Remarkable Retail Podcast

Explore Tractor Supply's growth story and CEO's journey. Learn about the 'life out here strategy' and blurred digital-physical experience. Discuss Walmart's strong quarter, NVIDIA's market cap surge, and Target's private brand launch. Marvel at Skechers' global expansion plans.

Our guest this week is Beth Ann Kaminkow, Global CEO, VMLY&R who joins us to talk about the ever changing landscape of retail and consumer branding, customer engagement, and loyalty. In particular with dip into what defines high performance retail and the emerging world of "creative commerce."  We also get a sneak preview of her upcoming session at the World Retail Congress in Paris. Then, as usual, we unpack the week in retail news including the correct way to pronounce Temu, news on the persistency of inflation and what lessons can be gleaned from the past month in retail sales. Then its another return to the Wobbly Unicorn Corner, before wrapping up with quarterly earnings from Shopify and Under Armour.To access VLM's rich trove of insights click here.  World Retail Congress:  Non-retailer passes and discount offer codes:Non-Retailer pass: REM-SPONRRetailer discount code: REM20Dive into the future of retail with the World Retail Congress's End of Year Report! Explore the latest trends, innovations, and insights shaping the competitive retail landscape, presented in collaboration with the Congress’s Knowledge Partners. The Congress’s report is a must-read for retailers to become world class in today’s retail climate. The End of Year Report reinforces the focus of next year’s World Retail Congress on High Performance Retail and our key pillars of winning the customer, winning with innovation, winning with purpose, the winning business models and building winning teams. Furthermore, the report brings together 14 of the world’s top retailers’ reflections from stores such as Action, Ikea, Zalando, Kmart Group, Woolworths and Wumart to present insights from around the world.  About Beth AnnBeth Ann is the Joint Chief Executive Officer of VML Commerce - WPP’s end-to-end Creative Commerce agency, created from the combined talent, expertise and scale of powerhouse global agencies VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson.Beth Ann is recognized as a leader with a proven record of reimagining retail, as well as creating and designing commercial programs that drive growth at the intersection of physical, digital and social. She continues to drive innovation in this space with a belief that commerce holds the most untapped creative potential to grow brands and people.In her two plus decades in the industry, Beth Ann has touched every aspect of marketing communications across consumer-packaged goods, retail, finance, restaurant and technology companies and brings both client and agency side perspectives to her work. She is a strong advocate of insights-inspired marketing programs and the power of creativity to drive positive societal impact.A worldwide traveler born in Baltimore (though she considers herself more of a Bostonian at heart- especially when it comes to sports loyalties!), Beth Ann graduated with a BA from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and an MBA from Boston University in Organizational Behavior. Beth Ann was a founding member of a successful startup purchased by Omnicom, led TracyLocke as the first female CEO in its one-hundred-year history, as well served as the first Global Chief Marketing Officer of Westfield Corp and CEO for Kantar Consulting Americas. She most recently served as Global CEO of Geometry.Beth Ann is a voice on IE&D issues and has been recognized as an AdAge Woman to Watch, is a member of WPP’s X-Factor, and serves on the national boards of the Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications as well as the non-profit charity Back on My Feet.While she sees work as personally fun and a bit of an endurance sport, she also is an avid runner, loves cities and making them better, and spending time with her husband, family, and close friends.About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.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, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   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 , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20 About UsSteve 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. 

Joining us for a deep dive on creating remarkable brand stories and driving powerful customer engagement are two industry veterans who will also be gracing the stage at next month's Shoptalk event in Las Vegas. Christiane Pendarvis, co-CEO of Pattern Beauty, Tracee Ellis Ross's hair care brand, and Andrea Moore, Chief Digital Officer of NEST New York, the fast growing fragrance brand deliver s a master class on the changing consumer landscape, evolving customer journeys, and what brands must do to stand out and win the future. They also preview their Shoptalk sessions.But as usual we start with our analysis of the week's most important retail news, including offering new Macy's CEO Tony Spring some unsolicited advice before wondering whether Andy Jassey and team may (finally) be on to something with their Amazon Fresh reboot. We also explore Target's rumored late entry to the membership game and what to make of Tapestry and Capri's final earnings report before they are formally hitched. We also try discern what what be in store for malls (and JC Penney) based upon reading between the lines of the Simon Property earnings call.Steve's new book--Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption--will be released April 23rd (note new release date). And for a limited time pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop,org, or any other retailer worldwide, and get some very special FREE bonuses.Buy 1 Copy and receive:- An exclusive PDF book excerpt- An invitation to a private pre-launch virtual event.Buy 5 Copies and receive:- All the above, plus access to a small group virtual Q&A session.Buy 25 copies or more and receive:- All the above, plus a private one-on-one 20 minute Zoom consulting or executive leadership coaching session with me.Simply email your receipt to leadersleap@sageberryconsullting.com and we will handle the rest!Shoptalk Offer:10% off General Attendee10% off Retailer & BrandCode - remarkableattendee Code - remarkableretailandbrandLink - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZWF0dGVuZGVlLink - https://stus24-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmVtYXJrYWJsZXJldGFpbGFuZGJyYW5k About ChristianeChristiane Pendarvis is a growth-oriented chief executive with over 25 years of experience leading direct-to-consumer and omni-channel consumer businesses. Her career focus has been in general management and retail merchandising, running $250M to $1B operating businesses with Fortune 500 brands such as Old Navy and Victoria’s Secret. Known for her ability to translate insights into business strategies, she has extensive strategic planning, assortment development, digital commerce and retail operations experience; and has driven large scale technology infrastructure projects.                                                         Ms. Pendarvis approaches all her roles with compassion, humility and empathy, driving profitable growth and shareholder value by unlocking the power of people and diverse teams. She sits on the board of directors for Hims & Hers (NYSE: HIMS, Member - Audit) and Hootsuite (Chair – Nom/Gov, Member – Audit) and was previously on the board of Savage X Fenty.  Ms. Pendarvis has been recognized in WWD’s 2023 Most Inspirational Women Leaders, WWD’s 2022 50 Women in Power and as a Top Woman in Retail by Women in Retail Leadership Circle in 2021.  Ms. Pendarvis is currently Co-CEO of PATTERN Beauty By Tracee Ellis Ross where she is responsible for all aspects of the business in partnership with Ms. Ellis Ross, the Founder.  Prior to Pattern, she was Co-President at Savage X Fenty where under her leadership the company grew 6X from 2019 to 2022 and successfully closed two financing rounds totaling $240M in 2021. She led an expansion into new product categories including Mens, Loungewear and Womens Activewear as well as the brand’s channel expansion into physical retail in 2022.  Ms. Pendarvis has held executive roles with top tier retailers and DTC companies including Victoria’s Secret, Aerie, Old Navy, Minted and FullBeauty Brands.  Her scope of experience is wide, having managed women’s and men’s apparel, intimate apparel, beauty, consumer electronics and consumer packaged goods.Energized by high growth environments, Ms. Pendarvis also has experience in start-ups and mid-tier companies. She excels in helping brands, teams and individuals grow and succeed in the face of rapidly changing industry dynamics. She currently sits on the Shop Talk Advisory Board and is Chairperson of the Women of Color Retail Alliance board. She also has a long history of non-profit board service (National Black MBA Association Cincinnati Chapter, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco and the Violet Torch Foundation).                        Ms. Pendarvis earned a BA in Economics from Harvard University and an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina (Consortium for Graduate Study in Management fellowship program). She is passionate about increasing diversity and representation in the fashion industry and dedicates her time to mentoring women of color specifically. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and identical twin daughters.About AndreaAndrea Moore is a C-Level Omni-Channel Executive with extensive experience launching and building digital businesses quickly and profitably.  Andrea’s areas of expertise include digital strategy, marketing and merchandising, technology, analytics and team leadership and talent development.Andrea has experience in large, publicly traded companies, as well as small, entrepreneurial, private-equity backed brands; in digital businesses of up to $100M in annual revenue and teams of up to 40.Angel investor, Advisory Board member, non-profit Board Chair, FIT Adjunct Professor.About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in April 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.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, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   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 , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20 About UsSteve 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. 

The podcast discusses Walmart's sustainability journey, key initiatives, and challenges. They cover Walmart's financial performance, retail strategies, and job market insights. Also, they highlight major companies' earnings reports, sustainability transformation, and reflections on leadership at Walmart.

In this podcast, the hosts discuss provocative predictions for retail in 2024, including the bifurcation of everything, the future of Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Nordstrom, and retailers expanding their health services. They also cover hot takes on retail news, challenges in China's retail industry, fluctuations in container rates, the impact of the Suez Canal issue, and predictions for the industry. Additionally, they explore Nordstrom's potential expansion and Apple's new product, Vision Pro.

Angela Clark from Patagonia shares wisdom on digital transformation and purpose. The hosts discuss NRF Big Show insights, Apple's Vision Pro release, and Birkenstock's success. They also cover challenges in the retail industry, including Macy's layoffs. The episode ends with a focus on Patagonia's sustainable practices and brand vision.

Retail experts Kate Ancketill of GDR Creative Intelligence and Alberto Serrentino of Varese Retail discuss the outlook for UK retail, the impact of retail media networks and content-driven commerce, the growing importance of AI in retail, and governmental involvement in the industry.

We're back with Season 8 and kick it off with one of the industry's leading thought leaders--Carrie Tharp, VP Strategic Industries at Google Cloud. With her past experience in senior leadership at Fossil Group, Neiman Marcus, and Travelocity, and current board roles at the National Retail Federation, Vera Bradley, and Rue Gilt Groupe, Carrie brings tremendous perspective on where retail is headed and the challenges and opportunities brands face.In a wide ranging discussion we delve into the current state of cloud technology, where generative AI is headed (including the results of Google's new industry survey), and how retailers can accelerate their pace of transformation--including tips on how to deploy "test and learn" strategies. We also discuss specific use cases, including a recently launched partnership with Victoria's Secret to close the digital divide, expand conversational commerce, and a whole lot more.Before we dive into our typical opening segment we engage in a bit of humble-bragging sharing our own news that the pod won the top "Retail Voice" award at this year's VIP Awards show.We also announce some special pre-order bonuses for Steve's forthcomign book (see below).Then we jump into our hot takes on the week in retail news, including whether the holiday season delivered the goods or not. Then its on to good news as Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle take their sales guidance up. We follow it with bad news, however, as "new department store" concept Showfield's shuts down and competitor Neighborhood Goods retrenches. We can't miss the opportunity to talk about the success of the ludicrously capacious Stanley Quencher. We wrap up with the shocking news that physical retail is still not dead. Presented by Celonis.My new book--"Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption"--will be released March 12th. And for a limited time pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop,org, or any other retailer worldwide, and get some very special FREE bonuses.Buy 1 Copy and receive:- An exclusive PDF book excerpt- An invitation to a private pre-launch virtual event.Buy 5 Copies and receive:- All the above, plus access to a small group virtual Q&A session.Buy 25 copies or more and receive:- All the above, plus a private one-on-one 20 minute Zoom consulting or executive leadership coaching session with me.Simply email your receipt to leadersleap@sageberryconsullting.com and we will handle the rest! About CarrieInnovative Chief Digital Officer/Chief Marketing Officer with experience driving growth and business transformation in retail, consumer products and eCommerce based businesses. Creating data driven, customer centric strategies that drive growth through new customer experiences, digital innovation, and business model expansion. Currently focused on evolving retail capabilities for the new digital age - dedicated to building teams and experiences to serve customers in new and compelling ways.About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..Steve will be back on stage at Shoptalk in Las Vegas and we've got a special offer for our podcast listeners to save an additional 10% on registration. Retailer & Brands use Code: RBREMAR225 by going here.General Attendee: use code: GAREMAR360 here.Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.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, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   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 , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20 About UsSteve 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. 

Did you know that 2024 is a leap year? Are you prepared to make the leaps you must to win the epic battle between being remarkable or risking irrelevance as the pace of change accelerates, as the bar for performance gets raised higher and higher? As increasingly Fortune favors the bold, are you ready to leap ahead of the competition?This is Steve Dennis, strategic advisor, keynote speaker and best-selling author inviting you to join me and fellow retail insider Michael LeBlanc each week as we challenge the status quo, dissect the latest news and trends and speak with the industry's most remarkable and thought-provoking executives. We'll also be unpacking the lessons from my brand new book, Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption.Listeners worldwide have made us the retail industry's top-rated and top listen-to independent podcasts. This season, we'll continue with our unique take on retail's most important news and feature guests who are shaping the future of modern retail. So be sure to follow us on Apple, Spotify, Google podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcast today and brace yourself for a steady stream of wisdom, straight talk and lively conversation.Season Eight, presented by Celonis, launches on January 16. And we can't wait for you to join us! About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..Steve will be back on stage at Shoptalk in Las Vegas and we've got a special offer for our podcast listeners to save an additional 10% on registration. Retailer & Brands use Code: RBREMAR225 by going here.General Attendee: use code: GAREMAR360 here.Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.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, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   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 , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel! SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20 About UsSteve 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. 

We mark the close of our seventh season with a return visit from Ira Kalish, Deloitte's Chief Global economist, who helps us look back at how 2023 unfolded and gives us a glimpse into the macro-economic outlook for the year ahead. In a wide ranging conversation we delve into the possibility for a soft-landing, when we might start to see interest cuts, and the overall prospects for important global economies. We also discuss prospects for a thawing in the housing market, the potential looming crisis in commercial real estate, and a whole lot more.But we kick things off with a fast-paced review of the most important retail news, including the continued string of positive economic reports and what it might mean for the holiday season. Then we move on to quite a lot of activity in the luxury e-commerce space as Farfetch gets saved by coupang and MatchesFashion get acquired by the UK's Frasers Group. We conclude by dissecting quarterly earnings from JC Penney and Nike.*********************************Join Steve on January 9th at 11am EST for a special webinar on how to get the most out of the NRF's Big Show. He'll share tips on navigating the event, highlight the can't miss sessions, and showcase promising new retail technology. And it's all free. Go here to pre-register. About IraDr. Kalish is the Chief Global Economist of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. He is a specialist in global economic issues as well as the effects of economic, demographic, and social trends on the global business environment. He advises Deloitte clients as well as Deloitte’s leadership on economic issues and their impact on business strategy. In addition, he has given numerous presentations to corporations and trade organizations on topics related to the global economy. He is widely traveled and has given presentations in 47 countries on six continents. He has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Financial Times. Dr. Kalish holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vassar College and a PhD in international economics from Johns Hopkins University.About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..Steve will be back on stage at Shoptalk in Las Vegas and we've got a special offer for our podcast listeners to save an additional 10% on registration. Retailer & Brands use Code: RBREMAR225 by going here.General Attendee: use code: GAREMAR360 here.Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.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! SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20 About UsSteve 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.