OFFBounds Retail

In this episode of OFFBounds , Paula Macaggi sits down with Mary Beth Sheridan , just a few weeks into her role as President of Jonathan Adler , to talk about how she’s thinking about the future of the brand so early on, from craftsmanship and customer connection to growth, digital-first retail, and the role of AI as a creative tool. It’s a thoughtful conversation about leading with instinct, scal...

Paula Macaggi is joined by Ometria's Hannah Stacey, Director of Strategy and Product Marketing, and Rita Martins, Retail Intelligence Team Lead, to break down what really happened during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Drawing on performance data from hundreds of retail brands, they explore why Black Friday has become a full season, which categories and customer behaviors drove growth, how marketin...

Sherry Smith, President of Retail Media at Criteo, joins OFFBounds to unpack the rapid evolution of retail media and what brands, agencies and retailers must prepare for next. From the industry’s early days in 2008 to today’s surge of more than 200 retail media networks, Sherry explains where growth is coming from, why self-serve activation is critical, how AI and agents will reshape customer jour...

In this episode, Julius Carrell , Director at Enactor , breaks down why the future of retail depends on building a flexible blueprint rather than relying on rigid, legacy systems. We explore how retailers can simplify complexity, adapt faster and design technology foundations that actually match the way their business and customers evolve. From the true cost of rigid stacks to the cultural shift r...

In this episode, Paula sits down with Jill Dvorak , SVP of Content at the National Retail Federation , for a wide ranging conversation about the state of retail in 2025, the turbulence created by tariffs and policy uncertainty, and why consumers are still driving a one trillion dollar holiday season. Jill breaks down what NRF really does beyond the Big Show , the global view from APAC and Europe,...

In this episode, I sit down with our first Norwegian guest: Martin Lien, Chief Commercial Officer at Norrøna, to explore how one of Norway’s most iconic outdoor brands has built a global community rooted in nature, performance and experience. We talk about Norrøna’s unique approach to product development with extreme athletes, their growing ecosystem of festivals, expeditions and hospitality, the...

Four years in tech feels like sixty, so I sat down with Matt Maher , Founder of M7 Innovations , to catch up on what’s really happening in the world of AI and retail innovation. From agentic browsing and spatial computing to wearables like the Meta Ray-Bans, Snap Spectacles, and Apple Vision Pro, we explored the tools shaping how consumers discover and shop. Matt breaks down the difference between...

In this episode of Retail Intelligence in Action , host Ron Thurston sits down with Ometria co-founders Djalal Lougouev  and Ivan Mazur to explore how AI is redefining the future of retail marketing. Together, they discuss the realities of implementing AI within legacy systems, the transition from channel-based to customer-based marketing, and why data architecture is becoming just as critical as...

In this episode, Paula Macaggi sits down with Richard Kestenbaum, Partner at Triangle Capital, and Forbes contributor, to break down what’s really shaping the 2025 holiday season. From tariffs and inflation to shifting consumer confidence and cautious spending, Richard shares his perspective on why “flat is the new up,” how retailers can navigate uncertainty, and what signals in M&A reveal abo...

Retail Intelligence in Action returns with Episode 3, “ Beyond the Hype: How AI Fuels Speed, Insight, and Story-Doing ,” where host Ron Thurston speaks with Djalal Lougouev, President of Ometria, and Pri Shumate, former CMO of the Miami Dolphins and alum of Nike and Airbnb, about turning instinct into action through AI. The conversation covers talking to your data for rapid answers, using AI as a...

Build-A-Bear Workshop turned birthday rituals and heart ceremonies into a growth engine, with its stock up about 1,900 percent in five years and domestic store traffic up 3 percent while the national benchmark fell. Paula revisits her conversation with CTO Dara Meath to unpack the experience-first model, the rapid 18-month digital sprint from mobile POS to 2D/3D visualization, and the rise of the...

In our episode 2 of Retail Intelligence in Action Series in partnership with Ometria, our host Ron Thurston speaks with Ivan Mazour (CEO,Ometria) and Julie Channing (Fractional CMO; ex-Allbirds, Levi’s, Nest) about leading with trust and authenticity in an AI-driven era. They unpack why clean, connected data is the bedrock of customer trust, how to use AI as an accelerant (not a replacement) to fr...

What happens when an iconic Italian coffee brand finds its voice in the U.S. market? Cristian Arcangeli , VP of Marketing, Commercial Strategy and Digital at Illy Caffè , shares how the company achieved fourfold growth by staying true to its premium identity. From redefining what it means to be a luxury coffee brand in America to using Amazon as a storytelling platform, Cristian reveals how clarit...

Welcome to Episode 1 of Retail Intelligence in Action, a new series by OFFBounds in partnership with Ometria where we explore how AI is revolutionizing enterprise retail marketing, hosted by retail leader Ron Thurston. There is no established roadmap for AI in retail. In this launch episode of Retail Intelligence in Action , Ron Thurston hosts Nicole Tapscott (CCO, Knix) and Djalal Lougouev (Presi...

In this episode of OFFBounds, Paula Macaggi sits down in New York with retail veteran and professor Matt Marcotte to celebrate the launch of his new book Built on Belief: Why Cultures of Commitment Are the Competitive Advantage . Drawing on three decades of leadership at Apple, Gap, Tori Burch, Bergdorf Goodman, and Salesforce, Matt shares why employees should be seen as a company’s most important...

In this episode of OFFBounds , host Paula Macaggi sits down with Danielle Sporkin , SVP of Media and Marketing Services at Ferrero, to explore how one of the world’s most beloved confectionery companies is balancing heritage with innovation. From Nutella and Kinder to Butterfinger and Keebler, Ferrero’s portfolio is as diverse as it is iconic. Danielle shares how the company is embracing digital t...

In this episode of OFFBounds , Paula Macaggi sits down with Azita Martin , VP & GM of AI for Retail, CPG, and QSR at NVIDIA , the world’s most valuable company. Together they explore how AI is transforming retail, from e-commerce and supply chain optimization to computer vision, robotics, and digital twins. Azita shares real-world examples from companies like L’Oréal, Lowe’s, and Yum! Brands,...

In this episode of OFFBounds in partnership with Groceryshop, Paula Macaggi sits down with Linda Bethea, CMO of Danone North America , to explore how one of the world’s largest food companies is navigating a massive shift in consumer behavior. From the rise of GLP-1 medications and America’s growing focus on wellness, to innovations like Oikos Fusion , cultural activations at Coachella, and retail...

In this episode of OFFBounds , Paula sits down with Jenna Bromberg, Chief Marketing Officer of Papa Johns , to explore how pizza, hospitality, and retail collide in her career journey. From Pizza Hut to Hilton to Carter’s and now Papa Johns, Jenna shares how each experience shaped her leadership and vision for the brand. We talk about personalization at scale, creative campaigns that break through...

In this episode of OFFBounds , Paula Macaggi sits down with Jessica Alsing, Chief Digital Officer at Grendene Global Brands — the powerhouse behind Melissa, Ipanema, and Rider . Jessica shares how she helped Melissa achieve 12x growth in the U.S. , why storytelling and community are essential to building authentic global brands, and the leadership lessons she’s carried from her time at Gap, West E...

In this episode of OFFBounds , Paula Macaggi sits down with retail leadership expert and author April Sabral to explore how positivity can transform teams, culture, and results. From her start as a 17-year-old sales associate to leading hundreds at Starbucks, Banana Republic, and David’s Tea, April shares lessons from three decades in retail leadership, including her ACT framework (Accept, Create,...

Lauren Steinberg, Chief Digital Officer at Loblaw Companies Limited, shares how Canada’s largest retailer transformed from an in-store-only business into a multi-billion-dollar digital powerhouse. She reveals how building a “startup within the enterprise” enabled agility and innovation at scale, the role of personalization and AI in reshaping online grocery, and why true customer loyalty goes far...

While in Singapore for NRF APAC 2025 , Paula Macaggi sits down with Josh Friedman , SVP of Digital & E-commerce at Ulta Beauty , to explore how the iconic beauty retailer is blending personalization, AI, and omnichannel innovation to shape the future of shopping. From the Shop My Store feature and 45 million–strong loyalty program to a thriving online community and an upcoming curated marketpl...

In this special episode recorded live at NRF APAC 2025 in Singapore, Paula Macaggi sits down with Panchalee Weeratammawat, Chief People Officer at Central Retail Group, and Mia Anderson, GM of Retail and Channels at 2degrees, to explore how investing in employee happiness leads to stronger customer experiences and business growth. From transforming HR into a strategic powerhouse to turning around...

In this episode recorded in Singapore for NRF APAC 2025, Paula Macaggi sits down with Ian Burl , Chief Retail Officer at Mecca Brands , Australia's leading prestige beauty retailer. Ian shares how Mecca has built a cult-like following by designing every part of the customer journey around how people feel . From spending every Friday on the store floor to investing 4% of revenue into team education...