Beyond The Shelf

This week we're re-airing our 10/21/25 episode featuring Joanna Crishock, VP of Digital Merchandising & Operations at Ahold Delhaize USA. She shares how she’s helping iconic brands like Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food, and The Giant Company stay agile, customer-focused, and digitally connected.  From her early days in consumer insights to leading omnichannel strategy across merchandising, operations, and retail media, Joanna brings a powerful “why-first” mindset to every challenge.Dave and Joanna discuss:How to bridge retail media and merchandising teamsWhat true customer-centricity looks like in digital retailWhy asking why is the key to better strategy and collaborationHow Joanna’s team helps brands deliver personalized, seamless experiencesWhat makes AD USA’s retail media offering stand outPlus: from Halloween treat planning to back-to-school dinners, why the best retailers solve for real life, not just transactions.To find out more about AD USA's retail media and full-funnel omnichannel capabilities, reach out to a member of their sales team at ad.retail.media.sales@aholddelhaizeusa.comConnect with Joanna on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week Dave is joined by Molly Hjelm, Corporate Vice President & Head of Retail Media at Ace Hardware's RedVest Media, . Molly shares what it takes to build a retail media network from scratch, while honoring the voice of thousands of independently owned stores.She breaks down what hyperlocal really means (it’s not just geography), how she applied learnings from grocery and dollar, and why in-store activation still matters in a digital-first world.Connect with Molly on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week on Beyond the Shelf, we’re joined by Carter Zwick, Partnerships and Insights Lead at Snag, a retail activation platform helping brands get in front of the Gen Z shopper with smarter sampling and real-world insights.College students are some of the most valuable—and most overlooked—shoppers in the market today. So how do you reach them early and build brand loyalty that lasts?Carter shares how his own caffeine habits were shaped in a college dorm room, why brands need to meet students where they are (physically and emotionally), and how to turn sampling into something measurable, actionable, and long-term.What You’ll Learn:Why the college campus is one of the most powerful—and underutilized—marketing arenasHow early brand experiences shape long-term loyaltyWhat new brands can do to win share from legacy competitorsWhy product sampling isn’t just for awareness—it’s a long gameConnect with Carter on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week's guest is Ash McMullen, Head of E-Commerce at Advantice Health.  At Advantice, Ash leads eCommerce and Amazon strategy for the brands Kerasal, AmLactin, Triple Paste, Dermoplast, New-Skin and Domeboro.  Dave and Ash explore:How Ash helped scale her dad’s Amazon business before agencies were even a thingWhy audience and content come before product in today’s innovation cyclesWhat it takes to rebrand brick-and-mortar hero products for today’s digital-first worldWhy micro-influencers are gaining groundHow Ash builds teams that thrive through chaos (and Prime Day curveballs)Connect with Ash on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

Paco Underhill is a pioneering retail anthropologist and the bestselling author of "Why We Buy," blending decades of behavioral research with commercial insights. In the conversation, he discusses how physical stores are transforming in a digital-first landscape and highlights surprising trends in the beauty sector. Paco emphasizes the unique human elements that AI cannot replicate and shares timeless retail forces influencing shopper behavior. He also offers practical advice for both in-store design and e-commerce strategies, making it a must-listen for brands.

This week Dave is joined by Joanna Crishock, VP of Digital Merchandising & Operations at Ahold Delhaize USA. She shares how she’s helping iconic brands like Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food, and The Giant Company stay agile, customer-focused, and digitally connected.  From her early days in consumer insights to leading omnichannel strategy across merchandising, operations, and retail media, Joanna brings a powerful “why-first” mindset to every challenge.Dave and Joanna discuss:How to bridge retail media and merchandising teamsWhat true customer-centricity looks like in digital retailWhy asking why is the key to better strategy and collaborationHow Joanna’s team helps brands deliver personalized, seamless experiencesWhat makes AD USA’s retail media offering stand outPlus: from Halloween treat planning to back-to-school dinners, why the best retailers solve for real life, not just transactions.To find out more about AD USA's retail media and full-funnel omnichannel capabilities, reach out to a member of their sales team at ad.retail.media.sales@aholddelhaizeusa.comConnect with Joanna on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

What does it take to digitally transform a $50 billion supply chain business?This week's guest, Murat Genc, President and Chief Information & Digital Officer at McLane Company, shares how he’s helping a 130-year-old company embrace the future of technology.From his early days building algorithms in college to leading transformations at P&G, Whirlpool, and now McLane, Murat brings a rare blend of technical depth, leadership savvy, and startup mentality to every challenge he faces.You'll learn about:The “always-on” mindset driving McLane’s modernizationBuilding AI assistants that work across every departmentHow emerging brands are breaking through with McLane’s helpWhat it really takes to scale transformation across legacy systemsConnect with Murat on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week's guest is Brian Anthony.  Brian  was in retail media before it was even called retail media. From his early days at Triad, helping launch the first LeBron James campaigns on walmart.com, to his current work shaping strategy across RMNs and brands, Brian brings a wealth of perspective to the evolution of the space.In this episode, he and Dave talk about:The early days of retail media and how far it’s comeWhat makes great creative (hint: simplicity, alignment, and execution)How to bridge the gap between brand and retailer voiceWhy data is only as good as the creative that brings it to lifeTips for streamlining approval workflows and avoiding late-stage breakdownsWhat every brand should be asking before launching a campaignConnect with Brian on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week we welcome Melissa Burdick, Co-Founder and President of Pacvue, the leading Commerce Operating System that unifies retail media, commerce management, and measurement. A former Amazon executive with nearly a decade of experience, Burdick helped launch Amazon’s CPG/Health & Beauty retail business and was an early leader in Amazon Advertising. In 2018, she co-founded and bootstrapped Pacvue, scaling it from a startup into a global company with over 700 employees, supporting more than 70,000 brands and agencies across 95+ retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Instacart. Under her leadership, Pacvue tripled its revenue annually, leading to a high-profile acquisition in 2021. Recognized as a thought leader in the commerce and retail media space, Burdick has been named an Inc. Top 100 Female Founder, Ad Age Leading Woman, P2PI Woman of Excellence, and Campaign’s Most Inspiring Woman. She is also a designated Amazon Ambassador and a frequent media commentator, appearing on platforms such as Bloomberg Technology. In this episode, Dave and Melissa cover:The founding story of Pacvue and its explosive growthWhy retail media needs more than automationHow TikTok is rewriting the rules of discovery commerceThe AI use cases that are actually workingWhy ROAS might need a rebrandConnect with Melissa on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week we’re joined by returning guest Jeff Cohen. Jeff is a go-to voice in the world of retail media. You’ll hear Jeff’s take on signal-based media, AI-powered ad creation, and the biggest creative blockers that brands still face today. He also shares why strategy, content, and creative execution can no longer live in separate silosConnect with Jeff on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker