Total Retail Talks

In episode 74 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at last week's National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show in New York City, Scott Cohn, vice president of e-commerce at Chinese Laundry, discusses how the women's footwear brand is making the online shopping experience easier for customers, and in the process driving more sales.

In episode 73 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at last week's National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show in New York City, Dominique Essig, chief experience officer at Bonobos, discusses how the menswear retailer is using mobile clienteling to create a better in-store shopping experience for its customers.

In episode 72 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at last week's National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show in New York City, Amanda Hesser, co-founder and CEO of Food52, discusses the convergence of content and commerce and how it will affect retailers in 2017.

In episode 71 of Total Retail Talks, I interview Ellen Davis, senior vice president of research and strategic insights at the National Retail Federation (NRF). This episode was recorded at the NRF's Big Show in New York City earlier this year. Davis discusses the key findings to emerge from a research project the NRF conducted which…

In episode 70 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at this week's National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City, Gordon Jaquay, director, information technology at Hickory Farms, the specialty foods retailer, talks about how breaking down data silos is helping the organization become more efficient while also providing a better experience for its customers.

In episode 69 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at this week's National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City, Total Retail's Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Lisa Gavales, president and CEO of Things Remembered. Gavales discusses what innovation means for the personalized gifts retailer, how testing influences Things Remembered's product selection — both in-store…

In episode 68 of Total Retail Talks, Bart Robinson, vice president of product management for Shindigz, a party supplies retailer, discusses how a relaunched and redesigned mobile site has helped the brand improve the shopping experience for its customers, ultimately resulting in more conversions. In addition, Robinson offers his thoughts on what retailers should be…

In episode 67 of Total Retail Talks, Molly Kang, founder of Floravere, the first direct-to-consumer luxury bridal brand, discusses the story behind the company, how she plans to grow the business and compete with traditional bridal stores, and offers her advice for other entrepreneurs looking to break through in the retail industry.

In episode 66 of Total Retail Talks, Aaron Magness, chief marketing officer for Betabrand, an online apparel retailer and crowdfunding platform, discusses how the company is using an alternative payment method (APM) from Affirm to increase its site conversion rate. In addition, Magness offers his advice to other retailers looking to integrate APMs into their…

In episode 65 of Total Retail Talks, Jim Garlow, director of marketing operations at CDW, a leading B-to-B retailer of computers, hardware, software and IT solutions, talks about how the company is managing the customer experience through all the different ways it interacts with and markets to its customers. Garlow discusses CDW's strategy for segmenting…

In episode 64, Total Retail's Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Sarah Landsman, senior director, brand strategy and eye care marketing for LensCrafters, a Luxottica Retail brand, about LensCrafters’ marketing campaign, See. Good. Daily, which helped to drive awareness of contact lenses and daily disposables for LensCrafters. Landsman explains how the campaign was constructed to reach its targ...

Episode 63 of Total Retail Talks features a conversation with Helena Barbour, senior director of global sportswear at Patagonia, a designer and retailer of outdoor clothing and gear. Barbour talks about Patagonia's Fair Trade program, offering insights into the retailer's efforts to ensure the factory workers making its products across the globe are earning a fair…

West Elm announced this week that it will be opening a boutique hotel in Portland, Maine, the retailer's sixth such property scheduled to open in the next two-and-a-half years. Other hotels are scheduled for Detroit; Minneapolis; Savannah, Ga.; Oakland, Calif.; and Indianapolis. The hotels will essentially serve as massive showrooms for the furniture and home…

In episode 61 of Total Retail Talks, Bob Kupbens, vice president, B-to-C and seller experience, head of global trust, eBay, discusses how the online marketplace's partnership with Sellbrite will enable a better experience for merchants selling on the platform. In addition, Kupbens talks about the future of online marketplaces and how eBay is positioning itself…

In episode 60 of Total Retail Talks, Christopher Wu, co-founder and CEO of Paper Culture, an online retailer that offers modern design and sustainable products, including stationery, wedding invitations and wall decor, talks about the growth of the business, and in particular how a commitment to environmentally friendly products and attracting millennials to the brand…

In episode 59 of Total Retail Talks, Ian Wisbey, senior manager, global retail at Worldpay, a payments processing company, discusses the key findings from the company's recent research report, Why Do They Pay That Way?, as well as the implications for retailers based on the survey's findings. From how millennials prefer to pay for online…

JanSport implemented a new mobile-first mind-set for its site redesign, and it's helped the brand nearly double sales via the platform. Carolina Gomes, director of e-commerce at JanSport, joined us on episode 58 of Total Retail Talks to discuss the company's recent web redesign, how thinking mobile first has affected its sales, and what's in…

The payment landscape for online and offline retailers is getting wider and deeper every day. To discuss some key payment trends taking place within the retail industry, Elina Vilk, head of marketing, enterprise solutions, PayPal, joined us on episode 57,  of Total Retail Talks, sponsored by Synchrony Financial. Vilk discusses the mobile payment landscape, how data…

In episode 56 of Total Retail Talks, I interview Mike Edwards, CEO of eBags. Edwards discusses how the online retailer of handbags, luggage, backpacks and more is growing sales through increased product breadth, a mobile-first mentality and unique brand partnerships.

Episode 55 of Total Retail Talks features a conversation with Nick Rellas, co-founder and CEO of Drizly, the alcohol home delivery application. Rellas discusses, among other things, how today's on-demand e-commerce marketplace is helping Drizly compete with Amazon.com.

In episode 54 of Total Retail Talks, Nathan Dierks, director of web operations at BCBG Max Azria, discusses how the fashion retailer's use of a new customer experience platform from Qubit has helped it increase sales, average order values and customer loyalty.

James Allen is an online retailer of diamond and bridal jewelry. Like most every other retailer, capturing the wallet share of millennials is critical to the brand's future. In episode 53 of Total Retail Talks, Johanna Tzur, chief marketing officer of James Allen, details how a partnership with BuzzFeed and a mobile-first approach is paying…

In episode 52 of Total Retail Talks, Mark Friedman, president of e-commerce at Steve Madden, discusses how the shoe brand is leveraging its mobile app to grow consumer engagement and conversions.

Safe and Vault Store, a manufacturer and online retailer of safes and vaults, is using a referral marketing strategy via social channels such as Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter to help it acquire new customers. In episode 51 of Total Retail Talks, Dominic Schwebs, website administrator for Safe and Vault Store, discusses how the referral program…

It's not a secret that customers that purchase in multiple channels (i.e., omnichannel customers) are more valuable to brands than their single-channel counterparts. Therefore, it makes sense that retailers would do everything in their power to convert single channel customers — particularly those in-store — into omnichannel customers. In episode 50 of Total Retail Talks,…