Retail Gets Real

Kelly Cook, chief marketing and IT officer for David’s Bridal, talks us through her background in retail before landing at David’s and how the forward-thinking brand is staying fresh and relevant with an expanded TikTok strategy. We also learn how Cook’s team leverages live shopping events with social media influencers and stays on-trend with the latest in bridal fashions and weddings – like colored gowns, grandparent ring bearers and gender-fluid bridal parties. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Shawn Nelson was just out of high school when he designed and produced the first LoveSac. Nearly 25 years later, it’s the fastest-growing furniture brand of the last decade and has reinvented the couch, the living room and even all of retail – forever. He takes us through the company’s journey into physical retail (and right back out) and how it weathered the pandemic with sustained momentum. We also get his take on the modern showroom, once a dirty word, and how LoveSac presents its physical spaces, not as transaction hubs, but as vibe centers that demonstrate the brand’s culture and forward-thinking mentality.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Babies need a lot of stuff, which is why expectant parents spend 40 hours on average building out their baby registry. On today’s show, Lee Anne Grant, Chief Growth Officer at Babylist, discusses her career path from babysitter to Babylist, how the company uses TikTok and the metaverse to meet their consumers where they are, and the evolution of Babylist into the leading vertical marketplace and commerce destination for baby. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Halloween is one of Party City’s biggest seasons and is a huge undertaking that includes hiring and training 20,000 new seasonal employees and sourcing costumes and décor more than a year in advance. On today’s show, Odette Welling, vice president of merchandising — and the self-confessed “Halloween queen” at Party City — talks all things Halloween, including the retailer’s most popular costumes for kids, adults, teens and pets.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Ikea’s latest cutting-edge technology allows customers to visualize Ikea products in their own homes. On today’s show, Thomas Fenrich, VP of digital product U.S., talks about Ikea Kreativ, a new technology that combines decades of Ikea life-at-home expertise with the latest developments in spatial computing, machine learning and 3D mixed reality technologies. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Just skimming the headlines reveals the dichotomy of today’s economy – consumers are still spending, despite worries about inflation and increased costs for food and fuel. Armed with PwC’s latest consumer survey, partner and U.S. retail leader Kelly Pederson joins the show to talk about consumer resiliency, how retailers are handling inventory and pricing, and which consumers will be spending the most this holiday season.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Calvin Quallis is all about helping men look good and feel good. As the founder and CEO of Scotch Porter, Quallis has taken his men’s grooming and skincare brand from a kitchen experiment to the shelves of CVS, Target and Walmart. On this episode, Quallis dives into how he started and scaled his brand, the evolution of the male consumer and providing access, opportunity and employment to other people of color.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Zach Freeze, senior director for sustainability at Walmart, discusses Walmart's approach to climate and its evolving sustainability efforts, and what it's like to lead them as part of one of the largest and most influential retailers in the world. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Jill Thomas is the CMO of PGA TOUR Superstore. The company, and the sport, have both seen a recent surge of growth due to COVID-19 and golf’s unique position as an outdoor activity that is social distancing-friendly and connection fostering.A large part of Jill’s goal is to continue fostering growth in the sport and attracting people from diverse backgrounds to it. One of their primary channels for that growth is through the retail store. Creating an inclusive environment that is welcoming to avid golfers and curious newcomers alike is what Jill sees as the company’s path to future growth.Another big facet of Jill’s role is diversity. For too long, women have played a minimized role in both the business world and the sport of golf. Through its store culture, PGA TOUR Superstores hopes to make all customers feel welcome.Listen to the full episode to learn more about how PGA TOUR Superstores is expanding the world of golf to a broader audience and impacting not only the future of retail but of the sport as well. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

From its delivery tracker to a mind-ordering app developed in partnership with Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” Domino’s has been delivering on innovation since 1960. Many of those innovations have come about by listening to the customer and adapting based on what they needed, says Christopher Thomas-Moore, senior vice president of customer and store experiences at Domino’s. On this episode, Thomas-Moore discusses his career journey, how the pizza brand leads when it comes to innovation, and the future of the quick service industry. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.