Retail Remix

This week’s episode is brought to you by Gimbal . Of all the different trends and tech in the industry, 56% of retailers say they expect supply chain to be the area they transform the most over the coming years.   Why? Because as consumers expect instant and convenient access to products, fulfillment is becoming a key point of differentiation. EY’s Americas Consumer Retail Leader Jeff Orschell , c...

Do you feel overwhelmed by the volume of emails and messages you get? So do your consumers. In fact, David Wachs believes they’re so overwhelmed that they’re spending less time engaging with your marketing messages...and more time deleting them.     That’s why David made a career shift from digital to more personal communication. With Handwrytten , he’s helping businesses of all sizes master the a...

Margot Bloomstein has helped brands like Timberland and Lindt develop their marketing, content and user experience (UX) strategies. She has used her experience and research on brands across industries to tackle a known industry problem: winning and keeping customer trust.  The result is the new book called: Trustworthy: How the Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism and Bridge the Trust Gap . During this e...

Michelle Collins built her business, A Non-Agency, in the early days of the “experiential marketing” era. Now, as the digital divide closes and retailers rethink their real estate strategies, she believes there’s significant opportunity for innovation.     During this episode of Retail Remix, Michelle shares her take on experiential marketing’s evolution and how brands and retailers can prepare fo...

Cause marketing. Purpose-driven marketing. Brands across industries are hearing these phrases more frequently as consumers seek to align with brands with similar beliefs.  But brands that simply create one-off campaigns based on social holidays risk looking like performative allies. To help organizations navigate through this exciting (yet inundating) era of “woke marketing,” Katie Martell is stud...

This week’s episode is brought to you by Podium . The pandemic has accelerated retail’s latest reinvention. While the news cycle is churning out new ideas, predictions and perspectives about this reinvention, Andrew Smith, Co-Founder of ThinkUncommon, believes folks are getting a lot wrong.  Andrew and his fellow co-founder Gareth Jude tackle these myths and misconceptions head on with their new b...

Each social network has a unique way of rating content based on the unique needs and behaviors of its users. Their goal is to ensure they’re creating highly curated, relevant feeds that feature only the best content.   These algorithms are what make the apps so engaging — even addictive. But how do different algorithms impact brands and retailers who are working diligently to create a diverse libr...

Brilliant Earth made a splash in the retail industry with its emphasis on ethical sourcing and it’s digital-first business model. Over the past 15 years, the company has maintained its dedication to both by prioritizing purpose-driven business strategy and experience innovation.  But what’s driving Brilliant Earth today, while so many businesses are trying to find their footing and forge a path fo...

Beers, wines and spirits is a $3 trillion industry worldwide and this industry is seeing a significant transformation as a result of COVID-19.   As consumer mindsets and behaviors change, especially as they buy more alcohol online, 3x3 Insights is helping brands and independent retailers find new ways to reach and engage their audience. These methods stem from rich data, which includes demand data...

The Outlook Guide has been an editorial mainstay for Retail TouchPoints for nearly a decade. Every year, the editorial team gets fascinating takes from experts and analysts on the trends they believe will dominate in the year ahead. But this year’s guide was especially interesting to curate, given the great acceleration of trends we witnessed in 2020.   During this special episode of the Retail Re...

Millennial and Gen Z consumers are extremely cognizant of their financial health. They’re more likely to use their debit accounts and are more wary of racking up credit card debt. It’s no surprise, then, that the “buy now, pay later” space is booming.     Afterpay is one of the companies driving this new payment revolution, giving consumers the power to pay for purchases over four installments, in...

The murder of George Floyd in May 2020 sparked a social reckoning around the U.S. It also sparked intense conversations among executive leaders — and those conversations are continuing to this day.    But what separates the organizations with the best intentions and those who are taking significant action to create more opportunity and equality for black employees and other minorities?   During th...

Yasmeen Tadia has planned corporate events for big brands from Facebook to Forbes and Laura Mercier. When the pandemic hit, she took her love of creating luxurious, memorable events and created Make Your Life Sweeter , a brand of high-end treats like cotton candy, popcorn and chocolate truffles.     As her brand grew, she decided to officially venture into brick-and-mortar with a pop-up in the Gal...

This episode is sponsored by Treasure Data . As the founder of sport lifestyle brand Ball and Buck , Mark Bollman has learned a lot about growing and scaling a brand. He also learned quite a bit about what it takes to craft a differentiated in-store experience.   After seeing the power of creating community hubs for passionate, likeminded individuals to gather, Mark started American Field (AF), a...

This episode is sponsored by Brother . Ron Thurston started his career in retail at the Gap as a store associate. Over the years, he’s been able to work his way up the ranks and has served in executive roles at brands like Apple, Tory Burch and Saint Laurent. His experiences and conversations with peers inspired him to write Retail Pride: The Guide to Celebrating Your Accidental Career.     During...

2020 was a tumultuous year for us all, both personally and professionally. Retail in particular saw its ups and downs, starting with positive holiday results and ending with uncertainty stemming from COVID-19. To reflect on all we went through, and all the opportunities for innovation and growth that are to come, we're digging into the Retail Remix vault and spotlighting some of our stand-out conv...

Nikki Baird has spent her career helping retailers bring their big ideas to life. Whether she's part of an executive team, trusted analyst firm or VP of Innovation at Aptos , she has established herself as a leading voice in all things omnichannel retail. During this episode of Retail Remix, she shares her honest take on what's happening in retail right now and where she thinks the industry is hea...

For Madeline Fraser , shopping for an engagement ring was overwhelming. She knew she wanted something unique and customized, but also sustainably sourced and easy to buy. This ended up being a tall order. She ended up having to custom design her ring at a small shop -- a process that took several weeks.  Many shoppers have the same desires as Madeline but don't have the access or the funds for cus...

In today's digital-first world, content is key. But as the number of channels and apps expands, our content strategies must evolve. This creates a lot of complexity and, frankly, eats up a lot of time, resources and budget. During this episode of Retail Remix, Marcel Hollerbach , the CMO of Productsup , discusses the new content realities and best practices brands must note. While discussing the u...

Every year, Adobe analyzes one trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, 100 million SKUs and 80 of the 100 largest retailers in the U.S. This year, these results are being gathered in a new context due to COVID-19. Which trends reaffirm our new reality? How will the Thanksgiving holiday influencer the remainder of the holiday season? How can retailers take these insights and leverage them to engage a...

A quick peek at this week's holiday episode!

Many of us know the risks of creating obvious and uncomplicated passwords like "password123," "12345," or (gulp) our name and birthday. But has that really stopped us from changing our ways? Not really, according to Steve Ragan , Lead Security Researcher at Akamai . Ragan has been covering the cybersecurity space for about 15 years and he believes that although the threats have become more sophist...

Even when we're not in lock down, we've likely all been minimizing the number of trips we take to stores, even grocery stores. That's why, following years of buzz, we're finally seeing a boost in digital grocery shopping. Although grocery shopping app Basket has always focused on helping customers find the best price for items on their shopping lists, the company has uncovered a new opportunity: t...

Streaming services have disrupted traditional TV advertising as we know it. Gone are the days when brands and retailers could push messaging via commercial spots and see revenue roll in. With more households bingeing on Netflix, Hulu and Apple+ content, companies need a more contextual way to reach and influence consumers. Laura and Hank Frecon started Source Digital as a result of Laura's work as...

As the pandemic continues to shift consumer behaviors and sentiment, brands and retailers should rethink the way they market. Historically, demographic consumer data was enough to formulate a messaging and marketing plan. But humans are complex and they want to buy from companies that offer great value, great experiences and align with their needs and values. During this episode, Ross Kimbarovsky...