Total Retail Talks

In episode 99 of Total Retail Talks, Peter Leff, executive vice president of wholesale, and Mark Sondheim, sales manager, team sports licensed apparel division, wholesale, both of Tommy Bahama, discuss the casual lifestyle brand's partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) for a line of licensed apparel. Leff and Sondheim talk about why MLB is a…

In episode 98 of Total Retail Talks, Laura Phillips, senior vice president of sustainability, Wal-Mart, discusses the big-box retail chain's new supplier sustainability platform, Project Gigaton. Phillips addresses why sustainability is a critical component of Wal-Mart's corporate values, the business benefits the company has realized from its many sustainability initiatives, and offers advice for...

In episode 96 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at our live podcast event in Chicago earlier this spring, Daniel Alarik, founder and CEO of Grunt Style, an online retailer of patriotic apparel, discusses his unique career path, from a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army to the head of an online retail company. In addition,…

In episode 95 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at our live podcast event in Chicago earlier this spring, Tom Zegar, co-founder of PulseTV, an online retailer of general merchandise, shares how the company is successfully using email marketing and video to engage, acquire and develop relationships with its customers.

In episode 97 of Total Retail Talks, Ethelbert Williams, chief marketing officer of InstaNatural, a natural and organic beauty products brand, talks about leveraging third-party marketplaces, including Amazon.com, Jet.com, iHerb and others, for growing the business. Williams also offered his insights into how InstaNatural is using content to engage and sell to a very discerning…

In episode 94 of Total Retail Talks, John DeWaal, vice president of marketing at LIDS Sports Group, discusses the omnichannel sports licensed retailer's recently launched mobile app, its newly designed loyalty program, and how the two work together to create loyal customers.

In episode 93 of Total Retail Talks, Brian Seewald, vice president, digital, DSW, discusses the footwear retailer's top ranking in Total Retail's inaugural Top 100 Omnichannel Retailers report. Seewald discusses how DSW is bringing digital into its brick-and-mortar stores, as well as the technologies underpinning the retailer's omnichannel efforts, from inventory management to product returns and...

In episode 92 of Total Retail Talks, Bridget Russo, chief marketing officer of Shinola, a luxury retailer that specializes in watches, bicycles and leather goods, discusses the brand's commitment to American manufacturing and jobs. Russo details Shinola's recent marketing campaign, Let's Roll Up Our Sleeves, which celebrated the idea that hard work creates jobs and…

In episode 91 of Total Retail Talks, Aaron Bata, head of customer experience at Tuft & Needle, a manufacturer and online retailer of mattresses, is interviewed by Total Retail's Joe Keenan on how the brand is using feedback from its customers to inform business decisions. Bata also offers his advice for other retailers that are…

In episode 90 of Total Retail Talks, MC Halfpenny, director of operations at Uncommon Goods, an online retailer of unique gifts and creative home decor, talks about how proactive customer support is helping the company to improve the order delivery process. Halfpenny shares details about the support process at Uncommon Goods, the business benefits it…

In episode 89 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at the recent Total Retail Talks Live event in San Francisco, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Joanne Hsieh, chief operating officer at Walker & Company Brands, a company known for its health and beauty products for people of color. Hsieh discusses how Walker & Company has…

In episode 88 of Total Retail Talks, Jennie Pastor, CEO of Kavador, an online marketplace for curated fine jewelry, tells us about how the company is personalizing the customer experience, and what impact that is having on sales. Pastor also offers her advice for other retailers looking to bring personalization to the online shopping experience.

In episode 87 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Helen Vaid, chief customer officer of Pizza Hut, during the recent Total Retail Talks Live event in San Francisco. Listen in as Helen shares why an omnichannel approach has been key to Pizza Hut's customer service success. (Helen was also named to…

In episode 86 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Heidi Zak, co-founder of ThirdLove, a personalization app for bras, at a recent Total Retail Talks Live event in San Francisco. Listen in as Heidi discusses why personalization has been critical to the success of ThirdLove.

In episode 85 of Total Retail Talks, Chris Marantette, president and chief financial officer at NetRush, a retailer and agency that partners with brands to grow and manage their products on the Amazon Marketplace, discusses the opportunities and challenges, including sales tax obligations, that come with selling on online marketplaces. In particular, Chris details how…

In episode 84 of Total Retail Talks, I interview Erick Roesch, director of business intelligence at Rue La La. Roesch discusses how the members-only online fashion site is using a data warehousing solution as part of its efforts to personalize the shopping experiences of its customers.

In episode 83 of Total Retail Talks, Peter Weedfald, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Sharp Home Appliances, discusses how traditional brick-and-mortar retailers — and their product suppliers — can compete in today's digital retail environment. Weedfald also offers his thoughts on the technology trends that will have the biggest impact on the…

In episode 82 of Total Retail Talks, Scott Hansen, general manager, supply chain and logistics at Nebraska Furniture Mart, the largest home furnishing store in North America, discusses how the company has benefited from implementing an integrated supply chain for its online and brick-and-mortar operations.

In episode 81 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Ed Jankowski, CEO of XpresSpa, the largest U.S. airport spa chain. The interview took place at last week's Total Retail Talks Live event in New York City. Listen in as Ed discusses how changing the culture at XpresSpa is helping the company…

In episode 80 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Marci Zaroff, founder of Under the Canopy, an eco-friendly brand of stylish and innovative home products; as well as MetaWear, a manufacturer of certified-organic, custom screen-printed apparelat a recent Total Retail Talks Live event. Listen in as Marci discusses why sustainable products…

In episode 79 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Megan Grassell, founder and CEO of Yellowberry, a company designed to change the bra industry for young girls. The interview was conducted at last week's Total Retail Talks Live! event in New York City. Listen in as Megan discusses how she started the online…

In episode 78 of Total Retail Talks, Kiran Smith, vice president, chief marketing officer at Brookstone, a retailer of unique gift ideas and cool gadgets, discusses how chip card technology is helping the company cut down on fraudulent purchases. In addition, Smith offers her advice for other retailers that are integrating chip card technology into…

In episode 77 of Total Retail Talks, Chris Meystrik, chief technology officer at Jewelry Television, a TV network and online retailer of fine jewelry, answers questions from Total Retail's Executive Editor Joe Keenan on how the company is leveraging data to improve the customer experience.

In episode 76 of Total Retail Talks, James Connell, vice president, e-commerce and marketing at Roots Canada, a leading lifestyle brand and manufacturer of men's and women's apparel as well as leather goods, discusses the company's recent partnership with Air Canada that helped drive holiday shopping.

In episode 75, Anthony Hoang, former chief information officer at Evereve, a contemporary retail brand that specializes in styling moms, discusses how the company is leveraging long-term evolution (LTE) Wi-Fi in its brick-and-mortar stores, and the impact that the technology is having on the shopping experience. Learn how Evereve is using technology to bridge online and…