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As auto sales plummet in China, industry analyst John McElroy says one car dealer group is trying to get more shoppers in the door by selling humanoid robots. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
From protein shakes and oral care to home fragrance, brain health, and everyday essentials, discover some of the 2026 Product of the Year USA winners that consumers say stand out for innovation and performance
In this episode of Future Shop, Wendy Liebmann sits down with Kiri Masters, founder of the Retail Media Breakfast Club, to dissect the rapid evolution of the shopper journey in the age of generative AI. Using real-world buying experiences—from hair tools to refrigerators—they reveal how tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are bypassing traditional retail homepages and sending consumers straight to product detail pages. This shift challenges the multi-billion-dollar foundation of modern retail media networks, forcing brands and retailers to rethink their advertising playbooks. Wendy and Kiri discuss why a low-price strategy isn't the only way to win, how Amazon's AI shopping features change the ad economy, and why keeping an agile, "test-and-learn" mindset is the ultimate key to survival.HighlightsThe Bypassed Homepage: How AI search engines send 55% of referred shoppers directly to the product detail page, completely missing traditional on-site ads.The Myth of the Lowest Price: Why convenience, timing, and brand ecosystem matter just as much as perfect price visibility in AI results.The Real Impact on Retail Media: What Amazon's Alexa Shopping (Rufus) means for the future economics of sponsored product listings.Incentives vs. Evolution: Why legacy retail media network goals might be slowing down the adoption of future-ready advertising models.Send us Fan MailVisit our website for transcripts, links mentioned on this episodes, and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!Send us Fan MailVisit our website for transcripts, links mentioned on this episodes, and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!
Get ready for a good show today...we're going through 7 pricing psychology tricks that work even on savvy consumers! Backed by real studies, from why discounts can make a painkiller feel less effective to a 1-cent pricing hack that made 25% more money on eBay. In this episode, we break down the research behind charm pricing, price anchoring, credit card spending, partitioned pricing, and more — plus real test results from their own brands, including a $777 bundle that outsold a $699 control and a free-shipping test that flipped conversion rates. 00:00 Cold open: we've been sleeping on this topic 00:02 The most impactful lever most brands never test 00:03 The Price Placebo Effect: the energy drink study that messed with their heads 00:06 Why running sales year-round can quietly kill your product's perceived quality 00:07 The Nine-Ending Paradox: why $39 outsold $34 by 24% 00:08 Real case study: the $777 Jack Daniels bundle that beat the control price 00:09 The Phonetic Length Effect: why $999 feels bigger than $1,000 00:11 Personal price anchors and the IKEA "4 cups of coffee" pricing trick 00:12 The Credit Card Premium: cash bidders vs. card bidders in a real auction 00:15 Partitioned Pricing: the penny-plus-shipping trick that made 25% more 00:19 The Endowed Progress Effect: the car wash loyalty card study 00:20 Getting "got": a real-time example of a surprise upgrade offer
The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Deepak Maini, SVP and GM of Walmart +, Walmart's membership program helping members save more time & money with exclusive benefits. Follow Deepak on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepak-maini-49b9089/Follow Walmart+ online at: https://www.walmart.com/plusDeepak answers these questions:Walmart+ has grown from 3 benefits at launch to 12 today — still at $98 a year. How does that expanding benefit stack change the behavior of the Walmart+ member in ways that matter to CPG brand partners — in terms of basket size, purchase frequency, and category loyalty?Walmart reaches 150 million shoppers every week across ecommerce and 4,600 stores, with data mapped to the SKU level. How does Walmart+ membership amplify the quality and fidelity of that first-party data signal — and how should CPG brands be thinking about activating against it differently than they do with non-member data?Before running Walmart+, you led the VP/GM role for Customer Digital Identity and Data Platform at Walmart. How does a logged-in, identified Walmart+ member change the economics of the digital shelf for CPG brands, particularly as agentic commerce and AI-powered discovery reshape how shoppers find products?The honest question your CPG audience wants answered: when brand partners think about their joint value creation with Walmart, how should they be weighting Walmart+ member households versus non-member households in their investment strategies? Is the gap in lifetime value as dramatic as what your major online competition has seen with their loyalty subscription program?The addition of Peacock to Walmart+‘s streaming choices drove a record number of sign-ups in Q3. What does entertainment engagement tell you about a member's overall relationship with the Walmart ecosystem — and does streaming behavior surface any insights that CPG partners can act on?Walmart Connect grew 33% in the U.S. last quarter, representing, along with membership fees, about a third of Walmart's operating income . How tight is the integration between Walmart+ membership data and the Walmart Connect advertising platform — and what does that mean for a CPG brand trying to close the loop from impression to in-store purchase?Walmart tested its first advertising formats tied to the Sparky AI shopping agent in fall 2025, with 81% of surveyed Walmart customers saying they'd used Sparky to check product availability and review specs before buying . How do you think about Walmart+ membership as a foundation for agentic shopping — and what does that mean for how CPG brands show up in those AI-mediated discovery moments?Walmart has publicly highlighted share gains with upper-income households as a strategic priority. Does Walmart+ skew toward those households — and if so, what does that mean for premium CPG brands that may have historically underinvested at Walmart?You ran Fire TV, Alexa Skills, and Amazon Music — all businesses that lived at the intersection of media, identity, and commerce. What's the most important thing you brought from that Amazon experience that directly shaped how you're building Walmart+?Walmart+ is five years old. If you fast-forward five more years, what does the relationship between Walmart+ membership and CPG brand investment look like — and what should brand and agency leaders be doing right now to position themselves for that future?CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.
Gen Z's love affair with thrifting is real. We dive into the appeal of one-of-a-kind finds and the growing movement toward eco-friendly, secondhand style with the founders of the monthly vintage clothing market Drop Soda Vintage Market and a sustainability specialist at WashU.
Chinese consumer sentiment isn't collapsing across the board, but retail sales growth is projected to hit a four-year low. While big-ticket categories like home appliances and autos crumble under subsidy fatigue, highly resilient segments are holding ground, particularly cosmetics, luxury, and premium sportswear. In e-commerce, Alibaba and rival giants are locked in a margin-crushing battle over agentic AI to capture shrinking wallets. Catherine Lim, APAC head of Bloomberg Intelligence and senior consumer and technology analyst, joins John Lee to unpack her latest retail survey. Catherine reveals exactly where the wealthy plan to spend next -- which players, like Laopu Gold, are winning over shoppers, and how AI agents are reshaping the digital marketplace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"Being on Shopify means you get access to agentic automatically, out of the box." Your store is already selling inside ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Shop, whether you've noticed or not. Aaron Glazer, Director of Product at Shopify, joins Kurt to explain Agentic Storefronts, the new Admin experience that finally makes that presence visible and controllable. The buyer behavior has already shifted. Shoppers now have long conversations with an AI about a whole use case, a camping trip, a problem, a gift, and arrive at your store already sold. Agentic Storefronts shows you the traffic, sales, and conversions from each AI channel, plus the real queries surfacing your products, so you can see where you rank and where you don't. Aaron and Kurt get into why this is the new SEO, why complete product data is the whole game, how Shopify Catalog structures your catalog for agents, what native checkout in an AI channel actually means, and why you stay the merchant of record with the customer relationship intact. Plus a bonus on Rollouts and SimGem heading into BFCM. SPONSORS Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more getswym.com/kurt Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify cleverific.com Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels zipify.com/KURT LINKS Agentic Storefronts: Shopify Admin > Agentic Storefronts (left nav) Shopify Catalog (for developers): build on the product discovery API Rollouts and SimGem: in Shopify Admin WORK WITH KURT Apply for Shopify Help ethercycle.com/apply See Our Results ethercycle.com/work Free Newsletter kurtelster.com The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.
This is the evening All Local for July 13th, 2026.
Send us Fan MailWhat's really happening in your sales offices when you're not there? Leah Turner, national sales coach and trainer at Melinda Brody & Company, is back on the show for the 40th anniversary year of one of the most unique research studies in new home sales. In this episode, she and Anya Chrisanthon dig into the 2025 Annual Benchmark Report - and what the data reveals about where sales teams are winning and where they're still leaving sales on the table. Listen to a previous episode with Leah here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secrets-to-successful-realtor-engagement-with-leah/id1602564768?i=1000623849874What video mystery shopping actually looks like Shoppers walk into your sales office with a hidden camera. The full interaction is recorded, scored, and sent to the sales manager. But what makes Melinda Brody & Company different is the one-on-one call before the shop - where the shopper is briefed on the specific challenges that sales manager wants to address. It's not a gotcha. It's a baseline.The builder story gap - still Only 49% of sales associates shared the builder story in 2025. Leah says the problem isn't awareness - it's the introduction. Salespeople don't know how to bring it up naturally. Her fix: start with "Have you ever built a new home before?" and let the answer lead you in. And whatever you do - say the builder's name. One associate described the warranty, the quality, and the energy efficiency for several minutes and never once said who the builder was.The model demo jump From 84% to 95% in one year. The biggest shift Leah has seen: top producers are bypassing the sales office entirely and taking buyers straight into the model. Into the kitchen. Let them walk. Join them. The forced "sit down in the sales office first" approach was raising everyone's anxiety - including the salesperson's.Closing is not a moment - it's the whole presentation Closing sits at 52%. Leah's take: salespeople treat closing like something that happens at the end, which makes it terrifying. If you ask "what's important to you in a home, a homesite, a builder, a community?" upfront - and customize everything around those answers - the close at the end is just a natural next step. You've earned the right to ask.The buyers walking in today are already qualified Buyers use technology to disqualify. If they made it through the research phase and walked into your sales office, they are interested. They are a hot lead. As Leah puts it - they're more like a B-back than a first-time visitor. Treat them that way.Follow-up jumped from 51% to 67% Technology and CRMs are helping. But Leah's warning: generic follow-up is worse than no follow-up. If your message is "thanks for coming out, call me if you have questions" - don't bother. Make it specific. Make it memorable. Reference something real from the presentation. Better yet - shoot a 30-second video of yourself.The cringiest things caught on camera Smoking cigarettes on the home site. Painting fingernails. Eating lunch. Not standing up when a prospect walks in. And the shift Leah has seen over the last ten years: top performers now ask to be video shopped. They want to see themselves. They want to improve.Connect with Leah: leah.turner@melindabrody.com Connect with Ben Marks: ben.marks@melindabrody.com Melinda Brody & Company on LinkedIn and FacebookAbout Anewgo Anewgo is an all-in-one new home sales and marketing platform. We equip builders with AI-ready homebuilder websites, interactive design tools, floorplans, sitemaps, AI Sales Assistants, and data analytics to create personalized buyer journeys. Learn more at anewgo.com or find every episode at anewgo.com/podcast.Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anewgo-of-new-home-sales/id1602564768
Host Paul Spain is joined by Ben Rose, Head of Financial Services at AA New Zealand. Together they discuss lessons from Money20/20 Bangkok, the rise of agentic commerce, stablecoins, digital finance and how AI is transforming financial services.They also delve into the latest tech news including:Google Maps' new Māori pronunciation updateTesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) v14 arrives in New ZealandUK High Court backs police use of live facial recognition.AI helps uncover a major vulnerability in ticketing platformNZ company CarbonScape secures investment and partnership with CATLInvest NZ's ambitions for large-scale data centre investmentThanks to our partners: Fortinet, One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, PwC New Zealand, and Gorilla Technology.
Marsha Stuart (left), of Stuart Family Farms near Floresville, chats with a customer at her booth June 20 during Falls City Market Day. Stuart Family Farms offers pickled vegetables, jams, meal mixes, fudge, salsas, and much more. The next Falls City Market Day is set for July 18 in the Falls City Community Hall and will include garage sales in addition to farmer's market and craft items. Article Link
Marsha Stuart (left), of Stuart Family Farms near Floresville, chats with a customer at her booth June 20 during Falls City Market Day. Stuart Family Farms offers pickled vegetables, jams, meal mixes, fudge, salsas, and much more. The next Falls City Market Day is set for July 18 in the Falls City Community Hall and will include garage sales in addition to farmer's market and craft items. Article Link
Thanks to these dudes for chatting. Sorry I was low on sleep and appear kinda tired!
Shoppers don't remember what they bought—they remember the experience around it. Macy's Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer Sharon Otterman explains how the retailer is shifting from one-off transactions to "retailtainment": in-store activations, engraving stations and immersive events tied to moments like prom, Father's Day and an upcoming 50th annual July 4th fireworks. She also breaks down how the team tests new activations in select stores before scaling fleet-wide, and the media mix modeling and attribution tools shaping where marketing budget goes. Dig deeper ~Macy's launches creative agency review ahead of 100th Thanksgiving Parade ~Macy's celebrates summer in its first campaign from new CMO and agency ~Opinion: How CMOs can prove their growth impact—the metrics that matter ~Inside Pacsun and LAFC's playbook for building a culturally relevant sports partnership
PJ hears how businesses are seeing a real turnaround in City Centre security, learns how Ringmahon Rangers had to concede a walkover, hears how the VQ are putting on a photography competition. And more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Most brands still evaluate enterprise Shopify on license cost. The operators in this conversation evaluate it on opportunity cost, and that reframe changes the whole decision.Rick Watson opens a three-part series on the business case for enterprise Shopify with three people who have actually run the migration. Elara Verrett, Chief Digital and Customer Officer at Reitmans made the move to get closer to the customer without standing up an army of engineers. Renee Halverson, CMO at Marine Layer, has run on the platform for more than a decade and scaled the brand without hiring a CTO to babysit the stack. Scott Lux, VP of Digital Commerce at Stanley 1913, came from the Salesforce and Demandware world and now uses Shopify to survive high-heat drops, where the only question that matters is how many orders per minute the platform can clear.The number that came up: one brand cut its tech partner count from 40 to 10. The argument underneath it: a fashion retailer's core competency is retailing, not running a development shop.It isn't all upside. Scott's warning is blunt. The front end is nimble, but the downstream integrations into OMS and ERP are where "easy" goes to die, so pressure test them before anyone signs. Lara's warning is about people, not software. The agility is real, and most large organizations are not built to absorb it.One point they all landed on, and it cuts against instinct: standardization beats customization where it counts. Checkout is the example. Shoppers trust the flow they already know, and rebuilding it rarely pays for itself.The Big Green Bag Of Promise: Enterprise Shopify Webinar Series is sponsored by Avalara, Domaine, and Pattern.
Keir Starmer resigns as UK Prime Minister and Labour Leader. Dana exposes Starmer's political successor's even more socialist view points. A ridiculous Algerian sports analyst claims Lionel Messi is protected by the Jewish lobby. The EU chants “SEND THEM BACK” in a remarkable vote over migrant returns. Shoppers across the country lined up outside Trader Joe's after the grocery chain released a new $2.99 tote bag. An American Olympic canoeist is arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Iran pulls a 180 on one of the MOU agreements. Was J.D. Vance snubbed by the Qatari Prime Minister? Plus more, commentary.Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…Concerned Women For Americahttps://ConcernedWomen.org/DanaFor a donation of $20 or more, Concerned Women of America will send you their book: A Woman's Guide: Seven Rules for Success in Business and Life. Ghost Bedhttps://GhostBed.com/DANAGhostBed has the cooling luxury mattress you need for the best summer sleep. Use code DANA for an extra 10% off sitewide.Jones Road Beautyhttps://JonesRoadBeauty.comGet a Free Full Size Mascara with first purchase using code DANA.Webroothttps://Webroot.com/DanaMake the switch and feel the difference of truly fast, modern antivirus protection — for a limited time, you can save 60% with code DANARelief Factorhttps://ReliefFactor.comDeclare your independence from pain with Relief Factor—start the 3-Week QuickStart for just $17.76Prebornhttps://PreBorn.com/DanaDonate today to help another Mother and Father experience hope. $28 sponsors one ultrasound and can help save a baby's life. Or Dial #250 and say BABYByrnahttps://Byrna.com/DanaTrusted by law enforcement, security professionals, and everyday Americans—defend yourself and your family with Byrna.HumanNhttps://Humann.com/DanaSave $5 on HumanN Cholesterol Health Daily at Sam's Club. Head to your local Sam's Club and do more to support your cholesterol health with the science-first brand. Patriot Mobilehttp://PatriotMobile.com/DANAVisit online or call 972-PATRIOT and use promo code DANA for a FREE month of service.Pocket HoseText DANA to 64000For a limited time, get two FREE gifts—a 360° rotating pocket pivot and thumb drive nozzle when you buy a new Pocket Hose Ballistic; just text DANA to 64000, message and data rates may apply.Subscribe today and stay in the loop on all things news with The Dana Show. Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramXMore InfoWebsite
Retail sales are rising, but retail stocks are struggling. What gives? Join Barron's Live for a deep dive into the consumer economy and retailing business, and a discussion of retail stocks. Senior Managing Editor Lauren R. Rublin speaks with Dana Telsey, an award-winning retail analyst and founder of Telsey Advisory Group, and Senior Writer Teresa Rivas, who covers Walmart, Costco, Tapestry, and other retail industry leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores Walmart's decision to open Walmart.com to shoppers in Mexico and what it means for the future of global marketplaces. Chris Walton and Ben Miller discuss cross-border commerce, international marketplace growth, pricing transparency, and why Walmart continues to make bold investments in long-term growth opportunities. The conversation also examines operational challenges, customer experience concerns, and how Walmart's marketplace ambitions compare to other global retail giants. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here: https://youtu.be/toy5NmyXau4
Guest Host Rob Fai spoke to Bruce Winder, Retail Analyst about Shoppers embrace Zellers' return to Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ray White speaks to tech expert, Siphumelele Zondi, about the rapid rise of AI-powered shopping in South Africa, where nearly eight in ten consumers are now using these tools, and how this digital shift is reshaping retail strategies—from TFG’s strong growth in Bash to Sixty60’s plans to expand its network of dark stores across Gauteng to meet rising on-demand demand. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa Follow us on social media 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Every now and then, I like to hop into the wayback machine and share a fresh listen to conversations that influenced our current times. The one you are going to register to today was recorded live in 2014 from DIEM, Design Intersects Everything Made symposium presented by the West Hollywood Design District featuring Frances Anderton, then with KCRW ad Jeff Denby, co-founder and then with Pact. A clothing brand you will be hearing more about. The following conversation was focused on values based capitalism, an economic model with which places value on profit generation that also generates positive social impact. Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise. TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep Shelter Republic – Request your membership invitation As you listen to this chat between Frances and Jeff, you might notice the “feel-good” vibes and high ideals that come from a focus on values based consumerism patterns. Buy well-made products that come from sustainably based materials and made by people who are valued to those producing the products and then by those who buy the product. At the time of this recording, this idea was catching on and even now, companies that have a value-system connected directly to products speak openly about the social capital being generated. I would argue we hear far less now because sustainability has been linked politically to DEI, and there is a group of people who see that has more of a social ill, than a societal benefit. I'm not here to change any minds, only share different perspectives. And this is one worth sharing with the hope that it will make a return, not just in fashion or consumer packaged goods, but in the home decor and architectural materials sectors. Consumer Awareness Evolution How Whole Foods and the food industry educated consumers about product origins. Extension of that curiosity to body care and apparel: understanding what goes on the skin and into daily wear. The role of design in making sustainable products attractive and desirable. Philanthropy and Social Impact Early collaborations with nonprofits through limited-edition collections and direct aid. Shift toward improving the lives of workers within the supply chain. Emphasis on economic, environmental, and social impact as part of the business model. Challenges of Domestic Manufacturing Difficulties of reviving large-scale apparel production domestically, including labor costs, fractured supply chains, and compliance issues. Comparison with global supply chains and the decision to work where systems already exist. Insights from attempts at localized production and the challenges of sustainable sourcing. Product Expansion and Market Strategy Focus on apparel basics for the emerging generation of socially conscious consumers. Building a generational brand by appealing to evolving values. Commitment to price accessibility while maintaining sustainability and ethical production. Supply Chain Ethics and Certification Working exclusively with certified factories and farms to ensure fair labor practices. Ensuring worker protections and representation, including female supervisors. Direct engagement with farmers and supply chain partners to secure market access and stability. Sustainability and Waste Management Recycling factory scraps and leftover materials into new products. Finding secondary uses for garment remnants, including mattress filling. Factories incentivized to reduce waste as part of both economic and environmental sustainability. Consumer Education and Transparency Educating customers about the human and environmental story behind clothing. Leveraging social media, coalition branding, and events to communicate supply chain practices. Positioning Pact as a non-toxic apparel brand with safe-for-skin products. Research and Industry Collaboration Participation in textile and sustainability coalitions with like-minded brands. Supporting the growth of organic cotton farming and sustainable supply chains. Promoting transparency in manufacturing practices and educating the public on chemical exposure in conventional apparel. Ethical apparel requires intentional design, transparent supply chains, and collaboration across the industry. Consumers increasingly demand products that are safe, well-designed, and socially responsible. Philanthropy is most effective when integrated into the core business, benefiting both workers and communities. Scaling sustainability in mass-market apparel is challenging but possible with careful planning, partnerships, and public education. Conscious Basics: How Textiles Can Be Ethical, Sustainable, and Stylish In an era when consumers increasingly demand transparency and ethical responsibility, Pact is reshaping the apparel industry by marrying sustainability, social impact, and thoughtful design. Co-founder Jeff Denby spoke with Frances Anderton in 2014 about the philosophy behind the brand, tracing a journey from organic cotton farms in India to certified factories in Turkey, all with the goal of delivering high-quality, accessible clothing that respects both people and the planet. Denby notes that consumer awareness has evolved in stages. Shoppers first became curious about food origins, learning that groceries come from farms, not just shelves. This consciousness extended to body care products, as people began asking what they were putting on their skin. Apparel is the next frontier. “People want to know what they're wearing every day,” Denby explains. “They want products that are beautifully designed, sustainable, and safe, without having to reinvent what underwear or socks should look like.” Early in Pact's history, the company experimented with philanthropic partnerships, designing collections that supported nonprofit causes. These initiatives provided aid to communities abroad, from distributing lanterns in Haiti to rebuilding community centers in Japan. However, Denby realized the brand could make a deeper impact by focusing inward—supporting the lives of the workers who create the products. By investing in stable, ethical supply chains, Pact achieves a triple bottom line: economic, social, and environmental benefits. Reviving large-scale apparel manufacturing in the United States proved impractical for Pact. Labor costs, fractured supply chains, and limited domestic processing infrastructure made it impossible to produce affordable basics at scale. Instead, the brand partnered with existing factories abroad, ensuring they meet strict certifications such as the Global Organic Textile Standard. Denby emphasizes that these certifications guarantee fair labor practices, gender equity, and safe working conditions—factors often overlooked in conventional apparel production. Beyond ethical sourcing, Pact prioritizes product safety and environmental responsibility. Cotton cultivation and traditional textile processing can involve significant pesticide use and harmful chemicals. Pact works with organic cotton farmers and certified dye houses, eliminating heavy metals and carcinogens from their products. Waste management is also integral; leftover yarn and fabrics are recycled into new garments or repurposed for other industries, demonstrating that sustainability extends from field to factory to finished product. Denby envisions Pact as the “basics brand for the change generation,” appealing to consumers who value ethics, transparency, and design. The brand is part of a coalition with other sustainable apparel companies, collaborating to secure fair market access for farmers, grow organic cotton production, and educate the public on the human stories behind clothing. Social media and events provide direct channels to communicate these values, allowing consumers to engage with the brand and understand the people and processes behind the garments they wear. For Pact, the mission goes beyond selling clothing. It is about proving that everyday apparel can be ethical, well-designed, and accessible, while creating meaningful social impact. By integrating philanthropy, sustainability, and consumer education into the business model, Pact is showing that the basics—underwear, socks, and t-shirts—can carry a powerful message: that fashion can be responsible, thoughtful, and inclusive.
What if your biggest mattress sale strategy is actually scaring away Gen X buyers with the most money? The data says it's true. Here's why.Are your mattress marketing tactics stuck in the past? In this episode, Mark Kinsley sits down with Nicole Bergen of Elevate—one of the sleep industry's top consumer research experts—to reveal the hidden disconnect between what retailers think works and what actually matters to today's most powerful buyers: Gen X.Nicole shares eye-opening data from thousands of consumer interviews, exposing why relentless discounting and “NASCAR” promos don't work on shoppers aged 45-55. Instead, assurance and trust—like comfort guarantees and real customer reviews—win the sale. You'll learn why most brands overlook Gen X, despite their massive buying power, and how failing to update your playbook means losing sales to online giants.Ever wondered why your brand awareness is high but conversions are low? Nicole decodes the essential marketing funnel—attention, education, offer—and reveals the number one mistake retailers make (and how you can fix it with a simple brand health “timeout”).If you've ever struggled to connect with skeptical, research-driven customers or feared you're wasting ad dollars, this episode gives you the playbook to pivot. Plus: actionable tips for leveraging data, optimizing for generative AI, and turning happy buyers into raving ambassadors.Timestamps:- 01:35 – The hidden problem with mattress marketing: why Gen X tunes out- 04:30 – How relentless promos are killing in-store joy (and trust)- 06:58 – The power of assurance: Why guarantees beat discounts for big-ticket buyers- 09:40 – “Top of funnel” secrets: What attracts attention in 2024- 12:50 – Why your ad recall is broken (and how to fix it)- 17:55 – The market-by-market myth: Why what works in Cincinnati fails in Houston- 21:15 – The “Timeout Playbook” for brand clarity (and avoiding costly mistakes)- 27:40 – Data traps: The ROAS lie and how to spot media waste- 31:20 – Unlocking Gen X: Winning strategies for the new power buyer- 36:45 – Problem-agitate-solution: Messaging that turns skeptics into buyersConnect with The FAM Podcast:
Jim McTague reports on consumer behavior at a Costco in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, following Memorial Dayweekend. He observes that despite a significant drop in gas prices, the store remained unusually empty. McTaguesuggests that shoppers are becoming increasingly budget-conscious and picky, intentionally reducing their consumption costs even as the holiday rush subsides.1945 PENNSYLVANIA
Molly and Chloe both spoke to Jacqui Felgate about the frightening experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This Day in Legal History: The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924On this day in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, also called the Snyder Act, declaring that all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States were U.S. citizens. It is one of those laws that sounds, in retrospect, like it cannot possibly have been necessary — and yet it was. For most of the country's first 150 years, the federal government treated Native people as members of separate sovereign nations whose status under American law was, at best, ambiguous. Earlier vehicles for citizenship — the Fourteenth Amendment, the Dawes Act, military service in World War I — had reached only some Native people, and a string of Supreme Court decisions had taken the position that being born inside the United States to a member of a tribe did not, on its own, make a person a citizen.The Snyder Act fixed that with a single sentence.What it did not fix was voting: many states continued to bar Native citizens from the ballot for decades afterward, on a variety of pretexts that were eventually struck down one by one. The Act also did not affect tribal citizenship — Native people are dual citizens of their tribe and the United States, which is part of why federal Indian law continues to occupy a separate doctrinal universe. June 2 is a quietly important date on the calendar of American citizenship, and a reminder that the seemingly obvious questions of who counts as an American have, for long stretches of our history, not been obvious at all.Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that his office has filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, arguing that the company is misleading parents about the safety of ChatGPT and pointing to incidents in which young users were allegedly nudged toward violence by the chatbot. The complaint follows a criminal investigation Uthmeier's office opened in April, after a deadly mass shooting at Florida State University in 2025 that the AG says ChatGPT helped facilitate. Florida is asking for civil penalties and an order forcing OpenAI to redesign the product, including adding meaningful parental controls.The legal angle here is essentially a state consumer-protection theory: a state attorney general claiming that the company's marketing of a product as safe-for-kids is deceptive, and that the company is therefore on the hook under the state's unfair-trade laws. Whether that survives a motion to dismiss is going to depend a lot on whether the court treats ChatGPT as a “product” in the traditional sense — software has, for decades, gotten more leeway than physical products under product-liability law, and Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act has historically immunized platforms for what users post.The new wrinkle is that generative AI doesn't fit neatly into either bucket — ChatGPT produces its own output rather than hosting somebody else's — and several courts are now beginning to grapple with that distinction. Expect this case to be one of the early test cases for how AI companies get sued in the U.S.Florida AG Sues OpenAI, Says ChatGPT Spurs Violence | Law360The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from asbestos victims who had challenged a corporate bankruptcy tactic known as the “Texas Two-Step” — leaving in place a Fourth Circuit ruling that lets companies use the maneuver to corral mass-tort claims into bankruptcy court.The Two-Step works like this: a healthy company splits itself into two using a Texas state-law provision that allows divisional mergers, dumps its asbestos or talc or opioid liabilities into the newly created spinoff, and then puts only the spinoff into Chapter 11. The result is that injury claimants get herded into a bankruptcy proceeding where their leverage is sharply limited, even though the parent company that actually caused the harm is still solvent and operating.The case the Supreme Court turned away involved Bestwall, a spinoff of Georgia-Pacific that has been in Chapter 11 since 2017. The Third Circuit threw out a similar Johnson & Johnson talc-unit bankruptcy in 2023 on the ground that the spinoff wasn't actually in financial distress, but the Fourth Circuit went the other way in this case, and the Supreme Court's denial of review leaves that split standing for now. The bigger picture: a powerful settlement-shaping tool stays on the menu for corporate defendants facing waves of mass-tort litigation, and the next big talc, opioid, or asbestos defendant looking to manage a docket of claims now knows the Two-Step is at least available in the Fourth Circuit.Justices Won't Hear Challenge To ‘Texas Two-Step' Ch. 11 | Law360A group of IKEA customers filed a proposed class action against the Swedish retailer Monday in U.S. federal court, arguing that they overpaid for furniture during the period when President Trump's import tariffs were in effect — tariffs that the Supreme Court has since struck down — and that they are entitled to a share of the refunds the company will now collect from the federal government. It is one of the first big consumer-side cases to follow the Supreme Court's tariff ruling, and the legal theory is novel: importers paid the tariffs, then passed those costs through to consumers in the form of higher sticker prices, and now that the government is sending refunds back to importers, the customers who effectively bore the cost are asking for a piece of that money.Some major shippers like FedEx and UPS have already publicly committed to passing tariff refunds back to their customers; IKEA, the suit alleges, has not. Whether the claim survives depends largely on whether the court is willing to treat the relationship between retailer and customer as something like a constructive trust or unjust enrichment, rather than an arm's-length sale at a final price. If even one of these cases succeeds, expect copycat suits against every other large importer that quietly built tariff costs into retail prices over the last several years.IKEA customers sue for share of Trump tariff refunds | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe
Shoppers usually head to discount stores in search of bargain on groceries and basics, but these sales are on the decline at Dollar General stores. The CEO saying customers are cutting back on household expenses. To find out why, KCBS Radio Anchor Holly Quan spoke with Bloomberg's Kristina Peterson.
Costco (COST) continues to show steady growth, though Brett Husslein notes that price investments in food staples are causing a slight dip in gross margins. Meanwhile, Matthew Todd highlights how high-income shoppers remain resilient, driving a shift in consumer behavior that benefits value retailers like Dollar Tree (DLTR).======== 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
Online shoppers across the country are going to be faced with a new customs charge from the first of July. The fee will be applied if you purchase a good worth €150 or less from outside the EU.The Revenue has also warned that a new €3 customs duty charge will apply to each individual item in a parcel bought online from non-EU countries, including the UK.For more on this, Ciara Doherty is joined by Technology Journalist, Emmet Ryan...
The Automotive Troublemaker w/ Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
Episode #1356: Today we unpack the million buyers who've quietly exited the new-car market, why off-lease inventory is finally rebounding (briefly), and how America's new “premium economy” is changing the way consumers spend, travel and shop. Show Note...
The Automotive Troublemaker w/ Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
Shoot us a Text.Episode #1356: Today we unpack the million buyers who've quietly exited the new-car market, why off-lease inventory is finally rebounding (briefly), and how America's new “premium economy” is changing the way consumers spend, travel and shop.Show Notes with links:A million Americans have quietly exited the new-car market and the shrinking pool of buyers is raising long-term concerns for dealers and OEMs alike.Analysts say roughly one million prospective buyers have defected from the new-car market since 2020 as average transaction prices hover near $50,000 and financing costs remain stubbornly high.Pre-pandemic U.S. sales regularly topped 17 million vehicles annually. Now the industry is bracing for about 16 million sales this year with little confidence the old highs will return anytime soon.Instead of chasing volume with discounts, automakers are leaning into profitable trucks and SUVs. Selling fewer vehicles at higher margins has become an unexpectedly comfortable business model for Detroit.“I don't want to say automakers are OK with this level of sales, but they kind of are.” — Ivan Drury, Edmunds analystVolvo commercial chief Erik Severinson didn't mince words: “This is a real threat to the whole industry… people are not able to buy new cars.”The off-lease floodgates are finally reopening… kind of. Nearly 500,000 more lease returns are expected to hit the used-car market this year, but analysts say the glory days of leasing still aren't coming back anytime soon.Edmunds says off-lease volume is expected to jump nearly 26% year-over-year in 2026 with another 400,000 units expected in 2027 as the industry slowly recovers from the leasing collapse of the pandemic years.After 2027, off-lease inventory is expected to level off because leasing volumes never fully recovered after COVID-era shortages and rising prices.Leasing penetration peaked around 29% before COVID but cratered to just 18% in 2022 as inventory shortages and high prices crushed affordability. Even now, lease activity remains well below historic norms.Edmunds says the leasing slowdown is reshaping the used-car business because many mainstream vehicles no longer produce the steady stream of predictable off-lease inventory dealers once relied on.Ivan Drury: “Without a major shift in incentives toward leasing, we are likely to be stuck in this stifled state of leasing for the foreseeable future.”Forget the “K-shaped economy.” Some economists say America is now a “premium economy” where consumers can't afford houses or retirement, but they can afford upgraded flights, better groceries and premium experiences.More Americans are entering the upper-middle class, but home ownership and retirement still feel out of reach for many younger consumers.The upper-middle class has grown from 10% of families in 1979 to 31% in 2024, according to research from the American Enterprise Institute.Instead of buying homes, consumers are spending on smaller “premium” upgrades like travel, concerts and nicer retail experiences. Delta and United captured more than 90% of airline profits last year while Spirit struggled.Walmart has become a major winner by improving stores, delivery and curbside pickup, pulling shoppers away from lower-cost competitors like Dollar General.Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta predicts the economy could eventually shift from “K-shaped” to “C-shaped” as lower inflation and AI-driven productivity help consumer spending “converge” and be more balanced across income levels.Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/
Can you imagine asking the free sample servers for specific requests?!
WBZ NewsRadio's Jim MacKay reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Faran Krentcil, Business of Fashion columnist and founder of fashionista.com, joins Jon Hansen on Your Money Matters to discuss brands creating custom red carpet looks. Why create the pieces and not make them available for purchase? What are companies expecting from red carpet looks? Faran answers these questions and more! To stay up to date on […]
May 18, 2026 ~ Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson spoke with Nolan Finley, a Detroit News columnist. They discussed the Michigan Education Association's endorsement hesitation in the Democratic primary. Mike Duggan's independent candidacy added to the race's complexity. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
We've been told to brace for higher food prices as pressure on fuel continues. Money correspondent Susan Edmunds has been checking out the latest figures and spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
The Opposition prepares to hand down its budget reply, which will tie Australia's migrant intake to the number of new houses being built.
The Opposition prepares to hand down its budget reply, which will tie Australia's migrant intake to the number of new houses being built.
The government is introducing bigger fines for businesses that mislead shoppers. Non-compliant businesses will face penalties of up to $5million. Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
The central theme of this discourse elucidates the ongoing transformation within the furniture market, characterized by an alarming trend: the gradual disappearance of the middle segment. As economic pressures mount due to escalating costs of everyday necessities, a significant portion of consumers, particularly those at the lower end of the income spectrum, find themselves increasingly constrained in their discretionary spending capabilities. This contraction has led to a discernible shift in purchasing behaviors, with higher-income consumers pursuing value-driven options, thereby compelling producers to adapt by elevating their market positioning. Concomitantly, the episode delves into the ramifications of recent tariff fluctuations, which, while initially perceived as advantageous, ultimately contribute to a climate of uncertainty and volatility in the industry. Furthermore, we examine the alarming decline in brand loyalty within the sector, underscoring a pressing need for furniture companies to cultivate trust and reaffirm their value propositions amidst a landscape rife with competition and shifting consumer priorities.Takeaways:The furniture market is experiencing a significant compression, as both promotional and higher-end producers are vying for a diminishing pool of affluent consumers who prioritize value in their purchases.Recent trends indicate that brand loyalty within the furniture industry is alarmingly low, with approximately 47% of consumers indicating a willingness to purchase unbranded items if they are more cost-effective.The decline in personal savings rates and rising consumer credit card debt are contributing to the financial constraints faced by consumers, thus impacting their discretionary spending in the furniture sector.Tariff volatility is expected to remain a structural characteristic of the global economy, complicating the financial landscape for importers and manufacturers alike as they navigate evolving legal frameworks.High Point Market has demonstrated that companies focusing on intentional buyer engagement rather than mere traffic are witnessing increased attendance and positive market responses, indicating a shift in consumer purchasing behavior.The ongoing trust deficit within the furniture industry is profound, as consumers question whether price relief will materialize, and employees express concerns regarding their relevance in an increasingly automated environment.
For this week's Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels were joined by Katie Thomas from the Kearney Consumer Institute to discuss how shoppers' financial stress is showing up in their shopping habits. KCI recently released its latest Consumer Stress Index, which monitors 24,000 consumers across 12 countries. It looks not only at consumers' financial picture but also at their stress related to geopolitics and government, innovation and technology, food and the environment, and health and education. What's different this year is that it's not just one factor causing consumers to feel stressed. It's the compounding effect of inflation, geopolitical instability and overall uncertainties. "Put these two analyses together — historic stress levels and a population that feels starved of joy — and you get a consumer landscape that continues to defy the standard recessionary playbook," the report said.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl.In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:GameStop stuns the market with a $56 billion cash-and-stock takeover bid for eBay, as Ryan Cohen bets on combining two collectibles-focused platforms into a resale powerhouse.Amazon officially opens its logistics infrastructure to any business in the country, launching Amazon Supply Chain Services with freight, fulfillment, parcel delivery, and more.Kohl's rolls out agentic AI on two fronts: a conversational gift finder for shoppers built on Google Gemini, launching ahead of Mother's Day, and an AI analytics assistant for associates to surface product and sales insights without manual report-pulling.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.
Store design used to be about defining a set path for the customer. Today, it is about providing a flexible canvas. Crate and Barrel's VP of Store Design, Nicholas Effler joins Top Retail Expert Cynthia Ortiz to discuss how Crate & Barrel balances historic architecture with the high-tech expectations of the modern shopper. Inside the Episode: - Digital Echoes: How the pace of app-scrolling translates to physical shopping behavior. - Associate Centricity: Why clearing out menial tasks through design is the fastest way to boost sales performance. - Right-Sizing the Fleet: The transition from homogenous 40,000 square foot "cathedrals" to contextual, localized footprints. - Architectural Restraint: The discipline required to modernise historic buildings without losing their soul. Stop building static spaces. Start designing for the fluid shopper.
Shoppers want proof, retailers want performance and better-for-you products must deliver both to win in a more skeptical, value-driven market, according to new research from Eat Well Global
Today I'm joined by Matt Leone, CEO of DriveCentric. Matt breaks down why "tech bloat" is killing dealership margins and how shifting from task management to real-time engagement hubs can stop lead leakage across Sales, F&I, and Service. We also dive into the future of AI agents and why your next "employee" might actually be a machine-learning model. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Lotlinx – Meet LotGPT, your AI Inventory Strategist built exclusively for car dealers. It reveals competitive insights, shopper behavior, and pricing dynamics, and even identifies underperforming VDPs with merchandising recommendations to boost conversion without cutting prices. Put LotGPT to work for your dealership today, totally free, @ here. 2. CDG Circles – A digital peer group for top auto dealers. Private dealer chats. Vendor reviews. Real insights — confidential, compliant, no travel required. Join dealers representing 3,000+ rooftops @ here. 3. DriveCentric – DriveCentric puts dealerships in the Fast Lane to the Customer with a modern engagement platform built to move faster, connect teams, and keep every customer moving forward. Visit @ here to learn more Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: For dealers: CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/ Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com Fix your dealership's social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com For industry vendors: Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com Topics: 02:40 The Bill That Could Ban Chinese Cars. 05:10 Why Australian Dealers Make Zero On New Cars. 07:10 The Threat Destroying Blue Sky Values. 09:25 Why Toyota Stores Trade For 15X Earnings. 12:50 Why US Trucks Are Safer Than China. 18:10 Dealer Profits Still Double Pre-COVID. 21:50 The One Brand Where Bargains Are Appearing. 24:45 The Smart Lever When New Car Gross Drops. 26:40 Why Salespeople Can't Afford The Cars They Sell. 30:50 The Mercedes Turnaround That Made It Hot Again. 45:55 Infiniti Stores Selling For Zero Blue Sky. Car Dealership Guy Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
Stephen Grootes speaks to Clicks CEO Bertina Engelbrecht about Clicks Group’s resilient interim results, highlighting solid earnings growth, a higher dividend, expanding pharmacy and store footprint, strong loyalty programme performance, and how the retailer is navigating intense competition and constrained consumer spending while continuing to invest in growth and sustainability initiatives. In other interviews, Hylton Kallner, CEO of Discovery Bank talks about the latest SpendTrend26 insights, unpacking how South Africans choose to spend, what they spend on, and when they’re most willing to open their wallets in a rapidly evolving economic landscape. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa Follow us on social media 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Retail's recovery is real—and the best centers are winning through reinvention. Macerich CEO Jackson Hsieh and CBRE Retail Services Lead Todd Caruso discuss what it takes to create premier destinations today: complementary tenant mix, compelling anchors and using experience + technology to drive traffic and performance.· Retail underwriting now hinges on a small set of KPIs that illuminate performance.· Trade‑area analytics help focus capital on the right assets.· Anchor tenant strategies and discipline about occupier selection translate into pricing power.· Mobile data helps property owners maximize asset performance.· Leasing velocity drives NOI growth.
Furniture.com is a new kind of furniture marketplace: a single platform aggregating more than 3 million SKUs from 80+ retail partners, using standardized data and AI-powered personalization to replace the 15-hour odyssey most shoppers endure. VP of Brand & Creative Olivia Hnatyshin joins Phillip and Brian to unpack how the team is rebuilding the third-most expensive purchase of a person's life – one where hunter green and forest green finally mean the same thing. Building the Zillow of Furniture, One Couch At A Time Key Takeaways: Buying furniture is the third most expensive purchase a person makes, after a car or a home. 83% of furniture shoppers start online; 73% of searches are non-branded. Shoppers spend an average of 15+ hours across 4+ retailers before buying a single sofa. Data standardization is the real unlock for the category. Verticalized, purpose-built AI beats general chatbots when the stakes are high. Key Quotes: [00:07:20] "It's not really a discovery problem. It's a systems problem. The industry hasn't caught up to how people are actually shopping." - Olivia [00:18:50] "When you stop trusting the system's recommendations because they're going to be guided by advertising, you stop believing there's a real curation based on your tastes and your needs." - Phillip [00:19:45] "We're doing one thing and we wanna do it really, really well. That gives us the advantage because we're not trying to build for a bunch of other retail streams." - Olivia [00:35:50] "We're moving away from search entirely. It really is more about expressing intent and having that intent met instantly and accurately." - Olivia Associated Links: Shop on Furniture.com Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce Have 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.
Bonus Episode for Mar. 20. Financial results from retailers Walmart, Target, Costco, Macy's and TJX, Ross Stores and Burlington Stores give investors a picture of how consumers are spending amid inflation worries. Wall Street Journal reporter Kelly Cloonan discusses how stores are adapting to shoppers' preferences and navigating the Trump administration's tariffs. Alex Ossola hosts this special bonus episode of What's News in Earnings, where we dig into companies' earnings reports and analyst calls to find out what's going on under the hood of the American economy. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices