Challenges Faced by Forever 21 and Interview with Crate and Barrel CEO

In our final episode of Season 8 we welcome Janet Hayes, CEO of Crate and Barrel Holdings, the leading home furnishings player with over 100 stores in 9 countries.

Janet shares leadership lessons from a remarkable career with brands like Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Nike, and Gap and, now, in her current role driving growth as the CEO of Crate & Barrel, CB2, and Hudson Grace. We delve into her perspectives on the role of technology, the changing nature of work in a post-COVID world, and more. We also get a glimpse into the drive forces behind their new flagship store in New York's Flatiron District. 

But before our fantastic interview we unpack the week in retail news, starting with Amazon achieving another remarkable milestone, along with word of its pending launch of a Temu/Shein fighter. Then we try to make sense of just what the heck is going on at Walgreen's before dipping into less than stellar earnings news from Nike and JC Penney. We wrap up with what seem like forever troubles at Forever 21.

About Janet

Janet Hayes is a retail industry veteran, with more than 30 years of leadership experience building digitally-led and customer-centric organizations. Currently, Janet is CEO of Crate and Barrel Holdings, a role she started in August 2020, amidst a global pandemic that catalyzed a pivotal shift in consumers’ lives and the retail industry as a whole.

Focused on building modern, authentic brands, Janet maximizes growth and profitability by elevating the customer experience through an omnichannel and personalized brand presence.

A modern mindset guides Janet’s leadership style and centers around making decisions rooted in personal purpose. Janet is an inspiring, inclusive leader who builds, mentors, and leads high performing teams that reflect CBH customers' unique values and experiences.

• www.crateandbarrel.com
• App: Download the new Crate & Barrel App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/crate-barrel/id529356019

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.