Avsnitt

  • Joining us for our first episode recorded at last week's Shoptalk is Craig Brommers, Chief Marketing Officer at American Eagle Outfitters. We took the stage in front of a live audience for our inaugural voyage on Shoptalk TV to hear Craig's wisdom on a wide variety of topics including: the keys to their AEO's recent performance, how to understand the Gen Z customer, the role of digital in driving physical store performance, how sustainability does or doesn't affect consumer choice, and a whole lot more. We also learn that the death of physical retail has been greatly exaggerated (though he might be preaching to the choir!).

    But we kick-off things off with a quick rundown of our big take-aways from our busy, busy time in Las Vegas. Then it's on to our analysis of the most important retail news of the week, including reports that Nordstrom is considering going private, largely disappointing earnings outlook from both Lululemon and Nike, and continuing robust growth from breakout brand Five Below.

    Vuori CEO Joe Kudla Episode.

    About Craig

    As the Chief Marketing Officer of American Eagle, Craig oversees all marketing and creative for American Eagle (AE), the #1 jeans brand for men and women 15-25 and women of all ages in the US. Leading the strategic and creative engine of AE, Craig’s mission is to simultaneously build the brand, customer base and business while positioning AE at the heart of youth culture and digital innovation. Since joining AE, Craig has led successful partnerships with TikTok, Snap, and Twitch placing the brand at the fingertips of Gen Z.

    Craig’s passion for purpose is rooted in research, ensuring alignment with what his customers care about most. Craig has supported partnerships with Bring Change 2 Mind, Surfrider and America’s Food Fund. Most notably Craig spearhead Gap’s RED campaign to increase awareness and inspire action toward the fight against AIDS. Craig’s ability to cultivate success driven global teams is a result of his relationship driven approach to leadership. Craig resides in Connecticut with his wife and two daughters.

    Previously, Craig served as Global Marketing executive for Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Calvin Klein. Craig’s leadership successfully positioned these brands for digital, geographic, and category expansion. Combining the art and science of modern marketing in a data obsessed world, Craig’s strategies remain laser focused on the customer.   

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Our guest this week is Michael Ward, CEO of Harrod's. Harrod's is truly among the most iconic and remarkable retailers in the world, and Michael gives us a glimpse inside what makes the brand and store so special. He also shares details about how they provide exceptional levels of customer service, the best of the best products, and how they stay on the leading edge of innovation. We also learn about their new members club in Shanghai, and get a glimpse into his upcoming talk at the World Retail Congress in Paris next month.

    As usual, we kick things off by delving into the week in retail, starting with the growing higher rates for longer, before moving on to a discussion of surprising management changes at Under Armour and Fossil. Then there is a mix of many store openings from Aldi and On Running, while Family Dollar goes in a totally different direction, Outdoor Voices bails on brick & mortar entirely, and Body Shop mostly bails on North America. We also revisit the mounting problems at Allbirds, which includes some store closings as well. Kohl's reported a weak quarter, but announced a potentially intriguing partnership with Babies R Us.

    World Retail Congress: Non-retailer passes and discount offer codes:

    Non-Retailer pass: REM-SPONR

    Retailer discount code: REM20

    Dive into the future of retail with the World Retail Congress's End of Year Report! Explore the latest trends, innovations, and insights shaping the competitive retail landscape, presented in collaboration with the Congress’s Knowledge Partners. The Congress’s report is a must-read for retailers to become world class in today’s retail climate.

    The End of Year Report reinforces the focus of next year’s World Retail Congress on High Performance Retail and our key pillars of winning the customer, winning with innovation, winning with purpose, the winning business models and building winning teams.

    Furthermore, the report brings together 14 of the world’s top retailers’ reflections from stores such as Action, Ikea, Zalando, Kmart Group, Woolworths and Wumart to present insights from around the world.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Saknas det avsnitt?

    Klicka här för att uppdatera flödet manuellt.

  • This week we explore some of the content from Steve's forthcoming book Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption, which is now available for pre-order at book retailers worldwide.

    In particular, we go deep on a strategy of being "Special, Not Big" by significantly narrowing the aim of the customers you serve to be more intensely relevant and more highly differentiated. Finding your passionate core is about discovering those customers that sit at the heart of your customer bulls-eye and editing what you do to amplify your impact. In a world where it's harder and harder to become the compelling signal amid all the noise, trying to serve a mass audience is akin to losing a race to the bottom. Find your people, creating meaningful connections, and give them something to talk about.

    But we kick things off with an overview of our upcoming busy Shoptalk schedule, including recording several episodes in our Bambuser sponsored remote podcast studio/beach cabana. Then it's on to the week in retail news, which features a return to the Wobbly Unicorn Corner to see what's new with Matches Fashion, Stitch Fix, and TheRealReal. We also share our take on strong quarters from Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters two ANVB's (Analog Native Vertical Brands), while lamenting big whiffs from Victoria's Secret and Foot Locker. We conclude by trying to make sense of Wall Street's ebullient response to Target's latest earnings.

    Join the Leaders Leap LinkedIn Group here.

    Become part of the Leaders Leap "Street Team" by sending an email to [email protected] with "Count Me In!" in the subject line.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Our guest this week is Andrea Dorigo Head of Global Retail for Adidas. Andrea shares many strategic leadership lessons gleaned from his incredibly deep and diverse experience working across a spectrum of international brands. Now he leads a network of more than 2,000 stores for one of the world's most iconic vertically integrated brands.

    We get to learn his thoughts on how to best strengthen overall brand equity while driving operational efficiency and extending product reach. He also shares his view on how to think about the right balance between DTC and wholesale and gives us a sneak preview of his upcoming session at the World Retail Congress in Paris titled "Retailing in a Time of Mass Distraction."

    But, as usual, we kick things off by delving into the week in retail, starting with lots of news from Macy's, including their lackluster holiday earnings, the announcement of their "Bold New Chapter" strategy, and a revised investor takeover proposal. We also unpack earnings from Best Buy, Lowes, and Warby Parker, before turning out attention to Shein's potential IPO plans.

    World Retail Congress: Non-retailer passes and discount offer codes:

    Non-Retailer pass: REM-SPONR

    Retailer discount code: REM20

    Dive into the future of retail with the World Retail Congress's End of Year Report! Explore the latest trends, innovations, and insights shaping the competitive retail landscape, presented in collaboration with the Congress’s Knowledge Partners. The Congress’s report is a must-read for retailers to become world class in today’s retail climate.

    The End of Year Report reinforces the focus of next year’s World Retail Congress on High Performance Retail and our key pillars of winning the customer, winning with innovation, winning with purpose, the winning business models and building winning teams.

    Furthermore, the report brings together 14 of the world’s top retailers’ reflections from stores such as Action, Ikea, Zalando, Kmart Group, Woolworths and Wumart to present insights from around the world.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • This week we're reprising our November 2022 interview with Hal Lawton, President & CEO of Tractor Supply Co, a truly remarkable retailer that has delivered some of the strongest results of any brand during the past five years.

    We explore Hal's diverse journey from McKinsey, to Home Depot, to eBay, to Macy's and on to Tennesee-based Tractor Supply Company. the nearly 85 year old company that now does over $14.5 billion in annual sales through more than 2,200 stores. We learn about Tractor's "life out here strategy" and the critical distinction between being a lifestyle brand vs. a category focused retailer. We go deep on the strategic benefits of intense customer focus, strong day in and day out execution, and embracing the blur of digital and physical. Hal also underscores the importance of constant reinvention and how Tractor stays one step ahead of the customer by investing in their stores and rapidly evolving their business model.

    But first we preview our Shoptalk plans before diving into our hot-takes on the week in retail news, including what NVDIA's massive valuation growth might mean for retail, Walmart's blockbuster quarter, and yet another private brand launch from Target. Then we marvel at Skechers--one of the OG's of DTC--blowing past the 5,000 store mark on its way to 10,000 global locations!

    About Hal

    Hal Lawton has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Tractor Supply Company since January 2020 and is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. During his tenure at Tractor Supply, Hal has led the Company through a period of unprecedented growth while introducing its Life Out Here strategy to drive sustainable growth.

    Previously, Hal served as President of Macy’s from September 2017 to December 2019. As President, he had responsibility for all aspects of the Macy’s brand, including merchandising, marketing, stores, operations, technology and consumer insights and analytics. Prior to that, Hal was Senior Vice President, eBay North America from August 2015 to September 2017. In that role, he oversaw all aspects of eBay’s Americas business unit, including marketing, merchandising, operations, business selling, consumer selling and advertising, as well as global responsibility for shipping, payments, risk and trust. Before joining eBay, Hal spent 10 years in various leadership roles at Home Depot, where he most recently was Senior Vice President for merchandising. Hal was responsible for elevating Home Depot’s Internet business. Prior to that, Hal was an associate principal at McKinsey & Co., providing strategic advice to executive teams in consumer-packaged goods and manufacturing industries.

    Hal holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pulp and Paper Science Technology from North Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia. Hal has served on the board of Sealed Air (NYSE: SEE) since 2019. He serves on the NRF Board of Directors and is a member of the Business Roundtable.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Our guest this week is Beth Ann Kaminkow, Global CEO, VMLY&R who joins us to talk about the ever changing landscape of retail and consumer branding, customer engagement, and loyalty. In particular with dip into what defines high performance retail and the emerging world of "creative commerce." We also get a sneak preview of her upcoming session at the World Retail Congress in Paris.

    Then, as usual, we unpack the week in retail news including the correct way to pronounce Temu, news on the persistency of inflation and what lessons can be gleaned from the past month in retail sales. Then its another return to the Wobbly Unicorn Corner, before wrapping up with quarterly earnings from Shopify and Under Armour.

    To access VLM's rich trove of insights click here.

    World Retail Congress: Non-retailer passes and discount offer codes:

    Non-Retailer pass: REM-SPONR

    Retailer discount code: REM20

    Dive into the future of retail with the World Retail Congress's End of Year Report! Explore the latest trends, innovations, and insights shaping the competitive retail landscape, presented in collaboration with the Congress’s Knowledge Partners. The Congress’s report is a must-read for retailers to become world class in today’s retail climate.

    The End of Year Report reinforces the focus of next year’s World Retail Congress on High Performance Retail and our key pillars of winning the customer, winning with innovation, winning with purpose, the winning business models and building winning teams.

    Furthermore, the report brings together 14 of the world’s top retailers’ reflections from stores such as Action, Ikea, Zalando, Kmart Group, Woolworths and Wumart to present insights from around the world.

    About Beth Ann

    Beth Ann is the Joint Chief Executive Officer of VML Commerce - WPP’s end-to-end Creative Commerce agency, created from the combined talent, expertise and scale of powerhouse global agencies VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson.

    Beth Ann is recognized as a leader with a proven record of reimagining retail, as well as creating and designing commercial programs that drive growth at the intersection of physical, digital and social. She continues to drive innovation in this space with a belief that commerce holds the most untapped creative potential to grow brands and people.

    In her two plus decades in the industry, Beth Ann has touched every aspect of marketing communications across consumer-packaged goods, retail, finance, restaurant and technology companies and brings both client and agency side perspectives to her work. She is a strong advocate of insights-inspired marketing programs and the power of creativity to drive positive societal impact.

    A worldwide traveler born in Baltimore (though she considers herself more of a Bostonian at heart- especially when it comes to sports loyalties!), Beth Ann graduated with a BA from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and an MBA from Boston University in Organizational Behavior. Beth Ann was a founding member of a successful startup purchased by Omnicom, led TracyLocke as the first female CEO in its one-hundred-year history, as well served as the first Global Chief Marketing Officer of Westfield Corp and CEO for Kantar Consulting Americas. She most recently served as Global CEO of Geometry.

    Beth Ann is a voice on IE&D issues and has been recognized as an AdAge Woman to Watch, is a member of WPP’s X-Factor, and serves on the national boards of the Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications as well as the non-profit charity Back on My Feet.

    While she sees work as personally fun and a bit of an endurance sport, she also is an avid runner, loves cities and making them better, and spending time with her husband, family, and close friends.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Joining us for a deep dive on creating remarkable brand stories and driving powerful customer engagement are two industry veterans who will also be gracing the stage at next month's Shoptalk event in Las Vegas. Christiane Pendarvis, co-CEO of Pattern Beauty, Tracee Ellis Ross's hair care brand, and Andrea Moore, Chief Digital Officer of NEST New York, the fast growing fragrance brand deliver s a master class on the changing consumer landscape, evolving customer journeys, and what brands must do to stand out and win the future. They also preview their Shoptalk sessions.

    But as usual we start with our analysis of the week's most important retail news, including offering new Macy's CEO Tony Spring some unsolicited advice before wondering whether Andy Jassey and team may (finally) be on to something with their Amazon Fresh reboot. We also explore Target's rumored late entry to the membership game and what to make of Tapestry and Capri's final earnings report before they are formally hitched. We also try discern what what be in store for malls (and JC Penney) based upon reading between the lines of the Simon Property earnings call.

    Steve's new book--Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption--will be released April 23rd (note new release date). And for a limited time pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop,org, or any other retailer worldwide, and get some very special FREE bonuses.

    Buy 1 Copy and receive:
    - An exclusive PDF book excerpt
    - An invitation to a private pre-launch virtual event.

    Buy 5 Copies and receive:
    - All the above, plus access to a small group virtual Q&A session.

    Buy 25 copies or more and receive:
    - All the above, plus a private one-on-one 20 minute Zoom consulting or executive leadership coaching session with me.

    Simply email your receipt to [email protected] and we will handle the rest!

    Shoptalk Offer:

    10% off General Attendee10% off Retailer & BrandCode - remarkableattendee Code - remarkableretailandbrandLink - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZWF0dGVuZGVlLink - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZXJldGFpbGFuZGJyYW5k

    About Christiane

    Christiane Pendarvis is a growth-oriented chief executive with over 25 years of experience leading direct-to-consumer and omni-channel consumer businesses. Her career focus has been in general management and retail merchandising, running $250M to $1B operating businesses with Fortune 500 brands such as Old Navy and Victoria’s Secret. Known for her ability to translate insights into business strategies, she has extensive strategic planning, assortment development, digital commerce and retail operations experience; and has driven large scale technology infrastructure projects.

    Ms. Pendarvis approaches all her roles with compassion, humility and empathy, driving profitable growth and shareholder value by unlocking the power of people and diverse teams. She sits on the board of directors for Hims & Hers (NYSE: HIMS, Member - Audit) and Hootsuite (Chair – Nom/Gov, Member – Audit) and was previously on the board of Savage X Fenty. Ms. Pendarvis has been recognized in WWD’s 2023 Most Inspirational Women Leaders, WWD’s 2022 50 Women in Power and as a Top Woman in Retail by Women in Retail Leadership Circle in 2021.

    Ms. Pendarvis is currently Co-CEO of PATTERN Beauty By Tracee Ellis Ross where she is responsible for all aspects of the business in partnership with Ms. Ellis Ross, the Founder. Prior to Pattern, she was Co-President at Savage X Fenty where under her leadership the company grew 6X from 2019 to 2022 and successfully closed two financing rounds totaling $240M in 2021. She led an expansion into new product categories including Mens, Loungewear and Womens Activewear as well as the brand’s channel expansion into physical retail in 2022. Ms. Pendarvis has held executive roles with top tier retailers and DTC companies including Victoria’s Secret, Aerie, Old Navy, Minted and FullBeauty Brands. Her scope of experience is wide, having managed women’s and men’s apparel, intimate apparel, beauty, consumer electronics and consumer packaged goods.

    Energized by high growth environments, Ms. Pendarvis also has experience in start-ups and mid-tier companies. She excels in helping brands, teams and individuals grow and succeed in the face of rapidly changing industry dynamics. She currently sits on the Shop Talk Advisory Board and is Chairperson of the Women of Color Retail Alliance board. She also has a long history of non-profit board service (National Black MBA Association Cincinnati Chapter, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco and the Violet Torch Foundation).

    Ms. Pendarvis earned a BA in Economics from Harvard University and an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina (Consortium for Graduate Study in Management fellowship program). She is passionate about increasing diversity and representation in the fashion industry and dedicates her time to mentoring women of color specifically. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and identical twin daughters.

    About Andrea

    Andrea Moore is a C-Level Omni-Channel Executive with extensive experience launching and building digital businesses quickly and profitably. Andrea’s areas of expertise include digital strategy, marketing and merchandising, technology, analytics and team leadership and talent development.

    Andrea has experience in large, publicly traded companies, as well as small, entrepreneurial, private-equity backed brands; in digital businesses of up to $100M in annual revenue and teams of up to 40.Angel investor, Advisory Board member, non-profit Board Chair, FIT Adjunct Professor.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Our guest this week is Jane Ewing, SVP, Sustainability at Walmart* recorded live at last month's NRF "Big Show." In a wide-ranging interview we discuss how Walmart is putting people and planet at the heart of all of its decisions. We explore Walmart's sustainability journey and go into details on their key initiatives, the challenges they need to overcome, and how to get everyone on the same mission despite the complexity of different functions and a vast global footprint.

    Then it's on to the news of the week, staring with some big news from our guest's employer, including Walmart's plans to increase store manager compensation, a 3 for 1 stock split, and major investments in new store openings and remodels. We also delve into the state of the retail layoffs and do a quick recap of earnings news from Amazon (wow!), Peloton (oof!), Apple (not bad) and LVMH (quite nice), and share some numbers on emerging deflation.

    * Since our recording Jane was named the new SVP, International Operations at Walmart.

    Presented by Celonis.

    Past episodes mentioned.

    Michelle Poole

    Judith McKenna

    Steve's new book--Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption--will be released April 23rd (note new release date). And for a limited time pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop,org, or any other retailer worldwide, and get some very special FREE bonuses.

    Buy 1 Copy and receive:
    - An exclusive PDF book excerpt
    - An invitation to a private pre-launch virtual event.

    Buy 5 Copies and receive:
    - All the above, plus access to a small group virtual Q&A session.

    Buy 25 copies or more and receive:
    - All the above, plus a private one-on-one 20 minute Zoom consulting or executive leadership coaching session with me.

    Simply email your receipt to [email protected] and we will handle the rest!

    Shoptalk Offer:

    10% off General Attendee10% off Retailer & BrandCode - remarkableattendee Code - remarkableretailandbrandLink - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZWF0dGVuZGVlLink - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZXJldGFpbGFuZGJyYW5k

    About Jane

    With deep roots in business operations, development and talent management, Jane excels at embedding and operationalizing sustainability across the enterprise. She currently leads International Operations for Walmart. Before joining Walmart, Jane held various general management roles in several countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Global Travel at Diageo PLC. She joined Walmart in 2012 as a Senior Vice President for the International division and has since served in multiple leadership roles, including in Walmart U.S. Merchandising, Business Development, store reinvention and digital acceleration, as Chief People Officer for Walmart International and most recently as the SVP for Sustainability. Her personal motto: let’s go faster than we think is possible.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Once again it's time for Steve's annual retail predictions--and this list doesn't just go to eleven it goes to thirteen!

    Steve's provocative prognostications include "the bifurcation of just about everything," the culling of the unicorn herd, thoughts on the future of Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Nordstrom, along with a possible AI themed action movie, the outlook for sustainability, retailers stepping up their health services offerings, and a whole lot more.

    But as is our custom, we kick off with our hot takes on the week in retail news, including Temu's decision to 10X its advertising, layoffs at Levi's and eBay, and Macy's telling its real suitors to go pound sand. We also dip into the end of the "new department store" era, Ikea's new "plan & pick up" concept expansion, and a possible return to supply chain chaos.

    Presented by Celonis.

    Steve's new book--"Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption"--will be released March 12th. And for a limited time pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop,org, or any other retailer worldwide, and get some very special FREE bonuses.

    Buy 1 Copy and receive:
    - An exclusive PDF book excerpt
    - An invitation to a private pre-launch virtual event.

    Buy 5 Copies and receive:
    - All the above, plus access to a small group virtual Q&A session.

    Buy 25 copies or more and receive:
    - All the above, plus a private one-on-one 20 minute Zoom consulting or executive leadership coaching session with me.

    Simply email your receipt to [email protected] and we will handle the rest!

    Shoptalk Offer:

    10% off General Attendee 10% off Retailer & BrandCode - remarkableattendee Code - remarkableretailandbrandLink - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZWF0dGVuZGVl Link - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZXJldGFpbGFuZGJyYW5k


    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Angela Clark, Patagonia's VP of Digital--and one of retail's most celebrated and experienced e-commerce leaders--joins us to discuss driving digital transformation and how purpose is integral to Patagonia's strategy. She drops a ton of wisdom gleaned from her roles at multiple brands on the leading edge of the digital commerce evolution. In particular, we look at how Patagonia is building on its remarkable success to both build its direct-to-consumer capabilities and continuing to be a leader on climate action.

    But before our interview we do a bit of humble-bragging, calling attention to our both being named once again to Rethink Retail's Top Retail Expert list. We also announce that Steve will be on stage at both Shoptalk US and Shoptalk Europe, while sharing a special discount code for our listeners (see below).

    Then it's on to the news of the week, including our take-aways from the NRF Big Show, where retail sales may be headed in the new year, and what to make of Macy's just announced store closings and layoffs, We also lament yet another round of layoffs at Wayfair before celebrating Birkenstock's remarkable first quarter as a public company, We close with our view on Apple's soon to go on sale Vision Pro device.

    Presented by Celonis.

    Steve's new book--"Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption"--will be released March 12th. And for a limited time pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop,org, or any other retailer worldwide, and get some very special FREE bonuses.

    Buy 1 Copy and receive:
    - An exclusive PDF book excerpt
    - An invitation to a private pre-launch virtual event.

    Buy 5 Copies and receive:
    - All the above, plus access to a small group virtual Q&A session.

    Buy 25 copies or more and receive:
    - All the above, plus a private one-on-one 20 minute Zoom consulting or executive leadership coaching session with me.

    Simply email your receipt to [email protected] and we will handle the rest!

    Shoptalk Offer:

    10% off General Attendee 10% off Retailer & BrandCode - remarkableattendee Code - remarkableretailandbrandLink - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZWF0dGVuZGVl Link - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZXJldGFpbGFuZGJyYW5k

    About Angela

    Angela Clark is an accomplished Digital and Brand Strategist, with expertise in transforming organizations into a digital-first framework. With a passion for sustainability and a deep understanding of the power of digital media, Angela heads the Digital business for Patagonia, where she spearheads the development of strategies and processes to support the company's mission to save the home planet. Her ability to blend creativity, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of digital landscapes makes her a valuable asset to the brands, having worked for some of the most iconic American brands, like Levi Strauss, True Religion and Pottery Barn. Her impressive track record, coupled with her passion for the outdoors and commitment to sustainability, makes her an inspiring figure in the business world.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • We have a special bonus episode for you today; hot on the heels of the NRF Big Show, we reached out to two Retail Experts who graced the stage in New York, all the way from the U.K. and Brazil to get a more global take on the significant trends and the year in retail ahead, from London, Kate Ancketill, Founder, CEO and chief story-teller at GDR Creative Intelligence, and from São Paulo, Alberto Serrentino, Founder, advisor, board member, speaker and author, Varese Retail.

    Presented by Celonis

    Don't miss the World Retail Congress to be held April 16-18 in Paris. Each year, top retail leaders from around the world join together to hear great speakers, join in amazing conversations, and much much more!

    For the second year in a row the Remarkable Retail podcast is delighted to be a media partner and to offer a 20% discount on registrations for a limited time.

    Simply go to https://lnkd.in/ekk3_s4 for more info and to pre-register by using our special registration codes.

    Non-Retailer: REM-SPONR
    Retailer: REM20

    About Kate

    As CEO and founder of Business Futurist consultancy GDR, Kate is a ‘wayfinder to the future’ and a retail guru with tech, consumer, retail and brand specialisation. GDR is the innovation partner to around 30 of the world's largest consumer brands, including: Target, P&G, Costa Coffee, Coca-Cola, Clorox, Danone, Carlsberg, Google, Microsoft, Jaguar Landrover, Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose and Lego.

    Kate delivers compelling big picture narratives explaining how retail, brands and experiences are changing as a result of climate, economic, cultural and social shifts, the technology revolution and the cost of living crisis. She advises on the near to medium term future of customer experience, how marketing is evolving, and how best in class global players are using tech to meet emerging environmental and customer demands.


    Kate takes a cross-sector, global view of innovation, which includes any interaction between brand and consumer, on or offline. Her goal is to make the audience feel inspired about their industry and their own ability to create, shape, or transform the future. She has the ability to clearly explain complex trends, societal shifts, or emerging technologies in a way that is relatable for any audience.


    You can expect a charismatic performance, whether on a large stage, at a corporate event, in the boardroom, or as a panelist. Every presentation Kate gives has the WOW factor and will contain tailored research and analysis, Kate is renowned for inspirational WOW factor talks that are customised to each audience with bleeding edge innovation sourced by GDR's research and strategy teams. Much of the thinking will have been road-tested with the world's largest consumer-facing corporations, often at board level.


    Kate is the 'Wayfinder to the Future’ for the world's largest retail conference, the NRF Big Show, having been invited to speak on future trends for the last 8 years. To read more from Kate follow the link below to her blog.


    Company website with newsletter signup link: www.gdruk.com

    My speaking biog: www.kateancketill.com

    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateancketill/

    X, Insta etc: gdruk

    About Alberto

    Advisor, board member, author and speaker.Founder of Varese Retail, a retail strategy, digital transformation and thought leadership boutique. He has over 30 years of experience in the retail and consumption industries. Serves on several boards of directors, innovation and digital acceleration committees of various retail companies and of the Brazilian Retail Consumption Society (SBVC). As an international speaker, he has made over 700 presentations, including 20 editions of the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention (NRF Big Show). He authored and co-authored 9 books and published over 300 articles. Served as an invited professor at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas’ business school (FGV), and the University of São Paulo (USP). Appointed as the Only Latin-American Top Retail Influencer 2023by RETHINK Retail.

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alberto-serrentino-4588691/

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • We're back with Season 8 and kick it off with one of the industry's leading thought leaders--Carrie Tharp, VP Strategic Industries at Google Cloud. With her past experience in senior leadership at Fossil Group, Neiman Marcus, and Travelocity, and current board roles at the National Retail Federation, Vera Bradley, and Rue Gilt Groupe, Carrie brings tremendous perspective on where retail is headed and the challenges and opportunities brands face.

    In a wide ranging discussion we delve into the current state of cloud technology, where generative AI is headed (including the results of Google's new industry survey), and how retailers can accelerate their pace of transformation--including tips on how to deploy "test and learn" strategies. We also discuss specific use cases, including a recently launched partnership with Victoria's Secret to close the digital divide, expand conversational commerce, and a whole lot more.

    Before we dive into our typical opening segment we engage in a bit of humble-bragging sharing our own news that the pod won the top "Retail Voice" award at this year's VIP Awards show.

    We also announce some special pre-order bonuses for Steve's forthcomign book (see below).

    Then we jump into our hot takes on the week in retail news, including whether the holiday season delivered the goods or not. Then its on to good news as Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle take their sales guidance up. We follow it with bad news, however, as "new department store" concept Showfield's shuts down and competitor Neighborhood Goods retrenches. We can't miss the opportunity to talk about the success of the ludicrously capacious Stanley Quencher. We wrap up with the shocking news that physical retail is still not dead.

    Presented by Celonis.

    My new book--"Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption"--will be released March 12th. And for a limited time pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop,org, or any other retailer worldwide, and get some very special FREE bonuses.

    Buy 1 Copy and receive:
    - An exclusive PDF book excerpt
    - An invitation to a private pre-launch virtual event.

    Buy 5 Copies and receive:
    - All the above, plus access to a small group virtual Q&A session.

    Buy 25 copies or more and receive:
    - All the above, plus a private one-on-one 20 minute Zoom consulting or executive leadership coaching session with me.

    Simply email your receipt to [email protected] and we will handle the rest!

    About Carrie

    Innovative Chief Digital Officer/Chief Marketing Officer with experience driving growth and business transformation in retail, consumer products and eCommerce based businesses. Creating data driven, customer centric strategies that drive growth through new customer experiences, digital innovation, and business model expansion. Currently focused on evolving retail capabilities for the new digital age - dedicated to building teams and experiences to serve customers in new and compelling ways.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Steve will be back on stage at Shoptalk in Las Vegas and we've got a special offer for our podcast listeners to save an additional 10% on registration.

    Retailer & Brands use Code: RBREMAR225 by going here.General Attendee: use code: GAREMAR360 here.

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Did you know that 2024 is a leap year? Are you prepared to make the leaps you must to win the epic battle between being remarkable or risking irrelevance as the pace of change accelerates, as the bar for performance gets raised higher and higher? As increasingly Fortune favors the bold, are you ready to leap ahead of the competition?

    This is Steve Dennis, strategic advisor, keynote speaker and best-selling author inviting you to join me and fellow retail insider Michael LeBlanc each week as we challenge the status quo, dissect the latest news and trends and speak with the industry's most remarkable and thought-provoking executives. We'll also be unpacking the lessons from my brand new book, Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption.

    Listeners worldwide have made us the retail industry's top-rated and top listen-to independent podcasts. This season, we'll continue with our unique take on retail's most important news and feature guests who are shaping the future of modern retail. So be sure to follow us on Apple, Spotify, Google podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcast today and brace yourself for a steady stream of wisdom, straight talk and lively conversation.

    Season Eight, presented by Celonis, launches on January 16. And we can't wait for you to join us!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Steve will be back on stage at Shoptalk in Las Vegas and we've got a special offer for our podcast listeners to save an additional 10% on registration.

    Retailer & Brands use Code: RBREMAR225 by going here.General Attendee: use code: GAREMAR360 here.

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • We mark the close of our seventh season with a return visit from Ira Kalish, Deloitte's Chief Global economist, who helps us look back at how 2023 unfolded and gives us a glimpse into the macro-economic outlook for the year ahead. In a wide ranging conversation we delve into the possibility for a soft-landing, when we might start to see interest cuts, and the overall prospects for important global economies. We also discuss prospects for a thawing in the housing market, the potential looming crisis in commercial real estate, and a whole lot more.

    But we kick things off with a fast-paced review of the most important retail news, including the continued string of positive economic reports and what it might mean for the holiday season. Then we move on to quite a lot of activity in the luxury e-commerce space as Farfetch gets saved by coupang and MatchesFashion get acquired by the UK's Frasers Group. We conclude by dissecting quarterly earnings from JC Penney and Nike.

    *********************************

    Join Steve on January 9th at 11am EST for a special webinar on how to get the most out of the NRF's Big Show. He'll share tips on navigating the event, highlight the can't miss sessions, and showcase promising new retail technology. And it's all free. Go here to pre-register.

    About Ira

    Dr. Kalish is the Chief Global Economist of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. He is a specialist in global economic issues as well as the effects of economic, demographic, and social trends on the global business environment. He advises Deloitte clients as well as Deloitte’s leadership on economic issues and their impact on business strategy. In addition, he has given numerous presentations to corporations and trade organizations on topics related to the global economy. He is widely traveled and has given presentations in 47 countries on six continents. He has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Financial Times. Dr. Kalish holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vassar College and a PhD in international economics from Johns Hopkins University.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Steve will be back on stage at Shoptalk in Las Vegas and we've got a special offer for our podcast listeners to save an additional 10% on registration.

    Retailer & Brands use Code: RBREMAR225 by going here.General Attendee: use code: GAREMAR360 here.

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • As we reach the penultimate episode of Season 7, it's time to grade Steve on his annual predictions. In the second installment of a two-part episode, Michael takes out his virtual chalkboard to assess the final batch of Steve's prognostications, which include a year of trading down, a tale of two cities when it comes to retailer balance sheets, and a whole lot more. We also do a reality check on his long-shot guesses about Nike, Whole Foods, and a potential tie-up between JC Penney and Kohl's.

    As usual we kick things with retail news, including a big week in macroeconomic news and a (mostly) surprisingly strong monthly retail sales report. Then we go deeper on a potential Macy's leveraged buy-out, as well as an updated view of the "halo effect" of brick-and-mortar stores from our friends at ICSC. We wrap with news of Temu's remarkable success and continued strength from Costco.

    **********************************

    Steve will be back on stage at Shoptalk in Las Vegas and we've got a special offer for our podcast listeners to save an additional 10% on registration.

    Retailer & Brands use Code: RBREMAR225 by going here.General Attendee: use code: GAREMAR360 here.

    You can find the new ICSC "Halo Effect" study here.

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • We're all about accountability on the Remarkable Retail podcast, so as we get close to wrapping up Season 7, it's time to grade Steve on his annual predictions. In part one of a two-part episode, Michael takes out his virtual chalkboard as we assess the first batch of Steve's prognostications on a disrupter reset, whether retail media networks are more hype than hope, what to make of an accelerating pace of C-suite changes, and a whole lot more.

    We start with retail news, including a surprise US jobs report, NRF's back-tracking on causes of retail shrink, and Amazon getting more nervous about Temu and Shein. We wonder whether lower gas prices may save retailers' fourth quarters and whether a marriage between Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue is inevitable. Then it's on to ponder what's next for Farfetch and whether a Bonvoy and Camp partnership will create happy campers, And as earnings season wraps up. we got a mixed picture from some of our favorite retailers: RH, Lululemon, and Ulta. We close with a return to visit Rent the Runway and Stitch Fix in the wobbly unicorn corner of the internet.

    **********************************

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • This episode we welcome Nick Molnar, co-founder of AfterPay, the pioneering buy now pay later (BNPL) company acquired by Block (formerly Square) in 2021. At a time when BNPL is capturing headlines due to its rapid growth this holiday season, we engage in a wide-ranging conversation with one the sector's pioneering leaders.

    Nick takes us through his founder's story before we delve into how BNPL delivers value for both consumers and retailers. He also helps us understand some of the common myths and misperceptions about how it all works, explains how credit risk is managed, and gives us a view into what's next for the sector--and consumers more broadly.

    Check out their latest research on the market here.

    But first we open up with our take on the most interesting recent retail news, including what to make (if anything) about Black Friday and Cyber Monday results. Then it's on to Shein's plans to go public as fellow Chinese e-commerce behemoth Pinduoduo zooms past Alibaba's valuation on the strength of Temu's remarkable growth. RH continues to amplify the wow as it opens a retail estate on the bucolic hills of Indianapolis, while also making a big move into Germany. We close with some musings about the differences between disinflation and deflation.

    About Nick

    Serial-entrepreneur, Nick’s vision for Afterpay was to create a global payment solution that would allow consumers to pay for things they want and need over time, using their own money. As a millennial himself, he recognized that his generation has an aversion to credit cards and compounding debt.

    Nick launched Afterpay with his co-founder, Anthony Eisen, in Australia in October 2014 and listed the company on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2016. The company expanded into the U.S. in May 2018 and soon after, expanded into Canada, France, Italy, Spain and the UK. As of June 2021, Afterpay had more than 20 million customer accounts in the United States alone and was offered by more than 150,000 merchants globally.

    In August of 2021, Afterpay was sold to Block (NYSE: SQ) for US$29 billion. Nick currently co- leads Afterpay’s business at Block.

    You can learn more about Nick from his LinkedIn profile and hear him talk about the founding of the company here.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • This episode we welcome Michael Affronti, the SVP & General Manager of the Commerce Cloud business at Salesforce for a fascinating look at the rapidly evolving world of generative AI. In an expansive, yet highly practical, discussion Michael helps us separate the hope from the hype and "chalks the field" on the most important applications to automate mundane tasks or enhance the customer experience. We also go deep on where retailers are already gaining traction and where they need to begin to test and learn.


    But first we open up with our take on the most interesting recent retail news, including a new retail monitor just launched by CNBC and the NRF and a quick look at what it tells us. Then we unpack lots of retail earnings, which were mostly disappointing--and in a few cases downright scary (Kohl's, Macy's, Allbirds, and most of luxury). Yet Walmart, Abercrombie & Fitch, the off-price apparel players, and, most notably On Running, managed to rise above the rest. We close with our view that BFCM may ultimately be much ado about nothing much.

    About Michael

    Michael is the SVP & General Manager of Commerce Cloud at Salesforce, overseeing the various Commerce Cloud products and services that enable customers to build commerce experiences and grow revenue their way. In this role, he focuses on the critical interlock between sales, marketing, and product development to generate aligned and effective GTM strategies.

    Michael Affronti is a seasoned Senior Product Executive, Advisor, Investor, and Board Member with more than 19 years of success building and leading high-performing organizations across the entire product life cycle from incubation to $1B+ in revenue.

    Prior to Salesforce, Michael held senior leadership roles at several enterprise tech and AI companies including Dataminr, Fuze, Contactive, and Microsoft. He holds four U.S. patents and has 11 pending for innovation in the enterprise productivity space.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • Welcome to a special encore episode featuring Michelle Poole, President of Crocs. We dig into the remarkable growth story behind the increasingly iconic footwear company. We address head-on the polarizing (or is it fundamentally under-estimated?) nature of the brand and how Michelle has turned that to advantage. We also learn about the personalizing power of jibbitz and how product extensions and geographic expansion are fueling their growth. We also delve deep into the diverse, increasingly digitally-driven, go-to-market strategy that is putting the company on a path to hit $5 billion in sales by 2026. Lastly we get Michelle's perspective on how to balance purpose and profits.

    About Michelle

    Michelle Poole became President, Crocs, Inc. in September 2020 and has oversight of the Americas, Asia and EMEA regional commercial teams, as well as Product Design and Management, Merchandising, and Marketing teams. Prior to this, she served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Product and Merchandising Officer since April 2020 and as our Senior Vice President and Chief Product and Merchandising Officer since 2014.

    In addition to her product and merchandising responsibilities, Ms. Poole assumed responsibility for our Marketing function in 2017. Ms. Poole has more than 28 years of experience and proven success in the development of leading global fashion and lifestyle brands including Sperry Top-Sider, Timberland, Kangol, Converse, MTV Europe and Pepe Jeans where she held a range of marketing, merchandising & product management roles. Since 2018, Ms. Poole has served on the board of Pact, a privately held apparel brand, based in Boulder, CO. She received her Bachelor’s honors degree in fashion marketing from the University of Northumbria, UK.
    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

  • We welcome Brendan Witcher, Forrestor's VP & Principal Analyst back to the pod to get his always insightful and provocative perspectives on retailer's priorities for 2024. He helps us separate the real from the imagined with a preview of his upcoming report on where retailers are placing their bets for the future. We start with his takes on what makes the "Hype" list, as well as what should be on most retailer's radar screens. Then it's on to the top ten priorities, including hot areas in omni-channel fulfillment, personalization, AI, and guided selling.

    As usual we start with our perspectives on the most important news of the week, including WeWork's bankruptcy and how worried we should be about the contagion effect from an ever shakier office market. Then it's on to positive news as Walmart stock hits an all time high on the heels of its big store investment plans. We shift to dissecting earnings from some of the OG's of disruptive DTC as Warby Parker, ThredUp, and TheRealReal report. We concluded with news of Overstock.com's rebranding to Beyond as they also show their CEO the door.

    **********************************

    We've been nominated for the Top Retail Voice Award and can use your help. It's easy to vote for us.

    1. Go Here

    2. Register to vote

    3. Vote for the Remarkable Retail podcast in The Retail Voice Award category.

    Brendan's First Podcast Appearance (April 2021)

    Remembering BlueStar’s Steve Cuntz

    We welcome Brendan Witcher, Forrestor's VP & Principal Analyst back to the pod to get his always insightful and provocative perspectives on retailer's priorities for 2024. He helps us separate the real from the imagined with a preview of his upcoming report on where retailers are placing their bets for the future. We start with his takes on what makes the "Hype" list, as well as what should be on most retailer's radar screens. Then it's on to the top ten priorities, including hot areas in omni-channel fulfillment, personalization, AI, and guided selling.

    As usual we start with our perspectives on the most important news of the week, including WeWork's bankruptcy and how worried we should be about the contagion effect from an ever shakier office market. Then it's on to positive news as Walmart stock hits an all time high on the heels of its big store investment plans. We shift to dissecting earnings from some of the OG's of disruptive DTC as Warby Parker, ThredUp, and TheRealReal report. We concluded with news of Overstock.com's rebranding to Beyond as they also show their CEO the door.

    **********************************

    We've been nominated for the Top Retail Voice Award and can use your help. It's easy to vote for us.

    1. Go to https://lnkd.in/g5bGMey5

    2. Register to vote

    3. Vote for the Remarkable Retail podcast in The Retail Voice Award category.

    Brendan's First Podcast Appearance (April 2021)

    About Brendan

    As VP and Principal Analyst for Forrester Research, Brendan is a leading expert on consumer behavior, market developments, and tech trends in commerce. Considered a notable authority on strategies for achieving digital excellence, he often keynotes industry events and is sought after frequently for commentary by media outlets such as Bloomberg, CNBC, Marketplace, NPR, PBS, The Economist, Time, and The Wall Street Journal.

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..


    Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

    Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

    About Us

    Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

    Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.


    Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. 

    Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!