How to Win and Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption

Joining us in conversation about his just released new book Winner Sells All: Amazon, Walmart, and the Battle for Our Wallets is Jason Del Rey, the veteran business journalist who has spent a decade reporting on Amazon, Walmart, and how technology is transforming retail. 

We explore the evolution of the rivalry and how it's shaped the world of commerce, while learning about some of the key inflection points that have propelled Walmart's race to embrace digital technology, including the Jet.com acquisition. We compare and contrast the two retail giant's innovation DNA through Jason's great behind the scenes anecdotes gleaned from his more than 150 interviews. We conclude with a review of each company's healthcare ambitions.

But first, as is our custom, we kick-off the penultimate episode of Season 6 with the week in retail news, exploring what the latest macro-economic news portends for the balance of the year. Then we do some quick hits on Overstock.com's "stalking horse" bid for Bed, Bath & Beyonds intellectual property, Westfield's decision to walk away from its downtown San Francisco mall, and what to make of Kroger's lukewarm earnings report.

About Jason

Jason Del Rey is a veteran business journalist who spent a decade at Recode, a leading online technology publication, reporting on Amazon, Walmart, and how technology is transforming retail, both online and in stores. He is the host of Land of the Giants: The Rise of Amazon, a narrative podcast series about the tech giant’s rise and the impact of its relentless ambition on hundreds of millions of people across the globe. He was also the producer of Code Commerce, an event series featuring unscripted interviews with the most influential executives and entrepreneurs working at the intersection of technology and commerce. In 2019, the National Retail Federation named him one of the “25 People Shaping Retail’s Future.” He lives in Northern New Jersey with his wife and two children.

About Us

Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and       LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel      here.

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 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.