RETHINK RETAIL

Hello and welcome back to the RETHINK Retail Podcast. On today’s episode we are revisiting a discussion from the RETHINK Retail archives. Recorded in November 2019, Julia Hare sits down with Alexander Genov, head of customer experience research at Zappos. A pioneer in human-centric experience, Zappos differentiates itself through its top-tier customer service—a strategy that Genov says helps the brand create a lasting emotional connection with its customers, which in turn, results in customers who are extremely loyal to the brand. Now of course, a lot has changed since we recorded this episode in 2019, and as a result of the pandemic we are seeing many more brands adopt a human-centric approach to retailing, which is something Zappos has been doing for two decades. During their conversation, Julia and Alex explore Zappos’ exceptional customer service culture, the power of transparency and trust, and why it’s imperative that retailers get to know their customers at an individual level. Thanks for tuning in and we hope you enjoy this special episode from the RETHINK Retail vault.

Host Gabriella Bock is joined by Leilani Han, executive director of commerce at Wirecutter, a New York Times-owned product review publication that attracts an average of 12 million readers a month. During their conversation, Leilani discusses the evolution of affiliate marketing as well as how Wirecutter tests products, identifies strategic partnerships and earns the trust of its readers.  About Leilani Han: In her role at Wirecutter, Leilani is focused on driving strategy for affiliate revenue, licensing, programmatic and other strategic partnerships.  During her tenure, she has diversified direct partnerships with dozens of brands and strengthened existing core partnerships, while overseeing the success of deal and tentpole events in conjunction with other Wirecutter leaders. This work has helped the product-recommendation company significantly grow affiliate revenue year over year.  Leilani has over 15 years of experience, beginning her career at Nielsen's online division before pivoting to focus on affiliate marketing over the last dozen years. She has specialized in commerce content since 2016. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Gabriella Bock Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton

In this episode, host Gabriella Bock catches up with Marie Driscoll, Coresight Research's Managing Director of Luxury and Retail, to discuss Marie's experience and observations from World Retail Congress where she moderated a panel on seizing opportunities within new markets and channels. Marie and Gabriella also discuss the state of retail, Gen Z and opportunities for luxury in the metaverse. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Gabriella Bock Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton

On this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Marni Schapiro, the Head of Global Advertising & Affiliate Partnerships at Afterpay, shares some interesting financial insights on Gen Z consumers and reveals why it's critical for retailers to seek new platforms to market and advertise themselves on. Prior to joining Afterpay, Marni built her career with editorial companies like Marie Claire and Cosmo and tech giants like Google and Snap. Afterpay is an alternative payments platform that allows consumers across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States to shop and purchase products in 4 installments over 6 weeks. Afterpay is also available in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK where they’re known as Clearpay. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Julia Hare Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton

In this episode, host Carl Boutet sits down with guests Megan Lunde and Rasmus Hyltegard to discuss digital transformation and bust a few myths about customer data and marketing. They’ll also weigh in on a few recent digital transformation stories that have been making headlines in the news. Megan Lunde is a Solutions Consultant at Amperity, an Enterprise CDP trusted by the world’s most loved brands to accelerate their shift to first-party customer relationships. Amperity has revolutionized the way brands identify, understand, and connect with their customers by leveraging AI to deliver a comprehensive and actionable Customer 360. Rasmus Hyltegard is an AI & IoT Retail Lead at Avanade, where he leads a team that provides retail and consumer goods clients with actionable insights using data and AI specific technologies. Founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft, Avanade is a leading provider of innovative digital, cloud and advisory services, industry solutions and design-led experiences across the Microsoft ecosystem. Host info: Based in Montreal Canada, Carl Boutet brings his 25 plus years of retail leadership experience to StudioRx a strategy advisory firm he founded to support retailers, business leaders, b2c solution providers, and researchers focused on how to tailor the best solutions according to consumers’ rapidly evolving needs and build the effective commercial strategies to meet them. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Carl Boutet Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, host Trevor Sumner sits down with Shrenik Sadalgi, director of research and development at Wayfair Next. During their conversation they discuss Shrenik’s professional journey to Wayfair and dive deep into fascinating topics like immersive technology, the Metaverse and the future of 3D search. Shrenik Sadalgi is an ideator, a futurist, a thinker-doer and a technologist. As head of Wayfair Next, he leads the exploration of far-future R&D for Wayfair where he and his team are pioneering the future of retail and home by leveraging emerging technologies and inventing new ones. Shrenik also won the Retail Innovator of the Year in 2019 and his work has been the recipient of Edison & Webby awards. Host info: In addition to being a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer, Trevor is the CEO of Perch, a recognized leader in in-store Product Engagement Marketing, interactive retail displays and augmented reality. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Trevor Sumner Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton

In this episode, host Haixia Yu sits down with Better Choice Company’s EVP of Strategy Rob Sauermann, to discuss the company’s expansion into international markets and how the company considers factors like cultural nuances when entering a new market. Rob Sauermann is the Executive Vice President of Strategy at Better Choice Company, a rapidly growing pet health and wellness company that owns premium brands like Halo and Trudog. In his role, Rob is responsible for managing all international sales and distributor relationships and strategically oversees M&A, company partnerships, investor relations, special projects and human resources. In addition to being a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer, Haixia Yu is a global business leader that built international teams from the US, China, India, and Japan to launch new businesses and products, including a cross-border eCommerce platform for one of the largest retailers in China. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Haixia Yu Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton

In this episode, host Julia Hare sits down with Parachute Home Founder and CEO Ariel Kaye. A rising star among the house and home category, Parachute Home makes premium quality home essentials rooted in minimalist décor, a neutral color palette, and natural materials. The brand, which is in a period of rapid growth, saw almost $150M in revenue in 2021, and is thriving through the power of social media and collaborations with sought-after artists and brands, like Madewell in 2020 and Crate & Barrel in 2021. In this episode, you'll hear Ariel's journey to founding the brand, insights on DTC, branding and influencer strategy, as well as what's next for the brand as it expands into physical stores. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Julia Hare Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton

At just 23-years-old, Jeremy Cai founded Italic, a revolutionary marketplace that offer consumers atelier-grade essentials from the same manufacturers as top brands with zero markups and logos. Named one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Retail Companies of 2021, Italic is quickly becoming a social media star and favorite among millennial consumers as it disrupts the premium and luxury retail sectors one label-free product at a time. In this episode guest host Nicole Leinbach and Italic Founder and CEO Jeremy Cai discuss his journey to founding Italic, his experience as a young entrepreneur and his vision for the future of the company. If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Nicole Leinbach Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton

The last two years have forced a fundamental change from the tactical implementation of commerce technology to become commercialized as a strategic growth driver. In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, author and technology futurist Daniel Burris sits down with Richard Berkman, global leader for IBM Consulting's Digital Commerce & Enterprise Design Thinking practices, to discuss the future of retail technology and the three key growth levers retailers must focus on as they adapt their commerce efforts for the road ahead. IBM iX works at the intersection of strategy, design and technology to digitally reinvent your business. By putting customer experience at the center of your business, IBM iX takes a human-centered, outcomes-led approach to defining your digital strategy and delivering exceptional customer experiences to build your business, by design. Learn more about how IBM iX can help your businesses at: https://ibm.biz/BdPBHM If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know by subscribing to our channel and giving us a 5 star rating us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. - - - - - - Hosted by Daniel Burrus Produced by Gabriella Bock Edited by Chase Atherton