Retail Remix

Executives are prioritizing their investments based on two factors: the “known unknowns” and the “unknown unknowns.” That is why, more than ever, brands and retailers alike need to have adaptable plans for a hybrid retail strategy.   During their retailX keynote, Tim Maule, President and CEO of Diono, and Marc Ostryniec, Chief Sales Officer, BigCommerce, discussed the forces impacting retail moving forward and how companies can balance digital and physical channels effectively. We caught up with Tim and Marc after their session to discuss:  The known and unknown issues brands need to prepare for moving into 2022;  New challenges and opportunities that exist across digital channels;  What “hybrid retail” is and how it influences or impacts omnichannel strategy; and How Diono is marketing to and through its network of retail partners to build trust and generate sales.  RELATED LINKS Learn more about Diono  Learn more about BigCommerce    

A great product is at the heart of every great retail brand. But it wasn’t just its incredibly soft joggers that helped Vuori triple in value during the pandemic.   A culture rooted in gratitude, a community-driven approach to engagement and an in-store experience that activates its fanbase all have helped Vuori go from a buzzworthy brand to a retail powerhouse. During this episode of Retail Remix, the company’s Senior Director of Retail, Catherine Pike shares:  How she want from lululemon to Vuori;  What sets the company’s culture apart from competitors;  How the company upskilled 50 store associates during the pandemic;  The role of content and community in driving business growth; and  How the company plans to scale its store plans going into 2022.  RELATED LINKS Learn more about Vuori    

Landini Associates are in the business of “reinventing normal.” The firm has helped world-renowned businesses like McDonald’s, Unilever, Walgreens and Aldi reimagine their brands and their physical experiences.   Needless to say, principal and founder Mark Landini has gleaned his fair share of lessons and best practices along the way. But what new technologies and experience principles are key to success moving forward? He and managing director Rikki Landini sit down to discuss:  How to bring the existing “theater” of retail to life in physical stores; The evolved role of technology in the store, and why being intentional is key; and Why agile methodologies and associated key performance indicators (KPIs) can support more rapid, and thoughtful, innovation. RELATED LINKS Learn more about Landini Associates See Landini Associates’ project with Loblaws in Toronto Get a tour of Esselunga’s store transformation Download Retail TouchPoints’ special report about the evolution of the store  Subscribe to design:retail for more insights on design trends and the latest projects 

For the past 18 months, Shopkick has surveyed consumers consistently to identify new behaviors, expectations...and even concerns.   Although the conditions worldwide vary greatly and are ever-changing, Jaysen Gillespie, EVP, Head of Analytics and Data Science at Shopkick, has uncovered some universal truths that impact retailers. In this conversation, he reveals:  How vaccine trust has impacted physical retail behaviors and preferences;  New and unchanging safety expectations for brick-and-mortar retailers;  Why supply chain disruption has influenced shoppers’ channel preferences; and  Demographic nuances that will drive back-to-school and holiday results.   RELATED LINKS Learn more about Shopkick Access the latest COVID-19 research Dig into the latest Shopkick research    

Is the shift to digital is a one-way street or will ecommerce go back to how it operated before the pandemic? Which categories will be able to capitalize on new or accelerated digital behaviors? During this discussion, initially aired as part of Retail TouchPoints’ Retail ThinkTank hub, host Alicia Esposito sits down with Rick Watson, Founder and CEO of RMW Commerce Consulting, to discuss what is fueling innovation in once-laggard categories like digital, advertising, social and marketplaces.  Get Rick's hot takes on the trends and tech he believes will lead the ecommerce industry moving forward, as well as his thoughts on: The transformation happening in the grocery, beauty, furniture and home industries; Why brands like Facebook and TikTok have invested in AR tools  — and what that means for social commerce; Why brands like PepsiCo and e.l.f. Cosmetics are building out their own DTC experiences; The implication of privacy struggles between iOS and Facebook — and other key players — on the retail industry; and Why advertising is one of the hottest growing business models online now.  RELATED LINKS Learn more about RMW Commerce Consulting Explore the Retail ThinkTank hub    

As fulfillment comes more to the forefront of the modern customer experience, brands of all sizes are trying to differentiate. Shopify Fulfillment Network is expanding its capabilities and honing its craft of helping entrepreneurs do just that.   But what trends are driving the division’s strategic priorities? What lessons and examples from the pandemic are setting the foundation for future innovation? Thomas Epting, Director of Shopify Fulfillment Network shares: How DTC expansion is shaking up the competitive retail landscape;  The impact social commerce will have on order management, logistics and fulfillment; and The small, yet impactful, ways even the smallest of businesses can create a superior fulfillment experience.   RELATED LINKS Learn more about Shopify Fulfillment Network

Retail is a hot market for venture capital and investment firms. VCs, funds and other investors are funneling cash into hot tech startups and disruptive brands alike, helping to shape the future of retail.   RevTech Ventures is one firm that sits at the intersection of the brand and tech worlds, and has a sole focus on the retail industry. Rachel West plays a crucial role in discovering viable businesses and helping them differentiate and scale. Listen to learn:  Which retail trends and innovations are driving the most VC interest;  RevTech Ventures’ proven approach for researching and building their network of tech and brand investments; and  How the VC world, including RevTech Ventures, is expanding outside of their typical investment pool to include more women-owned and black-owned businesses.  RELATED LINKS Visit the RevTech Ventures website Register for the newsletter to get “insider tips” Follow RevTech Ventures on LinkedIn    

Riding on the hype surrounding cryptocurrencies, NFTs have become hot commodities in the digital creation space. While some tech fanatics are bidding on NFT versions of tweets, brand loyalists are snatching up NFT products.   But what does the future hold for NFTs? How do they present new opportunities for brands and retailers to fuel digital innovation and virtual experiences? This special edition of Retail Remix highlights insights from two NFT experts. Listen to get their perspectives on:  The current state, and future of, the NFT market and the factors that will influence growth; How NFTs can support digital-to-physical engagement by creating a “metaverse” for online shopping;  The benefits of creating unique NFTs to drive brand awareness and activation; and Ways to integrate NFTs into brand and product strategy, including who drives initiatives and how to measure success.   RELATED LINKS Learn more about Boson Protocol Learn more about Sol Marketing Want to dig deeper into NFTs, cryptocurrencies and other tech topics? At retailX, you can hear directly from executives representing Bitski, 3D Robe and CoinFund, who will dig into the future of retail transactions. Register now using RTPSUB21 to get 15% off your ticket. 

Stephanie Fox, COO of Thrasio, was employee number one and has played a critical role in the company’s growth. Now, following a year of significant funding and the onboarding of a new retail CFO, Thrasio is in a prime position to lead in the marketplace space.   Stephanie joins Retail Remix to dig into Thrasio’s story and how her roots in brand building have inspired her work as COO and a liaison to founders and entrepreneurs. Listen to hear:  Thrasio’s data-driven process for acquiring and scaling FBA brands;   The differentiation points between a marketplace-optimized brand and a DTC-ready brand; and  How the expansion of the marketplace space will drive new opportunities for brands and sellers.   RELATED LINKS Visit the Thrasio website  Listen to the Thrasio podcast, “The Selling Point”  Read Thrasio’s seller stories  Check out Retail TouchPoints’ latest marketplace coverage

The payment experience has always been convoluted and clunky, especially when consumers’ need to authenticate their information.   But in the new retail era, consumers want security to be ever-present yet invisible throughout their shopping experiences. During this episode of Retail Remix, David Britton of Experian shares how retailers can respond and still be mindful of new security trends and fraud methods. Listen to learn:   New threats that have emerged with new payment tech and apps;  The role of data and behavioral analytics to manage and mitigate threats; and How retailers can integrate payment security into the entire customer lifecycle.  RELATED LINKS Dig in to Experian’s 2021 Global Identity and Fraud Report Get more insights from David Britton  See the latest rankings from Juniper Research  Read Retail TouchPoints’ perspectives on the evolving payment space