Retail Remix

The road to business expansion is not a one-way path. There are multiple routes, complete with twists, turns and bumps along the way. But if brands and retailers want insight into trends that will likely trickle into the global marketplace and impact their future success, they should look at APAC.  To dig into some of the emerging and growing trends in this unique market, we have Julian Reis, Founder and CEO of SuperOrdinary on the show. He shares:  The unique opportunities beauty brands have to build a loyal following in APAC, especially China;  How this market has served as a powerful jumping-off point for key trends, such as live shopping and social commerce; and Ways retailers in the U.S. can analyze consumer behaviors worldwide to chart their course for future innovation.  RELATED LINKS Learn more about SuperOrdinary Dig into Retail TouchPoints content on global expansion  

While ecommerce and social media have certainly made shopping easier, they also have made it a bit overwhelming. With instant access to so many brands and products, it’s difficult for consumers to easily weigh options and find the best, safest product. This is especially true if they’re shopping for babies.   Brands like Lalo are attempting to change all that, and they’re seeing a surge in growth as a result. During this week’s Retail Remix, the company’s co-founders, Greg Davidson and Michael Wieder, share the brand’s story, including how:  Content and community are helping build brand trust and credibility;  Influencer and customer fans (including Khloe Kardashian) are creating a powerful ripple effect for demand and growth; and A combination of entertainment, unique services and community partnerships is helping Lalo break into brick-and-mortar retail.    RELATED LINKS Learn more about LaloCheck out the Lalo session at #RICE22 We’re thrilled to have Michael Wieder, Co-founder and CMO of Lalo, joining us as a speaker for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo. Join us May 10-12 at McCormick Place in Chicago and learn from executive leaders at Target, Coach, Weis Markets and so many more. Podcast listeners get 50% off all passes using the promo code RICE50P07. 

Live shopping. Community-driven commerce. Commerce-ready content. There are so many ways social platforms are helping streamline the path to purchase and eliminate the barriers between inspiration and conversion.   Facebook and Instagram are two key channels for consumers to gather and, in turn, are critical platforms for brands to reach and engage with their audience. During this week’s Retail Remix, Kate Gronso, Business Product Marketing Lead at Meta, reveals how the company is embracing new opportunities for social commerce and is developing new products to support consumers and brands alike. Kate shares:  How Meta is assessing consumer behaviors to identify new opportunities to drive community-driven commerce;  The unique role that content plays in supporting social, community-driven commerce experiences; and  Tips and best practices for developing a holistic social commerce strategy that touches consumers across key “moments” in their decision-making journey.  RELATED LINKS Get more details on Meta’s social commerce solutions Read more perspectives on live shopping Dig into a social commerce success story from Jane Read about how ZOX drives community and commerce We’re thrilled to have Meta and a panel of retail executives speak about the future of social commerce at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo. Join us May 10-12 at McCormick Place in Chicago and learn from executive leaders at UNTUCKit, Foot Locker, Vera Bradley and so many more. Podcast listeners get 50% off all passes using the promo code RICE50P07. Register before April 12 to save an extra $300.  

Did you know that 68% of consumers actively seek out retailers with omnichannel services and experiences? Results from CI&T’s Connected Retail Report indicate that consumers expect these fluid experiences — and retailers are rising to the occasion.  But which retailers are truly winning at connected retail experiences? Which are investing in creating immersive and differentiated experiences through mobile, ecommerce and even in stores? We dig into the data with Melissa Minkow, Director of Retail Strategy, CI&T. Listen to learn:  How retailers of all sizes accelerated their omnichannel investments during the pandemic;  Why mobile apps can be incredibly impactful drivers of customer engagement and loyalty; and Ways to ensure your ordering and fulfillment experiences align with your brand differentiators in a more holistic way.   RELATED LINKS Download a copy of CI&T’s Connected Retail Report Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn Register for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo to see Melissa on stage  Melissa Minkow will moderate a fireside chat featuring Drew Green, President and CEO of INDOCHINO during the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo. Get exclusive details into the brand’s omnichannel roadmap by registering for the event, taking place May 10-12 in Chicago. Podcast listeners get 50% off all passes using the promo code RICE50P07. Register before April 12 to save an extra $300. 

Having a fast, efficient and profitable fulfillment strategy feels like a tall order on a good day, but couple it with inflation, long lead times and other supply chain constraints, and retailers are facing an uphill battle.   Josh Bartel, CEO of Hydrian, knows this firsthand from conversations with executives and his work helping retail businesses optimize inventory management, reduce stockouts and drive profitability. During this week’s Retail Remix, he shares how retailers can:  Better align and collaborate with supplier partners to tackle long lead times; Effectively allocate inventory and manage orders across their entire fulfillment network; Use service and marketing to tackle delivery delays.  RELATED LINKS Learn more about Hydrian Get more insights from inventory experts Retail Innovation Conference & ExpoJoin executives from Coach, Foot Locker, Brooklinen, e.l.f. beauty and more at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place May 10-12, 2022 in Chicago. Podcast listeners get 50% off on all passes using the promo code RICE50P07. Register before April 12 to save an extra $300.(We can take out the last sentence after early bird ends.)

We’re celebrating 100 episodes of the Retail Remix podcast!   We were feeling a bit nostalgic, so the team looked back into the archives and uncovered the five most-downloaded conversations. They paint a fascinating picture about how far the show, and the retail industry, has come over the past two years. Listen to get a summary of these chats, or check out the full episodes:  “How Thrasio Is Helping Amazon Brands Scale,” featuring Stephanie Fox, COO, Thrasio “Vuori Tripled in Value During the Pandemic. Here’s How,” featuring Catherine Pike, Senior Director of Retail, Vuori "Data Privacy, Retail Media and the Personalized Store", featuring Milen Mahadevan, President of 84.51°, and Cara Pratt, Senior Vice President of Kroger Precision Marketing “Inside Shopify Fulfillment Network’s Quest to Drive Last Mile Innovation,” featuring Thomas Epting, Director, Shopify Fulfillment Network “Retail Design Special: What’s Trending In Stores?”  featuring Aaron Birney, Gensler  

Crocs has acquired a cult-like following, especially over the past two years. The footwear brand has leaned into its quirky designs and has expanded its reach through fun patterns, cutting-edge collaborations and its oh-so-fun Jibbitz Charms.   But at the center of Crocs’ incredible expansion is its digital strategy, and Adam Michaels is the man helping drive the brand experience across all channels. During this week’s Retail Remix, Alicia sits down with the Chief Digital Officer to get his thoughts on:  The unique role of marketplaces in driving brand awareness and generating leads;  Why Crocs is doubling down on its app, and how it is creating a differentiated experience with exclusive content and product drops; and How Adam and his team are investing in infrastructure, content and its people to drive digital experience innovation.   RELATED LINKS Visit the Crocs site Download the Crocs app through the App Store or Google Play 

Consumers know how to judge the quality of marketing messages. In their mind, that quality has a direct connection to the quality of the brand and the quality of products. However, only 23% of consumers truly believe that retailers understand their wants and needs.   Can brands rise to the occasion and close this relevance gap? Michael Osborne, President of Wunderkind, thinks so. His company has worked with brands like Macy’s, Kendra Scott and UNIQLO in their quest to create more personalized marketing journeys across all channels, and he has some insights, and lessons, to share. Listen to this episode to get his take on:   Marketing’s unique role in revenue generation and loyalty creation;  Why new shifts in data privacy regulations are creating urgency for marketing teams to generate first- and zero-party data through “owned” channels; and  The hidden risks of leveraging highly intimate channels, such as text messaging, without the appropriate messaging and personalization strategy.    RELATED LINKS Learn more about Wunderkind 

Agile has come to the forefront as the new key to store experience success. But agile can’t become a reality without timely, actionable data.   That’s why Julian Mills, CEO of Quorso, believes that, now more than ever, retailers need to focus more on manager empowerment. More specifically, he believes they should focus on providing store and district managers with real-time data that can help them take meaningful action. In this episode of Retail Remix, Julian shares his thoughts on how retailers can:  Address new challenges and complexities in the store;   Provide new, more robust solutions to help managers get a more detailed, real-time view of store trends; and  Embrace agile in a meaningful way across locations.   RELATED LINKS Learn more about Quorso 

Iván Markman has a rich history in the B2B media landscape, and now he’s helping Yahoo shape its solutions for its business clients — especially brands and retailers.   During this episode of Retail Remix, he outlines how the Yahoo business is evolving its solutions and experiences to align with new consumer behaviors. He then digs into new opportunities for brands and retailers to activate and engage consumers through new, highly personalized tactics, such as: Augmented reality;  Zero- and first-party data-driven marketing;  More detailed and immersive branded content; and   The metaverse.  RELATED LINKS Learn more about Yahoo’s business solutions Dig into Retail TouchPoints’ personalization content