Spieckerman Speaks Retail

In this retail heat map episode, Carol Spieckerman examines the cascading cost crisis reshaping the consumer economy in 2026. From fuel price spikes driven by Strait of Hormuz disruptions to corporate pricing strategies that blur the line between necessity and opportunism, Carol connects seemingly disparate headlines to reveal a structural economic shift affecting every aspect of retail. Through h...

In this retail heat map episode, Carol Spieckerman decodes retail’s biggest retail stories and reveals the common threads. From Target's new CEO Michael Fiddelke’s rapid-fire executive changes to Costco's beautifully boring consistency driving $4.8 billion in membership fees, Carol connects seemingly disparate headlines to show how retail's great sorting process continues. Plus, sur...

In this retail heat map episode, Carol Spieckerman connects the dots between retail's biggest retail stories - from Saks' spectacular bankruptcy to Victoria's Secret's Valentine's Day gamble to Target's latest controversy magnet moment. Through her recent media contributions and sharp analysis, Carol reveals how these seemingly disparate stories all point to one cruci...

In the third installment of her annual "Comparing Walmart and Target No Longer Makes Sense" series, Carol Spieckerman examines why the gap between these two retailers has never been wider—or more illuminating about retail's future. With both companies navigating CEO transitions and knee-deep in the holiday season, Carol unpacks how Walmart has evolved into a platform powerhouse whil...

Carol's back with another Retail Heat Map episode as we head into sink or swim season, and the riptides are relentless. From tariff tremors exposing who’s agile (and who’s adrift) to Target's continuing identity crisis and chaos to Lululemon finding that "special" isn't a permanent condition, these are more than random retail headlines — they're proof that the margin...

Carol's back with another Retail Heat Map episode, connecting the dots between seemingly random retail headlines to reveal the bigger patterns reshaping retail. From Target's operational disasters and identity crisis to Netflix's ambitious physical retail gambit to Temu and Shein’s spiral to Mexico's cross-border rescue mission, these aren't isolated stories – they're...

Carol launches her new Retail Heat Map series by diving into the triple threat that's hitting retailers from all sides right now. From Walmart's workforce disruptions to Amazon's grocery struggles, these aren't just random headlines – they're early warning signals of how external forces are reshaping retail faster than most companies can adapt. Drawing from her recent medi...

Carol dives deep into the retail disruption that's hiding in plain sight – and why retailers and brands might be seriously underestimating its impact. While most retailers are treating AI shopping agents like just another optimization challenge, Carol's here with a reality check – this isn't about tweaking your marketing messages. It's about attempting to tame AI agents that co...

Sure, everyone was buzzing about AI at NRF 2025 – but what if that's not actually the biggest story from retail's marquee event? In this episode, Carol Spieckerman dives into the fascinating undercurrents that were easy to miss as the AI buzz grew louder. Get ready for some surprising revelations about what's really keeping retail executives up at night.  Through both main-stage pre...

Retail media networks are still on fire, but most retailers are just scratching the surface when it comes to tapping in-store opportunities. In this episode, Cole Johnson, founder and CEO of The Looma Project , reveals why the next five years will be a land grab for in-store retail media. As inflation and tight margins put on the squeeze, savvy retailers are modernizing their store environments wh...

In this episode of Spieckerman Speaks Retail, Carol Spieckerman sits down with Joe Brady, commercial real estate guru and author of "Work. Shop. The Consumer-Driven Transformation of Commercial Real Estate."  Joe unpacks how the concepts of "work" and "shop" have shape-shifted from nouns to verbs, driven by technology and changing consumer behaviors. From the rise of...

In this episode of Spieckerman Speaks Retail, Carol Spieckerman explores the convergence of commerce and media with Eitan Koter, Co-CEO of Vimmi . Eitan shares Vimmi’s journey from a media and entertainment technology provider to a leading video commerce platform. The conversation delves into Vimmi's sales acceleration platform, which seamlessly integrates shoppable video across multiple chan...

In this episode of Spieckerman Speaks Retail, host Carol Spieckerman sits down with Joe Shasteen, global manager of advanced analytics at RetailNext , to discuss the latest trends in retail analytics and in-store technology. RetailNext is a pioneer in bringing e-commerce-level analytics to brick-and-mortar stores, helping retailers optimize their physical spaces and enhance the customer experience...

The old days of retailers quietly testing new tech offstage are a relic of the past. Welcome to the launch and learn era, where retailers are ditching the warm-up act and releasing tech straight into consumer environments before the kinks are worked out. It's a gutsy game of moving fast and iterating even faster based on real-time shopper feedback. This high-risk, high-reward strategy aims to...

Navigating the flood of new technology rushing into retail isn’t for the faint of heart. As promising as the possibilities are, deciding where to go first and how far will be a constant conundrum for retailers and brands. Carol’s guest, Chris Corbin , is VP and BI and Analytics Practice Leader for Sophelle , a boutique consulting firm that navigates the complexities of technology selection, implem...

The retail media juggernaut is showing no signs of slowing down as retailers seize the opportunity to monetize first-party consumer data. Payments media networks (PMNs) are emerging as the next frontier, extending the reach of CPG advertising while revolutionizing the loyalty landscape. From empowering CPG brands to connect with millions of banking customers to providing loyalty benefits for shopp...

Clienteling has evolved from a cumbersome, manual hustle reserved for high-end brands into an accessible, scalable retail tactic. To take full advantage, retailers need to let go of old ways of thinking about store productivity and the crucial new roles store associates play.  Carol’s guest, Casey Drake, is the VP of Sales for Endear, a retail CRM and clienteling platform that hits the sweet spot...

Retailers and brands are swinging attention back to brick-and-mortar and investing in employee training, development, and perks to stay competitive. Despite these efforts, many organizations still don’t have the bandwidth to fully optimize worker productivity and performance. Others have attempted to cost-cut their way to profitability, leaving retail workers on the lurch.  Brian Librach is a pass...

Retailers are diversifying into new channels, business models, and touchpoints and in-store experience is taking center stage once again. In this environment, human resources emerges as a new frontier. Previously siloed and unsung, HR professionals are now poised to be at the forefront of retail transformation, defining the new ways of working that will drive retail forward. Roz Johnson’s role as...

Retailers and brands know that attracting a diverse workforce and consumer base is critical to their future. Yet, casting a wider net without phoning it in has never been more challenging.  As chief consulting officer and executive producer for The Equity Project , Monica Williams is a powerful voice and a true thought leader in the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) space. Throughout her care...

Sales in discretionary categories are soft, the hype surrounding direct-to-consumer brands is dulling, and achieving E-commerce profitability remains elusive. Against this backdrop, SuitShop emerges as a triple threat.  SuitShop is a thriving direct-to-consumer, E-commerce company specializing in discretionary goods that people aren’t used to buying. Co-founder Diana Ganz is a fervent advocate for...

The one-two punch of Q2 earnings reports from Walmart and Target is always a harbinger of retail’s health as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the make-or-break holiday season loom. Yet the daylight between these power players keeps getting brighter. Direct comparisons between Walmart and Target do a disservice to both as their priorities, capabilities, and business models diverge. Carol Spieckerman te...

The digitization of stores, the rise of retail media, and retail theft prevention all share a common trait: rapid evolution from disjointed, scrappy efforts into unified opportunities that boost retailers' bottom lines. Now, a surge of innovative solutions is emerging, promising to consolidate complex opportunities and standardize approaches to challenging problems.  A new era of retail defra...

Big money. Massive margins. Exponential reach. It’s no wonder retail media has emerged as retailers’ top platform monetization play. Opportunities will hit new heights as in-store digitization accelerates and new touchpoints are energized. Brandcrush CEO, Teresa Aprile returns to the show joined by Criteo’s general manager of global enterprise, Sherry Smith, to share exciting updates on retail med...

A new breed of retail chain emerged in the 80s that spelled a last hurrah for brick & mortar before the digital floodgates opened in the 90s. Bigger than a specialty store yet smaller than a supercenter, category killers offered every size, style, and color imaginable, all in one place, and at nice prices. Suburban expansion, supply chain leaps, and global communications advances added momentu...