Remarkable Retail Podcast

Azita Martin,  Vice President and GM of AI for Retail, CPG and QSR at NVIDIA is our very special guest. She joins us to discuss the ways AI is beginning to transform the retail landscape, and how NVIDIA is helping accelerate retailers' journeys.We start off by discussing how NVIDIA has grown to become the third most valuable company in the world, before focusing in on how they leverage their hardware and software solutions to power retail innovation. We dig into where GenAI is gaining the greatest traction and where new use cases are emerging that save retailers money and drive great effectiveness. In particular, we explore how "digital twins" can unlock previously unimaginable value.But first we give our hot takes on the week in retail news, including a bit of good news on the grocery inflation front and strong quarterly results from Walmart and one of our favorite emerging remarkable brands On Running. But the earnings news is far less favorable for JC Penney and Home Depot. We end with a discussion of Wayfair's first big (and overdue) foray into physical retail.Presented by Celonis.Information from NVIDIA:https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/lp/industries/state-of-ai-in-retail-and-cpg/https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/industries/retail/driving-agility-in-retail-with-ai-ebook/https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/industries/retail/About AzitaAzita leads the Retail team at NVIDIA. She is responsible for global go-to-market strategy in the vertical. She advises senior executives on best practices of leveraging AI to improve operational efficiencies and identify new revenue streams. Prior to NVIDIA, Azita was the Chief Marketing Officer at Maana, an AI software platform used by industrial companies to accelerate building AI applications. Azita has been working with the Chief Digital Officers and heads of analytics/AI of F500 industrial companies and is intimately familiar with the top AI use cases that are demonstrating business value. 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. 

Chris Riccobono, Founder & Executive Chairman of UNTUCKit, discusses the brand's success through online, wholesale, and retail strategies. He shares insights on navigating the COVID crisis and future plans for expansion and international growth. The podcast also analyzes retail industry trends, including Peloton acquisition talks and Saks & Neiman Marcus merger speculations.

Our guest this week is Nancy King, until recently SVP, Product Engineering at Target whose interview from 2022 we are reprising.This episode provides a deep-dive, insider's perspective on how Target has embraced the blur of modern retail and put their stores at the center of the guest experience. We get a fascinating behind the scenes look at how the application of agile methodology, combined with digital technology and a willingness to experiment aggressively, has driven break-through results. We also explore how Target knew to invest in these areas ahead of the COVID crisis and what their plans are to stay in sync with ever escalating customer needs and wants.  Nancy has just been named Chief Technology Officer for RB Global, Inc, the trusted global marketplace for insights, services and transactional solutions for commercial assets and vehicles. Congrats Nancy, and best of luck in the new gig!As usual we open with the week in retail news, including weaker than expected US job growth, blockbuster earnings from Amazon, and a not so buzzy report from Starbucks. Walmart announced it was pulling the plug on it's healthcare foray while at the same time launching a new grocery private label line called bettergoods. Then it's a return to the Wobbly Unicorn Corner and another rough quarter from both Peloton and Wayfair. We end with happier news as Ross Stores announces plan to open more than 2 million square feet of new retail space.  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. 

Experienced retail executive Billy May discusses DTC evolution, e-commerce, and harmonized retail essentials. News on bankruptcies, luxury brand performance, UBS predictions, and economic uncertainty. Insights on building successful retail brands, customer-centricity, and retail evolution leadership.

We have an fantastic episode for you featuring the virtual launch event for Steve's brand-new book, Leaders Leap, recorded Monday April 22nd.Steve is joined by a panel of extraordinary guests, all of whom are leaders in their respective fields. We have the privilege of hosting best-selling author and friend Seth Godin, an entrepreneur and speaker who has not only launched one of the most popular blogs in the world but has also written 21 best-selling books. We also have Bridget Brennan, acknowledged as the leading authority on the world's most powerful consumer market: women. She is the author of the books, "Why She Buys: The New Strategy for Reaching the World's Most Powerful Consumers" and "Winning Her Business: How to Transform the Customer Experience for the World's Most Powerful Consumers" and is the Founder & CEO of Female Factor consulting firm. Sally Elliott, the co-leader of Spencer Stuart's global Retail Practice based in London, and Hal Lawton, President & CEO at Tractor Supply Company, also join us.We'll be back next week with our regularly scheduled programming, including top retail news and an exclusive interview with the one and only Billy May, CEO of Brooklinen, live from the Bambuser podcast studio at Shoptalk in Las Vegas.Presented by Celonis.  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. 

Melanie Brown, VP of Orange Apron Media at Home Depot, delves into the company's unique retail media journey. They discuss Amazon's shareholder letter, Rent the Runway's positive outlook, Allbird's delisting risk, and Home Depot's innovative approach to retail media network monetization.

David J. Katz, EVP & CMO at Randa Apparel & Accessories, shares his expertise in the fashion world. He delves into the ongoing wholesale vs. direct-to-consumer debate and explores how customer data can fuel growth. Katz discusses the future of department stores against the backdrop of evolving shopping habits and examines Shein's explosive growth within fast fashion. He also highlights the impact of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and how economic trends shape the retail landscape today.

This week we preview the NRF Big Show APAC debuting this June in Singapore, with two very special guests:  Ngai Yuen Low, Group Chief Merchandise And Marketing Officer at AEON Co Malaysia live from Kuala Lumpur, and Ryf Quail, Compexosium's Managing Director live from Sydney, Australia. We start by delving into Yuen's incredible and diverse experience in the region, getting her thoughts on what makes her company so remarkable, before we explore her leadership style. Then Ryf gives us his thoughts on the impetus for such an exciting new event and what guests can expect. Needless to say, Steve is very excited to be going!But we kick things off by announcing the virtual launch event for Steve's new book. Go here to pre-register. Then it's on to the news of the week, including a few clues into where inflation and interest rates might be headed. Then it's on to dissecting the implications from last week's earnings reports from RH, GameStop, Walgreen's, and H&M. We also unpack a big deal from Home Depot to solidify it's position in the professional market. Then it's on to two big moves from Amazon to increase its AI and cloud computing position, before we wrap up with concerns about the Ozempic recession as Krispy Kreme and McDonald's double down on their partnership.  About YuenLow Ngai Yuen, a multiple award-winning workaholic also sits as an Independent Non-Executive Director of two public listed companies, GDEX Berhad and OCK Berhad. GDEX is a logistic and freight company while OCK is in the business of telecommunications network services and energy.Adding to her list of accolades is being named Tokoh Wanita Muda, a prestigious award presented by Her Majesty, the former Queen during the National Council of Women’s Organizations, NCWO's celebration of National Women's Day. Also named Most Successful Woman of 2014 by Jessica Magazine, Bella Creative Award 2013 by ntv7, Women Weekly’s Great Women Of Our Time 2012 award for the category of Media and Arts as well as Her World's Young Achiever of the year 2008.An Elevate Fellow as well as the US Department of State's IVLP's almuni, over the past 20 years, Yuen has gone from producing, directing and creating some of the highest rating TV programs in the country and regional countries to joining the corporate world – as the Director of Marketing and Communications of Carrefour Malaysia and Singapore, sitting on its management and exec committee; to being appointed the Exec Director/CEO of Global Entrepreneurship Movement Assoc that bridge technology to the underserved entrepreneurs.She championed the TUKAR program (Program Transformasi Kedai Runcit) both at the blueprint and execution phases as contribution to the ETP. In 2011, she was selected as a subject matter expert for the Prime Minister's Roundtable on engaging the youth and subsequently, Yuen leads the performing arts pillar through Kakiseni, an arts NGO to map the industry’s growth for the Dasar Industri Kreatif Negara. Kakiseni has just launched its second book in the Hikayat series to make traditional arts relevant to the young. This is the 5th best selling titles that she produced alongside MPH to date. Yuen founded WOMEN:girls in 2011, a not for profit and cause driven organisation to drive higher women's share of voice. Driving higher women participation in leadership and decision making to apprenticeship programs for girls at risk to Ikal Mayang; a series of short films for girls to realise their voices/aspirations/dreams. An important milestone is achieved when Ikal Mayang is selected officially to premiere internationally at the 18th Busan International Film Festival 2013.In 2021, Yuen released the acclaimed social film on humanity called Orang Itu on Netflix. Orang Itu scored a 10/10 from film critic, Tan Sri Johan Jaafar in The Star and is named the top 5 must watch Malaysian film of the year. About Ryf With over 20 years of experience in media and tech, Ryf is a passionate and visionary leader who thrives on finding and converting opportunities across all categories. He is the Managing Director for Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia at Comexposium, one of the world's largest event organisers, where he oversees the region's leading marketing, e-commerce and media events. Ryf has a proven track record of building successful businesses, from launching a digital media start-up that became the largest in Australia, to delivering best-in-class digital and CRM programmes for a global professional service firm, to being recognised as Leader of the Year for Comexposium. He holds an MBA from the University of Otago Business School and has a strong network across the Asia Pacific region. Ryf's mission is to create impactful and innovative solutions for clients and partners, and to empower and inspire his team to achieve excellence. 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. 

Join Craig Brommers, American Eagle's CMO, as he discusses AEO's success, Gen Z marketing, digital's role in stores, and sustainability in retail. Discover why physical retail is alive, news on Nordstrom going private, and insights from other top brands. Learn about retail strategies, the impact on dollar stores, and balancing business goals with social responsibility. Gain advice on navigating the fast-paced industry and advancing in retail and marketing careers.

Our guest this week is Michael Ward, CEO of Harrod's.  Harrod's is truly among the most iconic and remarkable retailers in the world, and Michael gives us a glimpse inside what makes the brand and store so special. He also shares details about how they provide exceptional levels of customer service, the best of the best products, and how they stay on the leading edge of innovation. We also learn about their new members club in Shanghai, and get a glimpse into his upcoming talk at the World Retail Congress in Paris next month.As usual, we kick things off by delving into the week in retail, starting with the growing higher rates for longer, before moving on to a discussion of surprising management changes at Under Armour and Fossil. Then there is a mix of many store openings from Aldi and On Running, while Family Dollar goes in a totally different direction, Outdoor Voices bails on brick & mortar entirely, and Body Shop mostly bails on North America. We also revisit the mounting problems at Allbirds, which includes some store closings as well. Kohl's reported a weak quarter, but announced a potentially intriguing partnership with Babies R Us.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 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.