage.com. Hello from Beautiful Montreal. Subscribe over at iTunes. Please visit and leave comments on the Blog - Six Pixels of Separation. Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook. or you can connect on LinkedIn. ...or on twitter.  Six Pixels of Separation the book is now available. CTRL ALT Delete is now available too! In conversation with Doug Stephens. Retail Prophet. The Retail Revival. Follow Doug on Twitter. This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'. Get David's song for free here: Artists For Amnesty. Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast - Episode #364 - Host: Mitch Joel. Tags: advertising podcast blog blogging brand business book business podcast david usher digital marketing doug stephens e commerce ecommerce facebook itunes marketing podcast podcast podcasting retail retail industry retail prophet retailer shopping mall the retail revival twitter