Navigating Retail and Technology: A Journey through Experience

One of retail's most insightful minds makes her triumphant return to the pod. 

Sucharita Kodali, Forrester's Principal Analyst, was our very first guest when we launched the podcast in September of 2020, and now she's back to separate the hope from the hype on key topics like the important difference between e-commerce and digital commerce and the critical role of digital influence on brick-and-mortar performance. She also gives us her fun and fascinating perspective on how Amazon is different under Andy Jassy, where retail media networks are headed, the challenges in online grocery, luxury's future, and a whole lot more. We also get a bold prediction about Temu and rocket through a lighting round of hot-takes.

But before our interview we unpack the week in retail news brought to you by Scayle, the fastest-growing enterprise commerce platform in the world.

We kick things off with the implications of the latest news on inflation, before discussing Forrester's remarkable prediction on the dominance of Walmart and Amazon. We then move to two pieces of interesting Amazon news, discuss Couche-Tard's rebuff by 7-Eleven, ponder Big Lots bankruptcy, before wrapping up with two noteworthy quarterly earnings announcements.

About Scratch Event DJs

For over two decades, retailers like Nordstrom, Hugo Boss, Sephora and Nike have trusted Scratch Event DJs to boost vibes, drive sales, and immerse store guests in each brand’s unique identity. The Scratch team curates talent from their proprietary global network of top-tier local DJs to deliver energizing experiences that keep people coming back for more – for any event, any time, anywhere. 

Website Link:scratcheventdjs.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scratch-music-group/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scratcheventdjs/

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About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.