Podcast appearances and mentions of liza amlani

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I'm joined by an industry expert in Merchandising, Buying, Product Development and Sourcing with luxury and mass merchant retailers in both regional and global markets. Liza Amlani, the Principal and Co-Founder of Retail Strategy Group brings the end-to-end expertise that retail brands need. In the episode we talk about her new book, The Whole Sale, profitable wholesale strategies for brands. We discuss everything from pricing to the common mistakes that brands make. So grab that cup of tea, sit back and listen to the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast.Grab your copy of The Whole Sale here: https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Sale-Profitable-Wholesale-StrategiesSign up to The Merchant Life newsletter here:https://www.themerchantlife.com/Catch up on previous episodes on your favourite podcast platform and while you're there please hit that follow button so that you get to listen to it first every week. Follow for weekly updates and watch us on YouTube by subscribing to The Retail Advisor. Sharing is caring—share episodes with your network and tag me, Melissa Moore, and The Retail Break podcast on social media.If you'd like to get involved in the next season of the podcast, as a guest or a sponsor please email melissa@theretailadvisor.ie

The longtime merchant discusses the myths and rewards of a channel that is getting renewed appreciation in the industry.

Liza Amlani, founder and principal of the Retail Strategy Group a company that advises companies and brands

Retail success isn't just about having a fantastic product—it's about understanding the business of selling. On this episode of The Voice of Retail, I welcome Liza Amlani, renowned retail strategist and co-author of The Whole Sale: Profitable Wholesale Strategies for Brands. Liza shares insider insights from her 20+ years in buying, merchandising, and retail consulting, helping brands navigate the complexities of wholesale expansion.In a rapidly changing marketplace, many direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands struggle to break into wholesale partnerships, unsure how to negotiate terms, optimize product placement, or manage markdown strategies. Liza outlines the critical retail fundamentals that brands must master to thrive in major retail environments like Walmart, Target, and specialty stores.During this insightful conversation, Michael and Liza discuss:The most common mistakes brands make when entering wholesale and how to avoid them.Why strong retail partnerships are the key to long-term success.How to negotiate product placement, pricing strategies, and markdown terms with major retailers.The role of merchandising strategy in maintaining shelf space and increasing sales.The wholesale vs. direct-to-consumer debate—why it's not just about margins, but about growth and exposure.With firsthand experience as a buyer for iconic brands like Ralph Lauren, Holt Renfrew, and Club Monaco, Liza brings a wealth of knowledge on what it takes to get "retail ready." She explains how emerging brands can scale strategically, leverage retail insights, and position themselves for long-term profitability.If you're a brand looking to expand into wholesale—or a retailer aiming to strengthen vendor relationships—this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you succeed in today's competitive retail landscape. 

In this special episode of Retail Therapy, host Andrew Smith is joined by retail experts Carol Spieckerman, Liza Amlani, and Trevor Sumner to reflect on the key trends and innovations that shaped the retail industry in 2024. They explore how AI-driven personalization, omnichannel strategies, and interconnected retail networks have redefined the landscape. Tune in for expert reflections on this year's biggest lessons and gain insights on what these changes mean for 2025 and beyond!

As the competition for eyewear stays hot, how can opticals rethink the patient experience and their marketing to stay competitive? Liza Amlani, principal and co-founder of Retail Strategy Group, talks about how to promoting individual brands can help a practice create its own brand, as well. Hear her tips for incorporating what successful retail brands do. 

Craig and Liza Amlani, Principal and Founder of Retail Strategy Group, discuss the arrival of La Maison Simons in downtown Toronto and its potential impact on the retail landscape. They explore how the new stores at Yonge and Dundas will influence shopping habits, tourism, and local retail dynamics. Simons' diverse product assortment, combining private labels and luxury goods, is expected to attract a wide range of customers and drive significant sales. The conversation also touches on the broader retail trends, emphasizing the importance of physical stores in enhancing customer experience and loyalty. Amlani highlights the role of visual merchandising and knowledgeable sales associates in creating memorable shopping experiences. They also discuss the importance of data-driven insights in tailoring product assortments to meet customer needs, as demonstrated by Simon's strategic approach. Additionally, Patterson and Amlani delve into the global shopping phenomenon, with a particular focus on Shein's IPO and its implications for the fashion industry. They discuss the environmental impact of fast fashion and the growing consumer awareness around sustainability. The conversation underscores the need for retailers to balance product quality, customer experience, and ethical practices in today's competitive market. Episode Sponsor: Salesforce - Turn today's shopping trends into tomorrow's retail success. Visit Salesforce to see the global insights from Salesforce to boost your bottom line.Featured During this Episode: Liza Amlani, Principal and Founder of Retail Strategy GroupRetail Strategy Group This podcast is the audio version of the The Interview Series video podcasts by Retail Insider Canada are available through our Retail Insider YouTube Channel where you can subscribe and be notified when new video episodes are available. 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_CanadaListen & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastStitcherShare 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/

There was a time in retail when the route to the C-suite was from the sales floor, and future leadership was carefully groomed at companies like Lord & Taylor, Abraham & Strauss, and Macy's. With many companies downsizing and eliminating training programs, plus integrating more technology, future retail CEOs may come from unexpected places. Pepsi has become the poster child for launching retail CEOs:  Brian Cornell of Target, Lauren Hobart of Dick's Sporting Goods, Vivek Sankaran of Albertsons, and Mary Dillon of Foot Locker. Can retailers steal a page from Pepsi's playbook?  Liza Amlani, Principal and Founder of Retail Strategy Group joins Robin and Shelley to talk about how leadership needs to be able to connect products to customers, which typically happens when talent is groomed from within. They also discuss how retailers can retain talent by giving frontline jobs a quicker route to the top. For more strategic insights and compelling content, visit TheRobinReport.com, where you can read, watch, and listen to content from Robin Lewis and other retail industry experts, and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Dive into the latest episode of Retailer Tech Tips where host Guy Courtin discusses Inventory Optimization with Demand Forecasting alongside industry experts Phil Barry and Liza Amlani. Learn how demand forecasting algorithms can revolutionize your inventory management, reduce stockouts, and enhance profitability. Don't miss out on valuable insights and strategies to stay ahead in the retail game.

Opticals combine providing medically necessary eyewear and fashion. So WO turned to Liza Amlani, principal and founder of Retail Strategy Group, to ask if there are missed opportunities in retailing and marketing opticals. In the first of this two-part podcast, she suggests optometrists and opticians can think outside of the box, especially in terms of simply "filling a need to get new eyewear." 

"Loyalty is the name of the game, and brands are pulling out all the stops to capture and retain their customers." - Andrea K. Leigh During #Shoptalk 2024, we had the pleasure of having Andrea K. Leigh, Michael Kline, Liza Amlani, and Neil Saunders on the Retail Therapy podcast! This episode, we chatted about everything happening in the athletic retail space! From Nike's AI footprint to Lululemon's partnerships, Adidas' innovation, and so much more, these guests cover everything you need to know about fitness brands in a changing climate. Huge thanks to Blue Yonder and our other RCA members at Adobe, Icertis, and Microsoft for sponsoring this episode of Retail Therapy

In a dynamic discussion on the evolving landscape of retail, Liza Amlani and Roz Griner shed light on the pressing challenges and opportunities facing the retail brands. Liza emphasizes the importance of organizational effectiveness and increasing profitability through better go-to-market strategies, assortment planning, and reducing overdevelopment, while Roz pivots towards leveraging social media and content creation for branding and consulting. Both agree that the retail sector is navigating uncharted waters, with traditional retail fundamentals lagging the rapid evolution of consumer preferences. A key issue identified is the industry's reactive nature, relying on band-aid solutions rather than proactively addressing the core needs and desires of their customers. The conversation also touches on the shift back to physical stores amidst the collapse of direct-to-consumer brands, highlighting Nike's reversal from a DTC-only approach as a notable example. The dialogue underscores the importance of engaging directly with customers, utilizing social listening, and integrating feedback throughout the product creation and go-to-market processes. Furthermore, it calls for retail teams to reconnect with fundamental practices, like engaging with customers on the shop floor, to better understand and adapt to the rapidly changing retail environment, emphasizing the need for a more responsive, customer-focused approach in contrast to the traditional, inventory-heavy strategies of the past. The conversation goes on to highlight brand strategic missteps in marketing and product development, such as heavy discounts and a lack of alignment with the preferences and shopping habits of Gen Z. The critique notes that Gen Z's aversion to shopping in physical stores, particularly malls, exacerbates the brand's challenges in engaging with this demographic. The conversation critically examines the identity and market positioning challenges faced by Gap and Banana Republic, two prominent retail brands. For Gap, the core issue highlighted is its ambiguous brand identity and unclear customer demographic, a problem exacerbated by inconsistent strategies and a failure to reclaim dominance in categories such as denim and basic colorful apparel, which were once synonymous with the brand. The discussion suggests that Gap's attempt to cater to a broad audience without a defined focus or updated assortments has led to a dilution of its brand identity. This challenge is compounded by seemingly misaligned collaborations and an unfocused expansion into various categories, such as intimate apparel, without first solidifying its core product offerings. The conversation underscores the need for Gap to revisit and clarify its brand identity, potentially by leveraging its historical strengths in offering generational and colorful clothing options, to regain relevance and market share.

Is Your Store Stuck in the Stone Age?   In this episode of She Talks Business, you'll learn about the dynamics of retail and business innovation with Liza Amlani, the principal and co-founder of Retail Strategy Group. Explore retail, technology, and consumer behavior, and gain valuable advice.   Building Relationships in Marketing Liza Amlani, with her background in teaching fashion marketing at FIT, shares how important it is to build relationships in marketing. Her approach includes discussions on daily retail headlines and the encouragement of networking, providing a holistic understanding of the industry. Adapting to social media and influencer marketing to enhance customer engagement is a critical consideration in the constant change of retail.   Navigating the Retail Industry The in-store customer experience for retail has changed because of the impact of technology and social media. Effectively managing your inventory and strategic merchandising are pivotal for success in retail businesses. Adapting to the evolving demands of retail and understanding the role of customer engagement strategies are crucial.   Empowering Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners For small retail business owners, leveraging data and utilizing affordable cloud-based tools for your sales and inventory management is a vital consideration. When disciplined, you can take bold steps toward success, push boundaries, and think big in your business endeavors.   This episode is packed with a wealth of wisdom. If you embrace change, innovate, and stay true to your beliefs in your business endeavors, you'll be able to stay determined and push toward success.   What's In This Episode Impact of social media and influencer marketing on customer engagement Importance of managing inventory effectively Importance of not thinking small as a small retail business owner The significance of planning, leveraging data, and affordable cloud-based tools for small businesses   What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e141 for all resources from this episode.

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, guest host Liza Amlani sits down with Barry McGeough, President of Ponto Footwear, live on the show floor at The Lead Innovation Summit 2023. Barry is a seasoned expert in the field of retail innovation with a remarkable emphasis on digital transformation. Barry's journey into this thriving industry may have been accidental, but his achievements are nothing short of extraordinary. Starting as a product person in footwear, he ventured into diverse territories, revolutionizing backpacks, goggles, and other innovative wearable devices. What sets Barry apart is his holistic approach to innovation, which has yielded incredible results. As a visionary, he spearheaded the creation of an Innovation Division within an $11 billion company, ushering in a new dimension to their business. Barry has mastered the art of straddling the worlds of tech and retail, skillfully leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance consumer experiences like never before. Listen now to follow Barry's inspiring journey from most unexpected beginnings to the top of the retail innovation game. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! - - - - - - Host: Top Retail Influencer Liza Amlani Produced by Gabriella Bock Research by: Maggie Schwenn

Ranging and curation have always been key skills for retailers. But with the rise in ecommerce, the biggest range is not always the best. And curation can be a critical skill that transforms how your customer sees you and your brand. And fast fashion retailers are reinventing the whole product innovation space to drastically accelerate time to market and growth. To uncover how ranging, curation and new product development can drive your business, Oliver welcomes experienced merchant, Liza Amlani, to share more. In this episode, you'll hear:The single most important metric for range success.How ultra-fast fashion retailers have been able to transform their ways of working.What limits the extent to which customer feedback is used. Show notes are at www.obandco.uk/225.

Welcome to Retail Therapy, a RETHINK Retail exclusive Podcast series where we examine a retailer facing a huge challenge or opportunity and provide actionable steps to revive, revitalize or rebrand them back from oblivion. In this episode, host Gabriella Bock is joined by RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer's Andrew Smith and Liza Amlani to examine Forever 21, a fast fashion retailer that lost market dominance almost as quickly as it gained it. This episode of Retail Therapy was brought to you by the Retail Cloud Alliance and Cognizant. To see how Cognizant can help transform your business, visit them at www.cognizant.com. Host: Gabriella Bock Research by Maggie Schwenn

Today I'm joined by Liza Amlani and Raj Dhiman from the Retail Strategy Group. Liza is the Principal of Retail Strategy Group and Raj is the Chief Rainmaker and Co-Founder at Retail Strategy Group. We got together at The Running Event in Austin Texas to review their Retail Playbook. Facebook Twitter Instagram   The Outdoor Biz Podcast   Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!   I'd love to hear your feedback about the show! You can contact me here: email: rick@theoutdoorbizpodcast.com or leave me a message on Speakpipe!   Sign up for my Newsletter HERE. Facebook Twitter Instagram   The Outdoor Biz Podcast   Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!   Show Notes Retail Strategy Group The Merchant Life About Us Liza Amlani Liza Amlani is the go-to expert in retail merchandising, product creation, and accelerating speed to market. She is the Principal of Retail Strategy Group: a consulting practice helping brands and retailers dramatically improve profitability and increase organizational effectiveness. Raj Dhiman Raj Dhiman Ph.D. is the Chief Rainmaker and Co-Founder at Retail Strategy Group. He is an expert in tech sales having sold software for over seven years. He is a respected sales coach and has elevated the performance of hundreds of sales professionals. Retail Strategy Group Insights Follow up with Retail Strategy Group Email: hello@retailstrategygroup.com Instagram Linkedin Twitter YouTube

As retailers face supply chain challenges, labor shortages and record inflation, the upcoming holidays could be the most challenging season yet. Products will be flying off the shelf faster than they can be restocked, and store teams will have more on their plates than they can handle. Join host Morgan Petty for a roundtable discussion with a group of retail experts from Nintendo, Movista, SASR, and The Merchant Life as they explore the latest in-store trends and holiday predictions, what's really driving out-of-stocks, and what merchandising and execution strategies will get the right products on the right shelves, every time. Show guests include: - Mike Byers, Senior District Supervisor at Nintendo. - Matt Martin, VP of Product Strategy at Movista, the smart retail merchandising execution platform. - Brad Barritt, VP of Operations at SASR, a company offering retail and supply-chain workforce solutions. - Liza Amlani, Principal and Founder of The Merchant Life. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Liza Amlani is the principal and founder of Retail Strategy Group. She is the go-to expert in merchandising, product creation, and accelerating speed to market and is one of RETHINK Retail's Top Retail Influencers of 2022. With over 20 years of retail insider experience, we help companies in the retail space dramatically improve profitability and increase organizational effectiveness. (https://www.themerchantlife.com/)

This week Andrew speaks to the impressive Liza Amlani about the six core principles of "Product Creation By Subtraction" and all things merchandising.

Liza Amlani has over 20 years of Industry knowledge and Experience in Merchandising, Buying, Product Development, and Sourcing with Luxury and Mass Merchant Retailers in both Regional and Global markets and has some progressive thoughts on traditional retail business. We get into a little of that and plenty more in this wide-ranging conversation. Facebook Twitter Instagram   The Outdoor Biz Podcast   Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

S1E13 – Razor's Edge: The Season 1 Finale!Welcome to Season 1, Episode 13 of The Retail Razor Show – the season one finale!It's been an amazing opening season for the show, but now we have reached the Razor's Edge – the end of our first season! Ready to finish with a bang? We've got a special guest host – yes, that's right, guest host – Liza Amlani, principal and founder of Retail Strategy Group and The Merchant Life newsletter!Liza turns the tables on our regular hosts, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden, to hold a mid-year check in on their Top 10 Predictions for 2022 from Episode 4. Then, Liza walks our guests through highlights from throughout the season, remembering great moments with Andy Laudato, COO of The Vitamin Shoppe, Ron Thurston, author of Retail Pride and host of the Retail in America tour and podcast, and Gautham Vadakkepatt, director of the Center for Retail Transformation at George Mason University. Listen in to see if your favorite moments from Season 1 made it to the Razor's Edge!Have you heard the news! We're up to #20 on the Feedspot Top 60 Retail podcasts list, so please keep those 5-star reviews in Apple Podcasts coming! With your loyal help, we'll be moving our way up the Top 20 in no time! Leave us a review and we'll mention you in a future episode! https://blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/Meet your hosts turned guests, helping you cut through the clutter in retail and retail tech:I'm Ricardo Belmar, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer for 2022 & 2021, RIS News Top Movers and Shakers in Retail for 2021, a Top 12 ecommerce influencer, advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformation, and lead partner marketing advisor for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft.And I'm Casey Golden, CEO of Luxlock. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. I've spent my career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business. Now I slay franken-stacks!The Retail Razor ShowFollow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/TwRRazorConnect with us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LI-RRazorJoin our club on Clubhouse: http://bit.ly/RRazorClubListen to us on Callin: https://bit.ly/RRCallinSubscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTubeSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/RetailRazorShowRetail Razor Show Episode Page: https://bit.ly/RRShowPodHost → Ricardo Belmar,Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twRBelmarConnect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LIRBelmarRead my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWRBelmarCo-host → Casey Golden,Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twCaseyConnect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LICaseyRead my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWCaseyTRANSCRIPTS1E13 Razor's Edge: The Season 1 Finale![00:00:00] Introduction[00:00:00] Liza Amlani: Hello, retail, razor listeners. Welcome to the season one grand finale episode. As you can tell, I'm not one of your usual hosts. I'm Liza Amlani principal and co-founder of retail strategy group and the merchant life newsletter. And I am your guest host today where I'll be turning the tables on your usual host and interviewing them.[00:00:41] So let's bring them in Ricardo Belmar and Casey golden, Casey and Ricardo. Thank you so much for having me guest host today.[00:00:48] Ricardo Belmar: Hey, Liza, it's awesome to have you here.[00:00:50] Casey Golden: So amazing to have you off of Twitter for a moment, on the podcast.[00:00:55] Liza Amlani: Of course we're, we're changing. We're changing it[00:00:57] Ricardo Belmar: Of[00:00:57] Liza Amlani: little bit. so how does it feel being on the other side of the mic today?[00:01:02] Casey Golden: It's a little different, somehow it doesn't feel like being a guest on somebody else's podcast. So it's a little bit strange, [00:01:07] but, [00:01:08] this was one of our most popular topics. So[00:01:10] Ricardo Belmar: That's true. Yeah, that's true. I mean, I, I would kinda say the same thing. It's a little, a little weird, not being the one, asking the questions like we usually do on, on the show. But this will be fun. This will be something different. And you're totally right. It doesn't feel the same as being a guest on somebody else's podcast.[00:01:24] So this will be an interesting one this time around.[00:01:26] Liza Amlani: Well, I'm excited to get you guys in the hot seat. So let's dive in. First I'm gonna run through the top 10 predictions you guys made in episode four. And we'll consider this a mid-year check-in. And just because I wanna keep you guys on your toes cuz you know, that's how I roll. I'm gonna keep score on whose predictions are performing better.[00:01:44] Nothing like a little competition to mix things up.[00:01:47] Ricardo Belmar: Well, this could get ugly, then Casey's so super competitive. it's a good thing. We're all remote. And there's no risks of things being thrown around the room.[00:01:55] Casey Golden: Yeah. Well, I mean, maybe not your room I think it's pretty obvious who's gonna have the, have the better record, but there's a reason you know, Ricardo and I are on here. I mean, I think we had a few times where we're like, no, you have to change it. Cuz we can't have everything the same. so.[00:02:12] Liza Amlani: well, this is definitely gonna be better than I expected. I love it. Okay, so let's not get ahead of ourselves. And the second part, I'm also gonna ask you both what your favorite parts of the season were, and a few other surprise questions about the season. So let's get started with the season one finale.[00:02:31] Revisiting the Top 10 Predictions for 2022 [00:02:31] Liza Amlani: Okay. The first prediction was about retail media networks. Ricardo, let's start with you.[00:02:36] Ricardo Belmar: Well, I think this one's definitely a winner because let's see, since we did episode four, there must be at least, I don't know, like another 50 retail media networks that have been announced by retailers this year. I don't know ranging from what. Like ulta beauty hadn't been announced when we recorded that.[00:02:49] That's the one that everybody wanted to talk about. I mean, just about, everybody that's either a a big box retailer. I mean, a bunch of specialty ones, that maybe we wouldn't have expected. I think this one's just continuing to grow, so I'm thinking I'm good on that one.[00:03:02] Liza Amlani: Okay, Casey, let's talk about brick, expansions. I love this one, cuz you know, I'm a big fan of physical retail. [00:03:08] Casey Golden: yeah, and I kind of focus on digital these days. So it's kind of nice to pop into bricks every once in a while. It's where we all started, right? [00:03:16] there was barely an internet.[00:03:18] not saying that anybody's old here, but you know, there wasn't very many commerce stories in the beginning, so the passion started on the floor. It's been interesting with Amazon's new, they're still kind of expanding on these, these in stores, reimagining the shopping and buying experience. I've actually seen a lot more traction in that, you know, with all of these tech enabled spaces and a lot more experimenting.[00:03:45] So, I mean, I think we kind of nailed that this is really going to be a tech enabled opportunity for a lot of bricks and changing the traditional big box. For more entertaining showrooms kind of tagged Glossier as the winner. There's been a lot of changes over there too. So there's a lot of opportunity here for somebody, for a whole group of people to really win on bricks.[00:04:07] Liza Amlani: Definitely. I also just placed a Glossier order yesterday.[00:04:11] Social commerce and live streaming, Ricardo., [00:04:14] Ricardo Belmar: Oh, this is S definitely one of my favorite topics. Still may, maybe second, only the retail media networks. I think it's still growing, right? I guess one of the big things in the prediction I talked about was this idea that retailers would start relying more on their store associates as the live streamers, as the way of really promoting the whole idea of, of live shopping that way. And I think overall, this one's still building momentum and, and gaining steam. all the social media networks are certainly still putting out more features what Twitter added a new shopping capabilities, which maybe we wouldn't have expected Twitter to do.[00:04:46] In episode 12, we even talked about Pinterest and, and their new capabilities. So I think there's a lot happening there. And if anything, maybe hasn't come true yet, but I'm gonna still hold out hope here for later in the year is when we start seeing more frontline store associates doing the live streams, and maybe that's picking up steam, I think in more of a, a one to one kind of shopping experience versus a one to many. But I still think that we're gonna see that. I just think it's a natural extension and we might see it first coming from smaller retailers. I, I think because it's easier for them to be more nimble with that and get somebody recording and going live whereas big retailers are just naturally have this motion where they're gonna want to go big and, have big production values and bring in lots of equipment.[00:05:25] And that's gonna slow them down a bit. But I think we'll still see it happen.[00:05:28] Liza Amlani: Yeah, I think[00:05:29] Casey Golden: Yeah. I mean, I. But I put a lot of emphasis on TikTok commerce, because I've been watching that [00:05:35] beta program since[00:05:36] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. Yeah.[00:05:37] Casey Golden: Asia and then pulling out of the us and Europe last week, that announcement I think it's, gonna probably be better for smaller brands than the big ones, because TikTok would've been that commerce channel.[00:05:50] So who's to know. [00:05:52] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, I think there's still plenty of startups coming up too, that I, I see focusing on, on live streaming. So if I was gonna add something, it would be how things turn out between the big social media platforms versus these dedicated livestream platforms that are mostly driven by startups and how retailers are gonna adopt one versus the other.[00:06:09] And, and maybe we'll seem do both because it just kind of makes sense to have one off your own website and not totally rely on, you know, a Facebook channel.[00:06:16] Liza Amlani: Oh, for sure. When we were at the retail innovation show, there were, I think core site had partnered with a live streaming platform, which was super interesting, but I feel like they weren't retailers. So it'd be interesting to see when retailers actually merge with live streamers and partner together to, to have the best CU customer experience[00:06:35] Casey personal shopping. I love this one.[00:06:38] Casey Golden: I'm obviously I'm biased. [00:06:40] So, brownie points here, customer expectations. I mean, I thought that they were high during the pandemic. [00:06:47] They're almost unachievable at the moment. Shoppers are no longer content with that simple transactional purchase outside of like commodity goods. And we, we saw a lot of innovation with the associate led shopping and it went big.[00:07:03] but I think that there's like a lot of rebuilds when it comes down to the tech on actually operationalizing. And really bringing that in-store experience online and working with customers remotely. We've seen a lot of team, a lot of brands building out specific dedicated frontline staff teams, but putting them online and building virtual teams to really have, you know Trusted product expert or that sales associate being able to, to help them shop and, and build that relationship.[00:07:33] I'm gonna still betting in that we're gonna see a lot more of it. [00:07:36] Liza Amlani: I think [00:07:36] so, too. [00:07:37] Casey Golden: with like, yeah, I mean, we, have to alleviate all of the mundane tasks that these sales associates have to deal with in order to manage these customers. And make sure that they don't lose their jobs. The sheer volume of online traffic and then trying to provide a personal shopping experience. I think everybody said that it was, this personal shopping shop with the stylist's going into client telling, and that's gonna be new platforms. It's working so. I think it's, it's really exciting to see the brands put this talent at the forefront of the narrative and start giving them software.[00:08:15] Liza Amlani: I love that you brought up client telling because I started on the shop floor and I definitely had a book that I used to, you know, bring to, to Harrods. That's where I worked in one of my, one of my store roles. And that book went everywhere with me. And that was my client telling software was manual pen and paper and technology would've definitely changed the game.[00:08:37] Ricardo, let's talk about the shopper experience.[00:08:40] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, I think, you know, it technology and in-store experience. I mean, they're continuing down that March to converge. . And bring in more and more things into the store. We've got this year more examples of computer, vision and AI. You know, just look at Amazon's new style store and what they're doing there.[00:08:55] Some people like it, some not so much, but I think the, the point is we're seeing more and more experiments and more and more attempts to try things out. I think I mentioned when we first talked about this, we talked a little more about where we're AR and VR platform is gonna play in store.[00:09:09] I don't think we've seen as much with that. Although, I mean, I think there's more AR things happening. I'm I'm. More and more things happening around trying to improve fit in apparel. . It's always a challenge there. But to me, this is all about finding more and more technology in the store, but not in the way of the shopping experience, which makes it so much of a better experience and that we have people wanting to do more shopping in store.[00:09:32] Right now we've gotten past this idea that online was just gonna totally shut down physical experiences. And, and we're seeing that we're back to back to the norm there. For the most part, I think we'll just see more and more cashierless checkout, more shelf scanning types of. Technologies, whether it's robots or IOT sensors, we're gonna see more and more scan and go.[00:09:51] So I think this one's moving along, maybe not as fast as I, I would've expected at the beginning of the year when we talked about it. But that to me has more to do with retail is wanting to be cautious about some of these investments versus desire to do them at all. So I think it's all still happening.[00:10:05] Liza Amlani: Casey by now pay later.[00:10:07] Casey Golden: Oh, it gets hotter, then the bubble bursts. I'm a big believer and don't spend more than you have, but you know, Regulators are there they're coming. I read all my regulators. All I hear is Warren G [00:10:20] Liza Amlani: I love it. Now I have Warren G in my head. Good song.[00:10:24] Casey Golden: I know, right. We should all [00:10:25] have [00:10:26] Liza Amlani: I know[00:10:27] Casey Golden: God, good times. Good times. I think one day we'll look back at, buy now, pay later and say good times. It's, it's been a, they've been getting a lot of traction making, purchases, lack consumer protections and and they can really make hassle free returns 30% APR with just crazy, crazy APR rates.[00:10:50] There's easier ways to, block out these payments and they've been productive for all the brands. I mean, I don't know if you can even find a website that doesn't offer by now pay later. But I also think it's a very American thing. We are like, we invented the credit card, right? So whether or not it's consumer. So whether or not it's good for the consumer, it's been really good for businesses. But I think that there's gonna be a little bit more regulation and consumer protections on it to really make sure that, when you make a purchase for, $300, it's not gonna cost you three grand. cuz there's been some. Some, some more predatory behavior in this space, but Klarna has really stepped up their game and providing really interesting product discovery in their app rewards programs. And, you know, they recently just bought hero which was a personal shopping app. So they're offering, you know, just looking at the customer journey from start to finish and, you know, trying to set the.[00:11:50] Up to be more than just a payment system or at least feel like it. Right. So I think the competition's gonna get tougher and they're gonna have to be more interesting to branch out from the regulation, I think, [00:12:04] Ricardo Belmar: acquired or merge or combining something's gonna happen.[00:12:07] I don't think it's gonna keep on this growth path. [00:12:10] Casey Golden: ricardo, I'm really interested on your, thoughts on that too. [00:12:13] Ricardo Belmar: Oh, I mean you on, on buy now pay later. You pretty much had me at regulators.[00:12:19] Casey Golden: and I've used it once as an experiment. It's just like, well,[00:12:22] Ricardo Belmar: yeah. yeah. I, I, I mean, I, I think the very first thing we said back in, in that episode, on that one, right? The, the, it gets hotter and then the bubble burst, I think we're, we're just about, at that point, in my opinion, and there was more and more folks looking. Just what you said, right? The predatory terms, the insane APRs, and it's on a path to have an impact, right.[00:12:46] To put people into more and more depth when they don't need to be. So I, I don't know. I, I just, I think it's interesting that we see. The BPL companies trying to add more services to their offering that's not part of the core idea right. Of buy now pay later so that their business isn't totally dependent on it.[00:13:03] And I dunno, in some ways, this is one of these things where it was a huge bubble, but at the end of the day, I mean, How hard is it to replicate by now pay later functionality for a payments company. So where's the differentiator for all these guys to stay in business? I think , the bubble , has to burst.[00:13:17] Liza Amlani: And when we think about Ricardo, this is one for you, the analytics. AI and machine learning and sustainability and traceability and merchandising returns and predictive analytics, all this stuff that I love to talk about from a merchant perspective. Let's talk about your prediction around this.[00:13:33] Ricardo Belmar: . So in, in that one I saw that we're just gonna, so, so much more automation. A lot of this technology being used to remove all the mundane and tedious tasks that store employees have to deal with. And, and there are so many new tools coming out with that. I I've been working with a number of different companies now who have new technologies, just for that to make the life easier for those frontline teams.[00:13:55] And then just looking at returns, returns is becoming an even bigger problem, I think now than it was at the beginning of the year. And I see more technology being thrown at how to solve returns, not in terms of what do you do when somebody wants to return something, but what can you do preventively to make it so that people don't need to buy three versions of the same thing to see which one's gonna be the right one and return the other two. Now there's ways that AI machine learning can help with that analysis. And I think we're seeing solutions that do that. I've seen more retailers implement those and they're seeing tangible changes, where we're seeing reductions of returns in double digit percentages, which is, is obviously going to be meaningful to their sales numbers. You know, think sustainability has just continued down a march , I think more and more news coming out where people start to question some brands as to, are they really engaging in those sustainability practices they've been talking about? Or is there, are they doing one thing in with their right hand, but the left hand's doing something else.[00:14:50] It kind of works against that sustainability. So to me that says that people are paying more attention to sustainability is starting to matter more which I see as a positive and, and again, I think this is one where , without technology, none of the brands are gonna be able to solve this in a, in a meaningful enough way that's gonna accomplish, the dual purpose goal, which is to demonstrate to their customers that they are engaging in sustainable practices, but at the same time, not do it in a manner that's gonna make their cost skyrocket and make them unprofitable.[00:15:17] So I think that that's still happening. So I think that's on a good, good March. Predictive analytics. I mean, I, I'm always still surprised when you see retailers show you that, oh, they're still doing their forecasting on a spreadsheet in Excel versus using something more, you know, more appropriately let's say size for, for their business that allows them to, to leverage AI in a better way.[00:15:36] And I mean, yes, during the pandemic, all these systems tended to, to create more problems and solutions because nobody let's face it, could have the right model that was gonna predict what was gonna be a shortage and, and factor in the supply chain challenges and all that. But now, now those models are starting to get worked in and now[00:15:53] some of the companies I've been working with are finding that the real reason those solutions led them down the wrong path is because the people that were reading the results were taking different actions than they probably should have been. So it was less the technology as it was the human intervention, that didn't wanna accept what the technology was saying.[00:16:08] Because they felt that, you know, that was gonna be a different result. So I, I think that's all working itself out. In some ways I think this is one of the , most exciting technology areas in retail because it has the potential to have so much change, even if it's more behind the scenes and most consumers don't see this, it's not obvious to you if you walk into a retailer store.[00:16:26] But there's so much of this behind the scenes, it has to happen to make the business work. I, just think it's nowhere to go, but up.[00:16:32] Casey Golden: Yeah, I'm gonna just add a point on there just to kind of leave our listeners with something to think about. We've been measuring the wholesale business for like a hundred years. This is really the very beginning of taking direct to consumer analytics. As we grow these business models out on selling direct to the consumer, there is so much data, so more data than we've ever had.[00:16:58] And so we're gonna be able to get so an amount of knowledge from this over the next, like three years. That we've never seen or understood about our brand or sales. And I think it's, I, I agree, Ricardo, it's super exciting. I mean, you can just geek out on this[00:17:16] Ricardo Belmar: Oh, oh yeah. There's we're gonna, we're already keeping those data scientists employed for a long time.[00:17:23] Liza Amlani: I, I definitely geek out. Yes. I definitely geek out on all that. You know, coming from that merchants and product creation space, the challenge I find is that, we have all this data and we always have so had so much data from loyalty programs and even client telling, but are we really using it to drive? You know, product decisions, assortment decisions. So it will be very interesting to see, you know, in the next three years, I think we should come back to this one in three years and let's see where we are. Let's talk [00:17:52] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, I think, I [00:17:52] Casey Golden: We got a [00:17:53] Ricardo Belmar: safely put this one on every top 10 list.[00:17:55] Liza Amlani: Oh yeah. [00:17:57] Casey Golden: Yeah, no, we've [00:17:59] Liza Amlani: exactly. Well, let's, let's talk about rapid [00:18:02] delivery. [00:18:03] Casey Golden: Yeah, rapid delivery. [00:18:05] Goodness gracious. Does access delivery from any company you're Canada. So[00:18:14] Liza Amlani: I know I do. I know. Come on. No, no, no, no, no. Getting here. Maybe not two hours, but definitely we're getting[00:18:26] Casey Golden: I feel yeah, I mean, Rapid delivery gets a rapid shakeout. I mean, too many popped up during the pandemic. It was an incredible opportunity to force, like for force adoption, for consumers to shop buying things online that they, they never even thought was possible. The amount of grocery online. I mean, without the pandemic, would you ever think like rural areas are getting.[00:18:51] We're getting, you know, two to same day delivery. But we asked in the beginning of the year, is this really sustainable? And I think the, the market has decided that it's not cost effective. And we'll continue to see a lot of acquisitions and consolidation M and a potential here with like micro fulfillment and last mile delivery.[00:19:10] Very hot space. A major's gonna win. , but there's been a lot of adjustments here, especially this year with even Uber eats. They're not, incredible how long it takes. Amazon canceled their two hour delivery and metropolitan areas. And a lot of them grocery delivery services have ceased to exist in a lot of you know, non-chain grocery stores that was, that were leveraging it.[00:19:32] I think, we're gonna have to figure out how you can afford to have[00:19:35] last mile. I'm very curious on how consumers feel about having this amazing service and then it going away and how that affects brand loyalty. So I think there's still a lot to watch here. There's a big opportunity. But it's gonna take a lot of money.[00:19:48] Liza Amlani: Yeah. And it's almost like we haven't really seen who pays for this. Who's P and L is this really impacting[00:19:56] right. [00:19:56] Ricardo Belmar: I don't know that anybody has the model down yet, to make money off of it because it's kind of this thing where, you know, the. The faster you want to deliver it automatically means the closer you have to stage it to the customer to have a chance, of getting it there. I mean like two hours, we had like the quick commerce brands in 15 minute delivery in cities.[00:20:14] I mean, if you're gonna do that, then you have to have so many different staging locations and fulfillment centers and you've gotta have the best predictive analytics to know exactly what are the items everybody's likely to order that they want in 15 minutes. And, and then you end up. All the, the providers say, well, we hope to make this work with larger basket sizes, but okay.[00:20:33] You don't really want a big order because then if you're trying to deliver it in 15 minutes, it takes you too many minutes to pick and pack the order to get what I wanted to get it to someone. . If it's more than a handful of items. So that means, okay, if you can't get your volume based on basket size, you've gotta have it on number of orders.[00:20:48] Okay. But then you mean more labor, right? Or, or more automation. And either one of those has a cost implication. So you still need to. Work that out. So I don't know. It just doesn't seem like it's sustainable. And then at the end of the day, I think Casey, you asked the right question. What do consumers really need to have delivered in less than two hours?[00:21:05] Casey Golden: my[00:21:06] Ricardo Belmar: often enough to make a business out of it.[00:21:09] Casey Golden: Yeah. I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm telling I'm, I'm probably oversharing here, but like the amount of times I ordered a chocolate donut from dunk and dunking donuts around like 11 to 1:00 AM in the morning from Uber eats during the pandemic is ridiculous. but it cost me literally nothing. Now, if I wanted to order that same donut for just to hit a craving at like midnight. It would cost me like $32. Like there are so many fees attached to that now that I'm like, yeah, I don't need,[00:21:39] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. Yeah. Do you really need it delivered right now? Is it really worth it?[00:21:43] Casey Golden: yeah. So, I mean, it's those impulses versus primary way of going grocery shopping. So I think that there's, the volume has, has definitely adjusted the purpose of what people are buying the basket size. And then people are out and about, and they, you it's much easier to swing by the grocery store on your way home. [00:22:01] Liza Amlani: Exactly. [00:22:02] Casey Golden: that just takes your volume away from your pricing.[00:22:04] Liza Amlani: Yeah. And speaking of pricing and volume , I'm not sure if this is a segue, but Ricardo we're, we're almost done. We're at number nine, low code revolution. Tell us more.[00:22:15] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. So I, I kind of hang my hat on this one as , the hidden secret that let's retailers figure out how to do things that used to take them six months and do it in six weeks because you can't wait for an army of your in-house developers to come up with a brand new system for you for any task, like you used to pre pandemic. Now you need things done right away and you wanna build into the schedule, how often you're gonna iterate on that solution to make it better and better. And if there's any technology that makes that doable, it it's everything around low code technologies where you're visually building applications, creating reports and dashboards to keep everybody informed.[00:22:49] If I just go by, what I hear from my Microsoft colleagues who are doing these deployments with customers, it's like every single opportunity they have involves some kind of low code technology aspect. And most of the partners that I work with all have some sort of an implementation in their solution that lets a retailer customize something via a visual kind of development platform.[00:23:10] So I'm beginning to feel like there isn't any technology that's gonna be put in front of a retailer that doesn't have a low-code design component to it just to make life easier for the retailer and to gain adoption.[00:23:19] Liza Amlani: Casey number 10. This is our last one. Everyone web three metaverse crypto NFTs. I don't think you know anything about this space, right? Casey. You actually teach me a lot. I'll [00:23:31] Casey Golden: Does anybody like really does anybody? I mean, I think I I've, every conversation I've ever been on is like, well, I'm not an expert. I'm like, come on. None of us are like, we're all learning together. Prepare for some whiplash. It's getting interesting and web three's here to stay. It's not, it's not just one thing.[00:23:47] We've got an incredibly passionate creator community and consumers are, curious, and we're getting a pretty rapid adoption rate. And, and adding a lot of payment opportunities for commerce and making this bridge. Commerce is going to drive this space to turn it into something that's here to last the biggest challenges are gonna be around data interoperability.[00:24:14] Retail is famous for silos and web three developers are, are staying aligned with that methodology. So hopefully hopefully we can all break that down. And a lot of companies, thousands of companies have come together to create standards for web three From file sizes to ethics. So I think that that's really exciting.[00:24:34] I've never seen companies come together quite like this. So fast in a market to say, we want this to stay. We need to work together. Let's not compete. So that's pretty interesting and brands are experimenting. Brands that typically do not experiment, period, are experimenting and they are supporting very large global initiatives to accept crypto at their stores, to launch NFTs and collaborate with content creators, or artists that are not in house, which is another really great, opportunity. That's just rare. So I wanna see a lot more brands build community and really see what they can turn this space into. It's not going anywhere. I can say that. It's definitely not going anywhere. I think it could make all of our predictions in some way. There's probably some piece that could be innovated by using some piece of web three and make our lives a little bit easier and a little bit more, enjoyable, you know, from the consumer to the brand, there's an opportunity here. But we're, the brands are gonna have to experiment to figure out what piece is gonna be the way that they roll it out. So I'm excited about this space. Take it slow.[00:25:47] Liza Amlani: I'm excited too. I was actually in the the Soho Faragamo store a couple weeks ago, and I saw the the NFT station, I guess. And as a consumer, I was definitely fascinated. So I'm excited to, to see. More of what happens in that space. [00:26:05] well, I'm sure that everyone listening is wondering how the score turned out.[00:26:08] So now as a, an impartial judge and to friends, to you both, you know, I will say that I would say you guys are both pretty spot on. Do you think that there's there's anything that you should have predicted that, should have been on this list? I think that's a, that's an interesting question to ask you both.[00:26:26] Ricardo Belmar: that's a tough one. And if I were to pick anything, I would say the one thing we didn't, we came close to it, right in Casey's brick and mortar expansion. I don't know that we really talked about whether it was gonna be sort of this pendulum swing, between online commerce growth versus physical stores and just how much people were gonna rush back to stores this year and, and want to enjoy that physical shopping experience. And, and what that implication was towards, the trends the last two years where our e-commerce was just gonna take over everything. Which isn't to say that it's still, you know, moving ahead, it's not like it's gonna contract, it's gonna keep growing just that the pace is back to normal.[00:26:58] So maybe that's one that we didn't talk about that we, we could have gone a step further maybe in, in that one prediction, but that's the one that comes to my mind. [00:27:05] Casey Golden: Yeah. I mean, coming out, we spoke about it maybe a couple times throughout this entire season, knowing that when that pendulum swings, it's gonna come with a recession. And we didn't really dive in. I think we could have used an entire episode just to talk about. The timing, the impacts of all of this with some type of recession coming into play, because it was obvious the timing wasn't.[00:27:28] And so it aligning up our holiday season or the kickoff of the new year. You know, there's a lot of companies are expecting to hit their numbers this year because of holiday. So I think we could have definitely dived into a little bit more of the consumer behavior coming out of the [00:27:45] pandemic[00:27:45] Ricardo Belmar: yeah. [00:27:46] Casey Golden: say which one of these things is gonna be what a retailer is gonna need to make it through that recession [00:27:51] Ricardo Belmar: yeah, and closely relating to that, we didn't predict the, wonky supply chain problems that were been continuous right throughout this year still. Right. I don't think we would've back at the, be when we recorded that episode, would've predicted that oh yeah.[00:28:04] Target and Walmart , are not gonna figure out how to get their inventory turned straightened out and they're gonna end up stuck with too much product. Right. We would never [00:28:10] Casey Golden: is what we do, right? Like, why are we still having, why are we still having issues?[00:28:14] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, exactly. [00:28:15] Casey Golden: yeah, I agree.[00:28:16] Season 1 Highlights[00:28:16] Liza Amlani: Well, you know, I'll say that it's definitely a merchandising strategy issue, but you know, nobody asked me let's, let's talk about some highlights from season one. So Ricardo, , which was your favorite clubhouse discussion? I love these by the[00:28:31] Ricardo Belmar: Ah, oh yeah. Oh yeah. We, we really enjoy these too. I, I have to say, I think my favorite one was the one we did with Andy Laudato COO of the vitamin shop from his book, fostering innovation and, and how to build that culture of innovation in your IT shop. I think that one was my favorite one, just because it was such a wide variety of topics that we cover.[00:28:50] I mean, we asked Andy about his project management style. We talked about, how that impacts the corporate culture. There was some pretty clever tidbits in there that he talked about in terms of, how to consider how you hire people to align to that culture of innovation.[00:29:05] He talked about his hierarchy of IT needs and how you can get to earn the privilege to innovate, which I think was really clever. And then, one of my favorite, if I'm gonna pick catch phrases to come out of the season, that one had one of my favorites, which was be a diode that Andy had.[00:29:19] If you remember that one where he said, as the team manager, you're a diode, you take all the negative things that come to the team, those stop with you as the team leader. And you don't pass those on, but when you get all the good comments, you don't keep those, you pass those on to your team so they can all benefit from the, from the praise.[00:29:34] That one should, there should be a t-shirt for that one.[00:29:35] Liza Amlani: I love it [00:29:36] Casey Golden: Yeah. I actually took a lot of quotes from Andy. I love his perspective of project management and how to get tech in and actually deployed rather than running so many projects simultaneously. Almost nothing gets done in three years. I really haven't quoted anybody as much as I've quoted Andy from these podcasts, he is a gem. So everybody rewind, go back to that episode and [00:30:02] take a listen. It was really good.[00:30:06] Liza Amlani: I love that episode too. Casey, I have a question for you. Who was your most memorable guest speaker and who surprised you the most? It's a double whammy question.[00:30:16] Casey Golden: Ron Thurston and it's for both of them. There's probably no coincidence. He's been, he's been in. More than more, no, less than three, three of our episodes. We kicked off with Ron. And, and once you hear Ron advocate for the frontline store teams, you just can't help, but gain a better understanding of the people working in those roles and also feel motivated to wanna improve the work environment for , these associates.[00:30:42] I knew of him. I had met him on zoom. But that conversation, that podcast, I just completely fell in love with him. And I had no idea he had so much passion for these people until we started talking and like, we didn't stop talking. It was season one, episode one season one, episode two. It was just continued to bring in Ron that, he has this platform, like his voice needed to be out there and share his stories.[00:31:10] He's an amazing human, so definitely made it to my most memorable[00:31:16] Liza Amlani: I love Ron too. I love watching where he's gonna be next on his Airstream tour. That is it's super cool. And now I want an Airstream. Obviously. I know that. Yes, we all want it. . [00:31:26] Ricardo Belmar: Exactly.[00:31:27] Casey Golden: I hope it turns into documentary.[00:31:31] Liza Amlani: I love it. What about you, Ricardo? , which guest would you say? Did you learn the most from.[00:31:35] Ricardo Belmar: So, I have sort of an interesting way to think of, of that one. So as far as where I learned the most from , I think it was on the episode that we call the sea of academia. We actually had a couple guests there and, and big big shocker. Ron was one of those guests on that episode, too.[00:31:49] But we also had Gotham Vadakkepatt. Who's the, director of the center for retail transformation at George Mason university. And I, I think that was the one where I learned the most from, because it had a very different view that. I think all of us that talk about retail all the time, we don't often talk about the educational aspect of it and how that plays a role in creating the next generation of retail leaders.[00:32:09] And I think in that episode, I learned a lot about different perspectives on how to look at that. You know, the thing that sticks in my mind and that one is when Gotham said at the beginning of one of his classes in the semester, he asked his students, how many of you work in retail right now?[00:32:22] It was something like a big percentage of his class raised their hand and said, yeah, they work in retail and then he asked them, well, how many of you think you want to pursue a career in retail and all the hands went down.[00:32:31] None of them wanted to. But then by the end of his class, when he brought in a series of guest speakers to talk about different career journeys in retail, in different areas that you can work in in the industry. When he asked the question again at the end, at least half those hands came back up.[00:32:44] People finally realized, oh, there really is something interesting. It's not just what they thought was a harsh experience, I guess, working in those stores. And, and to me, it kind of ties together what Casey was just saying about the episodes we did with Ron. And advocating for those frontline store teams and this kind of gives a different spin to it.[00:33:01] So I, I came away learning a lot from that one and how there's an opportunity to influence, those future generation of retail leaders through those educational programs and through those university programs that they're going through to get them to come up with a, different new perspective on the industry, which I think oftentimes people in retail get stuck in their ways. And they're just used to doing things a certain way and you need that , new, new set of ideas to, to change things up.[00:33:26] Casey Golden: Yeah. I mean, one in six people on the planet, work in retail in some capacity. And for there not to be a way for you to go to school or go to college or university or specialize. In retail or commerce. I mean, that's kind of mind blowing the amount of education that, and curriculums that are popping up now at major universities to focus on digital transformation and retail , is so hopeful.[00:33:52] I feel that this is actually going to be. I, I feel like it's really about being respected as a career and getting those good salaries, being able to attract top tier talent. We have big problems to solve, and it's nice to see the universities turn this into an actual specialty.[00:34:11] Liza Amlani: I totally agree. And it's interesting cuz I also, I went to fashion school and got my degree in fashion. And it's so interesting to see how the programs have evolved to include, you know, things like data scientists or material scientists or textile innovation. So I love that episode two. Now tell us, do you have any special plans for season two?[00:34:31] What can we look forward to?[00:34:33] Ricardo Belmar: We'll have some surprises. We've been talking to some folks about a couple of unique segments we may try and do in season two. I'll try not to give away too much, but there'll be some people who might be familiar to listeners from season one who may come back and some who, who will be new to come and gives kinda like a, I'll call it a data angle to our conversations where we'll have one of these guests come in on a segment and it'll be related to the topic.[00:34:56] They might have an interesting data point or a research statistic that has come up and we'll spend a couple minutes talking about how that has an impact on the topic that week. So I think that that'll kind of mix things up a bit. It's almost kind, if you think of an ask me anything type of scenario, except it'll focus around a specific data theme.[00:35:15] So that should be a, a clever one and we'll have a new theme. You know, we, some folks maybe didn't realize we had a theme to the episodes that we set for season one. There was a structure to it. We were focusing in on digital transformation and innovation and, and people.[00:35:30] Which I think was the unique spin that we brought to those other two areas. So we'll have a new theme which we're not gonna spoil for season two, but we'll we'll definitely have a trailer coming out soon to give everybody an idea of what we're thinking for season two and what to expect.[00:35:43] Liza Amlani: Casey, any last thoughts? [00:35:45] Casey Golden: Yeah, our training wheels are off. You know, this started as a, I miss talking to everybody and we all kind of jumped in a room in clubhouse when it was super cool. I don't think anybody's logged into clubhouse for several months. So pretty exciting that, you know, this is season two's gonna be fresh you know, fully planned on purpose in real time, and it's gonna be interesting to see how we started to really like where we are now. And bringing some incredible guests that didn't have a clubhouse invitation and[00:36:21] Liza Amlani: I know[00:36:22] Ricardo Belmar: there is that [00:36:23] Yeah. Yeah. [00:36:24] Liza Amlani: they were, they were [00:36:25] hard to come. [00:36:26] Casey Golden: They were hard to [00:36:27] Ricardo Belmar: yeah, For a while, right? yeah. [00:36:28] yeah. [00:36:29] Casey Golden: we had some really great guests that [00:36:31] Ricardo Belmar: yeah.[00:36:31] Casey Golden: two.[00:36:37] Ricardo Belmar: yeah, right. It took a while for them. Yeah.[00:36:41] Liza Amlani: Yeah.[00:36:42] Ricardo Belmar: So listeners can expect more of those like the retail transformers series that we kicked off with April Sabral we'll do more of those in season two with some unique guests.[00:36:50] Liza Amlani: That's awesome. Well, thank you both for having [00:36:53] Casey Golden: And flip the script on you. [00:36:56] Liza Amlani: oh yeah, you should. [00:36:57] Casey Golden: in.[00:36:58] Liza Amlani: I'd love that, but thank you so much for having me and allowing me to put, put you guys in the hot seat, cuz you know, I love that. And I can't wait to do this again [00:37:08] I will. I will talk about all things merchandising and the retail silos. We need to break those down.[00:37:15] Casey Golden: they're gonna crash.[00:37:20] Ricardo Belmar: with us, Liza. Oh yeah. [00:37:21] Casey Golden: it will happen.[00:37:22] Ricardo Belmar: That's right. That's right. [00:37:23] so, Casey, I think that means we're ready to wrap this one[00:37:26] Casey Golden: It's a full wrap goodbye to season one[00:37:29] Ricardo Belmar: and season two awaits. [00:37:30] Show Close[00:37:30] Casey Golden: if you enjoy our show, please consider giving us that special five star rating and review on apple podcasts. Smash that subscribe button in your favorite podcast player so you don't miss a minute. Want to know more about what we talked about today? Take a look at the show notes for handy links and more deets.[00:37:49] I'm your cohost Casey Golden.[00:37:51] Ricardo Belmar: And if you'd like to learn more about us, follow us on Twitter at casey c golden and ricardo underscore belmar, or find us on LinkedIn. Be sure and follow the show on LinkedIn and on Twitter at retail razor, and on our YouTube channel for videos of each episode and some bonus content. I'm your host, Ricardo Belmar.[00:38:06] Casey Golden: Thanks for joining us. [00:38:07] Ricardo Belmar: And remember there's never been a better time to be in retail. If you cut through the clutter.[00:38:14] Until next time, this is the retail razor show. 

Show Highlights:   We are excited to have Liza Amlani on to discuss accelerating speed to market in the retail space, how to successfully address inefficiencies by limiting waste and using customer-focused digital technologies across channels in the retail space, the importance of preparing for unprecedented events like COVID-19, and more. In a rapidly changing climate such as the one we live in, it is vital for companies to be confident in making swift changes to their business in order to ensure longevity.    Traditionally, companies debuted new products once or twice a year in conjunction with industry trade shows, but times are changing. Today's consumers want new products to be delivered fast and within their timeframe, and they also want their products to be sustainable.  As it stands now, legacy brands seem to face challenges in meeting these demands. During the pandemic, we also saw that many companies are unprepared for massive events that impact production. With climate change, retail production will continue to be impacted in the future, so companies need to think ahead to meet these challenges. Join us to hear the advice Liza gives to retailers and other companies to help them be prepared for unpredictability, and at the forefront of the industry in a fast paced world. 

~If you would like to subscribe to only interviews by Retail Insider, a separate "The Interview Series" podcast show is now available (link to Apple Podcast show)~Craig and retail expert Liza Amlani talk about the Canadian retail landscape including her predictions for what's to come as we head further into this year. Interviewed this episode:Liza Amlani - Principal and Founder of the Retail Strategy GroupThe Merchant Life The Interview Series podcast by Retail Insider Canada is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Also check out our The Weekly podcast where Craig and Lee discuss popular content published on Retail Insider which is part of the The Retail Insider Podcast Network. 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/

Over the course of the pandemic, consumers' buying needs completely changed. Some consumers switched suits for athleisure, while others focused less on a full face of makeup and more on clean skincare.  These behaviors are still evolving as the state of the world continues to change. That means the spotlight is on planners and Liza Amlani believes that's a good thing. During this week's Retail Remix, we dig into how demographic and psychographic shifts are driving a new era of product development and merchandising, and what issues are rising to the top. Listen to learn:   How sustainability and inclusivity are influencing merchandising decisions;   Why product teams need to tap new data sources (especially social media) to uncover new innovation opportunities; and   The power of deeper, qualitative customer research such as shopper interviews and walking the store floor.    RELATED LINKS  Learn more about Retail Strategy Group  Connect with Liza on LinkedIn  

This week we are turning the tables. Liza Amlani will be asking me to share my retail journey and talk about my Book "The Positive Effect, a retail leader's guide to changing the world." Liza is a retail strategist and the principal and founder of @Retail Strategy Group, a retail consulting firm and Author of The Merchant Life. When we both get together, it is always a motivating and positive conversation that will inspire you! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/april477/support

To reach Liza: https://www.themerchantlife.com/The article we were talking about: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/24/style/cotton-totes-climate-crisis.html Some of Liza's tweets from Retail X: https://twitter.com/i/status/1430273345690419206https://twitter.com/i/status/1430166923355074566

This week we've brought Liza Amlani in, Founder at Retail Strategy Group, to chat all things sustainability in retail fashion. Liza has two decades of experience in retail, bringing experience from Ralph Lauren and Accenture to her practice. Amongst her impressive roster of accomplishments is the fact that she's a regular contributor to RetailWire and an industry contributor for Forbes. Needless to say, she's the perfect person to join us to chat about how apparel brands can and should make changes to their supply chain and technology to become more sustainable.

Today, Aliya welcomes to the show, Liza Amlani. In today's episode Liza provides insight for consumers and what they need to know when choosing retailers to support. Everything from climate, to equity, to diversity of people and body types is discussed. Liza is a Retail Industry expert with over 21 years of experience.In her career, Liza has worked with familiar brands including Holt Renfrew, Ralph Lauren Europe and Canada, Club Monaco, Nike, Walmart, and several others. Her experience encompasses brick and mortar, e-commerce and omni-channel in the areas of product creation, merchandising and go to market strategies.In shifting to consulting, she played an integral role in Accenture's Retail Strategy group, where she was responsible for consulting with fashion brands and retailers, supporting several major business transformations across product creation, merchandising, speed to market and materials management.Liza is currently the Principal at Retail Strategy Group - a consulting practice which helps companies in the retail space dramatically improve profitability. She is a respected voice on topics such as responsible retail and sustainability, retail diversity and inclusion, the future of retail and the urgency of technology enablement in merchandising, assortment optimization and demand planning.You can find Liza on all social platforms under the @theMerchantLife and follow her on LinkedIn or RetailWire for her POV on all things retail from a retail insider.Twitter: https://twitter.com/themerchantlife?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liza.amlani/?hl=enLinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/themerchantlifeBe the best possible version of yourself.-#podcaster #podcast #starttalking #surroundyourself #bethepebble #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #foreveryone #men #women #diversity #inclusion #parenting #success #happiness #fulfillment-Support The Show* Become a Patron and  support the amazing guests and conversations we bring you every week! http://www.patreon.com/starttalking* Buy Us A Coffee: A one time donation helps us keep the mics on!  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/starttalking-Want To Start  A Podcast?Using the link below let's Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support our showhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=303359-Join the conversation at https://weas.ca/ or https://www.flowcode.com/page/we_as_starttalking-Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & YouTube:https://www.instagram.com/we_as_starttalking/https://www.facebook.com/WeAsStartTalkinghttps://twitter.com/we_as_https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwtKEIMBrxzrH4lUvHFrFHASupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/starttalking)

Today, Aliya welcomes to the show, Liza Amlani. In today's episode Liza provides insight for consumers and what they need to know when choosing retailers to support. Everything from climate, to equity, to diversity of people and body types is discussed. Liza is a Retail Industry expert with over 21 years of experience.In her career, Liza has worked with familiar brands including Holt Renfrew, Ralph Lauren Europe and Canada, Club Monaco, Nike, Walmart, and several others. Her experience encompasses brick and mortar, e-commerce and omni-channel in the areas of product creation, merchandising and go to market strategies.In shifting to consulting, she played an integral role in Accenture's Retail Strategy group, where she was responsible for consulting with fashion brands and retailers, supporting several major business transformations across product creation, merchandising, speed to market and materials management.Liza is currently the Principal at Retail Strategy Group - a consulting practice which helps companies in the retail space dramatically improve profitability. She is a respected voice on topics such as responsible retail and sustainability, retail diversity and inclusion, the future of retail and the urgency of technology enablement in merchandising, assortment optimization and demand planning.You can find Liza on all social platforms under the @theMerchantLife and follow her on LinkedIn or RetailWire for her POV on all things retail from a retail insider.Twitter: https://twitter.com/themerchantlife?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liza.amlani/?hl=enLinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/themerchantlifeBe the best possible version of yourself.-#podcaster #podcast #starttalking #surroundyourself #bethepebble #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #foreveryone #men #women #diversity #inclusion #parenting #success #happiness #fulfillment-Support The Show* Become a Patron and  support the amazing guests and conversations we bring you every week! http://www.patreon.com/starttalking* Buy Us A Coffee: A one time donation helps us keep the mics on!  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/starttalking-Want To Start  A Podcast?Using the link below let's Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 Amazon gift card if you sign up for a paid plan, and helps support our showhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=303359-Join the conversation at https://weas.ca/ or https://www.flowcode.com/page/we_as_starttalking-Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & YouTube:https://www.instagram.com/we_as_starttalking/https://www.facebook.com/WeAsStartTalkinghttps://twitter.com/we_as_https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwtKEIMBrxzrH4lUvHFrFHASupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/starttalking)

It is time for some Real Talk with Liza Amlani!  Liza is a retail insider with over 20 years of experience in fashion retail and merchandizing and is the Principal and Founder of Retail Strategy Group, a firm dedicated to up lifting the entire retail process.  Listen in as she shares how her firm helps retailers dramatically improve profitability, efficiencies, and merchandizing optimizations across omni-channels. Liza also discusses the importance of sustainability in the retail world, and the monetary and environmental benefits of retail transparency! 

Find Liza Amlani here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizaamlani/Sign up for The Merchant Life here: https://www.themerchantlife.com/

Welcome to the Retail Rundown, your go-to weekly podcast where RETHINK Retail teams up with industry experts to discuss the news and trends defining the world of retail. In this episode, we're joined by Gary Newbury and Liza Amlani as we examinee the unpredictability of the supply chain and the actions businesses must take to become more efficient and agile. This episode is guest hosted by Paula Rosenblum, the managing partner and co-founder of Retail Systems Research. She's also a RETHINK Retail Advisor and widely recognized as a top retail influencer. Gary Newbury is a Senior Exec On Call specializing in Retail Supply Chains & The Last Mile. Liza is the Principal at Retail Strategy Group - a consulting practice that helps companies in the retail space dramatically improve profitability. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Paula Rosenblum Written and produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Trenton Waller Social media by Madison Freeland

Our special guest, Liza Amlani, joins us to discuss the importance of sustainability and diversity in retail. How has the role of the merchant evolved in the past years? How can retailers promote sustainability in fashion without compromising on profit? Is it possible to anticipate demand? How can the retail industry promote and benefit from more diversity?  We ask these questions and more of our special guest, Liza Amlani, founder of the Retail Strategy Group, Allyship Advocate, and former buying lead for Ralph Lauren. Liza has the amazing boots-on-the-ground experience to share with her clients, and she's clearly passionate about very important topics in the retail world sustainability and diversity, and Shopify preorder. She strongly believes that retailers can be ethical and equitable without compromising on their bottom line.

This week I am chatting with Liza Amlani. Liza has had an extensive career in merchandising and buying. Working for brands such as Ralph Lauren Sporting Life and Holt Renfrew. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/april477/support

This perspective was shared from the EDGE Forum editors team at T-Renaissance Inc. (www.t-renaissance.com) upon a post as published by Liza Amlani at her LinkedIn account in Dec 2020.

Liza is a seasoned Retail Industry expert with over 20 years of experience. She has end-to-end knowledge of retail and navigated her way through the industry, leading high-impact teams across North America and Europe. She is a respected voice on topics such as responsible/sustainable retail, merchandising excellence and "The Store of the Future". She recently played a critical role in Accenture's Retail Strategy group, where she was responsible for consulting with fashion brands and retailers, providing insight on pertinent topics such as speed to market and future retail operating models. Prior to joining Accenture, Liza was based in London where she was the Buying Director for Ralph Lauren UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and The Baltics. Fun fact, Liza used to be a designer and designed all the bags for FIFA World Cup 2002.