Retail Remix

 PacSun is one of the most beloved brands among Gen Z consumers. Tyler MacDonald attributes the retailer’s longevity to its focus on being authentic and relevant across all channels.   As Senior Manager of Influencers and Social Media, Tyler leverages a core strategy that revolves around four core pillars:  Nostalgia; Humor;  Being trend-focused; and  Being raw and organic.   During this episode of Retail Remix, we dig into this strategy, and how PacSun leverages its highly engaged network of influencers to drive success across TikTok, Instagram, the metaverse and more.    RELATED LINKS Learn more about PacSun  See additional coverage about PacSun on Retail TouchPoints  Register for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo to get more insights from Tyler on PacSun’s social strategy   

There was no shortage of trends poised to disrupt the retail industry this year — from sustainability to the metaverse. But which trends actually made an impact, and which were just hype?  During this special, rapid-fire episode of Retail Remix, we dig into the Big 8 trends spotlighted by January Digital in early 2022. Vic Drabicky and Sarah Engel dig into:  How these key trends have shaken out over the past 10 months;  Which brands and retailers are investing in these areas and have seen success; and  Tactical learnings and best practices to shape 2023 investments and strategies.   RELATED LINKS Learn more about January Digital Read about the Big 8 Trends Follow Sarah and Vic on LinkedIn 

Consumers are searching for product information on a host of new channels, from marketplaces to social networks, but Google still plays a key role in the customer experience.   But that doesn’t mean Google isn’t taking cues from these new consumer behaviors to shape product and experience innovation. During this special episode of Retail Remix, Lilian Rincon, Senior Director of Product for Shopping at Google, shared detailed insights about nine new features and tools that are making it easier for consumers to shop via Google. On the heels of the company’s SearchOn event, Lilian shared more context into the implications for retailers, including:  The impact of contextual, image-based search;How in-depth, full-funnel content can build shopper trust and accelerate decision-making; andWhy 3D imagery is a powerful conversion tool for online retailers.    RELATED LINKS Learn more about Google’s new shopping features See RTP’s coverage of the Google SearchOn event

 Nikki Baird is no stranger to tough conversations. She has held roles as a retail technology executive and an industry analyst, so she knows what it takes to assess, challenge and prioritize new trends and tech investments. Now, as VP of Strategy for Aptos, her job is to discuss the unique challenges and priorities of retail clients, and how they should shape their technology roadmaps.   During this week’s Retail Remix, Nikki gets real about innovation in retail, and offers her unique perspective on:  Whether the economic climate has stalled or jumpstarted innovation discussions; Which roles and titles drive innovation decisions and investments, and how practitioners can get a seat at the planning table; and How tech investment priorities are shifting as omnichannel becomes central to successful retail businesses.   RELATED LINKS Learn more about Aptos  Explore Aptos’ Unified Commerce resource hub Request an Aptos demo

If you have a cooler or an insulated lunch bag, you likely have an Igloo product. Although the brand has such a vast wholesale network, a direct-to-consumer (DTC) experience was key to establishing a direct line of communication with consumers to build out its product portfolio.Early on, the focus was on acquisition. But then, Kizzy Ezirio, Digital User Experience Director at Igloo, and her team wanted to focus on using direct engagement channels to collect more robust data about customers and have more intimate conversations. That’s how Igloo’s SMS strategy has made a big impact. During this episode of Retail Remix, Kizzy joins Tivan Amour, GM of Conversational at Attentive, to discuss how to:  Build out a high-quality list to support SMS strategies;  Combine triggered messages and high-touch, personalized messages to create a seamless experience that aligns with consumers’ unique preferences and expectations;  Integrate high-quality content and compelling incentives into SMS messages to drive engagement and action; and Use data to refine and optimize SMS strategies and the overall digital brand experience.RELATED LINKS Learn more about Attentive Concierge Learn more about Igloo 

As one of the founders of Max Brenner, the highly popular chocolate brand and restaurant chain, Oded Brenner was considered the world’s real-life Willy Wonka.  Now, after a brief hiatus, he’s embracing his inner “business artist” and building a new brand: Blue Stripes. While both businesses are connected by a core ingredient, the cacao fruit, Blue Stripes is leaning into CPG and a mission rooted in sustainability. During this episode of Retail Remix, Oded shares his founder story and:  Why the cacao fruit presented opportunities for product innovation and ideation;  How he approaches brand development and storytelling for such a niche story and value proposition; and  Why he is prioritizing wholesale partnerships over direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales.  RELATED LINKS Learn more about Blue Stripes Shop Blue Stripes online  Find Blue Stripes products in a store  

Frost Li has a rich history in tech, and she even helped Wish build out its growth division. In fact, it was during her time at Wish that she discovered her fascination with retail and, specifically, helping retail brands grow.   Social commerce has become a key method for brands of all sizes to reach their audiences and grow market share, however, different platforms have walled gardens and limited capabilities that prevent merchants from reaching their full potential. During this week’s Retail Remix, Frost shares why she wanted to design a solution to help retailers own the social commerce experience and how brands can:  Directly connect with consumers with rich branded and user-generated content;  Combine live shopping experiences and livestreams with static and immersive content experiences; and  Use data to understand consumers’ consumption behaviors and preferences to create more curated content experiences.  RELATED LINKS Learn more about Social Chat Redeem a special offer to test Social Chat today! See the latest news and insights on social commerce

After inspiring retail pride on a global scale, author and industry legend Ron Thurston is bringing his passion and perspectives on the road...literally. He has been traveling the U.S. in an airstream, stopping in different towns and sitting down with the people powering retail stores.   He took time out of his adventure to sit down for this episode of Retail Remix. Listen in and learn:  What’s really happening in retail across the U.S. (and beyond big cities);  How to combat “the Big Quit” and create a culture of listening, learning and improving; and   Technologies Ron believes are helping improve alignment and engagement from HQ to the store.  RELATED LINKS Listen and subscribe to ‘Retail in America’  Connect with Ron Thurston on LinkedIn

When we think of customer experience, the awareness, education and engagement stages of the shopping journey come to mind. In fact, merchants tend to focus on everything that comes before conversion. But as consumers pay more attention to ease and speed of fulfillment, the post-purchase experience is becoming a top priority.   During this episode of Retail Remix, Narvar’s Founder and CEO Amit Sharma offers his insights on:  Why the post-purchase experience has been overlooked and what retailers risk losing if they continue to ignore it; Ways merchants can orchestrate post-purchase communication to create transparency and build trust;  The power of personalized content and helpful resources to maintain customer engagement and set a foundation for long-term loyalty.   RELATED LINKS Learn more about Narvar Download the latest research on returns behaviors See more coverage on Narvar 

Amazon aggregators took the ecommerce world by storm during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But now, as these companies navigate economic volatility and shifts in the investor market, they’re focusing on building viable business models with long-term potential.For this Retail Remix episode, we revisit a session from the 2022 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, which features executives from three of the top Amazon aggregators: Acquco, Elevate Brands and Perch. In conversation with Nicole Silberstein, Ecommerce Editor for Retail TouchPoints, they discuss:Their unique approaches to identifying and growing Amazon brands using data; How they’re navigating market volatility and the stabilization of COVID-19 online shopping behaviors; andTips and recommendations for building an “acquisition ready” marketplace business.