Think Retail

Men’s apparel has undergone major shifts as workwear becomes more casual and at the same time more men are interested, or at least curious about being fashionable. So how then do you take a classic menswear brand into the future? Today we’re talking to Lance Itkoff, CEO of the iconic men’s wear brand Tip Top. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retail banks have spent years catching up with the wave of technological advances that shook the industry with the impact of startup fintech companies. Now that the dust is settling and most large banks are well on their way to providing seamless digital banking solutions, what will differentiate one bank from another? How will retail banks deal with branches once we can all do our banking from ou...

There was a time when everybody made their own clothes or had them made by a tailor or seamstress. You had only a few things in your wardrobe, but they fit you perfectly and were made to last. Fast forward to today, we’ve got ubiquitous, cheap, fast clothing in abundance but there’s a wave rising up in the world of fashion and its name is personalization and it signifies a change. It’s not always...

Trends come and some go while others mark permanent industry shifts. It can be hard to figure out when to invest in a new idea and when to walk away. In this episode, we speak with Janet Groeber, Director of the  Retail Design Institute  and Susan Reda, VP of Education Strategies from the  National Retail Federation  about what’s hot now and what has legs.  Hosted on Acast...

Physical stores have the potential to become the most powerful media channel available to brands, but it requires that everything about the physical store, how it’s planned, located, designed, staffed, and measured must be re-engineered. Today we speak with futurist, author, businesses advisor, and the founder and president of Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens.  Hosted on Acast. See aca...

We’re back with  Kunal Chopra for Part 2 of our discussion about artificial intelligence. In Part 1, Kunal defined artificial intelligence and gave us a high level understanding of what it. Now we’re going to talk about the application of artificial intelligence to the world of retail. In this episode, Kunal is going to tell us what’s possible now, who’s doing a great job using artificial int...

When you hear the words “artificial intelligence,” what pops into your mind? Maybe you think about Westworld or self-driving cars or robot soldiers, maybe chatbots or video game characters. But what exactly constitutes AI? Today we’re talking to  Kunal Chopra , a business transformation and management consultant who specializes in optimizing delivery models. This is going to be a two-part ser...

Cable, internet, and mobile phones have been the bread and butter of telcos for many years, however, growth in these categories is dwindling and brands are beginning to feel the heat. Today, we speak to  Will Gibson , a telco retail and marketing expert who’s seen the industry shift from his days at Blockbuster to becoming an award-winning speaker, thought leader, and retail futurist. He’s go...

Restaurateurs know that although the food is critical, it’s only one of the factors that determines success. In this extraordinarily competitive market, the guest experience has always mattered and today it’s more important than ever. Whether your restaurant brand is fun and raucous or elegant and luxurious, paying attention to every point along the guest’s journey is not optional anymore. Today w...

Every retail brand on the planet is talking about consumer data and it’s being pitched as the magical key to personalization, which in turn promises greater loyalty and repeat purchases. Having Amazon prompt you to repurchase an item like toilet paper might seem innocuous and maybe even helpful. However, the line between personalized and downright creepy is one that brands need to pay closer atten...

Foodservice brands–from small mom-and-pop shops to multinational chains–have been learning to adapt more quickly in an age where everything’s moving at lightning speed. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, ‘Boom!’ along come Foodora and Uber Eats and you’re back to the drawing board with another disruptive challenge. One of the ways foodservice brands can cope with change is by getti...

All across North America, the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis has given birth to a brand-new industry, and in many places you can now easily purchase cannabis online or in a store. Today we’re speaking to  Steffen Schenk from mīhī cannabis. He’s the SVP of Customer Experience, and we are going to talk about how you create a customer-centric retail experience for a product t...

We all know that fashion changes over time but what about the business model for fashion retailers? For a long time, it was a simple process. Customers go to a store, try something on and hopefully make a purchase. However, this is no longer the case as online shopping and subscription and rental services allow customers to shop from the comfort of their home. While the rising consumer activism ha...

Consumers are more empowered and educated than they’ve ever been throughout the history of modern capitalism. They want to know where their shoes are made, how their coffee was grown, and what conflicts their diamonds might have created, and they can find out in a matter of seconds.  Environmental sustainability is a key issue that threatens to disrupt the entire planet and younger generation...

Is bigger always better? Large retailers with multiple locations and a global reach seemingly have infinite capital and resources, but this can come at a cost. The decision makers in these companies are often far removed from their customers, and any initiative to lead change can be met with differing opinions and agendas. Those smaller, independent retailers are faced with their own challenges. T...

The environmental impact of plastic packages has become an issue customers, brands and governments can no longer ignore. The EU is poised to ban certain single-use plastics within a few years, and other governments are exploring similar policies as we speak. Younger consumers place an even higher importance on environmental issues, making this an important problem for brands to solve. Companies kn...

What was once thought of as pure fantasy is no longer a far-fetched idea – humans inhabiting other planets and bodies in space. NASA is running a design competition for houses that could be 3D printed on Mars. Elon Musk’s SpaceX promises to take tourists on private trips to the moon in the near future. It’s just a matter of time before brands get involved as part of a new “space race.” N...

Retail brands know the key to success is understanding what the customer really wants – ideally before they even know they want it. Market research and consumer data analysts all promise to help retailers answer this tricky question. Most techniques rely on direct consumer feedback – and this may sound reasonable, but the results aren't always accurate. What if, however, you could actually look in...

Technology has changed the retail landscape dramatically over the past 10 years, so much so that many people proclaimed digital shopping would kill retail altogether. In reality, technology has enabled retailers to connect with consumers better than ever before, and for those brands willing to innovate, it has provided them with a significant advantage in the physical store. But with so many optio...

Posting food images on social media has extended the communal aspect of preparing, presenting and eating food beyond the table. For foodservice brands it offers a powerful way to deliver the drool factor right to customer’s phones. Will this powerful trend continue? How can foodservice brands, small and large, take advantage of #foodporn now, and where will instagrammable food go next? Today,...