Total Retail Talks

In episode 493 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Liza Lefkowski, vice president and chief merchant of stores at Wayfair,  a leading home and furniture retailer. The interview was recorded at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago last month. Lefkowski discusses Wayfair's strategy of using design, storytelling, and product curation to connect emotionally with customers…

In episode 492 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Debbie Woloshin, chief marketing officer at Stitch Fix, the leading online personal styling service. The interview was recorded at at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago last month. Listen in as Woloshin discusses innovating the product discovery process (1:40) as well as Stitch Fix's "Retail Therapy"…

In episode 491 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jerry Lin, co-founder of Helix, a leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) mattress and sleep brand, part of 3Z Brands. Listen in as Lin discusses starting the business from scratch 10 years ago (1:30), Helix's newest retail partnership with Rooms To Go (4:00), and ensuring that the…

In episode 490 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Yanni Hufnagel, founder and CEO of The Lemon Perfect Company, an organic lemon water brand. Listen in as Yanni discusses his unconventional career path, transitioning from a college basketball coach to a beverage entrepreneur (2:20). He describes the inspiration behind Lemon Perfect (3:10), growth…

In episode 489 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Paul Weingard, president and CEO of Schylling, the iconic toy company marking 50 years in the industry this year. Listen in as Weingard provides an overview of the company's history and current business (1:30), his 18-year career at Schylling (3:25), and how the brand…

In episode 488 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kebharu Smith, director and associate general counsel of Amazon.com's Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU), a global team working to investigate, find and launch legal action and criminal referrals against counterfeiters. Listen in as Smith provides an overview of the CCU's work to prevent counterfeit product…

In episode 487, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Gregg Brockway, co-founder and CEO of Chairish, the design lover's curated marketplace for the best vintage and used furniture, decor, art and jewelry. Listen in as Brockway details the genesis of Chairish (1:40), his entrepreneurial background and his co-founder wife's retail career (3:05), and what's driving the surge…

In episode 484 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kamanasish Kundu (KK), senior vice president and head of e-commerce and digital at Kendra Scott, a fashion lifestyle brand of big dreams, colorful confidence, and inspired design, founded on family, fashion and philanthropy. Listen in as Kundu discusses the digital checkout transformation underway at…

In episode 484 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Leslie Marino, U.S. president, professional products division at L'Oreal, the world leader in cosmetics with a portfolio of 37 brands and a mission to offer the best of beauty to everyone, everywhere. Listen in as Marino provides an overview of her journey to becoming…

In episode 484 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kevin Keith, chief marketing officer of Edible Brands, a family of consumer brands focused on celebrating life's most meaningful moments, including its flagship brand Edible, formerly Edible Arrangements. Listen in as Keith provides an overview of the business and its family of brands (1:25),…

In episode 483 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chandhu Nair, senior vice president of data, artificial intelligence and innovation at Lowe's. Listen in as Nair provides an overview of the home improvement retailer's new Mylow AI assistant (1:35), how it fits into its business model (3:20), and how shoppers as well as…

In episode 482 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matt McCabe, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Academy Sports + Outdoors, one of the nation's largest sporting goods and outdoor stores. Listen in as McCabe discusses the addition of the Jordan Brand into 145 of its stores and its e-commerce site…

In episode 481 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matthew Kelly, founder and owner of Detailing World, the largest selection of professional-grade car detailing products operating over a dozen stores and wholesale nationwide. Listen in as Kelly provides an overview of Detailing World (1:30), why he entered the market with a physical storefront…

In episode 480 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jessica Thompson, global brand president of Halara, women's activewear-inspired everyday apparel. Listen in as Thompson provides an overview of the athleisure brand (1:40), its direct-to-consumer e-commerce distribution channels (2:25), and shares her career journey that lead to her current role (3:10). She discusses the…

In episode 479 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Frank Mulcahy, head of sales at Chewy Ads, the retail media network for leading pet retailer Chewy. Listen in as Mulcahy discusses the recent Chewy Ads refresh (1:30), its new key features and functionalities (3:25), and the retail media network's benefits for pet brand…

In episode 478 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Megan Porteous, chief revenue officer of Carve Designs, a women's sustainable swimwear and clothing lifestyle brand. Listen in as Porteous discusses the genesis and mission of Carve Designs (1:45), its various sales channels (2:55), and her career background as well as newfound responsibilities at…

In episode 477 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ankur Daga, CEO and co-founder of Angara, a vertically integrated online jeweler that sources and procures stones, designs jewelry, and manufactures pieces in-house. Listen in as Daga talks about his background as well as the founding of Angara (1:45), including the white space the…

In episode 476 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Bob D'Loren, CEO of Xcel Brands, a leader in live stream media and social commerce, and co-founder of ORME, a social commerce app that features TikTok-style videos within a shoppable marketplace. Listen in as D'Loren describes the Xcel Brands organization and its mission to…

In episode 475 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kostas Georgakopoulos, chief technology officer and chief information security officer at Mondelēz International, one of the largest snack companies in the world offering iconic global and local brands in over 150 countries. Listen in as Georgakopoulos describes the Mondelēz organization and his role (1:40),…

In episode 474 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Brad Santanna, head of omnichannel marketing at The Hershey Company, an industry-leading snacks company, and Steve Triplett, senior vice president of advertising sales at Vibenomics, an in-store digital advertising provider. Listen in as Santanna and Triplett provide insight into the benefits of in-store advertising…

In episode 473 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kevin Tulip, president of Primark U.S., the international value retail chain. Listen in as Tulip provides insight into his 22-year career journey with Primark (1:05), the brand's history and mission (3:05), and its continued expansion into the U.S. market (4:55). He discusses the European…

In episode 472 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kristen D'Arcy, chief marketing officer of True Religion, a global lifestyle, apparel and accessories brand that focuses on producing high-quality denim and sportswear for men, women and kids. Listen in as D'Arcy provides insight into her career journey in retail that lead her to…

In episode 471 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Stephen Bailey, chief marketing officer of John Fluevog Shoes, an independent design and retail footwear company based in Vancouver. Listen in as Bailey provides an overview of the unique footwear brand (0:45), fulfilling online orders from its stores (2:25), and his 20-year career history…

On episode 470 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Heidi Hurst, head of product development and marketing at EVEREST, a new home organization and storage brand that elevates the potential of every room with stylish and customizable solutions. Listen in as Hurst describes the brand's product and its "beautility" vision to offer beauty…

In episode 468 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Gena Smith, chief human resources officer at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, a leading luxury goods group, and Beatrice Goasglas, president of TAG Heuer Americas, a luxury timepiece brand. Listen in as Smith discusses why LVMH expanded its Métiers d’Excellence (ME) apprenticeship program in…