The Voice of Retail

If you have been following this short special series—or if you just think about what distinguishes organizations that are winning the future from the also-rans, it is very often that they act more boldly, they take more chances, they fail regularly, they adjust, they fail some more. They believe, as my friend Seth Godin says, “if failure is not an option, then neither is success.” Our mission, sho...

Clayton Christensen, the late great Harvard Business School professor, wrote one of the best business strategy books of all time. In his classic "The Innovator's Dilemma" he explains how successful companies often fail by becoming overly locked into their established business models and optimizing the heck out of them, thereby ignoring, more risky disruptive innovations. Of course, back in 1997, w...

Something different for this Holiday season on the #pod as I head into my eighth year of The Voice of Retail and prepare for the year ahead - a guest host, cross-over thought leader insight bonus series of episodes from my award-winning Remarkable Retail #podcast. This past summer, Steve Dennis and I released a series of six bonus episodes with leadership insights adapted from his newest best-sell...

Something different for this Holiday season on the #pod as I head into my eighth year of The Voice of Retail and prepare for the year ahead - a guest host, cross-over thought leader insight bonus series of episodes from my award-winning Remarkable Retail #podcast. This past summer, Steve Dennis and I released a series of six bonus episodes with leadership insights adapted from his newest best-sell...

Something different for this Holiday season on the #pod as I head into my eighth year of The Voice of Retail and prepare for the year ahead - a guest host, cross-over thought leader insight bonus series of episodes from my award-winning Remarkable Retail #podcast. This past summer, Steve Dennis and I released a series of six bonus episodes with leadership insights adapted from his newest best-sell...

Something different for this Holiday season on the #pod as I head into my eighth year of The Voice of Retail and prepare for the year ahead - a guest host, cross-over thought leader insight bonus series of episodes from my award-winning Remarkable Retail #podcast.  This past summer, Steve Dennis and I released a series of six bonus episodes with leadership insights adapted from his newest best-sel...

Recorded live on the stage at the Retail West conference in Vancouver in November, joining me after a brief introduction by RCC's excellent Greg Wilson, Director of Government Affairs for B.C., is Cari Covent, Head of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology, Canadian Tire Corporation.   Together, we explore the importance of taking a holistic approach to embracing AI for retailers, the imp...

On this episode, I welcome Sean McCormick, Vice President Business Development from Moneris Data Services, for a deep dive into the numbers behind consumer behaviour during the holiday season and beyond. Together, we unpack the fascinating data-driven impact of Taylor Swift's Toronto tour, which saw local spending skyrocket by an impressive 45% in downtown areas. Sean shares how payment insights r...

Welcome to this entertaining and insightful episode as I chat with the hosts of The She Means Business Podcast , a new and welcome addition to the Canadian podcasting universe focussed on aspiring leaders looking for inspiration, motivation and mentorship in the business world, co-hosted by Gail Banack and Ilana Santone .   Gail and Ilana also happen to be two of Canada's foremost retail leaders,...

Meet  Deb Craven , President of  Longo's , one of Canada's most popular grocery stores with dozens of locations and more on the way across Southern Ontario. I joined Deb in the Longo's Store Support offices, and we talked about leadership and what it takes to innovate and compete in the crowded Southern Ontario grocery marketplace.   Encore Episode.  About Deb Deb Craven is a seasoned executive wi...

In this episode, a pickup of an RCC livestream I hosted in November 2024, Doug Norris , Senior Vice President and Chief Demographer with Environics Analytics and nationally renowned expert on the Canadian Census and demographic trends, with 40+ years of experience in social statistics, takes us through the current state of demographics in Canada. About Doug One of Canada’s leading experts on the C...

In this episode of the Voice of Retail podcast, Yorkdale Shopping Centre's VP and GM, Michael Renaud, provides insights into what makes Yorkdale a top shopping destination in North America. Located in Toronto, the center sees 18 million visitors annually and generates $2,400 per square foot, making it Canada's most productive mall. Renault attributes Yorkdale's success to its prime location, curat...

In this episode, Rob Dunlap, Generative AI Practice Leader, IBM explores how AI can offer retailers a genuine ability to revolutionize their business processes and models and help drive leaps of productivity across various aspects of their business, including personalized recommendations, predictive inventory management, automated customer service, and intelligent fraud detection. Rob and I will e...

In this engaging interview, Eric Morris, Managing Director of Google Retail in Canada, shares holiday season insights for retailers. Leveraging over two decades of experience at Google, Eric discusses the critical role of personalization, AI, and content-driven strategies in meeting the evolving demands of Canadian consumers. Noting that holiday shopping habits are shaped by weather, calendar shif...

On this episode a recording of the RCC x Leger Holiday Shopping livestream dissecting the 7th annual,  2024 RCC+ Leger Holiday Shopping Survey.  We discuss holiday shopping dynamics and navigate what sales and value mean this year, gift card preferences, online vs. in-store shopping trends, and key factors driving retailer choices. My guests  Luc Dumont  Senior Vice President, Insights and Andrian...

In this special ENCORE EPISODE worth a second, or perhaps your first listen, meet Toronto-based Michael Bungay Stanier, best known for The Coaching Habit, the best-selling coaching book of the century, today talking with me about his most recent book, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone. It's a fantastic conversation. Michael is a thoughtful and engaging guest, and we talk about the hard truth: most...

Meet Dr. Rebecca Homkes, who talks about the thinking behind her latest book "Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times," a must-read book that offers a powerful framework for navigating today's volatile business environment.   We introduce Rebecca's background and professional journey before delving into the book's central theme: volatility in today's business...

In this episode, meet Frédéric Aubé, the visionary founder and CEO of Cozey, a fast-growing player in the North American home furnishings market. Fred’s journey began with a simple observation during his days as a McGill University student: the frustration of moving bulky furniture through tight spaces in Montreal apartments. Inspired to make life easier for urban dwellers, he launched Cozey in 20...

Jim Fielding's dynamic career has spanned senior leadership roles at top global brands, including Disney, DreamWorks, and Twentieth Century Fox, anchored in experience and an early career at The Gap, Lands' End, and as CEO of Claire's Stores; He joins me in an exclusive interview to talk about this new book ALL PRIDE, NO EGO: A Queer Executive's Journey to Living and Leading Authentically with lea...

In this episode, recorded live at the RCC Retail Marketing Conference in Toronto, join me for a fast-paced discussion with John Fanous Head of Industry, eCommerce & Omni-Channel Retail, Google. We cover the current marketing strategy, communications, tools and tricks to reach an increasingly saturated, diverse shopper and reluctant media consumer. We’ll talk about what’s working, what’s changed, w...

In this episode, Meet Carson Arthur and hear about his journey from a media personality to an independent small retailer, launching Carson's Garden & Market in Prince Edward County. Carson shares his product sourcing strategies and challenges, advice for his fellow indie retailers, SMB growth strategies for governments, and plans for an exciting future.    About Carson Over the last 25 years, Cars...

Michon Williams is my special guest in this episode, sharing her career journey, emphasizing an early interest in technology and explaining her role as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Walmart Canada. Michon highlights the importance of balancing innovation and stability, operating on three horizons: stability, incremental improvements, and long-term disruptions. We discuss the need for local sol...

Serial entrepreneur Chris Jones, Founder and President of CANNABIS XPRESS, a leading chain of cannabis retail stores started in Ontario, is back on the podcast to tell us his adventure of expanding his successful store concept to small-town New Brunswick, one of the most innovative markets in Canada.   About Chris Chris Jones is an entrepreneur and cannabis industry executive. He is currently Foun...

In this episode, meet Bobby Sahni, a veteran of multicultural marketing with over 20 years of experience. Bobby discusses his journey from corporate roles in banking and telecommunications to his current role as a leader at Ethnicity Matters, a Toronto-based multicultural marketing agency. He emphasizes the importance of understanding Canada's demographic shifts and integrating multicultural strat...

Brain Rush!  Gen AI, AI Hallucinations and Retailers with Peter Cohan, an Associate Professor of Management Practice at Babson College Meet Peter Cohan, an Associate Professor of Management Practice at Babson College, the founding principal of Peter S. Cohan & Associates, a management consulting and venture capital firm, and has completed over 150 growth-strategy consulting projects for global tec...