Retail Refined

In the latest episode of Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez converses with Dawn Clark, Co-Founder of Osean Studios, a design strategist, and retail design expert. The spotlight of the conversation is the impact of wellness in retail experiences, delving into Clark's professional journey that spans eminent brands like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nike, Amazon, and more. During their conversatio...

Global retail brands have a reputation for going big. But how do the best brands find a way to make a powerful consumer impact globally while maintaining that local feel so crucial to long-stranding relevancy? As technology advances and consumer behavior shifts, brands face the challenge of creating unique, immersive experiences that resonate with consumers locally while maintaining their global i...

Sensory design is an emerging marker of today’s retail experience. The digital age continues to transform the retail industry, and the advent of Sensory Enabling Technologies (SETs) is revolutionizing how consumers interact with brands online, creating immersive, multisensory customer experiences that were once only possible in physical stores. According to a study by McKinsey, 74% of U.S. retaile...

RICE 2023 (the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo) brought out all the latest trends and innovations for retailers to experience. Halfway through 2023, the retail industry is clearly emerging from a pandemic. The sector faced everything the pandemic could throw at it, supply chain issues, inflation, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical factors. However, consumers are still buying, and that...

Consumer behavior continues to change in the wake of the pandemic. One trend found by 6 River Systems is that consumers demand “omnichannel” retail experiences that are consistent across channels. It can be very difficult for retailers to bridge the gap between brick-and-motor and online delivery of their products. How can retailers create seamless experiences when the logistics are so difficult?...

Consumer behavior continues to change in the wake of the pandemic. One trend found by 6 River Systems is that consumers demand “omnichannel” retail experiences that are consistent across channels. It can be very difficult for retailers to bridge the gap between brick-and-motor and online delivery of their products. How can retailers create seamless experiences when the logistics are so difficult?...

As AI advances with technologies such as GPT-4, companies are beginning to come to terms with the fact that “soft skill” education is crucial in creating a future industry for the retail world. GPT-4 functions as a natural language processing tool driven by tech that can use its language model for hard skills such as answering questions and assisting with tasks such as composing emails, essays, an...

In the swiftly evolving retail industry, the conversation around digital transformation and retail technologies is more urgent than ever. Amid this tech-driven revolution, IKEA is pioneering a remarkable journey. The stakes are high, as IKEA aims to shift from being primarily a physical retailer to incorporating a substantial omni-channel presence. As of 2016 only 2% of IKEA's business was omni-en...

The retail industry is a dynamic landscape that demands constant adaptation to shifting consumer habits, market fluctuations, and technological advancements. With retail spending projected to reach a staggering $31.3 trillion by 2025, it is crucial for brand management companies to stay ahead of the curve. One such company making waves in the industry is Authentic Brands Group (ABG), renowned for...

As the landscape of luxury retail is rapidly evolving, a fresh perspective and innovations in luxury retail comes to the forefront from Lauren Barrie, the Group Head of Luxury Retail at Frasers Group. In a world still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, this topic is more timely than ever as we explore how luxury retailers are innovating and adapting. One noteworthy statistic: one in thre...

In this episode of Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez, sits down with Richard Lems, the Director of Format and Design at Rituals Cosmetics, to discuss the concept of balancing inspiration and ease in retail. They delve into the unique experience offered by the House of Rituals in Amsterdam, exploring its vision and the ways it connects with customers on a deeper level. With the innovation being...

Toys “R” Us is an unforgettable part of many Americans’ childhoods, bringing back nostalgic memories of aisles upon aisles stacked high with all the toys a little mind could imagine. That’s why it was saddening for many who grew up with the chain to hear they filed for bankruptcy in September of 2018. It’s quite possible, with the toy store opening back up within every Macy’s store across the U.S....

As retail evolves, so do many of the business models and strategies that are crucial to its success. Direct-to-consumer, or D2C, is the model that ensures that retailers sell and distribute their products directly to consumers. This allows them to avoid any other parties in the process. As a result, many brands are also shifting how they do business. What are the brands doing to evolve D2C in reta...

In this episode of Retail Refined: Shop Talk Europe 2023, host Melissa Gonzalez discussed the power of resell strategy with Emily Gittins, CEO and Co-Founder of Archive, a platform that empowers the resale revolution. Gittins discussed how Archive assists brands in launching their resale programs, allowing them to tap into the growing trend of secondhand shopping. She also highlighted Archive’s re...

Social commerce may be a newish idea for U.S. retail brands, but it is a trendy marketing tool in China. How popular? Sales in China from social commerce platform purchases reached $363 billion in 2021. Compare that with the U.S., where social commerce sales were $36.6 billion in the same year. The trend is growing, however, and by 2025 those sales look to reach $79.6 billion, more than double the...

As the retail industry continues to evolve, retailers are constantly searching for ways to create more engaging and personalized content that will resonate with their target audiences. In this episode of Retail Refined, Benjamin Benichou, CEO of Drop, joins Melissa Gonzalez to discuss the ways that AI is revolutionizing content creation and social commerce. Benjamin shares his insights into the ke...