Podcasts about Retail

Dollar General (DG) shares have surged 14% after beating earnings, and this contrasts with luxury weakness and signals a shift in consumer behavior.Today's Stocks & Topics: Davidson Multi-Cap Equity I (DFMIX), Market Wrap, Medtronic plc (MDT) , “The Discount Retail Signal: Is the Consumer "Trading Down"?”, UFP Industries, Inc. (UFPI), Southern Copper Corporation (SCCO), Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX), Ero Copper Corp. (ERO), Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates, E.L.F. Beauty, Inc. (ELF), B2Gold Corp. (BTG), Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD).Our Sponsors:* Check out Incogni: https://incogni.com/investtalk* Check out Invest529: https://www.invest529.com* Check out NordProtect: https://nordprotect.com/investalk* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/INVEST* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code INVEST for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, Chris and Anne teamed up with Chad Lusk from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group to hand out our 2025 Omni Awards across the following categories: Retailer of the Year Headline of the Year Retail Technology of the Year Most Overhyped Retail Tech Best Strategic Move from a Struggling Retailer And so much more, including 2026 predictions There's all that, plus liquid death pit diapers, the Aldi Aisle of Shame Facebook group, and whether robots watching you do chores is the stuff of nightmares. #RetailAwards #WalmartChatGPT #AldiGrowth #RetailTech #AgenticAI #RetailPodcast #OmniTalk #DougMcMillan #2026Predictions #RetailInnovation #ElectronicShelfLabels #RetailCEO

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the Thanksgiving shopping season—what surprised us most, what it revealed about the fragility of the US consumer, and how much AI moved the needle for shoppers, and retailers. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Zak Stambor, and Analyst Rachel Wolff.   To learn more about our research and get access to PRO+, go to EMARKETER.com   Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/   For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com   For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/   Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com    For a transcript of this episode click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-what-2025-thanksgiving-period-told-us-about-this-year-s-holiday-shopping-season-reimagining-   © 2025 EMARKETER   Campaigns take flight with Viasat Ads. Unlock access to over 250 million passengers annually across leading global airlines, with high-engagement ad formats and real-time delivery. Viasat Ads provides access to a verified audience in a captive environment, so your message reaches passengers when they are ready to engage. Join their journey with Viasat Ads. 

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we speak with Obaid Arshad, Founder & CEO of Gingko Retail, Pakistan's biggest ecommerce operating platform and the largest order aggregator in the country.We Explore:Less than 1% of Pakistan's commerce has moved onlineHow Gingko Retail became Pakistan's largest ecommerce enabler214+ merchants using the platformIPO plans for the futureWhy Pakistanis needs global exposureAnd why Pakistan might become unliveable in 25 years due to climate riskThis episode is a deep-dive into Pakistan's ecommerce backbone, the systems behind scaling retail digitally, and what the future of this industry looks like.Socials:TBT's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/⁠⁠⁠⁠TBT's TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamil⁠⁠⁠⁠TBT's Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthings⁠⁠⁠⁠TBT Clips: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclips⁠⁠⁠⁠Muzamil's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠Muzamil's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/⁠⁠⁠⁠Obaid's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obaid-arshad/Endeavor's LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistan⁠⁠⁠⁠Credits:Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan ZaidiAssociate Producer: Saad ShehryarPublisher: Talha ShaikhEditor: Jawad Sajid

Gen Z is rapidly becoming one of the most influential consumer groups in the marketplace. In this episode of Retail Gets Real, we hear from two guests who sit at the heart of this evolving landscape: Carly Berns, assistant vice president at Burns Communications Group and co-founder of The Z Suite, and Olivia Meyer, a Gen Z retail strategist and Z Suite member. Together, they explore what defines today's youngest adult shoppers, how they influence retail trends and what retailers must do to stay relevant in a world where discovery, personalization and transparency reign supreme.(00:00:00) Introducing Gen Z's growing influence on retail(00:04:00) How The Z Suite connects retailers with Gen Z(00:06:52) How Gen Z uses AI in the shopping journey(00:11:46) Why modern leaders can't ignore social media(00:14:54) The future of retail: a 5–10 year outlookThe National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association.Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.Resources:• Website: bernscommunications.com• Website: thez-suite.com• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carly-berns-057b89bb• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/oliviagmeyer• Get ready for Retail's Big Show in NYC• Become an NRF member and join the world's largest retail trade association• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.comRelated:• 388: How Gen Z is transforming retail trends on Pinterest• 385: Lessons from a young retail leader

Retail buying doesn't have to be overwhelming—or lonely. This week, Ashley sits down with Angela Schmook (Roadrunners, Reps Are Local Too) and Kelly Bristol (Just Gotta Have It, GHTA leader) to reveal why your local sales reps might be the most powerful, underused resource in your business. Fresh from the GHTA Conference in Park City, they break down how reps support retailers far beyond taking orders: helping with events, securing promos and exclusives, spotting local trends, and giving you insider knowledge you'll never get from ordering online. They also unpack the shift toward lifestyle retail—where home, gift, and apparel collide—and how to approach markets with confidence, even if you've never stepped inside a showroom before. You'll learn: What reps really do and why working with one is free How reps help you buy smarter, plan better, and spot trends early How showrooms actually work (and why you shouldn't feel intimidated) Why home, gift, and apparel are merging into lifestyle retail How to prepare for January markets and build stronger vendor relationships   

JPMorgan shares closed near their lows of the day after its consumer banking head said expenses would be 10% higher next year. The implications for the banking sector and the broader market. Plus Walmart shares are trading near a $1 trillion valuation. But one top technician says he's still long the name. Fast Money Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We welcome Moody's Mark Zandi, Moody's Chief Economist and one of the most influential and trusted macroeconomic voices shaping markets, policy, and business strategy worldwide. Zandi begins by explaining how today's consumer landscape is defined by a widening K-shaped economy—an income and wealth split decades in the making and now intensified by rising asset values and post-pandemic dynamics. Households at the top of the income spectrum are spending freely, while middle-class consumers remain pressured and those at the bottom struggle to keep up, borrowing to sustain purchases.Zandi also connects the affordability crisis to structural issues like housing supply, wage pressures, labor shortages, and the unpredictable impact of tariffs—which are simultaneously slowing job creation, lifting inflation, and clouding retailers' pricing strategies. He warns that delayed tariff pass-through may soon accelerate and that upcoming legal decisions could radically alter retail margins.Perhaps most striking is Zandi's analysis of AI's fingerprints on the labor market. He highlights rapidly rising unemployment among younger workers and the risk that productivity gains arrive faster than hiring can adjust—potentially tipping the economy toward recession just as retail faces profit pressure, concentration of growth among a handful of giants, and shifts in category performance.Before joined by Zandi, Steve and Michael dig into the retail headlines: strong BFCM e-commerce results , Buy Now Pay Later surging again, and evidence that AI-driven traffic is now materially influencing online demand. They examine the evolving performance of dollar stores, with Five Below delivering standout comps, the ongoing stampede to value, and whether the end of de minimis rules may reshape the bargain landscape.They then break down Macy's mixed but improving traction, tariff lawsuits led by Costco, and the broader retail question of whether top-line growth is increasingly profitless prosperity—a theme reinforced by margins squeezed across beauty, off-price, and specialty retail formats.In a quick recap of the most remarkable stories of the week Steve is stunned that Meta still invests heavily in the metaverse—even while shrinking budgets Michael questions whether defunct brands like Bed Bath & Beyond can meaningfully return in the Canadian retail market dominated by TJX, HomeSense, and IKEA.Expect the annual game of holiday discount chicken to intensify as promotions escalate, plus intriguing experiments like Netflix House in former department-store spaces—potentially hinting at new opportunities for mall real estate. SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20 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.

Can ChatGPT dethrone Gemini? Is Tim Cook capable of leading Apple into the next wave of AI? As 2025 winds down, journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher joins Rapid Response to cut through the noise and decode what's really happening across OpenAI, Meta, Google, and more. Swisher also sizes up the state of Disney, Netflix, and the escalating bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery. And in classic Swisher fashion, she doesn't hold back — weighing in on Elon Musk's eye-popping potential pay package, Mark Zuckerberg's costly misfires at Meta, and what the future of AI means for human health and cognition.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jason Bronstad is the CEO of Malk Organics, a clean-label, plant-based milk and creamer brand. Jason began his career in the food and beverage industry at Sara Lee, serving across several managerial and directorial positions between 2004 and 2010. He then went on to become VP of Sales at Mike's Hard Lemonade and then the President of Mighty Swell Cocktail Company before joining purpose-led start up, Malk Organics, in 2020. He joins Roy to discuss the ins and outs of shaping culture, values-driven hiring, evaluating talent, learning to keep things simple, and much more. Highlights from our conversation include:Core beliefs and values that comprise Jason's leadership playbook (3:55)Connection to mission (6:12)Hiring lessons learned during periods of brand growth and development (8:20)Key characteristics of high-performing leaders (11:40)Important traits Jason seeks in his direct reports (14:15)Evaluating cultural fit in prospective talent (15:50)The parts of Malk's culture that make Jason most proud (18:08)Jason's definition of success and how it's evolved over the course of his career (20:22)His advice for the next generation of CPG leaders (21:10)

Jeff Rosenberg brings a multi-generation perspective to open-air, retail shopping centers, a sector most investors once wrote off.   His family built and operated supermarkets and the centers around them starting in the 1940s. Big V Property Group grew out of that platform and today controls a $2.5 billion, 9 million square foot national portfolio of open-air shopping centers anchored by the likes of Target, TJX brands, Ross, HomeGoods, Sierra Trading, and others.   That background matters: Big V understands how retailers actually make money, how store-level performance drives traffic, and why certain locations survive every cycle.   A few insights stood out in our conversation: • Physical retail never died (online shopping, Covid etc) it evolved. Retailers now use stores as omnichannel infrastructure: showroom, warehouse, and last-mile all at once. • Power-center retail is effectively an ecosystem. A Target anchor drives demographic analysis, infrastructure improvements, credit co-tenancy, and consistent foot traffic for the rest of the center. • Supply discipline is doing the heavy lifting. Two decades of minimal development plus 96–97% occupancy make today's retail fundamentally different from overbuilt asset classes. • Lenders are leaning back in. Big V recently rolled eight core assets, about $1.1 billion, into a single fund and closed a $765 million on-balance-sheet bank loan, the largest retail financing in the country in 2025. • Underwriting today requires humility. Big V assumes no cap-rate compression. All value has to come from NOI growth and execution, not financial engineering.   Here are five questions we covered: Why did retail survive when everyone predicted structural decline? How does a Target anchor change a center's economics? What does today's capital stack look like for high-quality retail? How do you underwrite exits when cap-rate compression is off the table? Where are the real risks in a sector that looks "safe" on the surface? If you want a grounded view of where the next leg of the retail cycle is heading and how an operator with a decades-long track record has never lost investor capital, this conversation is worth your time.   *** In this series, I cut through the noise to examine how shifting macroeconomic forces and rising geopolitical risk are reshaping real estate investing.   With insights from economists, academics, and seasoned professionals, this show helps investors respond to market uncertainty with clarity, discipline, and a focus on downside protection.    Subscribe to my free newsletter for timely updates, insights, and tools to help you navigate today's volatile real estate landscape. You'll get: Straight talk on what happens when confidence meets correction - no hype, no spin, no fluff. Real implications of macro trends for investors and sponsors with actionable guidance. Insights from real estate professionals who've been through it all before. Visit GowerCrowd.com/subscribe Email: adam@gowercrowd.com Call: 213-761-1000

Mike Wilson, our CIO and Chief U.S. Equity Strategist, and Dan Skelly, Senior Investment Strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, discuss the outlook for the U.S. stock market in 2026 and the most significant themes for retail investors. Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Mike Wilson: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Mike Wilson. Morgan Stanley's CIO and Chief U.S. Equity Strategist. Daniel Skelly: And I'm Dan Skelly, Senior Investment Strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Mike Wilson: Today we're going to have a conversation about our views on the U.S. stock market in 2026, and what matters most to retail investors in particular. It's Monday, December 8th at 9am in New York. So, let's get after it. Dan, it's great to see you. We always talk about the markets together. I think this is a great opportunity for us to share those thoughts with listeners. Our view coming into this year is still pretty bullish for 2026. We've been bullish on [20]25 as you have, probably for, you know, similar – maybe some slightly different reasons. I think one of our differentiating views is that we do think inflation is still a major risk for individual investors. And institutional investors, quite frankly, which is why stocks have done so much better. A concept, I think you're well aware of. And I think, you know, the risk for retail is that there's going to be; it's going to be volatile. So, point-to-point, we're still bullish as you are. How are you thinking about managing that point-to-point path? And how are you structuring your portfolio as we go into 2026 with a bullish outlook – but understanding that it's not always going to be smooth. Daniel Skelly: So, like you said, we've also shared this view that next year's going to be positive, albeit there's going to be more volatility. And when I think about the two main risks that retail investors are facing today, one of them is definitely inflation. We're seeing that in services. We're seeing that in housing. We've had the labor market shrink over the recent couple of quarters, so who knows if wage inflation pops up again. But there are ways to definitely hedge against that in an equity portfolio. We think, for instance, owning parts of the AI infrastructure cohort is one of the ways of hedging, whether that be in utilities, pipelines, energy infrastructure in general. These are areas that we think are a necessary hedge against inflation risk. And number two are a positive diversifier. And second key point, Mike, just thinking about that diversification comment. Look, we all know that in many ways the Mag 7 – and the technology strength that we've seen this past year – has driven a fairly concentrated market. I think what people, particularly on the individual side, are recognizing less is just how much AI cuts across many other sectors in parts of the market. And again, we think that risk of over concentration is still out there. And we like the idea of thinking of embedding natural diversification into the equity portfolio. Mike Wilson: Yeah. I mean, it's interesting. Inflation, you know, is part of that story too because AI is somewhat disinflationary or deflationary. I think, you know, investing in things that can drive higher productivity even away from AI can mitigate some of that risk in the economic outlook. But if I think about, you know, the Mag 7 dominance, and just this concentrated market risk, which you spoke about. If inflation re-accelerates next year, which, you know, is one of our core views as the economy improves – doesn't that broaden out the opportunity set? And you know, like there's been this idea that, ‘Oh, you have to own these seven stocks and nothing else.' I mean, part of our view for next year is that we think the market's going to broaden out. How are you set up for that broadening out? And how are you thinking about picking stocks and new themes that can work – that maybe people aren't paying attention to right now? Daniel Skelly: Yeah, it's a great point, Mike. And so, on the first topic, we do think there's broadening, and that's a combination of factors. Number one is just the market becoming more convicted about the Fed cutting path, which we've talked about, and the firm's view reaffirms for next year. Number two is starting to see some of the benefits of deregulation, right, which should impact maybe some of the more cyclical sectors out there – Financials, Energy being two of them. Maybe seeing more M&A activity too as a byproduct of deregulation. And that should bode better for mid- and maybe small caps as well as they receive a M&A premia in the valuations. And I know you've talked about small caps recently in your commentary. But last point I'll make Mike, and it comes back to AI. It almost feels like AI is this huge inflationary ramp at first to get to that deflationary nirvana down the road – with productivity. I think one of the key factors we think about, in terms of a bottom-up perspective, which is what we focus on in across the portfolio, is definitely pricing power. Who owns the pricing power and the key data and the key AI adoption outlook in order to absorb all the different tools and technology diffusion we've seen in the last three years. And that's going to play out, Mike, as you well know, across a variety of sectors and themes. So, agreed, we should see broadening for all those varying reasons. Mike Wilson: So, I mean, there are a couple areas I think, where we overlap. Financials…Daniel Skelly: Yep. Mike Wilson: Industrials, Healthcare, some of the themes that I think we both; we share our bullish views. And what do you think those areas are, within those sectors? You think that you have a differentiated view maybe than the consensus being Financials, Industrials, Healthcare? That the market may be missing, which offers more upset? Daniel Skelly: Sure. I'll start with Financials, which has been an overweight call for us for some time, as I know it has for you as well. And I think that kind of cyclical re-acceleration in the economy is one part. I think the Fed cutting is another part. I think deregulation is clearly another driver. Fourth Capital Markets recovery, which we have seen now. We had a little bit of a technical lull with the government shutdown in terms of filings and issuance, but we see all of the pipeline indicators, indicating green lights for next year in terms of recovery. I think the one thing I would argue that I've observed in looking at all of our vast data sets is that despite all these different bullish factors, this still maybe has been a theme or a sector that investors have traded in and out of, right? I don't think I've even seen like a real strong, consistent overweight. So, I think number one, that's an opportunity. And last point is, listen, there's different sub-sector bifurcation going on, as you know, within the industry, whereas money centers and large banks are performing really well. The same is not the case of regionals and alts managers. And there are varying reasons for that. But we would even argue, Mike, there could be catchup trades within the sector next year. Mike Wilson: Yeah, I would agree on that. I mean, the regional over money centers and actually regionals over alt managers, because I mean – I think the Treasury Secretary has talked about this, you know. Trying to get the regulated banking system kind of back in the game may actually be an opportunity to take share back from some of those alt managers, which have actually done quite well. What about on Healthcare? We upgraded that back in the summer. I think you've been constructive on parts of Healthcare, right. Wwhat do you think people are missing there and why could that be a good sector for next year? Daniel Skelly: Yeah. We were definitely, I'll say, earlier than you and wrong. You had really good timing in terms of your Healthcare upgrade last summer. And look, the sector was out of favor for two years. What we think we observed in the kind of July-August period is: First and foremost, I think we got past the point of maximum policy concern and risk. And ironically, we saw some kind of nominal or surface level deal signed with the government around most favored nation pricing. And it was really, not a lot to write home about. It wasn't as egregious as a policy inflection as some had feared. So, I think that was the first key catalyst. Second, we just saw a really good revisions breadth. And I know this is a comment you make a lot in your work. But we saw across big pharma, tools and life science, medical technology, and devices. We saw really good positive earnings revisions coming out of third and even starting the second quarter. Thirdly, I think if you're talking about an M&A in capital markets recovery, you can't not talk about Healthcare. I think that's a space that'll be ripe for deal making. And then just fourth, right? Look, as the market broadens out, and as people are stopping or maybe slowing the crowding and the key leadership, they're going to go again from AI enablers to AI adopters. And we think AI is going to be a vector that cuts across the Healthcare industry in a really positive way. Mike Wilson: Yeah, I mean, the efficiencies that are, you know, possible in the Healthcare sector seem immense. I mean, it, it appears to me that that's going to be an area where there's probably some new solutions, some new companies we don't even know about yet. So, to me that's a very exciting area that's been dormant for quite a while. What about Consumer, Dan? It's been this K economy. It's been very bifurcated, you know, high-end versus middle-income, lower-income. I mean, what are the themes within consumer that you're finding in putting to work in your portfolio? Daniel Skelly: Yeah. We've talked a lot, Mike, in the last year or so about playing Consumer platforms, particularly domestically oriented versus global consumer brands. And there's a couple of key drivers behind that. But first, when you look at what's going on in consumer land, and Simeon Gutman's been a really good, kind of, analyst looking at this theme over time. In many ways it's starting to resemble the Mag 7 in terms of winner take all phenomena. If you look at some of the major consumer big box platforms, they're taking 50- 60 percent of share of total retail sales. Just a couple of companies. So, number one, we're really focused on platforms where market share gains, free cash flow and revenue – recurring revenue – in particular, are leading to even stronger competitive moats, particularly in a capital-intensive industry. And what we've observed about retail is that as those leaders in big box areas take more share, they can reinvest that winning capital in their advertising growth in their online channel and widen their moats even more. Secondly though, in order to have a positive theme, I've always said you got to fund it from somewhere. And so, what we've observed again over the last year or so is – when I think about some of the even highest quality global brands they've suffered seeing less traction in China. And that's amid less of a willingness from Chinese consumers to own American and European brands. There's a lot to that, but I think culturally, obviously the trade war, the AI war for prominence leading to maybe some of that lack of cultural traction. Secondly, we've also, I think, started to see the growth of AI tools start to weigh on established brands. I think what makes a brand cool and the barriers to entry in terms of creating brands is going to go down in the future because of AI influencing and advertising tools. And so, simply put, we continue to like, Mike, the big box consumer platforms across, clothing and food, housing, across e-commerce. That continues to be one of our higher conviction themes. Mike Wilson: All right, Dan, I want to come back to, kind of, AI infrastructure. I mean, AI spending has been the big, big theme. But there's other types of infrastructure spend and CapEx. It's been dormant, quite frankly, and with the [One] Big Beautiful Bill [Act] perhaps incentivizing some of that. How does that play into your thought process around other industrial stocks that could benefit? Daniel Skelly: Absolutely, Mike. You cited the AI infrastructure spending. We think continues kind of unimpeded going into next year. Number two, we think the Fed cutting, just creating better financing conditions in terms of bigger projects. You mentioned as well, the fiscal incentives. And look, I think Chris Snyder has been spot on the last year or so talking about reshoring production wins coming back to the U.S. I don't think this is certainly as cognizant on the – or on the minds of individual investors. Maybe not even institutional investors. But the U.S. is winning manufacturing production share and has been for some time. And we've seen that no doubt ramp up post the announcement of the [One] Big Beautiful Bill {Act]. No doubt. But we think that has implications, Mike, for stocks and stock picking within what we would call, kind of, shorter cycle themes. And I think whether that be in Logistics and Transports or HVAC or some of the Non-Resi, Non-Datacenter related verticals. There are a whole bunch of stocks that have been kind of dormant for two to three years as we've been in this ISM recession that we think could certainly wake up next year as things broaden out. Mike Wilson: Yeah, we would agree with that. And I guess lastly, you know, there's always this Johnny come lately, you know, fear factor of, ‘Well … stocks are up a ton. My neighbor's bragging how much money they're making. So, I must have missed it all.' And I think embedded within that is this fear of valuation. The valuations are now very rich. What's your response to individual clients about – it's not too late, they haven't missed it. It's still a bull market. In fact, we would argue a new bull market began in April with a new economic cycle. What is your response to those folks who have that angst? Daniel Skelly: Two things. One is the market today looks totally different than it did in the past, and AI is no doubt one big part of that. The composition of the market in many ways is higher quality, less debt, more recurring revenue. Big call option on productivity coming from AI earnings, power, et cetera. So, we think the market should trade at richer levels than it did in the past, point number one. Point number two, we would say whereas most people say time is your friend – for individual investors, they would also say valuation is no short term or short run indicator, but it's the best long run indicator. And looking at today's, again, extended levels of valuation relative to history – they would say that's not going to play out well over the long run. I would actually take the other side of that. I think that the earnings and the economic potential unleashed not just from AI, but some of these fiscal and monetary policies could create tremendous margin earnings potential in the long run. And so, I think today we're looking at a level of multiples that appears artificially high. And based on what could be a big earnings inflection point in that multi-year timeframe could frankly just be superficially high. Mike Wilson: Well, Dan, it's always great to get your perspective. I always enjoyed chatting with you. Daniel Skelly: Likewise. Mike Wilson: Thanks for coming on the show and sharing it with our listeners. It's great to see you. Daniel Skelly: Thanks Mike. Mike Wilson: And thanks to our listeners. Thanks for tuning in and let us know what you think by leaving us a review. And if you find Thoughts on the Market worthwhile, tell a friend or colleague to try it out.

In this episode of the Sneaker History Podcast, hosts Robbie Falchi and Mike Guillory interview Dr. D'Wayne Edwards, a legendary sneaker designer and founder of Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, a footwear design academy. They discuss the evolution of sneaker culture, the influence of athletes and pop culture on sneaker design, and the importance of authenticity in marketing. D'Wayne shares insights on the sneaker industry, advice for aspiring designers, and the significance of community engagement. The conversation also highlights the adidas Business Track initiative, which aims to bridge the gap between retail and sneaker design, emphasizing the value of knowledge and creativity in the industry.More Info: https://www.plcdetroit.com/SUPPORT THE SHOW:Donate Through Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/sneakerhistoryBuy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/nickengvallEarly Access, Exclusive Videos, and Content On Patreon: https://patreon.com/sneakerhistorySubscribe on Substack: https://substack.com/@sneakerhistoryJoin our Discord Community: https://discord.gg/xJFyWmWgzaIf you are interested in advertising to our audience, contact us: podcast@sneakerhistory.comCHECK OUT OUR OTHER SHOWS:For the Formula 1 Fans - Exhaust Notes: https://exhaustnotes.fmFor the Fitted Hat Fans - Crown and Stitch: https://crownandstitch.comFor the Cars & Sneakers Fans - Cars & Kicks: https://carsxkicks.comFor the Creators & Creatives - Outside The Box: https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/outside-the-box-convos-with-creators/id1050172106[Links contain affiliate links; we may receive a small commission if you purchase after clicking a link. A great way to support the pod!]—––––—––––—––––—––––—––––—––––—––––—––––Our podcast is proudly...Recorded on Riverside: http://www.riverside.fm/?via=sneakerhistoryHosted & Distributed By Captivate: https://bit.ly/3j2muPbGET IN TOUCH:Robbie - robbie@sneakerhistory.comMike - mike@sneakerhistory.comRohit - rohit@sneakerhistory.comNick - nick@sneakerhistory.comDisclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/

A quarter of Gen Z and Millennial consumers now trust AI recommendations more than human ones, marking the arrival of retail's first post-human interface. Sharon Gee, VP of Product at Commerce, joins us to explore the paradox of digital intimacy: why consumers will bare their souls to ChatGPT about shopping needs yet abandon carts when brands ask them to create accounts, how LLMs are becoming intimate commerce companions, and what this means for the collapse of traditional commerce funnels and brand discovery in an AI-mediated world.The New Game Is Intelligibility Key takeaways:27% of millennials trust AI recommendations more than humans, yet abandon carts when forced to create accounts: the trust paradox.Merchants must shift from channel management to model management: optimizing for how AI interprets your brand, not controlling distribution.Answer engine optimization isn't gaming algorithms. It's ensuring your brand shows up with authority when AI agents search on behalf of consumers.Three-party commerce is here: consumer, brand, and AI intermediary. The customer is the channel, and data is the new storefront.[00:01:42] "Our customers are having to shift their mindset from channel management to model management... The old game was distribution. The new game is intelligibility. And brands that win are gonna be the ones that understand the model and understand how they can adapt their message to the new modes of interacting with consumers." – Lindsay Trinkle[00:41:02] "Customers are the channel and the data is the storefront. And so what we need to be able to do is make sure that we understand at each interaction point when you show up with your brand. How is your data representing you?" – Sharon GeeAssociated Links:New Modes Research: How AI is Shaping New Commerce Contexts and ExpectationsLearn more about CommerceCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe 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! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As long listeners of this podcast know, there's few things that tick us off more than the retail media team and ecommerce team, and even supply chain, not finding a way to work together towards a single shared goal for max ROI. But that's because it's really hard. Our guest today, Jack Lindberg, Head of Product Strategy & Design at Shalion, has been working intensely on how teams can do some silo-busting armed with the right framework, data, and aligned incentives.

SummaryIn this episode of the Fuel Podcast, Grace Gill welcomes Naukr.ai CEO, Ravinder Sharma, for an insightful dive into the transformative journey of data science and AI. With over fifteen years in the field, Ravinder shares his expansive career journey, spanning both U.S. coasts, India, and ultimately leading back to Northwest Arkansas, a region he calls the “epicenter of retail.”The conversation highlights the exponential growth and rising cost of data, a challenge facing enterprises large and small. Ravinder describes Naukr.ai's mission: democratizing data science by leveraging agentic AI workflows, turning every employee into a data scientist through simple prompts. This innovative approach has the potential to help the region's 1700+ Walmart suppliers unlock actionable insights and make data-driven decisions faster than ever.Additionally, Grace and Ravinder discuss the challenges companies face in reliably leveraging data and institutional knowledge. Ravinder argues that platforms like Naukr.ai, which embody continuous learning and accessibility, are the future, enabling repeatable, scalable analytics regardless of staff changes.Moreover, this episode sheds light on the powerful mentorship and collaborative energy fostered by the Fuel Accelerator, which Ravinder credits for helping founders focus on solving real problems instead of just selling technology.  For those interested in retail technology, AI innovation, or entrepreneurial journeys in unexpected places, this episode is an energizing listen!Show Notes(00:00) Introduction(04:05) How AI is Driving Business Transformation(09:10) Using Agentic Data Science for Retail(14:21) Walmart's Data-Driven Decision Making(18:38) Hyper-Personalized Technology Expectations(22:20) Arkansas' AI Innovation Pride(30:01) The Fuel Accelerator Experience(34:15) Tech Integration Partnerships(35:45) Closing ThoughtsLinksGrace GillFuel AcceleratorFuel Accelerator YouTubeRavinder SharmaNaukr.ai

Welcome to Retail in America, Season 2, episode 1, with a special conversation sponsored by IBM. Brand loyalty isn't what it used to be — and today's consumers are proving just how quickly it can disappear. In this conversation, I sit down with IBM's Jane Cheung to unpack the latest findings from the IBM Global Consumer Research study and explore why trust has become the true competitive advantage.Consumers are still willing to choose the brands they believe in, even when prices rise — but the margin for error is shrinking fast. With AI playing a growing role in how people research, validate, and discover products, the expectations for transparency and consistency have never been higher.We dig into what this shift means for retail leaders: how loyalty must evolve, what today's “value equation” really looks like, and why advocacy is emerging as one of the most powerful signals in an AI-driven marketplace. This episode is a roadmap for any brand that wants to stay relevant — not just to people, but to the AI systems helping them shop.Takeaways:Loyalty is more fragile than ever — trust is now the differentiator.Data transparency matters: 83% of consumers have concerns about privacy and usage.25% of shoppers will still pay more for brands they truly trust.Advocacy is rising fast, with 47% of consumers recommending a new brand recently.AI is reshaping loyalty programs and how value is delivered.Strong data governance is essential for accurate, timely, and personalized engagement.Links referenced:Register to receive the full report here: https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=urx-54211Companies mentioned:IBM

Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com The family had been making wine in the Chablis region for 35 years. Looking at that grape pomace every harvest, Alex Watson saw what everyone else missed: repurposing it making Gin.In this conversation, Alex (who co-founded Renais with his sister Emma Watson) reveals the counterintuitive path from London's most exclusive cocktail bars to Waitrose shelves and why both require completely different strategies for the same gin.We dig into:• Why prestigious bars that love you most often move the least volume• The unexpected channel that actually builds premium brands• How wine sommeliers became his secret weapon in Michelin restaurants• The Instagram strategy that works when you're "naturally private"• Why he leads with flavor, never sustainability (even though the sustainability story is incredible)• The specific moment he knew the traditional gin playbook was brokenThis isn't about choosing between credibility and volume. It's about something more interesting.Listen to find out what.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction: The grape distillation opportunity02:30 Renais origin story: From Chablis winemaking to spirits05:45 Leading with flavor over sustainability in brand messaging08:15 Provenance, terroir, and wine culture in spirits storytelling12:20 B Corp certification and circular economy positioning15:45 Building early credibility account by account in London19:30 The role of bartender advocacy in brand building26:15 Social media approach for naturally private founders28:40 Scaling from independent bars to national restaurant chains32:10 Drink strategy differences: Martinis vs spritzes by venue type35:20 Navigating serve complexity across different bartender skill levels38:25 Hybridization of hospitality venues and menu evolution40:15 Premium positioning strategy: Ultra-premium gin challenges42:50 Market agility and testing new initiatives at consumer events Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com 

In this episode of Rooted in Retail, host Crystal Vilkaitis breaks down the Market Magic framework—seven must-have elements every independent retailer should check off to stay resilient, profitable, and top-of-mind in 2026.If you're closing out a busy holiday season or planning for the new year, this episode gives you actionable ideas you can start using today to boost visibility, strengthen your brand, and elevate your customer experience.[00:00] — Market Magic overview[02:10] — Adaptability & quick pivots[05:45] — Using mystery boxes & FOMO marketing[11:20] — Branding consistency & audits[16:35] — Leveraging customer data + email segmentation[21:50] — Community involvement & partnerships[27:40] — Omnichannel selling in 2026[33:15] — New channels: Podcasts, YouTube & local showsJoin the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation Join our newsletter for all the latest marketing news for retailers Show off your super fandom by getting your Rooted in Retail Merch!

X: @RepFine @ileaderssummit @americasrt1776 @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk @JTitMVirginia Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with U.S. Congressman Randy Fine. Randy Fine was elected to represent Florida's 6th Congressional District in April of 2025 and serves on the House Foreign Affairs and the Education and Workforce Committee. A third-generation Floridian, Randy built a career as a successful entrepreneur, founding and running businesses in retail, technology, and hospitality. At 40, he retired from the private sector to focus on raising his two sons, Jacob and David, with his wife, Wendy. Randy's retirement didn't last long. In 2016, he was elected to the Florida House - before moving on to the Florida Senate and then Congress. As the only Jewish Republican in the Florida Legislature, Randy led the fight to make Florida the safest state in America for Jewish families and people of faith. Randy graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a degree in government and later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. Topics: 1) Update on the U.S. economy, inflation, grocery prices and cost of gas. The inflation rate under President Biden's administration was 9.1% (year-over-year, as measured by the Consumer Price Index), which occurred in June 2022. This was the highest rate in approximately 40 years. Through President Trump's leadership on the economic front, the high inflation rate has dropped to 3%. The record high inflation under the Biden-Harris administration pushed up grocery prices to an all-time high. Congressman Fine addresses the concerns of the high cost of living with a clear explanation. Gas prices under the Biden administration surged to a high of $5.016 per gallon for regular unleaded, recorded on June 14, 2022. Today, gas prices have dropped to a national average of $2.93, with the average gas price in Mississippi dropping to around $2.57 per gallon of regular unleaded. Today, Democrats are running elections on "affordability" while facts clearly reveal that they created the economic crisis in the first place. It was the Biden administration's policies voted by Democratic Party members of Congress which have hurt American families and the US economy. The conversation focuses on how decent hard-working Americans will benefit from the tax cuts including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and the removal of taxes on social security impacting retirees. 2) The rise of anti-Semitism in America with a focus on polling showing that anti-Israel sentiment is rising on the Republican side, especially among young voters. 3) President Trump's efforts to curtail the flow of drugs from Venezuela by targeting boats transporting cocaine to America. In the US, around 42 million people had used cocaine at some point in their lifetime as of 2024. An estimated 22,174 people died from a cocaine-involved overdose in 2024. 4) Bringing to the forefront how NATO member Croatia sold illicit Iranian oil stored in Croatian government facilities. The illegal scheme (operating between 2022 and 2024) where nearly one million barrels of sanctioned Iranian oil were allegedly stored in a Croatian facility before being sold as Malaysian oil to evade U.S. sanctions. Report: "A civil forfeiture complaint was filed early this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that $47 million in proceeds from the sale of nearly one million barrels of Iranian petroleum is forfeitable as property of, or affording a person a source of influence over, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). 5) The China threat. 6) Focusing on Congressman Randy Fine's effort in co-sponsoring the bill The Veterans' Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Service members (ACCESS) Act of 2025 with Chairman Mike Bost, House Veterans Affairs Committee, a Marine veteran. americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @RepFine @ileaderssummit @americasrt1776 @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk @JTitMVirginia America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 68 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Tune into WTON in Central Virginia on Sunday mornings at 9:30 A.M. (ET). Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

Live from the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference, our analysts discuss how AI is reshaping the future of shopping in the U.S.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Michelle Weaver: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. We're coming to you live from Morgan Stanley's Global Consumer and Retail Conference in New York City, where we have more than 120 leading companies in attendance. Today's episode is the second part of our live discussion of the U.S. consumer and how AI is changing consumer companies. With me on stage, we have Arunima Sinha from the Global and U.S. Economics team, Simeon Guttman, our U.S. Hardlines, Broad Lines, and Food Retail Analyst, and Megan Clap, U.S. Food Producers and Leisure Analyst. It's Friday, December 5th at 10am in New York. So, Simeon, I want to start with you. You recently put out a piece assessing the AI race. Can you take us through how you're assessing current AI implementation? And can you give us some real-world examples of what it looks like when a company significantly integrates AI into their business? Simeon Gutman: Sure. So, the Consumer Discretionary and Staples teams went to each of their covered companies, and we started searching for what those companies have disclosed and communicated regarding their AI. In some cases, we used AI to do this search. But we created a search and created this universe of factors and different ways AI is being implemented. We didn't have a framework until we had the entire universe of all of these AI use cases. Once we did, then we were able to compartmentalize them. And the different groups; we came up with six groups that we were able to cluster. First, personalization and refined search; second, customer acquisition; third product innovation; fourth, labor productivity; fifth, supply chain and logistics. And lastly, inventory management. And using that framework, we were able to rank companies on a 1 to 10 scale. Across – that was the implementation part – across three different dimensions: breadth, how widely the AI is deployed across those categories; the depth, the quality, which we did our best to be able to interpret. And then the last one was proprietary initiatives. So, that's partnerships, could be with leading AI firms. So that helped us differentiate the leaders with others, not necessarily laggards, but those who were ahead of in the race. In some cases, companies that have communicated more would naturally scream more, so there is some potential bias in that. But otherwise, the fact pattern was objective. Walmart has full scale AI deployment. They're integrated across their business. They've introduced GenAI tools. That's like their Sparky shopping assistant. As well as integrated to in-store features. They talked about it. It's been driving a 25 percent increase in average shopper spend. They've recently partnered with OpenAI to enable ChatGPT powered Search and Checkout, positioning where the company, where the customer is shopping. They're also layering on augmented reality for holiday shopping, computer vision for shelf monitoring. LLMs for inventory replenishment. Autonomous lifts, the list goes on and on. But it covers all the functional categories in our framework. Michelle Weaver: And how about a couple examples of the ways companies are using these? Any interesting real world use cases you've seen so far? Simeon Gutman: So, one of them was in marketing personalization, as well as in product cataloging. That was one of the more sided themes at this conference. So, it was good timing. So, the idea is when product is staged on a company's website; I don't think we all appreciate how much time and many hours and people and resources it takes to get the correct information, to get the right pictures and to show all the assortment – those type of functions AI is helping enable. And it sounds like we're on the cusp of a step change in personalization. It sounds like AI, machine learning or algorithm driven suggestions to consumers. We didn't get practical use cases, but a lot of companies talked about the deployment of this into 2026, which sounds like it's something to look forward to. Michelle Weaver: And Megan, how would you describe AI adoption in your space in terms of innings and what kind of criteria are you using to assess the future for AI opportunity and potential? Megan Clapp: Yeah, I would say; I'd characterize adoption in the Food and broader Staples space today is still relatively early innings. I think most companies are still standing up the data infrastructure, experimenting with various tools. We're seeing companies pilot early use cases and start to talk about them, and that was evident in the work we did with the note that Simeon just talked about. And so, the opportunity, I think, going ahead, lies in kind of what we see in terms of scaling those pilots to become more impactful. And for Staples broadly, and Food, you know, ties into this. I think, these companies start with an advantage and that they sit on a tremendous amount of high frequency consumption data. So, the data availability is quite large. The question now is, you know, can these large organizations move with speed and translate that data into action? And that's something that we're focused on when we think about feasibility. I think we think about the opportunity for Food and Staples broadly as we'd put it into kind of two areas. One is what can they do on the top line? Marketing, innovation, R&D, kind of the lifeblood of CPG companies, and that's where we're seeing a lot of the early use cases. I think ultimately that will be the most important driver – driving top line, you know, tends to be the most important thing in most consumer companies. But then on the other side, there are a lot of cost efforts, supply chain savings, labor productivity. Those are honestly a bit easier to quantify. And we're seeing real tangible things come out of that. But overall I think the way we think about it is the large companies with scale and the ability to go after the opportunity because they have the scale and the balance sheet to do so – will be winners here, as well as the smaller, more nimble companies that, you know, can move a little bit faster. And so that's how we're thinking about the opportunity. Michelle Weaver: Can you give us also just a couple examples of AI adoption that's been successful that you've seen so far? Megan Clapp: Yeah, so on the top line side, like I said, kind of marketing innovation, R&D. One quick example on the Food side. Hershey, for example, they're using algorithms to reallocate advertising spend by zip code, based on the real time sell through. So, they can just be much more targeted and more efficient, honestly, with that advertising spend. I think from an innovation perspective too, these companies are able to identify on trend things faster and incorporate that and take the idea to shelf time down significantly. And then on the cost side, you know, General Mills is a company is actually relatively, far ahead, I'd say, in the AI adoption curve in Staples broadly. And what they've done is deployed what they call digital twins across their network, and it has improved forecast accuracy. They've taken their historical productivity savings from 4 percent annually to 5 percent. That's something that's structural. So, seeing real tangible benefits that are showing up in the PNL. And so, I think broadly the theme is these companies are using AI to make faster, and more precise decisions. And then I thought, I'd just mention on the leisure side, something that I felt was interesting that we learned from Shark Ninja yesterday at the conference is – when asked about the role of Agentic AI in future commerce, thinks it'll be huge was how he described; the CEO described it. And what they're doing actively right now is optimizing their D2C website for LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini. And his point was that what drives conversion on D2C today may not ultimately be what ranks on AI driven search. But he said the expectation is that by Christmas of next year, commerce via these AI platforms will be meaningful; mentioned that OpenAI is already experimenting with curated product transactions. So, they're really focused on optimizing their portfolio. He thinks brands will win; but you have got to get ahead of it as well. Michelle Weaver: And that's great that you just brought up Agentic commerce. We've heard about it quite a bit over the past couple of days, Simeon. And I know you recently put out a big piece on this theme. Agentic commerce introduces a lot of possibility for incremental sales, but it also introduces the possibility for cannibalization. Where do you see this shaking out in your space? Are you really concerned about that cannibalization possibility? Simeon Gutman: Yeah, so the larger debate is a little bit of sales cannibalization and a potential bit of retail media cannibalization. So, your first point is Agentic theoretically opens up a bigger e-commerce penetration and just more commerce. And once you go to more e-commerce, that could be beneficial for some of these companies. We can also put the counter argument of when e-commerce came, direct-to-consumer type of selling could disintermediate the captive retailer sales again. Maybe, maybe not. Part of this answer is we created a framework to think about what retailers can protect themselves most from this. Two of them; two of the five I's are infrastructure and inventory. So, the more that your inventory is forward position, the more infrastructure you have; the AI and the agent will still prioritize that retailer within that network. That business will likely not go elsewhere. And that's our premise. Now, retail media is a different can of worms. We don't know what models are going to look like. How this interaction will take place? We don't know who controls the data. The transactions part of this conference is we were hearing, ‘Well, the retailers are going to control some of the data and the transaction.' Will consumers feel comfortable giving personal information, credit card to agents? I'm sure at some point we'll feel comfortable, but there are these inertia points and these are models that are getting worked out today. There's incentives for the hyperscalers to be part of this. There's incentive for the retailers to be part of it. But we ultimately don't know. What we do know is though forward position inventory is still going to win that agent's business if you need to get merchandise quickly, efficiently. And if it's a lot of merchandise at once. Think about the largest platforms that have been investing in long tail of product and speed to getting it to that consumer. Michelle Weaver: And Arunima, I want to bring this back to the macro as well. As AI adoption starts to ramp the labor market then starts to get called into question. Is this going to be automation or is it going to be augmentation as you see a ramp in AI adoption? So how are your expectations for AI being factored into your forecast and what are you expecting there? Arunima Sinha: There are two ways that we think about just sort of AI spending mattering for our growth forecasts. One part is literally the spend, the investment in the data centers and the chips and so on. And then the other is just the rise in productivity. So, does the labor or does the human capital become more productive? And if we sum both of those things together, we think that over 2026 – [20]27, they add anywhere between 40-45 basis points to growth. And just to put things in perspective, our GDP growth estimate for the end of this year in 2026 is 1.8 percent. For 2027, it's 2.0 percent. So, it's an important part of that process. In terms of the labor market itself, the work that you have led, as well as the work that we've been doing – which is this question about adoption at the macro level, that's still fairly low. We look at the census data that tracks larger companies or mid-size companies on a monthly basis to say, ‘How much did you use AI tools in the last couple of weeks.' And that's been slowly increasing, but it's still sort of in the mid-teens in terms of how many companies have been using as a percentage. And so, we think that adoption should continue to increase. And as that does, for now, we think it is going to be a compliment to labor. Although there are some cohorts within sort of demographic cohorts in terms of ages that are probably going to be disproportionately impacted, but we don't think that that's a sort of near term 2026 story. Michelle Weaver:  Well, thank you all for joining us and please follow Thoughts on the Market wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you to our panel participants for this engaging discussion and to our live and podcast audiences. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend or colleague today.

Meet Darrin Stern, the visionary leader behind H+H Americas and the Fiber + Fabric Craft Festival. In this episode of the Craft to Career podcast, Elizabeth Chappell sits down with Darrin to uncover how these two powerhouse events came to life—and why they are transforming the fiber, fabric, and crafting industries. While some claim the quilting or fabric industry is "dying," Darrin shares a very different story. His work proves that creativity, community, and craft are thriving more than ever. H+H Americas has quickly become one of the most exciting annual events for makers, brands, designers, and businesses alike, drawing global attendees to Chicago each year. At this dynamic multi-day gathering, you'll find: Runway shows featuring fabric and fiber artistry Ice-cream socials, happy hours, and community meet-ups Live podcast recordings Classes, panels, and hands-on demos Retail opportunities for customers (Fiber + Fabric Craft Festival) Wholesale and business-focused exhibits (H+H Americas) Although the event is young—just three years old—it continues to grow rapidly as word spreads about the uniquely vibrant energy it brings to the crafting world. Whether you're a quilt pattern designer, a shop owner, a fabric lover, or simply curious about what a major industry event looks like, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what makes these shows so special. What You'll Learn in This Episode How H+H Americas began and how Darrin Stern brought the vision to life Why the fiber and fabric industries are thriving, not declining The difference between H+H Americas and the Fiber + Fabric Craft Festival What attendees can expect at the Chicago event—from runways to networking How the show has evolved over its first three years Why these events are becoming must-attend gatherings for both customers and business owners How creators, designers, and brands can benefit from participating Why this is the place to be for anyone in the quilting or fiber world Episode Highlights Darrin's personal journey and what led him to the craft industry A look at how events like these shape the future of quilting and crafting Behind-the-scenes stories from past H+H Americas shows Opportunities for business owners, educators, and influencers The growing excitement around the Fiber + Fabric Craft Festival (the consumer show held the day before H+H Americas) If You've Ever Wondered… Should I attend H+H Americas as a business owner? What is the Fiber + Fabric Craft Festival and who is it for? Is the quilting industry shrinking—or growing? What happens at a major fiber and craft trade show? What opportunities exist for designers, makers, or shop owners? …this episode will answer all of that and more. Tune In Whether you are planning to attend, dreaming of attending, or simply curious about what a world-class craft event looks like, you won't want to miss this conversation. Darrin shares the heart, strategy, and passion behind an event that is shaping the future of our industry.

Matt Hougan, CIO at Bitwise Asset Management, joined me to discuss the launch of their XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin Spot ETFs.Topics: - XRP, Solana Staking, and Dogecoin ETFs - Is the crypto bull market over? - Outlook for crypto in 2026 - DATS vs ETFs Brought to you by

Coach's SVP of Global Visual Experience Giovanni Zaccariello reveals how the brand transformed from heritage accessory house to Gen Z cultural force by treating retail as community infrastructure. From hospitality-infused Coach Play stores to strategically sustainable holiday displays, the conversation explores how physical experience became Coach's competitive advantage in an increasingly digital marketplace.Why Shop When You Can Play?Key takeaways:Gen Z seeks human connection and community, not just product transactionsCoach studied consumers in their homes to understand life, not just buying behaviorsExperience per square foot matters as much as sales per square footUsing the same holiday tree for five years reduced waste while building brand consistencyPhysical and digital spaces should converge, not replicate each other"Putting bags on shelves was no longer an option because everybody during the pandemic, including my mom who is 89, can buy online. They're coming to the stores and they want more." - Giovanni Zaccariello [00:06:37]"The next few years are going to be years of what I call experience maximalism where literally new things are going to be mundane because consumers are so much more connected now on social, and they see what's going on." - Giovanni Zaccariello [00:44:50]"It's about the consumer talking to us instead of Coach talking to the consumer. It's a much deeper dialogue." - Giovanni Zaccariello [00:45:46]"When things don't work, we don't just move on. We've created this honest feedback loop where we learn from things. If we don't learn, what's the point of testing and learning?" - Giovanni Zaccariello [00:41:17]Associated Links:Explore Coach Play conceptsCoach coffee shopsCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe 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! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is Hollywood truly prepared for the existential threat AI poses? The Ankler CEO Janice Min returns to Rapid Response to dissect AI's seismic impact on the entertainment industry — from “synthetic performances” and collapsing production jobs to the buzz around OpenAI's animated film, Critterz. Min also weighs in on the brewing Warner Bros. Discovery bidding war, Netflix's expansion into video podcasts, and Disney's high-stakes standoff with YouTube.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben Seidl, Co-Founder & CEO of Autolane, joins James Cook to discuss how Autolane is addressing the "last 50 feet" challenge for autonomous vehicles in retail environments. Seidl explains how Autolane's platform gives retailers and shopping center owners control over the final approach and parking of driverless cars, aiming to eliminate traffic jams and improve customer experience. He shares insights on the company's collaboration with Simon Property Group, the logistics of deploying their technology at locations such as Stanford Shopping Center and Barton Creek Square, and the broader implications for delivery, curbside pickup, and the future of retail. The conversation also covers the evolving landscape of autonomous vehicle regulation, the role of major automakers and tech companies, and Seidl's vision for a new era of "autonomous commerce." James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.  Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify  Listen: WhereWeBuy.show  Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com  YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/ Read more retail research here:  http://www.us.jll.com/retail Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.  

This holiday season is one filled with contradictions for retail real estate. Consumer confidence has plummeted, but their spending is at all-time highs. Leasing is bustling and vacancy is tight, but store closures are outpacing openings.On this episode, Northwood Retail President Ward Kampf joins the show to unpack the uncertainty surrounding the asset class, which has also been deeply impact by tariffs, artificial intelligence and vast changes in behavior between generations.“Young kids today, they eat different and don't drink as much as we did when we were young,” he said on the show. “They are much healthier than we were. We ate whatever we wanted and drank a lot.”Kampf also discusses what is expected to be a bumpy 2026, predicting even more closures, potential drugstore bankruptcy and backlash to $20 salads and burritos.“The key word going forward, doesn't matter your political slant, right or left, is affordability,” he said. “People are really conscious of that.”

Just because you're tough doesn't mean you can't be strategic. In this episode, I walk you through exactly when I get lenient on deals—and when I hold firm.I share real examples of consulting projects where the key to successful leasing wasn't about lowering rent across the board—it was about understanding demand. From turning down a bank on Main Street to repositioning office tenants during a supply glut, I unpack how I coach landlords to evaluate each space individually, not the center as a whole. Plus, I explain how knowing your market, asking the right questions, and recognizing “needle-in-a-haystack” spaces can give you the confidence to stand your ground—or close smarter when supply is working against you.If you're struggling to lease tough spaces or worried about holding firm on rent, this episode gives you the playbook to stay smart, flexible, and profitable.

ABOUT BRYAN:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/bryanmeszarosWebsites:openeyeglobal.com (Company)marketscale.com/industries/podcast-network/experience-by-design/ (Experience By Design Podcast)experienceunitedsocialclub.com (Experience United Social Club)email: bmeszaros@openeyeglobal.comBio:Bryan Meszaros is a 25-year veteran of the digital signage and experience design industry, known for blending innovation with measurable impact. As the founder of OpenEye Global, he proved that a small, focused team can deliver big results and helped shape the early evolution of digital engagement.He later made history as the youngest President of SEGD and the first with a digital centric background, while also contributing to the Digital Signage Federation and Shop! Association to advance industry standards.Bryan is also the founder of the Experience United Social Club (XUSC), an international networking series all about bringing together creative minds from the AV, digital signage, and design industries to share ideas and collaborate. With global experience across Europe and APAC, he has spoken at major events including EuroShop, ISE, InfoComm, and DSE, and regularly contributes to leading industry publications.Dedicated to pushing boundaries, Bryan remains focused on shaping what comes next in digital signage and experiential design.SHOW INTRO:SHOW INTRO:Welcome to Episode 83! of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast…In every episode we continue to follow our catch phrase of having “Dynamic Dialogues About DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.” And as we continue on this journey there will be thought provoking futurists, AI technology mavens, retailers, international hotel design executives as well as designers and architects of brand experience places.We'll talk with authors and people focused on wellness and sustainable design practices as well as neuroscientists who will continue to help us look at the built environment and the connections between our mind-body and the built world around us. We'll also have guests who are creative marketing masters from international brands and people who have started and grown some of the companies that are striking a new path for us follow.If you like what you hear on the NXTLVL Experience Design show, make sure to subscribe, like, comment and share with colleagues, friends and family.The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is always grateful for the support of VMSD magazine. VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. I think the IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing us to keep on talking about what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org Today, EPISODE 83… I talk with Bryan Meszaros founder of EpenEye Global. Bryan is a 25-year veteran of the digital signage and experience design industry, known for blending innovation with measurable impact. Naturally, in a world that is increasingly digitally mediated, Bryan's business is significantly focused on the emergence of Artificial Intelligence as a tool in his experience place-making toolbox.We'll get to more of how Bryan sees the use of AI in digital applications in brand experience places in a minute but... first a few thoughts…*                     *                          *                          *I grew up on Star Trek. They original version with Shatner as Captain James T Kirk. These were the sightly campy years in black and white but wonderfully prescient in foretelling what was to come. I used to say that my father, who lived to the ripe old age of 97 was so into it that was holding out until he could just beam up through the transporter to the next phase of his existence. We all watched, my 4 brothers and I every week, my mom? Well not so much…I got used to thinking about digital communication, robots, space travel and technology integrated into our lives facilitating everything from washing dishes to extending lifespans. There isn't a day that goes by now where my media consumption doesn't include something on the evolution of Artificial Intelligence. Both the amazing and the alarming.  How it will make workplaces completely different replacing much of what we now do with human brain and brawn with algorithms and computer chips that can fit 1000 computers from the old Star Trek days on your fingertip. How it is changing the way human brains are wired, though when it comes to our neural networks that trundle along at a speed ridiculously slow compared to the digital pace of change that is exponential and moving at the speed of light.How as a visualization tool it is becoming indistinguishable from real life people and places. Creating deep fakes that are so good at impersonating humans that avatars are no longer cartoonish but facsimiles of us that are, well, exactly like us - but whose knowledge base is the compendium of all human knowledge that can be accessed on the internet and provide cogent answers to well-crafted prompts and have them served up in a few seconds. ‘The times they are a changin' but at a pace that even Dillan couldn't have imagined. Don't even get me started about when we finally, and I don't think it is going to take too long, get to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and what that portends for humankind. I am often concerned for my sons and the world they are growing into as young adults. I wish sometimes that they'd have had the experience of growing up in the 60's and 70's when times were simpler – but of course they weren't really. Every decade has it's messes – sometime beautiful sometimes not and sometimes each of these ends of the human experience spectrum were happening at the same time.What we are experiencing now is evolution at a revolutionary pace. A slow simmering flame has exploded into a blast furn ace of change propelling us all, whether we like it or not, on a path that at times seems to be heading towards the edger of a cliff. Concerned? Well you'd have good reason to be.But then again, if you accept the Ray Bradburry adage of sometimes while standing at the edge of the cliff ‘you need to jump and build your wings on the way down', may we all then transform in midflight into some sort of lemmings with wings.The subject of AI has surfaced a number of times on this podcast notably with data visualization artists like Refik Anadol and architect artist Samar Younes,  spatial computing specialist and near futurist Neil Redding and Synchronicity Architect Justin Bolognino. Each of these creators and theorists shape the AI narrative to their own ends, each of them proclaiming the virtues and vices of the technology.Uses of AI in design and architecture, as well as other industries, is multifarious and, I would admit, well beyond my more general appreciation for using it as an ideation tool and writing assistant in my everyday work.In the world of experience design there are at least 2 ways - although I would guess many more - to look at it:- on a very basic level there is the physical integration of digital media facilitated by Ai and then there is actual content that ends up on the digital interface – be it a touch screen kiosk, a display array in a sports bar or an enormous multi-story wall in Times Square. Getting these screens to work with the environment is always a challenge. Mainly I believe because they come as an afterthought rather than an integrated design solution and part of a digital experience strategy.In the second case of content, one size does not fit all. Places and people are different. The same content being played on those screens all day are visual noise detracting from overall experience rather than enhancing it. These days, every minute of every day things are changing. Why should digital content on screen of any size and shape be any different?If purveyors of brand experiences are not changing content to adapt to customers everchanging needs across the journey, digital content simply becomes part of the visual texture of the environment slipping into irrelevancy and lending nothing to the embodied memory of a place.This is one area Ai is able to change the game – creating content to meet customer needs more directly. Now it would be difficult, if not impossible to change digital content in Times Square to continually meet the needs of the thousands of people in that digital epicenter in New York. But then we all carry cell phones – person digital devices. All of those phones are geolocated. Each of those those has an address – a personal identifier about who it belongs to and bunch of other information about you – personal, financial, home address, etc.Are a bunch of guys at google looking at you individually as you make your way across Times Square – not really – but your Hazel and Gretel trail of ones and zeros from purchases, GPS searches, app use, etc., etc., tell a lot about you should anyone want to do a little digital forensics.The idea here is that we are giving up this information every time we turn our phones on. That information isn't snatched from us without our consent (generally) it's in our service agreement terms and conditions – that impossibly long text that most of us scroll through to the end and click “agree.”But that information could be used to make your path across Times Square more relevant to you. Perhaps your device communicates with other devices or screens and changes the content that you see.This isn't quite Minority Report yet, where Tom Cruise courses through a store and the displays are talking to him because they recognize his retinas – but it is possible to create messaging that is more personalized to you, specifically, as a customer.Digital signage can change either on the wall of as shelf signage.It is about recognizing your customer and understanding that they are used to creating experience narratives that are more relevant to them because they, in part, have contributed to their making. Want to stay relevant to your customers, new or old? Support their collaboration in the shopping journey offering up opportunities for them to write themselves into the narrative. Story and strategy must be connected. Doing good by your customer is about building a relationship and Ai can support that effort but including engaging digital content that recognizes them as individuals, with relatable and relevant messaging.But the whole enterprise needs to be seamless. Sometime I think that the best tech is the tech you don't see, but it think it is also perfectly OK to see it if there are no disconnects in journey. Signature moments in the customer journey have to link up so the customer follows the bouncing ball from their first connection point through the purchase moment and then beyond. And this is where this episode's guest comes into the picture.Bryan Meszaros is a 25-year veteran of the digital signage and experience design industry, known for blending innovation with measurable impact. As the founder of OpenEye Global, he proved that a small, focused team can deliver big results and helped shape the early evolution of digital engagement.Bryan was the youngest President of SEGD and the first with a digital centric background, while also contributing to the Digital Signage Federation and Shop! Association to advance industry standards.He is also the founder of the Experience United Social Club (XUSC), an international networking series all about bringing together creative minds from the AV, digital signage, and design industries to share ideas and collaborate. With global experience across Europe and APAC, he has spoken at major events including EuroShop, ISE, InfoComm, and DSE, and regularly contributes to leading industry publications.Bryan likes the idea of staying dedicated to pushing boundaries, so he is a natural fit for the show. 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. I caught up with Bryan at the SHOP Marketplace event in Charlotte and chatted about his focus on shaping what comes next in digital signage and experiential design. The NXTLVL 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 is 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.

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a surprising AI study, why Zillow is walking back a climate risk feature, and what happens when decor scares away home buyers. Later, columnist Warren Shoulberg joins the show to talk about the state of home retail. This episode is sponsored by Joon Loloi and Programa (use code BOH25 for 25% off)LINKSWarren ShoulbergBusiness of Home

Taza Chocolate didn't follow trends—it built a lasting brand by doubling down on its differences. Founders Alex Whitmore and Kathleen Fulton share how staying true to their product, owning their manufacturing, and leading with purpose helped them weather crises and grow a resilient business.For more on Taza Chocolate and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Even your most successful seasons can leave you drained. In this episode, Kathy shares how one client's record-breaking quarter became a turning point—and why taking notes during any busy retail season can help you plan smarter, protect your peace, and create success that actually feels good. For show notes, including links to the documentary and resources I mentioned in this episode, visit www.savvyshopkeeper.com/episode263  Kathy Cruz is an Independent Retail Coach who helps store owners work smarter, profit more, and grow their brick and mortar businesses. Connect with Kathy and learn more here: Website: Savvy ShopkeeperInstagram: @savvyshopkeeperMastermind Group: Master Shopkeepers

Cyber threats aren't evolving, they're accelerating.

Rita Hudetz is the Chief Commercial Officer at Oishii, the vertical farming company behind some of the most talked-about strawberries in America. On this episode of ITS, Rita walks Ali through CPG and tech foundational theories and brand building and sales strategies she learned and developed at PepsiCo, Hu Kitchen and Milkbar.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Investors weigh bonds, jobless claims, and rising economic concerns with Jim Paulsen of Paulsen Perspectives and Charles Bobrinskoy, Vice Chairman at Ariel Investments. Earnings from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Rubrik, Ulta Beauty, and SentinelOne help shape the afternoon narrative. Mike Proulx of Forrester and Lloyd Walmsley of Mizuho analyze Meta's reported pullback in metaverse spending and its implications for the tech landscape. We also hear from Rubrik CEO Bipul Sinha on results, dig into retail earnings with Courtney Reagan, and assess the 2026 IPO outlook with Brianne Lynch, Head of Market Insights at EquityZen, before wrapping with a look at tomorrow's key market drivers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Start in small areas of your business and test it there, and then you can see the impact of AI implementation." Join Devon Tilly as he chats with Shawn Kercher and Brian Watson of Humming Agent AI! Shawn Kercher is the Co-Founder and CTO of Humming Agent AI, where he focuses on making AI-powered workflow automation accessible and impactful for businesses of all sizes. With a background in engineering and over a decade of leadership in innovation at Comcast Labs, he's led teams building scalable AI solutions that solve real-world problems and drive business growth. Brian Watson is a lifelong entrepreneur that has been running businesses since he was 17. He has successfully grown companies in several industries including Retail, Service, SaaS, and AI. These experiences have given him a tremendous depth of business knowledge and provided him with tangible insights into what it takes to run a successful company. He has expertise in numerous areas including leadership, strategy, sales, marketing, operations, people management, project management, PR, and government contracting. He is a highly collaborative team player who loves winning. He is happiest when getting to contribute his skills towards solving difficult problems that move a company towards success! Follow Humming Agent AI on LinkedIn! Keep up with the Art of Construction (AOC) podcast on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn! Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Still buying retail? It's killing your margins. In this episode, Rebecca talks with John Genova of Dovetail Furniture about the real profit advantages of sourcing wholesale and why strong vendor partnerships are essential as your design business grows. You'll learn how to choose the right trade vendors, what to look for at markets, how MAP pricing protects you, and why reliable partners can simplify your workflow and boost your bottom line. Designers in their growth years will take away practical steps for improving profitability through smarter sourcing.   This episode was sponsored by Dovetail Furniture.     Looking to elevate your business? Learn more about our courses ➡️ Want the complete blueprint to calculate your design fee with confidence and ease? Learn more about my Pricing with Confidence course ➡️Want to be the first to know when the next episode drops? Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the Resilient by Design Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!

You've worked on some of the most iconic consumer-loved brands—how do you translate that big-brand thinking into IGA's decentralized, independent retail model?How has your direct marketing mindset influenced the way IGA approaches shopper insights, loyalty programs, and CRM in today's fragmented retail environment?What role does storytelling play in building richer customer relationships across IGA's network of stores, especially when trying to drive both local and national relevance?With so much focus on digital innovation and shopper experience, how is IGA evolving its in-store programs to align with online expectations and behaviors?From your experience, what's the most overlooked opportunity for brand and shopper marketing leaders to create more profitable customer relationships in today's CPG-retail ecosystem?

Diane King Hall takes investors through the retail front and highlights Five Below's (FIVE) big earnings beat and guidance raise that helped rally the stock. Dollar General's (DG) rally was even more substantial as it continued earnings wins for discount retail stores. Kroger's (KR), however, moved to the downside on its mixed quarter. ======== 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

The latest wave of delayed government data is finally in, and it's helping the CRE community reestablish a clearer view of the economy heading into 2026. Join Omar and Cole as they interpret new banking, retail, PPI, and sentiment indicators, translating them into implications for capital availability, demand, and development pipelines. Key Moments:01:12 Quarterly Banking Profile insights05:49 Commercial real estate lending trends10:36 Retail sales and economic indicators13:02 Producer Price Index analysis15:07 Federal Reserve's Beige Book highlights22:42 Consumer Confidence and GDP Nowcast28:11 Upcoming data releases and final thoughts Resources Mentioned:FDIC Quarterly Banking Profile - https://www.fdic.gov/quarterly-banking-profileUS Bureau of Labor and Statistics Producer Price Index - https://www.bls.gov/pPI/US Census Bureau Advance Retail Trade Report - https://www.census.gov/retail/sales.htmlFederal Reserve Beige Book - https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/publications/beige-book-default.htmThe Conference Board US Consumer Confidence Index - https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence/index.cfmGDP Now - https://www.atlantafed.org/cqer/research/gdpnowUS Commercial Real Estate Transaction Analysis – Q3 2025 - https://www.altusgroup.com/insights/us-commercial-real-estate-transaction-analysis-q3-2025Email us: altusresearch@altusgroup.comThanks for listening to the “CRE Exchange” podcast, powered by Altus Group. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss another insightful conversation.#CRE #CommercialRealEstate #Property

How do you take a natural product or CPG brand from startup to retail scale-up success? In this episode of the Unified Brand Podcast, we're joined by Jane Merton, MBA, founder of All Our Advisors, a seasoned strategist with decades of experience helping natural and organic brands scale into national food, drug, and mass market retailers across North America.Jane dives into essential brand alignment strategies, retail readiness, go-to-market planning, and how to avoid the biggest mistakes when growing a brand. From positioning and packaging to operations and in-store velocity, this episode covers:How to align your brand for retail successCommon mistakes founders make when scalingWhat buyers really want and how to say "no" strategicallyThe importance of brand consistency and core valuesTrends in TikTok live selling, retail media, and creator partnershipsPackaging that pops and converts on shelfHow to build a retail marketing launch calendarThis episode is packed with strategic insights for founders, marketers, and operators in the CPG and DTC spaces. Whether you're preparing for your first pitch or navigating scale, Jane's advice is pure gold.Jane Merton, MBALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janemerton/Website (All Our Advisors): https://www.allouradvisors.com-----------------

We discuss the latest shopping data after Black Friday and then dive into the eVTOL industry. What are they? Who do you need to know? And how will these companies make money? Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Rachel Warren discuss: - Retail sales - What is an eVTOL? - How eVTOLs plan to make money - Our favorite eVTOL stocks Companies discussed: Joby Aviation (JOBY), Archer Aviation (ACHR), Eve Holding (EVEX), Beta Technologies (BETA). Host: Travis Hoium Guests: Lou Whiteman, Rachel Warren Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We're committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black Friday naysayers have been predicting its demise for years, but Adyen's Holly Worst has data proving the shopping holiday is far from dead—it's gone global. From Denmark's 6.1X surge to America's mobile wallet awakening, this year's numbers tell a story of transformation, not decline. The real shift? How we pay, when we shop, and why contactless finally caught on in the US.The Retail Super Bowl Delivered, AgainKey takeaways:Black Friday generated $43B globally with 837M transactions across Adyen's platformUS contactless payments jumped 23% YOY and mobile wallet usage doubled to 30%Denmark saw a 6.1X increase in transaction volume on Black Friday, and Spain 4.5X—Black Friday is officially a global phenomenonPeak shopping hit at 1 pm in-store and noon online (digestion first, deals second)46% of US consumers abandon checkout without their preferred payment methodAssociated Links:Check out Adyen's BFCM data hereSee our full recap of BFCM resultsCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe 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! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what's still holding Amazon back in grocery — and what could finally move the needle. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.   To learn more about our research and get access to PRO+ go to EMARKETER.com   Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/ For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/ Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com    For a transcript of this episode click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-amazon-s-grocery-dilemma-challenges-missed-opportunities-key-ingredient-reimagining-retail   © 2025 EMARKETER   Campaigns take flight with Viasat Ads. Unlock access to over 250 million passengers annually across leading global airlines, with high-engagement ad formats and real-time delivery. Viasat Ads provides access to a verified audience in a captive environment, so your message reaches passengers when they are ready to  engage. Join their journey with Viasat Ads.

these Hoosiers tell us how we can be better holiday shoppers!! let them speak!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kenneth Hochhauser is Partner and Head of Data and Analytics at RTL. His background includes roles as a retail executive at Macy's and GNC and as a small business and economic development officer for the City of New York. He has advised both tenants and landlords on site selection, trade area analysis, and retail strategy, including introducing Chipotle to the New York metro market and representing Duxiana nationally. His past assignments span major projects such as Brookfield Place, Trump Place, and Columbia University's Manhattanville and Morningside campuses.(02:39) - Ken's Journey(04:59) - Retail Market Trends(06:05) - Retail vs. Office Innovation(07:53) - Shopping Trends and Retail Insights(08:31) - Retail Challenges in Manhattan(10:05) - Retail's Historical Context and Future(12:14) - Tenant Preferences(17:33) - Experiential Retail & Unique Locations(20:56) - Non-Traditional Retail (23:21) - Feature: Blueprint - The Future of Real Estate - Register for 2026: The Premier Event for Industry Executives, Real Estate & Construction Tech Startups and VC's, at The Venetian, Las Vegas on September 22nd-24th, 2026. As a friend of Tangent, you can save $300 on your All-Access pass(28:11) - Retail Tech & Data Utilization(34:29) - Location Indicators & Retail Expansion(38:29) - Collaboration Superpower: an economist(40:08) - US Gov. Shutdown Impact

PREVIEW — Elizabeth Peek — The Economic Conundrum: Strong Spending, Low Confidence. Peek analyzes the apparent economic contradiction wherein strong GDP growth and robust retail spending metrics coexist with persistently low consumer confidence and widespread economic pessimism. Peek attributes this paradoxical dynamic to acute affordability crises affecting substantial population cohorts and a deteriorating labor market characterized by declining hiring, wage stagnation relative to inflation, and employment insecurity. Peek characterizes this bifurcated economic experience as a "K-shaped economy," wherein stock market gains and asset appreciation benefit relatively privileged populations, while widespread financial anxiety, housing unaffordability, and discretionary spending constraints generate diffuse economic distress among middle and working-class populations. 1890 HARLEM HEIGHTS

What if 2026 could be the year you finally stop spinning your wheels and actually run your boutique like a CEO? In this episode, Ashley sits down with "Retail Professor" and denim twin, Sara Burks, to unpack their biggest retail predictions for 2026—from AI and Meta's new Andromeda algorithm to niching down, live selling, and building a content engine that actually works. Ashley and Sara share what they're seeing across thousands of boutiques, what's changing fast, and how the most successful store owners are planning now for a more profitable, peaceful year ahead. They'll also walk you through what to expect inside the Best Year Yet Challenge, happening January 6–8. You'll learn: Why AI is no longer optional—and how smart retailers are using it in every part of their business What Meta's new Andromeda algorithm means for your content, reach, and ad strategy How live selling and video can humanize your brand and deepen customer loyalty in 2026 How the Best Year Yet Challenge helps you map real strategy (not just wishful goals) for profit and peace all year long Why niching down is the only way to stand out, charge more, and build true brand authority Join the Best Year Yet Challenge - January 6–8 — three days of live Zoom sessions with Ashley, Sara, Jeff, and the Boutique Hub team  Best Year Yet Join The Boutique Hub  ____________________________ Ashley Alderson: Instagram     The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

One of the two National Guard members allegedly shot by an Afghan man in Washington, D.C. has died. In response, President Trump says he wants to permanently suspend immigration from certain countries.With the holiday season in full swing, consumer confidence in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest level in months. Yet, despite these worries about the economy retail sales this holiday season are expected to top $1 trillion for the first time.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Gerry Holmes, Julia Redpath, Emily Kopp, HJ Mai and Alice Woelfle.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Andie Huether. Our technical director is Stacey AbbottAnd our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Macy's wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild his dilapidated hometown. We just want to listen in. (Part two of a two-part series, first published in 2024) SOURCES:Mark Cohen, former professor and director of retail studies at Columbia Business School.Will Coss, vice president and executive producer of Macy's Studios.Jeff Kinney, author, cartoonist, and owner of An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café.Tony Spring, chairman and C.E.O. of Macy's Inc. RESOURCES:"How Macy's CEO Tony Spring Is Turning the Retailer Around," by Suzanne Kapner (The Wall Street Journal, 2025).“NBC Ready to Pay Triple to Gobble Up Thanksgiving Parade Broadcast Rights,” by Joe Flint (The Wall Street Journal, 2024).“How Macy's Set Out to Conquer the Department Store Business — and Lost,” by Daphne Howland (Retail Dive, 2022).An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café. EXTRAS:“Can the Macy's Parade Save Macy's?” series by Freakonomics Radio (2024). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.