Podcasts about global retail

TakeawaysSingles' Day started as an informal celebration for singles in China.Alibaba transformed Singles' Day into a massive shopping event in 2009.The festival now surpasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday in sales.Consumer behavior is shifting toward value-add promotions, not just discounts.Outdoor sportswear saw a 70% increase in sales during Singles' Day 2024.Engagement metrics are becoming more important than gross merchandise value.Logistics and supply chain management are critical for Singles' Day success.The festival's influence is spreading to Southeast Asia and beyond.Brands need to prepare early and differentiate their offerings.Monitoring consumer sentiment is key for predicting sales outcomes.Chapters00:00 This Week in Research: New Reports and Data02:14 The Evolution of Singles' Day: From Celebration to Shopping Bonanza04:44 Recent Trends and Spending Patterns During Singles' Day09:05 Shifts in Consumer Behavior and Preferences13:15 Looking Ahead: Expectations for Singles' Day 202518:10 Global Influence of Singles' Day Beyond China22:25 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways for Brands Dive into our comprehensive insights with the new research report: How Will Tariffs Impact China's Singles' Day 2025? Six Months To Go—What Brands and Retailers Need to KnowThis report is available exclusively for Coresight Research premium subscribers. To become a premium subscriber, email contactus@coresight.com.

The Insight - Inside the Viral Trade War: Chinese Factories, TikTok, and the Future of Global Retail by Radio Islam

On this special Talk Commerce episode broadcasting live from Shop Talk, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Kelly Martinez, co-president of ePost Global, for an insightful discussion about international shipping solutions, cross-border commerce, and the evolving landscape of global logistics. I was particularly intrigued by the innovative approaches ePost Global is taking to solve complex shipping challenges for retailers worldwide.TakeawaysThere is significant growth in marketing to emerging markets.Cultural adaptation is crucial for successful marketing strategies.Technology is transforming how marketing is conducted.International marketing presents unique challenges that must be addressed.Future marketing trends will increasingly focus on diversity and inclusion.Understanding local cultures enhances marketing effectiveness.Marketers must evolve their strategies with technological advancements.Emerging markets offer new opportunities for exploration.The marketing landscape is continuously changing and requires adaptability.Successful marketing requires a blend of local insights and global strategies.Chapters00:00Introduction to Epos Global and Passion for Travel15:19Understanding Epos Global's Shipping Solutions18:24Navigating Tariffs and Cross-Border Challenges21:31Innovations and Trends in Shipping24:16Customer Fit and E-commerce Trends

Clean Lines: Sustainable Innovation and Retail Evolution with Rothy's VP Global Retail In this episode of RetailCraft, Ian Jindal speaks with Giovanni Lepori, Vice President of Global Retail at Rothy's, from the brand's flagship store in New York. Giovanni shares how Rothy's has revolutionized footwear manufacturing with 3D knitting technology, built a sustainable and scalable business model, and expanded into physical retail while staying true to its clean design ethos. The conversation explores themes of circularity, disciplined growth, and the challenges of scaling a direct-to-consumer brand globally. Episode Overview Rothy's Origins and Revolutionary Manufacturing Giovanni recounts how Rothy's founders developed their groundbreaking 3D knitting technology to create zero-waste shoes made from recycled materials. He highlights the challenges of scaling production and the importance of owning their factory in China to ensure quality and sustainability. Clean Lines and Circular Design The brand's aesthetic—distilled simplicity with clean lines—is paired with a commitment to circularity. Giovanni discusses Rothy's zero-waste factory, pilot programs for recycling worn shoes, and the durability that makes its products “last forever.” Transitioning from Online to Offline Giovanni explains how Rothy's began as a direct-to-consumer brand before experimenting with physical retail. The first store in Pacific Heights was an instant success, leading to a deliberate rollout of premium stores like the Flatiron flagship in New York. Challenges in Scaling Retail From inventory management to maintaining brand values in wholesale partnerships, Giovanni reflects on the complexities of omnichannel retail. He emphasizes disciplined growth and ensuring profitability in every location. Looking Ahead: Global Expansion Giovanni outlines plans for international growth, including standalone stores in London and beyond. He also highlights product innovation, new categories like menswear and kids' shoes, and the ongoing evolution of sustainable materials. Chapter Times and Titles [00:00:00] "Welcome to New York" Introduction to Giovanni Lepori and his role at Rothy's. [00:01:00] "A Revolutionary Idea" How Rothy's transformed footwear manufacturing with 3D knitting technology. [00:06:00] "We Make Every Shoe We Sell" The importance of owning the production process for quality and sustainability. [00:07:30] "Clean Lines" Rothy's signature aesthetic paired with circular design principles. [00:14:30] "The Holy Shit Moment" The move from online-only to retail and the power of in-store experiences. [00:18:30] "Expanding Globally" Plans for international growth, including London and beyond. [00:20:15] "Retail Challenges" Overcoming obstacles in omnichannel integration and scaling responsibly. [00:24:30] "Looking Ahead to 2025" Rothy's focus on disciplined growth, new categories, and global expansion.   --  Run time: 29 minutes INFORMATION: [

Austin, TX startup founder/CEO of ROAD (Return on AdvancedDesign) Global Retail Management Agency Bashak Ilhan talks about her latestventure which helps companies expand globally through branding identity,leadership, partnerships, the latest trends while rethinking theirmarketing/branding strategy and find investment funding! Bashak began heramazing career finding her startup at 25, is a 5X startup founder inspired by her father with 2 successful exitsand renowned strategist, brand architect, and E-commerce expert helpingstartups and established business thrive through strategic development andimpact brand positioning! Find how Bashak and her organization can help you andyour business by visiting www.roadbranding.comtoday! #bashakilhan #austintexas #CEO #ROAD #returnonadvanceddesign#globalretailmanagementagency #business #startup #marketing #branding #strategy#ecommerce #retail #spreaker #iheartradio #spotify #applemusic #youtube#anchorfm #bitchute #rumble #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnerbashakilhan#themikewagnershowbashakilhan 

Austin, TX startup founder/CEO of ROAD (Return on AdvancedDesign) Global Retail Management Agency Bashak Ilhan talks about her latestventure which helps companies expand globally through branding identity,leadership, partnerships, the latest trends while rethinking theirmarketing/branding strategy and find investment funding! Bashak began heramazing career finding her startup at 25, is a 5X startup founder inspired by her father with 2 successful exitsand renowned strategist, brand architect, and E-commerce expert helpingstartups and established business thrive through strategic development andimpact brand positioning! Find how Bashak and her organization can help you andyour business by visiting www.roadbranding.comtoday! #bashakilhan #austintexas #CEO #ROAD #returnonadvanceddesign#globalretailmanagementagency #business #startup #marketing #branding #strategy#ecommerce #retail #spreaker #iheartradio #spotify #applemusic #youtube#anchorfm #bitchute #rumble #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnerbashakilhan#themikewagnershowbashakilhan 

Austin, TX startup founder/CEO of ROAD (Return on Advanced Design) Global Retail Management Agency Bashak Ilhan talks about her latest venture which helps companies expand globally through branding identity, leadership, partnerships, the latest trends while rethinking their marketing/branding strategy and find investment funding! Bashak began her amazing career finding her startup at 25,  is a 5X startup founder inspired by her father with 2 successful exits and renowned strategist, brand architect, and E-commerce expert helping startups and established business thrive through strategic development and impact brand positioning! Find how Bashak and her organization can help you and your business by visiting www.roadbranding.com today! #bashakilhan #austintexas #CEO #ROAD #returnonadvanceddesign #globalretailmanagementagency #business #startup #marketing #branding #strategy #ecommerce #retail #spreaker #iheartradio #spotify #applemusic #youtube #anchorfm #bitchute #rumble #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnerbashakilhan #themikewagnershowbashakilhanBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-mike-wagner-show--3140147/support.

In this episode I welcomes Lindsey  Mazza Capgemini's Global Retail Lead, to explore the latest findings from their annual What Matters to Today's Consumer report. The conversation uncovers significant shifts in consumer behaviour, AI-driven retail strategies, and the future of fast delivery.Mazza outlines how 2025 marks a turning point where science fiction meets retail reality. Consumer expectations are rapidly changing, with a notable surge in demand for ultra-fast delivery. According to the study, 70% of consumers now prefer 10-minute delivery, a dramatic rise from previous years. However, Mazza warns that while demand is high, willingness to pay for such convenience remains a challenge for retailers.Another key insight is the transformation of consumer segmentation. Traditional demographic-based segmentation is becoming outdated, replaced by machine-learning-driven clusters focusing on shopping behaviour. Capgemini's research identifies five distinct consumer groups based on purchasing habits rather than age or income, highlighting the importance of behaviour-driven marketing strategies.The discussion also delves into AI's evolving role in retail. Mazza explains how AI is revolutionizing both front-end consumer experiences and back-end operations. From personalized shopping recommendations to AI-powered logistics, generative AI enables retailers to refine supply chains, automate decision-making, and enhance the shopping journey. Notably, retail media networks use AI to optimize ad placement, influencing consumer purchases more effectively than traditional search engines.Retailers must also navigate the rise of social commerce, with 70% of consumers now shopping through social platforms and seeking influencer recommendations. This trend underscores the shift towards a more interactive, digital-first retail landscape.When asked where retailers should invest their last dollar, Mazza prioritizes three areas:Retail Media – The next wave of influencer marketing.Supply Chain Innovation – Fast, efficient logistics as a key consumer differentiator.Sustainability Initiatives – Particularly in food waste reduction, which offers financial and environmental benefits.With AI reshaping the retail landscape, Mazza emphasizes that success lies not in chasing AI use cases but in adopting value-driven technologies that enhance business performance and consumer engagement.For more insights, visit Capgemini's Research Institute or connect with Lindsay Mazza on LinkedIn.#RetailTrends #AIinRetail #FastDelivery #RetailMedia #ConsumerBehavior #RetailInnovation #VoiceofRetail Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

World retail travelers, Mark Wohltmann, director of NACS Global and host Dan Munford, share their travels and observations of retail around the world. Highlighting key trends and innovations in various markets, hear why it is important for retailers to hit the road (or air) to learn from each other. With special guest: Mark Wohltmann, Director, NACS Global Hosted by: Dan Munford and Carolyn Schnare

Jim Kelleher raised his price target on Amazon (AMZN) despite the company's dip after earnings. He believes its AWS revenue was still fantastic but points to numbers he believes investors shrugged off: global retail. Its ecommerce infrastructure is what Jim believes to be Amazon's true profit machine despite tariff concerns. Tom White later turns to example option trades for the company.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Guest: Maria Pope ToliopoulosTopics: retail, sales reporting, leasing, tenant rights, exclusives, broker fees, leasing process, online sales, physical stores, real estateIn this special live episode of Retail Retold, Chris Ressa and Maria Toliopoulos, Senior Vice President of Global Retail at Ashley Global Retail, debate the complexities of retail leasing. At RetailStat's annual panel event leading up to ICSC New York, Chris, representing the landlord, and Maria, representing the tenant, on the necessity of sales reporting by tenants, the implications of exclusives in leasing agreements, and the responsibilities of landlords and tenants in creating successful retail environments. The discussion also touches on the evolving nature of retail, the impact of online sales, and the importance of relationships in the industry. TakeawaysTransparency in sales reporting can enhance retail performance.Sales figures alone do not determine the value of a retail space.Traffic data is crucial for assessing retail asset performance.Retailers should focus on customer experience to drive sales.Exclusives can complicate leasing agreements but may be necessary for sales.The relationship between landlords and tenants is vital for success.Broker fees are often a burden on landlords due to market dynamics.Streamlining the leasing process can lead to faster deal closures.Physical stores play a significant role in driving online sales.Effective communication can expedite the leasing process.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Debate on Retail Sales Reporting12:09 The Role of Exclusives in Retail Leasing20:02 Flexibility in Leasing Terms and Tenant Rights21:57 Who Should Pay the Tenant's Broker?26:40 Streamlining the Leasing Process

In this special bonus episode, we delve into the innovative intersection of sports and e-commerce with Patrick Jenkinson, Commercial Director for Venue and E-commerce at Manchester United, and Thomas Peyer, Director, Growth, SCAYLE, a leading enterprise e-commerce platform.Patrick shares insights into Manchester United's remarkable global fan base, boasting over 270 million social followers and viewership that rivals global sporting events like the Super Bowl. Highlighting the club's transition from an outsourced to an in-house e-commerce model, Patrick emphasizes the importance of providing a seamless, unified shopping experience that caters to fans worldwide, regardless of location or language.Thomas discusses SCAYLE's unique approach to enterprise e-commerce, rooted in modern architecture and API-driven platforms. He explains how Scale enables organizations like Manchester United to integrate diverse digital offerings, from merchandise to content subscriptions, fostering deeper fan engagement and loyalty.The conversation also explores broader retail trends, emphasizing the significance of loyalty programs, unified commerce, and agile technology to meet evolving consumer expectations. With a record-breaking Black Friday and ambitious plans for international growth, Manchester United and SCAYLE exemplify the potential of combining heritage with cutting-edge technology to deliver unparalleled customer experiences.Tune in for a compelling discussion that showcases how innovative partnerships are reshaping the business of sports and retail.This episode is brought to you by SCAYLE, the world's fastest growing enterprise commerce platform.  Patrick JenkinsonManchester UnitedCommercial Director Venue & E-CommercePatrick Jenkinson is responsible for revenue across direct-to-fan products at Manchester United. He oversees a broad range of business units across the physical and digital realms including retail, content, and subscriptions, serving one of the biggest fan audiences in sport. Patrick joined the club from Leeds United where he served as Head of Business Development and prior to this he was a VP at DAZN, the world's largest live sport streaming service. At DAZN, he held in-market leadership roles in Japan and Spain as well as overall responsibility for international expansion. He began his career in TMT M&A followed by sports & media private equity. Thomas Peyer, SCAYLEDirector of GrowthThomas is Director Growth and part of the Management Team at SCAYLE. He is tasked with growing SCAYLE's business beyond its home market Germany. Before joining SCAYLE, Thomas worked at adidas as VP Advanced Analytics, where he was responsible for all AI / ML products for the brand. Thomas spent his formative years as a McKinsey consultant and in Private Equity. He holds a MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and an MBA from INSEAD. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

On this episode of AW360 we speak with Paul Brenner, SVP of Global Retail Media and Partnerships at Vibenomics and Dan Hight, Vice President of Advertising and Media Partnerships at Placer AI. Paul and Dan discuss the state of retail media, including the pressing need for standardization and continued concerns around combating waste, as well … Continue reading "Paul Brenner, SVP of Global Retail Media and Partnerships at Vibenomics and Dan Hight, VP of Advertising and Media Partnerships at Placer.ai"

Our guest this week is Anna Martini, CEO of Psycho Bunny, the fast-growing men's clothing wear brand founded in Montreal in 2005. She takes us into the provocative brand's origin story, what makes the brand unique, and how she is crafting a global growth strategy. We also learn how having a clear view of their core "Liam" customer and making it all about the bunny, drives remarkable success. We also get her thoughts on effective leadership styles as well as how she and her team draw inspiration from other retailers.But we kick-things off with a few quick comments about Shoptalk's inaugural Fall event before delving into the most important retail news of the week. Our quick hits center on several new holiday forecasts, as well as store closings from Walgreen's and 7-Eleven, while on the other end of the spectrum Ulta announces plans to open another 400 locations. Then it's on to more evidence that luxury has hit a wall as LVMH reports surprisingly disappointing results. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

In the ever-evolving world of retail, where technology and innovation are reshaping the industry, managing intellectual property has never been more important. Sri Atluri, Walmart's Chief IP Counsel, knows this all too well.In this episode of Clause 8 with host Eli Mazour, Sri emphasizes the critical balance between protecting innovations and fostering strategic growth within Walmart's technological initiatives. She argues for the necessity of continual IP enforcement, detailing how both protection and litigation play essential roles in maintaining Walmart's competitive advantage. Sri also discusses the evolving landscape of e-commerce and the challenges posed by Section 101 and patent eligibility.Disclaimer This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.voiceofip.com

Welcome back to THIS. with Shauna Griffiths! This episode, Breaking Down Breaking Out on Your Own features Scott Zimmerman, Co-Founder of The Rocket Punch, a brand and consumer experience consultancy.  Before Scott broke out on his own, he had an incredible career in Global Retail & Merchandising Strategy, Product Leadership, and Brand Building. He's also a Board Member, a First Draft Class #LeadershipAthlete, and a dear friend of mine through miles and years.  The roster of world-class championship brands under his belt is impressive to say the least – including the NBA, NIKE, New Balance, Carhartt, Shinola – and now he's bravely caught his dream of creating his own consultancy.  Tune-in to this episode to hear about: When he started thinking about breaking out of corporate and what he wanted to be different in his consultancy - and takeaways for others wanting to break out on their own What The Rocket Punch focuses on with clients and how they are uniquely positioned to help companies Where the name come from Scott's commitment to learning, growing and evolving as a leader  The three pillars of the personal leadership mantra that Scott developed and uses daily  Key takeaways for about the consumer retail market Key takeaways for people in evolving as leaders We hope you enjoy the episode and look forward to your feedback about it! Feel free to reach out to either of both of us directly on LinkedIn too.  #entrepreneur #retail #merchandising #experience #consumermarketing #engagement #consulting #coaching #leadership 

Top Global Retail Technology Expert & friend of the #pod Carl Boutet discusses his role as the in-house retail technology expert at the Montreal SAIL show, highlighting his involvement in marshalling the experts in the food and innovation industry together to share wisdom and insights across the sector here in Canada and around the world.Carl emphasized the importance of food in retail, noting that successful retailers like Walmart and Costco have integrated food offerings as part of their successful business growth model.Carl also mentioned the challenges of innovation and details McGill's innovation lab, which focuses on frictionless commerce and healthy consumption, as well as its interdisciplinary research. Boutet also touched on the overhyped and underhyped aspects of smart carts and AI in retail and the need for more iterations in format innovation.About CarlBusiness strategist and executive advisor, McGillCarl is a Montreal-based business strategist, digital marketer and executive advisor with over 25 years of hands-on operational, marketing and retail executive experience. He has worked across a full array of business environments from the very large, such as 10 years with Costco Wholesale to working as commercial applications lead for a global B2B security technology company. In both, managing product portfolios and emerging go-to-market strategies.As the founder of StudioRx, he advises executives, B2C/B2B solution providers and all types of ecosystem partners on how to tailor their solutions according to customers' evolving needs and build effective commercial strategies to meet them.He holds an MBA from Queen's University as well as professional certificates from Stanford, Harvard and MIT.He advises several technology startups, industry associations and innovation labs.He is the principal advisor for the McGill University Retail Innovation Lab in Montreal, Canada. He is also, course instructor at McGill Masters in Retail Innovation (emerging technologies and new business models) and adjunct digital marketing faculty at Asian Institute of Technology MBA School of Management.Carl is recognized by Rethink Retail among the world's most influential thought leaders and has keynoted, chaired and/or moderated the largest retail conferences around the world. He remains a regular media contributor with global news networks.In 2021 he published his first book; The Great Acceleration – on how the Covid-19 pandemic rapidly propelled digital transformations and the business strategies to address the challenges that followed. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. About MichaelMichael is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Secure conference with leaders from The Gap and Kroger talking about violence in retail stores, keynotes on the state & future of retail in Orlando and Halifax, and at the 2023 Canadian GroceryConnex conference, hosting the CEOs of Walmart Canada, Longo's and Save-On-Foods Canada. Michael brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael also produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in North America, Remarkable Retail, Canada's top retail industry podcast; the Voice of Retail; Canada's top food industry and the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail influencers for the fourth year in a row, Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer, and you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state of the retail industry in Canada and the U.S., and the future of retail.

Pest control has always been at the top of a farmer's mind throughout the growing season. But new biocontrol technologies are opening up innovative ways to leverage pests' natural enemies to the grower's advantage and boost crop yields while improving sustainability footprints and operating margins. Nutrien Ag Solutions just announced its acquisition of Suncor Energy's AgroScience assets, which consists of several patented and patent pending technologies in the area of biocontrol. This new biocontrol technology is expected to introduce chlorin-based photosensitizer to the global market as a biocontrol solution for integrated pest management. And so in this episode, we're talking to Nutrien Ag Solutions President of Global Retail Jeff Tarsi about this and other ways Nutrien continues to push the sustainability envelope. Plus, we'll look back at the last three years in Nutrien Ag Solutions' sustainability journey and the massive progress that has been made.

Explore how the new wave of Chinese e-commerce is shaking up global retail! In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Rick Watson of RMW Commerce sits down with retail experts Tom McFadyen from McFadyen Digital and Santiago Naranjo Alvaréz from VTEX. Get ready for a detailed discussion on how Chinese marketplaces are reshaping digital retail and what it means for brands everywhere. Join us for enlightening commentary on navigating the e-commerce scene and what lies ahead for the international market. Key Insights: - Emerging Chinese Retail Giants: Discover how the rise of Chinese players like SHEIN and Temu, along with widespread access to Chinese manufacturing, is disrupting traditional supply chains and transforming global retail. - Collaborative Commerce: Understand how collaborative commerce is enabling retailers to compete with major players by connecting with various suppliers and brands. - Speed and Accessibility: See the significance of fast delivery in today's e-commerce environment and how it influences consumer choices. - Retail Media and Social Selling: Explore the shift from traditional paid advertising to influencer marketing and social selling as key drivers of revenue and engagement. Ready to join the GRL community? Nominate yourself or another retail executive to join the community today: http://www.globalretailleaders.com

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Evan Hovorka, VP of Product & Innovation at Albertsons Media Collective & Lori Johnshoy, Head of Global Retail, Media Network & CPG Industry Strategy at LiveRamp, the data collaboration platform for the world's most innovative companies. A leader in consumer privacy, data ethics, and foundational identity, LiveRamp sets the new standard for building a connected customer view with unmatched clarity and context while protecting brand and consumer trust. This episode is sponsored by LiveRamp.Follow Evan Hovorka on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhovorka/ Follow Albertsons Media Collective online at: https://albertsonsmediacollective.com/amc/default.aspx Follow Lori Johnshoy on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-o-neal-johnshoy-4560621/ Follow LiveRamp online at: https://liveramp.com/Evan & Lori answer these questions:Why don't you each give us a high-level overview of your history in the industry and your history working togetherI just spent a week in Florida with a multitude of different retailers, and the thirst for growth in the marketplace has never been more pronounced…not just advertising or ad revenue growth but sales growth.  Are you feeling this on the media side, and is it shifting how you think about what you do?Even though Google has continued to postpone cookie degradation for what feels like the 100th time personalization and identity remain top of mind for this whole ecosystem right?  What do you see as next for that?How are LiveRamp and Albertson's working together here?  How does 1+1 = more than 2?Of course retail media networks are now working harder to monetize their data as well as their inventory - Evan, can you talk about how Albertson's is amplifying that?How does that dovetail with what LiveRamp sees-  rise of self-service, programmatic; how to control "cannibalization"....What are the ways data collaboration unlocks new insights and improves media performance?  What are some of the opportunities and challenges you've seen?What's the future-state of this type of data sharing?  Do you think this is sufficient to offset any signal loss from cookies or any other data privacy initiatives?  Where does CTV fit in short and long term?  CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comRhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in the band Katseye debut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYg6aMDQ_TA   Kavita's podcast: Spotify  AppleDISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

Raj Grover, President and CEO of High Tide, is back on the podcast to update us about the state of the retail cannabis industry in Canada and his growing universe of retail brands together as Cana Cabana, now Canada's largest non-franchise cannabis retailer with over 170 locations.  Raj talks about this recipe for commercial success and his perspectives on global expansion to the U.S., Europe and beyond, leveraging the experience, skills and understanding of one of the industry's more experienced and accomplished retail teams.         About RajSince starting his first company at the age of 22, Raj has established himself as one of Canada's foremost business strategists and dealmakers. He is the founder of High Tide and its subsidiary companies Valiant Distribution and Canna Cabana and is the co-founder of High Tide's subsidiary, Famous Brandz.Through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, Raj has grown High Tide from one small shop of 2 employees in 2009 into Canada's largest cannabis retailer with over 170 locations and over 1,600 amazing team members and business interests spanning North America and Europe.While committed to building a strong, profitable, and sustainable business, Raj also believes passionately that those who enjoy success hold a particular responsibility to give back. In that vein, he spearheaded the launch of High Tide's CSR program, Rising Tide for Good which has supported many worthy causes both cannabis related and otherwise. On a personal level, Raj has also been a long-time supporter of Operation Smile, an organization that works to deliver free, safe cleft surgery to children in need, saving them from a lifetime of pain and isolation.                                             About MichaelMichael is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Secure conference with leaders from The Gap and Kroger talking about violence in retail stores, keynotes on the state & future of retail in Orlando and Halifax, and at the 2023 Canadian GroceryConnex conference, hosting the CEOs of Walmart Canada, Longo's and Save-On-Foods Canada. Michael brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael also produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in North America, Remarkable Retail, Canada's top retail industry podcast; the Voice of Retail; Canada's top food industry and the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail influencers for the fourth year in a row, Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer, and you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state of the retail industry in Canada and the U.S., and the future of retail.

Meet Kayleigh Fazan, the visionary founder of The International Retail Academy, a pioneering force in the global retail industry. With an unwavering commitment to elevating customer experiences, Kayleigh has championed a transformative ‘bottom-up' approach, fostering a new era of excellence in the world of retail.For over 15 years, Kayleigh has been on a mission to empower shopfloor teams within global retail brands, equipping them with the essential soft skills needed to excel in an ever-evolving marketplace. A renowned expert in retail leadership, Kayleigh has led countless brands on a journey towards customer-centric success, arming them with the tools to create meaningful connections with their clientele.Hit play to listen to her roaring success of a story! [03:23s] Her journey into retail[10:02s] Exploring the global landscape of retail[15:47s] “Don't lose touch with the shop floor ever!”[28:49s] Starting her entrepreneurial journey[37:39s] Return of the retail stores post COVID [51:16s] RWL Read ‘The Culture Map' by Erin Meyer and ‘Uplifting Service' by Ron Kaufman; Tony Robbins' podcastMore about Kayleigh's work at The International Retail Academy Connect with Kayleigh on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.comSubscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.  This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together'. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook 

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I'm joined by a guest who has spent over 30 years in the retail industry. Bob Neille has worked all over the world with leading sports and footwear brands including Addias, New Balance and Under Armour. From redefining operational processes to increase profits, to building high performance and highly engaged teams, Bob really understands the customer experience.The strategic global retail leader has made a name for himself driving growth and innovation, whilst transforming the retail landscape. This is a fantastic episode that will future proof your retail business, so grab your cup of tea, sit back and listen in!Topics: Is there a better word for “retail”Processes and PeopleCustomer CentricityThe importance of sharing your brand storyThe future of retailConnect with Bob on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bonevilleTranscription and show notes available at: https://theretailadvisor.ie/

LuLu Hypermarket, part of LuLu Group International, has expanded from one Dubai store to 260+ outlets in 26 countries. With $8 billion in annual revenue and 70,000 employees worldwide, it's diversified into malls, real estate, and digital platforms.

Our guest this week is Andrea Dorigo Head of Global Retail for Adidas. Andrea shares many strategic leadership lessons gleaned from his  incredibly deep and diverse experience working across a spectrum of international brands. Now he leads a network of more than 2,000 stores for one of the world's most iconic vertically integrated brands.We get to learn his thoughts on how to best strengthen overall brand equity while driving operational efficiency and extending product reach. He also shares his view on how to think about the right balance between DTC and wholesale and gives us a sneak preview of his upcoming session at the World Retail Congress in Paris titled "Retailing in a Time of Mass Distraction."But, as usual, we kick things off by delving into the week in retail, starting with lots of news from Macy's, including their lackluster holiday earnings, the announcement of their "Bold New Chapter" strategy, and a revised investor takeover proposal. We also unpack earnings from Best Buy, Lowes, and Warby Parker, before turning out attention to Shein's potential IPO plans. World Retail Congress:  Non-retailer passes and discount offer codes:Non-Retailer pass: REM-SPONRRetailer discount code: REM20Dive into the future of retail with the World Retail Congress's End of Year Report! Explore the latest trends, innovations, and insights shaping the competitive retail landscape, presented in collaboration with the Congress's Knowledge Partners. The Congress's report is a must-read for retailers to become world class in today's retail climate. The End of Year Report reinforces the focus of next year's World Retail Congress on High Performance Retail and our key pillars of winning the customer, winning with innovation, winning with purpose, the winning business models and building winning teams. Furthermore, the report brings together 14 of the world's top retailers' reflections from stores such as Action, Ikea, Zalando, Kmart Group, Woolworths and Wumart to present insights from around the world.   About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

We have a special bonus episode for you today; hot on the heels of the NRF Big Show, we reached out to two Retail Experts who graced the stage in New York, all the way from the U.K. and Brazil to get a more global take on the significant trends and the year in retail ahead, from London, Kate Ancketill, Founder, CEO and chief story-teller at GDR Creative Intelligence, and from São Paulo, Alberto Serrentino, Founder, advisor, board member, speaker and author, Varese Retail.Presented by CelonisDon't miss the World Retail Congress to be held April 16-18 in Paris. Each year, top retail leaders from around the world join together to hear great speakers, join in amazing conversations, and much much more!For the second year in a row the Remarkable Retail podcast is delighted to be a media partner and to offer a 20% discount on registrations for a limited time.Simply go to https://lnkd.in/ekk3_s4 for more info and to pre-register by using our special registration codes.Non-Retailer: REM-SPONRRetailer: REM20 About KateAs CEO and founder of Business Futurist consultancy GDR, Kate is a ‘wayfinder to the future' and a retail guru with tech, consumer, retail and brand specialisation.  GDR is the innovation partner to around 30 of the world's largest consumer brands, including: Target, P&G, Costa Coffee, Coca-Cola, Clorox, Danone, Carlsberg, Google, Microsoft, Jaguar Landrover, Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose and Lego. Kate delivers compelling big picture narratives explaining how retail, brands and experiences are changing as a result of climate, economic, cultural and social shifts, the technology revolution and the cost of living crisis. She advises on the near to medium term future of customer experience, how marketing is evolving, and how best in class global players are using tech to meet emerging environmental and customer demands. Kate takes a cross-sector, global view of innovation, which includes any interaction between brand and consumer, on or offline. Her goal is to make the audience feel inspired about their industry and their own ability to create, shape, or transform the future. She has the ability to clearly explain complex trends, societal shifts, or emerging technologies in a way that is relatable for any audience.  You can expect a charismatic performance, whether on a large stage, at a corporate event, in the boardroom, or as a panelist. Every presentation Kate gives has the WOW factor and will contain tailored research and analysis, Kate is renowned for inspirational WOW factor talks that are customised to each audience with bleeding edge innovation sourced by GDR's research and strategy teams. Much of the thinking will have been road-tested with the world's largest consumer-facing corporations, often at board level. Kate is the 'Wayfinder to the Future' for the world's largest retail conference, the NRF Big Show, having been invited to speak on future trends for the last 8 years. To read more from Kate follow the link below to her blog. Company website with newsletter signup link: www.gdruk.comMy speaking biog: www.kateancketill.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateancketill/X, Insta etc: gdrukAbout AlbertoAdvisor, board member, author and speaker.Founder of Varese Retail, a retail strategy, digital transformation and thought leadership boutique. He has over 30 years of experience in the retail and consumption industries. Serves on several boards of directors, innovation and digital acceleration committees of various retail companies and of the Brazilian Retail Consumption Society (SBVC). As an international speaker, he has made over 700 presentations, including 20 editions of the National Retail Federation's Annual Convention (NRF Big Show). He authored and co-authored 9 books and published over 300 articles. Served as an invited professor at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas' business school (FGV), and the University of São Paulo (USP). Appointed as the Only Latin-American Top Retail Influencer 2023by RETHINK Retail.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alberto-serrentino-4588691/ About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

In this episode of The Interview Series, host Karl McKeever travels to Barcelona to sit down with Isabelle Aberman, Global Retail Director for iconic global footwear brand, Camper. In this episode of The Interview Series, host Karl McKeever travels to Barcelona to sit down with Isabelle Aberman, Global Retail Director of iconic footwear brand, Camper. Founded on the small Spanish island of Mallorca in 1975, Camper is a family business with a rich shoemaking heritage that it uses to create unique designs that continue to enjoy global appeal.Responsible for leading the global retail strategy across more than 350 stores in over 20 countries, Isabelle started her career with Camper 22 years ago in the UK, as a Retail Area Manager - soon becoming a Retail Regional Manager, before heading up Retail Marketing and Retail Expansion and eventually moving into her current role.Passionate about retail in all its forms, she joins me to discuss Camper's unique approach to retail design, share the inside story of CamperLab and ReCamper, and to look ahead to what the future of retail holds for us all.

Chinese shopping apps are shaking up online retail, with fast-fashion leader Shein and viral sensation discounter Temu setting the pace. Both are powering China's exports by letting overseas consumers buy everything from clothing to digital gadgets directly from manufacturers, and at bargain prices few brick-and-mortar retailers can beat. Their flashy websites, aggressive marketing, and social media know-how help drive their breakneck growth. Could Shein be the future of fast-fashion retail? Is Temu a potential “Amazon killer” with its vast array of offerings, millions of downloads, and super-cheap prices? Bloomberg Intelligence's retail experts Catherine Lim and Tatiana Lisitsina join co-hosts John Lee and Tom Corbett for a closer look at the forces that are reshaping the way the world shops. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The beauty industry isn't all about looks. Selling beauty products online requires some serious tech under the hood. SVP of Global Retail at Assemble, Loretta Soffe, brings her vast experience in retail — with 20+ years previously at Nordstrom — to the Make it Big Podcast for a discussion on the state of the beauty industry.

Anjee Solanki, National Director of U.S. Retail at Colliers, shares her thoughts on US retail sales that showed signs of slowing in August as consumers limited their discretionary spending amid higher gasoline prices. Bloomberg News Entertainment Reporter Chris Palmeri and Bloomberg Wall Street Week Host David Westin break the news that Disney is considering selling ABC to Nexstar. Jim Chanos, Founder and President of Chanos & Company, discusses his investment outlook and thoughts on China. Paula Vissing, President of Global Retail at Little Caesars, talks about the business of being the official pizza sponsor of the NFL. And we Drive to the Close with George Schultze, Founder and CEO of Schultze Asset Management. Hosts: Tim Stenovec and Simone Foxman. Producer: Paul Brennan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Voice of Retail podcast. My name is Michael LeBlanc, and I am your host. This podcast is produced in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada. Back on the podcast in a new role, veteran retailer Corey Gillon joins us as the CEO at Peninsula Co-op, a Victoria, B.C.-based multi-business unit retailer specializing in fuel & convenience, liquor and grocery.  Tons of great insights from this global retailer whose career has spanned massive retailers to cannabis start-ups.  About CoreyCurrently holding the role of CEO at Peninsula Co-op a Victoria, B.C. based multi-business unit retailer specializing in fuel & convenience, liquor and grocery with annual revenues exceeding $300 million. Corey is well-versed in a spectrum of competencies including Retail operations, eCommerce, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), marketing, and people leadership. These skills have been honed through years of hands-on experience in both domestic and international markets.Corey's career has straddled the breadth of the corporate landscape, from holding senior executive roles at global brands such as Walmart and Aritzia to agile start-ups. This unique blend of experiences has equipped him with the versatility to navigate and lead in both structured, complex organizations and in the fluid, dynamic start-up ecosystem.His style and philosophy of leadership is backed by his vast experience. He identifies as both a builder and an operator, ever keen on achieving results through decisive action. Apart from his corporate commitments, he also serves on a nonprofit board and actively mentors students at Simon Fraser University who attend the Beedie School of Business, ensuring that the next generation of leaders benefits from his wealth of knowledge and experience.About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Today's Shopping Choice and Pandora Jewellery.   Michael has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions with C-level executives and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. ReThink Retail has added Michael to their prestigious Top Global Retail Influencers list for 2023 for the third year in a row. Michael is also the president of Maven Media, producing a network of leading trade podcasts, including Canada's top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail. He produces and co-hosts Remarkable Retail with best-selling author Steve Dennis, now ranked one of the top retail podcasts in the world. Based in San Francisco, Global eCommerce Leaders podcast explores global cross-border issues and opportunities for eCommerce brands and retailers. Last but not least, Michael is the producer and host of the "Last Request Barbeque" channel on YouTube, where he cooks meals to die for - and collaborates with top brands as a food and product influencer across North America.

This season on Decoded, brought to you by BigCommerce, we're going to break down the ways that winning brands build and launch new products, how decisions are made, how goals are set, and how an entire organization collaborates effectively to bring a new product to life.Could a retailer be their own competition, and not necessarily in a good way, in the sense of chasing their own past a little bit and maybe not innovating and simply lightly iterating on something that worked for them maybe in a past season, in the past year or even a past decade? Join the conversation as Phillip and Aaron Sheehan sit down with Loretta Soffe, SVP of Global Retail at Assemble, to discuss this and more. Listen now!Proactive Versus Reactive{00:01:52} - “The products that we click on, on a website, the things that we add to our cart are really just the tip of a very, very large iceberg of thought and care and work and design that goes into getting it into a place where not only we as consumers want to buy it, but that we even knew about the product in the first place.” - Aaron{00:06:38} - “If you're only listening to your existing customers, you're only listening to your existing fans, you can become actually fairly stale. And I think any kind of business that wants to evolve and grow is always looking to challenge.” - Aaron{00:14:02} - “When you start anchored in the customer, your decisions are going to have a little bit more longevity instead of trying to keep chasing the competition. The competition is going to be moving around like crazy, but if you put it through the filter of a customer and their wants, desires, expectations and how can you kind of continue to delight them, I think you're going to be much better served.” - Loretta Soffe{00:24:21} - “It's not enough to simply have good ideas or be able to articulate the good if you cannot convince and persuade and adapt it to the needs of the business and the stakeholders.” - Aaron{00:29:20} - “If they haven't really dug in and detailed out customer desire, behavior, life stage, and priorities, and if they're not really able to articulate that, the rest of the whole thing is going to be garbage. If you're not able to develop that level or have that level of knowledge, your product isn't going to be good enough because you don't even understand what you're going up against.” - Loretta Soffe{00:40:34} - “Traditional retail has been very intuition driven and not a lot of data. And eCommerce, I think suffers from the other problem. A successful retailer has to be able to blend both the data and the intuition.” - Aaron{00:49:15} - “If you're a brand introducing new products, you want to get a bigger share of wallet. So be conscious about not cannibalizing your own business, but adding on. And I think of it as a bigger share of wallet or a bigger piece of the closet.” - Loretta SoffeAssociated Links:Learn more about Loretta SoffeGrab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand hereMeet us at eTail Boston 2023Check out The Edge Summit from BloomreachHave you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

The world of retail is currently experiencing a multitude of developments. Retailers are actively exploring which potential new technologies can help them to best achieve their desired business outcomes. But before these new technologies can be truly transformational, it is essential to first establish a strong foundation that can support them. Listen on to learn how to ensure these fundamental elements are in place – and how you can effectively leverage them to modernize your stores. Host: James Hilliard Guests: Brian Gallagher, Retail Strategy Director at Connection Ed Durbin, Senior Director, Global Retail at VMWare Show Notes: [0:22] What are the top ideas that retail leaders are discussing surrounding retail store modernization? [1:45] Are LoB leaders more "foot on the gas" and IT leaders more "foot on the break" when establishing store modernization initiatives? [4:15] Are those focusing on the backend infrastructure early enough, or only after they've purchased new technologies? [5:45] Do CIOs want their systems to be able to adopt any new technology?  [8:10] After a successful pilot, how do you execute that to scale? [11:00] Are there one or two common hurdles that always stop POCs from moving to the rollout stage, and what can be done to overcome them? [16:30] What are some initial steps people can be taking to modernize stores? [22:00] What should retailers be focused on now? You can hear us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Podbean. 

How does a South African business get its product listed in some of the world's most prestigious stores such as Harrods, Selfridges, Costco & Amazon and perform well in the international market? To answer this, Bruce Whitfield invited six South African executives whose products have reached international shores and made an impact for the final episode of the Genius Podcast, brought to you by Lexus. The list of esteemed guests includes SXOLLIE cider's Karol Ostaszewski, Island Way Sorbet's Adrian Vardy, Fieldbar's Lee Hartman, Oryx Desert Salt's Sam Skyring, BOS tea's Will Battersby, and Sealand Gear's Adrian Hewlett.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global retail brands have a reputation for going big. But how do the best brands find a way to make a powerful consumer impact globally while maintaining that local feel so crucial to long-stranding relevancy?As technology advances and consumer behavior shifts, brands face the challenge of creating unique, immersive experiences that resonate with consumers locally while maintaining their global identity. The success of this balance can significantly impact a brand's market share and overall growth. One brand that has been making strides in this area is the global retail phenomenon, Coach. Its retail strategy has been innovating to create immersive, localized customer experiences. For instance, Coach's recent launch of “Coach Airways” and the “Tabby Tour” are prime examples of how the brand is leveraging immersive retail to engage with its customers on a deeper level.So, what does it mean for a global brand to be local? How can a brand maintain its global identity while resonating with local consumers? Welcome to Retail Refined, hosted by Melissa Gonzalez. In this episode, Giovanni Zaccariello, Senior VP of Global Visual Experience at Coach, joins Melissa Gonzalez for an in-depth conversation on the exciting innovations happening at Coach. Their discussion focuses on the relevance of being local yet remaining global as a retail brand and how Coach is deploying its retail strategy to create immersive, localized customer experiences.Highlights from their conversation include the following:• The importance of creating immersive retail experiences that resonate with local consumers• How Coach is leveraging technology to merge the physical and digital worlds, creating a seamless shopping experience for its customers• The role of localization in Coach's global retail strategy and how it is resonating with younger consumersGiovanni Zacciarello is Coach's Senior VP of Global Visual Experience. Born in Italy and a graduate of Oxford with a first-class honors master's degree in business and branding, Gio has spent over 20 years in the fashion industry, revolutionizing the consumer experience. He leads visual merchandising, 3D creative studio, windows, showrooms, pop-ups, brand events, and, most recently, the digital experience team at Coach. Gio's global perspective and visionary approach have driven Coach's innovative retail strategy.

In our final episode recorded live at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona our guest is Martin Urrutia, Global Head Retail Experience & Innovation for the Lego Group. Martin takes us inside the innovation process at one of the world's most beloved brands. He shares how Lego's process has evolved and how they incorporate customer insight, consumer trends, technology disruption and brand vision to bring a steady stream of new concepts to market. We also discuss the important of a 'test and learn' culture and building a portfolio of innovation initiatives along a continuum from refresh to blue sky.We kick-off the episode with the week in retail news, including our analysis of several pieces of macro-economic data, which present a bit of a mix picture ahead of the US Fed's decision on interest rates. We then shift into earnings from Lululemon (remarkable), Dollar General (surprisingly sluggish), Nordstrom (demonstrably awful), and Macy's (more running to stand still). Steve's Forbes article: Macy's and Kohl's Keep Running to Stand StillWe will be taking the Remarkable Retail podcast on the road to the Lead Innovation Summit, where BMO Managing Director Simeon Siegel will be joining on stage to discuss what's new and what's next for DTC. If you want to join us, take advantage of our special discount code....RRxTheLeadSummit About MarinWith a career of 25 years on Retail and Innovation that allowed me to gain global experience due to the different assignments to work with different FMCG to bring their brands alive anchoring actions on consumer, shopper and retail insights. I believe that if its not measured there is no impact, therefore in most of the programs that I have driven I add a strong focus on measuring commercial and marketing impact that creates an ecosystem that constantly strives for innovation, continuous improvement and challenges the status-quo.I joined The LEGO Group in 2010 as responsible of the Global In-Store Agenda as part of the Global Shopper Marketing team based at the HQ in Denmark, currently with the role as Head of Retail Innovation, and responsible for our internal Global Retail Network.My vision to offer the best shopping experience at any location and retail channel where our products can be found. This will allow us to bring our brand alive and to inspire shoppers and consumers at the point of sale and point of experience; as retail plays a fundamental role on the path to purchase, therefore my passion to develop retail experiences that are memorable, delightful and available to all consumers and shoppers around the worldAbout UsSteve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!  

Joining us for another great episode recorded at the Wizeline remote podcast studio/beach cabana at Mandalay Bay during Shoptalk 2023 is Ryan den Rooijen, Chief Ecommerce Officer for Chaloub Group, the largest retail operator in the Middle East and leading partner for the world's iconic luxury brands.In a wide ranging conversation on all things retail, Ryan shares his deep knowledge and keen insights on how omni-channel retailing and e-commerce have evolved and, most importantly, where's it is all headed. We also learn about his key Shoptalk take-aways, the importance of customer journeys (not customer journey) mapping, the state of digital maturity, and why "seamless" shopping is now table stakes. We also discuss our mutual disdain for "phygital" and a whole lot more!But as usual we kick-off with a fast-paced review of the week in retail news, including a fast-paced unpacking of Amazon earnings and what's next for Bed, Bath & Beyond now that they've filed for Chapter 11. Then we share our love for Target and the roll-out of curbside returns and LL Bean's social media break. We conclude with LVMH's blockbuster earnings and remarkable market valuation. About Ryan den Rooijen is the Chief Ecommerce Officer of the Chalhoub Group, the leading luxury retailer in the Middle East. He manages teams including trade, product, growth, operations, and analytics. His organisation is focused on creating great customer experiences, whatever the platform.Prior to his current role, Ryan held the position of Chief Data Officer of the Chalhoub Group. In this role he worked to infuse data and analytics into every element of the organisation, ensuring we always keep the customer at heart. He previously worked as Dyson's Director of Data, and before that at Google, where he led the development of the global sales analyst curriculum.Ryan completed an MSc in Social Science of the Internet at the University of Oxford. DataIQ repeatedly named him one of the most influential people in data-driven business. His work focuses on unlocking organisations' potential using data and digital, beyond the buzzwords.When he is not in the office, Ryan enjoys long-distance running and being a hands-on dad.About UsSteve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! 

“That's an American thing.” Trends and tech adoption can differ in the US from the rest of the world, so we thought we'd explore that in the retail industry. We're joined by two members of the BlueStar EU team, Richard Austin & Jord Malcorps, who start by sharing some things they find very different about the states. On the retail side, we discuss how businesses juggle tech needs in-store and online. Is omnichannel table stakes at this point? Why has Europe been more open to payment flexibility? It's the episode that's not sure it can fit in the garage, but you'll hear us coming down the road!   #VARValue - Any other trends or predictions from the Lightspeed article or your own insights that can help retail-focused VARs this year?   Retail Predictions & Trends 2023 - Lightspeed   TEConnecting with us: Richard - Amusing out-of-office responses Jord - Crypto & blockchain payments Dean - Most Loved & Hated Brands John - Solid metal ball at Earth's core   Talk to us! Twitter - @TEConnectPod Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/ Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe    Sponsored by: Elo POS Solutions Zebra Printing Portfolio

As EY Global Retail Leader, Thomas Harms is responsible for defining and implementing the EY strategy for the retail industry. He helps ensure that EY retail clients are well served across geographies, leading over 20,000 EY professionals worldwide.  After more than 20 years advising national and international companies, Thomas is just as curious about new developments as he was at the beginning of his career.  Early on, he specialized in consumer goods and retail culminating in Thomas creating and leading the Consumer industry practice across Germany, Switzerland and Austria for 18 years. He knows the industry like no other and has supported retailers as they face complex and strategic challenges driven by empowered consumers.  Thomas' long-term industry relationships and strong, cross-industry network are the cornerstone of successful collaborations and creative solutions.    Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

This week we welcome Kevin Tulip, Primark's US President, as our guest to discuss what makes the Ireland-based purveyor of affordable fashion, home, and beauty products so remarkable and why they've chosen a slow and steady approach to global expansion.We also learn about the brand's Dublin origins, how the concept has evolved, and their decision to grow to 60 locations in the US by 2026 and 530 stores worldwide. We also learn why they've historically and rather controversially avoided a big push into e-commerce and how they view the critical role of physical stores in growth strategy. But first we dissect the week in retail news with a return to the Wobbly Unicorn Corner (and Steve's warnings of a retail disruptor apocalypse) by reviewing poor earnings news from Allbirds, Stitch Fix, and ThredUp. In far happier news, Dick's Sporting Goods and Ulta show us the money, adding to their string of strong results. In our quick hits section we review an unusual view into JC Penney's (poor) earnings, Gap's disappointing holiday season and leadership revolving door, and question whether Amazon Go might be going, going, gone. We wrap up wondering whether Bunning's (the Australia-based home improvement retailer) move into the pet category suggests a novel evolution of the format.******Past episodes mentioned:BONUS EPISODE: Suzanne Long, Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer, Albertsons, Previews Her World Retail Congress KeynoteDot Com Bomb: The Sequel? with Special Guest Daniel McCarthy About KevinKevin Tulip is the US President of Primark, leading US operations. He previously led Primark's Benelux business and joined the US team in October 2021. He has been with Primark since the beginning of his career when he started working at a retail store in 2002.About UsSteve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael   here  or on     LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

~This is the audio from a video podcast series, The Interview Series by Retail Insider Canada and is also available through our Retail Insider YouTube Channel . If you would like to subscribe to only audio interviews by Retail Insider, a separate "The Interview Series" podcast show is now available (link to Apple Podcast show). If you would like to subscribe to only Canadian retail discussions between Craig and Lee by Retail Insider, a separate audio "The Weekly" podcast show is now available (link to Apple Podcast show). ~ Craig sits down with Lisa (Phillips) Hutcheson, Managing Partner at J.C. Williams Group to discuss the new Ebeltoft Retail Innovations Book which is in its 18th year of production. Four Canadian retailers were among the top innovators. [Download and read the book here] Interviewed this episode:Lisa (Phillips) Hutcheson, Managing Partner at J.C. Williams Group Subscribe, Rate, and Review our Retail Insider Podcast!Follow Craig: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/CraigPattersonTorontoInstagram: @craig_patterson_torontoTwitter: @RI_EIC Follow Retail Insider: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/Retail-InsiderFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RetailInsider/Twitter: @RetailInsider_Instagram: @Retail_Insider_Canada Listen & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastStitcher Share your thoughts! Drop us a line at Craig@Retail-Insider.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show! Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

ABOUT AMBER BAZDAR;Amber's Profile: linkedin.com/in/amberbazdarAMBER'S BIO:As a seasoned retail executive, Amber Bazdar's sharp foresight, expertise, and ability to guide a traditional retailer into a new phygital generation has made her stand out in the competitive world of retail.Amber's diverse professional background includes retail design, visual merchandising, brand experience and fixture and lighting design.  Throughout her career, Amber has excelled at developing and growing retail locations through innovative design and visual merchandising strategies, solving complex “back of house” problems with advanced solutions and attracting and developing high performing talent.  A vibrant and proactive leader, Amber excels at propelling corporate visual standards and creative direction while developing innovative concepts to engage customers.A life-long learner, Amber was recently an Adjunct Professor of Visual Merchandising at Lasell University, where she taught at the undergraduate level.  She has been involved with curriculum development, student/industry design projects and design competitions.Amber currently resides in the Seacoast of New Hampshire with her husband, three children and their GSP, Luna.  She enjoys living near the mountains and sea, where she can enjoy nature frequently with her family.Amber is also the recipient of the "2022 Retailer Innovator Award" SHOW INTRO: A of lot of brands have a story. A narrative that underpins the entire enterprise.These stories are crucial since they establish a framework helps define the customer, their needs and how the brand's products or services is going to satisfy them.The brand story isn't just about what the brand sells though, or who buys their stuff, it's more a statement of what the brand is about, its essence, its raison d'etre.It is what it means to be in business in the first place, why they do what they do and how they do it. It sets out a series of promises, that sort of act like a contract for engagement between the brand and its customers. Let's say you were single, you already felt pretty confident about who you were, you knew what you liked and knew what you needed in a relationship.Let's say there was a dating service… but it matched people like you with brands in an effort to create that special relationship. And let's say that you thought that a relationship with a brand would make a great compliment to who you already were. It's not that you need something, or someone, to make you whole but that a good brand relationship would just make experience better, more fulfilling.Well, if there was such a service existed then you'd probably also want to check out the brand's online profile. You know…do some research. If you did, you might find that the story they'd likely tell may be a little aspirational - for example a friend who is out on the dating circuit, tells me that everyone's profile says that they are into hiking… and dogs… they may only climb up and own the stairs at home and have a dog calendar hanging on the wall, but for some that may qualify.In any case, you'd hope that the narrative is authentic and is genuine.You're a little bit of a dreamer, you might even like the idea of hiking too, or maybe you area just optimistic, always looking for the thing that could augment your everyday.If you moved along and you liked eachother then you maybe you'd accept an offer to get together. What you hope is that on the first date, and everyone after that, that it delivered what you were expecting. It held the relationship in the highest regard. And the act of doing life together, yes, made it your personal experience better. But more than that, you feel that you and this new brand relationship became connected. You felt that on some level you didn't become one, enmeshed, indistinguishable from each other, but became better, interdependent, and that the relationship was generative. It grew you.Some brands make up that foundational, ‘who we are‘story. They see a market opportunity. Build a customer profile, brand platform, product or service assortment and go to market. Others have an authentic origin story, a real life narrative, that lays the foundation for how they show up, every day, everywhere with everything they do.Timberland is one of those brands.A Russian immigrant buys a shoe company, dedicates his ingenuity and craft of making quality boots to growing a company. He creates a boot that is built for the harsh New England climate and it catches on becoming a pop cultural icon whose name has become part of the lexicon of a generation of musicians with rappers like Notorious B.I.G., Jay Z and DMZ calling them out in lyrics.My sons call them Timbs and the signature yellow leather boot is as much a recognizable brand character as a blue box is for Tiffany.This dating service I was imagining earlier, well it exisits, it's pretty much anywhere you might come in contact with a brand. And the place for the first date also exists. It's called the store. The store is like the physical manifestation of the brand story. It's where the narrative comes to life surrounding customers in all that the brand is.And this is where Amber Bazdar comes into the brand dating game metaphor. Amber is the Director of Global Retail Design at Ztimberland. She is a seasoned retail executive with sharp foresight and expertise built on a professional life working in and understanding retail. Her ability to guide a traditional retailer into a new phygital generation has made her stand out in the competitive world of retail. In fact, this past year she was awarded the 2022 Retail Innovator Award.Amber's diverse professional background includes retail design, visual merchandising, brand experience, store fixture and lighting design. Throughout her career, Amber has excelled at developing and growing retail locations through innovative design and visual merchandising strategies, solving complex “back of house” problems with advanced solutions and attracting and developing high performing talent.  Amber excels at propelling corporate visual standards and creative direction while developing innovative concepts to engage customers.I was able to catch up with Amber at the International Retail Design Conference where we had an early morning talk, well before my second cup of morning coffee.To use some Timberland parlance, it was a ‘bold' move to meet e breakfast and we got some ‘shit done'… ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites: https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comTwitter: DavidKepronPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com. ************************************************************************************************************************************The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too. 

Welcome to RETAIL IN AMERICA!This podcast is part of The RETAIL IN AMERICA tour, my year-long journey to discover incredible retail heroes all across the country, celebrating our retail culture, community, and careers. Go to retailpride.com or IG @retail pride to see it all, including past podcast episodes, playlists, and future cities on tour.Today I am LIVE from the Airstream in Malibu, California, with Misti Blasko, the President of North America for All Saints and John Varvatos, and John Gregory, the Global Retail category Development Officer for Spotify.Misti Blasko and I were introduced early last year through Kristen Conklin, who was guest number 1 on this podcast. She is a big fan of RETAIL PRIDE and wanted us to meet, and here we are!John Gregory and I also met in early 2021; he interviewed me for the internal teams at Spotify Advertising about how to speak to retail executives in the selling process. He was an early advocate of my mission for the Retail in America Tour, and Spotify Advertising is now a title sponsor of my tour.Please enjoy the conversation, it's a great one, and contact me directly here to nominate a retail hero for this podcast, host a retail networking or book signing event in your city, or say hello!The RETAIL IN AMERICA podcast team includes:Producer Roi PeretsAudio Engineer Dean AlbakCover Image shot by Duke WinnA huge thank you to the three title sponsors fueling the RETAIL IN AMERICA tour and this podcast. Spotify Advertising Spotify is the #1 podcast platform in the US and has grown to over 420M monthly unique registered users around the globe, over half of which are supported on the ad platform. Spotify advertising will help you reach and target your audience across devices, locations, and formats. YOOBIC Over 300 companies in 80 countries trust YOOBIC to drive their retail performance at scale, get real-time visibility into multi-location business execution, digitized task management, and more. KWI is the industry's only true turnkey omni-channel platform

Footwear retail execs extraordinaire Marisa Kinney of Red Wing and Alper Aydemir of Volumental stop by Shoe-In to explore Red Wing's wholistic approach to the ultimate fit experience. With a hyper focus on the customer experience, reducing returns, and driving more sustainability, Marisa and Alper have partnered to provide Volumental's FitTech solution to Red Wing shoppers across the country. Learn all about it on this episode. With special guests: Marisa Kinney, Sr. Director, Global Retail, Red Wing Brands of America, Inc. and Alper Aydemir, CEO & Co-Founder, Volumental

Thursday's AOA began with Kent Bacus, NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs, discussing the red hot pace of beef exports and a look across the pond to the potential opportunities in the UK. In Segment 2, Jeff Tarsi, the newly named President of Global Retail at Nutrien, discussed the impact of the past 24 months on the fertilizer industry and how Nutrien is preparing for the future. Senator Charles Grassley joined in segment 3 with an update on Alexis Taylor's nomination to USDA and the inflation fight still ahead. Rob Fox, Executive Director, CoBank Knowledge Exchange, reported the details of a study they had recently performed looking at the importance of off-farm income. Mike Pearson

Episode #9 of Kantar's Retail Sound Bites, hosts Barry Thomas, Senior Retail Thought Leader, and Rachel Dalton, Head of Retail Insights, explores our retail forecast and projections. In this session, Barry and Rachel also cover timely news and notes in retail, including elevating online grocery, female CMOs, Tesco meal deals, and much more. This episode also features Kantar's leading industry experts Karl Berner, Amar Singh, Simon Johnstone, Celia Van Wickel, Karen Kelso where they discuss Kantar's North American retail predictions. Have a topic you would like to see us cover? Share your request by emailing Switchon@kantar.com. News & Notes: 3 ways grocers are elevating online order picking in their stores | Grocery Dive What retail gets right—and wrong—about Gen Z, according to a Gen Z investor (retailbrew.com) Female CMOs overtake male ones for the first time, report says | Retail Dive 'This has pushed me over the edge': Workers' despair as Tesco puts price of £3 Meal Deal up by 50p | Daily Mail Online Krispy Kreme finds that Twix can lift sales (restaurantbusinessonline.com) To simplify resales, Samsøe Samsøe sews QR codes into its garments (trendwatching.com) Barry's contact information: barry.thomas@kantar.com Barry's LinkedIn Rachel's contact information: rachel.dalton@kantar.com Rachel's LinkedIn

This episode features an interview with Simone Sweeney, Vice President Global Retail Development at The LEGO Group. Since 2015, Simone has helped develop, lead, and implement global retail programs for the nearly 90 year-old brand.On today's episode, Simone discusses the concept of “retailtainment,” the challenges of opening 300 stores in over 40 countries over the last two years, and how technology plays both an inspirational and practical role.--“Everything that we do is our mission to inspire and develop the future builders of tomorrow." -Simone Sweeney--Show Notes(1:27) Tony's takeaways on the conversation(2:50) Simone's journey in retail(6:22) Introducing the concept of “retailtainment”(11:58) The inspirational and practical role of technology in Lego stores(17:50) Diving into the experiential “Brick Lab” experience(21:08) The challenges of leading a global retail company(26:48) Creating a seamless offline and online shopper experience(30:26) What makes the Lego brand special?(32:36) Lightning round--SponsorThis podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today's connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.--LinksConnect with Simone on LinkedInConnect with Tony on LinkedInConnect with Tony on TwitterTony Saldanha - Transformant

Serving as the elevator of mindful conversation and safe space for persevering women, Strut in HER Shoes helps women rise to the occasion of self-empowerment through our holistic spectrum of womanhood lifestyle coverage and connection. This Week on Strut Talk Podcast, we're "Keeping up with Tori Nichel" during an intimate conversation about her journey into fashion industry. Tori accounts a few challenges she's faced and shares details on her latest venture, Maison Black. Maison Black's mission is rooted in our founder Tori Nichel's vision of marrying her passion for fashion and purpose to serve the Black designer community in order to create access, exposure, longevity and sustainability for Black designers in the fashion industry. As a global retail destination Maison Black amplifies the innovative design of Black creatives who exemplify design excellence. Follow Maison Black @maisonblacknewyork and Shop the all new collective featuring 6 emerging designers maisonblack.shop

Brian got the chance to sit down with Ron Thurston a New York based retail expert with more than 30 years of leading top consumer teams from Apple to Tory Burch to Intermix. But, it was only after a mind opening retreat with strangers that challenged Ron's vision of his legacy that set a series of actions in motion that led to the nation's first retail movement. Find out how he did it with Retail Pride. Action Steps to REWIRE: 1. COMMIT to your goal, no matter what! 2. CREATE an effective strategy! 3. ASK for help from your network! Check out https://RetailPride.com *Comment on @fashionrewired on Instagram about this episode for a chance to WIN a FREE copy of Retail Pride, by Ron Thurston! Episode Powered by: -The Phoenix Fashion Week Freelance Program – Hire an industry professional to build your brand for long term success email freelance@phoenixfashionweek.com to secure a fashion professional. -Digital Designer Bootcamp: Launch your fashion brand in 6-short weeks from the comfort of your home. Email bootcamp@phoenixfashionweek.com for application. Phoenix Fashion Week: The leading fashion industry event in the Southwest. Fashion. Education. Community. Follow and like our IG @FashionRewired & @PHXFashionWeek