Total Retail Talks

In episode 437 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kevin Duffy, CEO of iFIT, a global fitness and connected content company operating brands NordicTrack, ProForm, and Freemotion. Listen in as Duffy provides an overview of the fitness technology business (0:45), how iFIT creates engaging, personalized experiences for its members (2:15), identifies its key…

In episode 436 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ciarán Long, interim CEO and chief financial officer of a.k.a. Brands, a brand accelerator of next-generation fashion brands, including Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal + Pup, and MNML. Listen in as Long gives an overview of the company (0:40), discusses the a.k.a. Brands' portfolio's…

In episode 435 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mary Ellen Coyne, CEO, and Kevin McLaughlin, co-founder and creative director of J.McLaughlin, an American lifestyle brand. Listen in as Coyne and McLaughlin provide an overview of the J.McLaughlin brand (0:55), detail the origin of the company (1:55), and identify the customer behaviors they…

In episode 434 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kathy Doyle Thomas, president of Half Price Books (HPB), a chain of new and used bookstores. Listen in as Doyle Thomas provides an overview of the HPB's business (0:50), discusses her career with the company (2:25), offers insight into how the resale book industry…

In episode 433 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Alex Reveles, vice president of global brand management at JanSport, a VF Corp backpack and bag brand. Listen in as Reveles discusses her role within JanSport (0:50), why the brand is targeting Gen Z consumers (1:45), and the shopping behaviors this demographic is exhibiting…

In episode 432 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matt Kaness, CEO of GoodwillFinds, an online, curated selection of hundreds of thousands of unique items, showcasing a wide variety of secondhand clothing, books, home decor and more. Listen in as Kaness provides an overview of GoodwillFinds (0:55), discusses his professional background and what…

In episode 431 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Anna Harman, co-founder and CEO, and Lisa Bubbers, co-founder and chief brand officer, of Studs, a new ear piercing experience that enables consumers to express themselves through "earscaping." Listen in as Harman and Bubbers provide an overview of the company (0:55), their inspiration for…

In episode 430 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Trina Spear, CEO and co-founder of FIGS, a direct-to-consumer, modern healthcare apparel and lifestyle brand. Listen in as Spear provides an overview of the FIGS brand (0:40), her inspiration for launching the company (1:40) and why now is the right time to open its…

In episode 429 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jeremiah McElwee, chief merchandising officer of Thrive Market, a leading online marketplace specializing in a highly curated assortment of organic and non-GMO products. During the wide-ranging episode, McElwee provides an overview of Thrive Market and his role within the organization (0:55), including how merchandising…

In episode 428 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mike Clem, CEO of Sweetwater, the world's leading music technology and instrument retailer. Listen in as Clem discusses his 20-year career at Sweetwater (1:00), why the company has a strong track record of long-time employee retention (1:45), and how he is working to maintain…

In episode 427 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Claire O'Donnell, director of selling partner empowerment, communities and trust at Amazon.com. Listen in as O'Donnell discusses two key themes discusses at Amazon Accelerate, the annual conference dedicated entirely to Amazon’s selling partners (1:20), and the impact that the in-person community has on its sellers (2:43)....

In episode 426 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Emily Essner, chief marketing officer of Saks, the premier digital platform for luxury fashion in North America. During the wide-ranging conversation, Essner discusses the fashion retailer's quarterly Saks Luxury Pulse survey (0:55) and key findings from its most recent survey data released in September (2:33), including…

In episode 425 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Eric Bjorling, director of brand marketing and public relations at Trek Bicycle, a global leader in the design and manufacturing of bicycles and related products. Listen in as Bjorling discusses the genesis of Trek Bicycle's new bike trade-in and refurbishment program, Red Barn Refresh (0:52)…

In episode 424 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Darren Abbott, chief creative officer and senior vice president of global product development and innovation at Hallmark, a heritage American, family-owned greeting cards company operating a diversified portfolio of businesses. Listen in as Abbott discusses the launch of Hallmark + Venmo Cards (0:50), why the two…

In episode 423 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mandy Rassi, senior vice president, chief marketing officer at Michaels, the largest arts and crafts retailer in North America. Listen in as Rassi discusses the core components of Michaels' omnichannel transformation (1:15), including the role that customer feedback plays in its work to improve…

In episode 422 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Alyssa Vescio, senior vice president of merchandising at Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer, a subsidiary of Amazon.com. Vescio discusses her role at Whole Foods as well as what she enjoys most about the job (1:28), including how her team's…

In episode 421 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chris Wantlin, chief retail officer at Ashley, the No. 1 furniture and mattress retailer in North America. Among other topics, Wantlin discusses the company's recent rebrand, how Ashley is bringing consumer awareness to its brand refresh, and the internal collaboration needed to execute the…

In episode 420 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Erin Malone, director of digital strategy at Free People, a bohemian women's apparel and lifestyle retailer, part of the Urban Outfitters portfolio of brands. Malone provides an overview of the brand and her role (0:50), how Free People is optimizing the online shopping experience (2:30),…

In episode 419 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Greg Elder, chief retail officer at L.L.Bean, a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. During the wide-ranging conversation, Elder provides an overview of L.L.Bean's recently announced 2023 omnichannel growth plans (0:50), the retailer's approach to wholesale partnerships (2:00), and its decisio...

In episode 418 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Lyndsie Adams, former vice president of CRM and loyalty marketing, and James Nelson, director of marketing analytics at Life Time, a chain of athletic clubs in the United States and Canada. Listen in as Adams and Nelson discuss what omnichannel personalization looks like at…

In episode 417 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Thomas Kirk, global loyalty strategy director, and Claudio Corti, global membership strategy senior manager at Adidas, the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world. Listen in as Kirk and Corti discuss how Adidas collects customer feedback around its adiClub loyalty program (1:35) and how adapting…

In this bonus episode of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Digital Content Director Kristina Stidham and Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan discuss the recently released 2023 Retail Technology Report. This annual report, which was produced in conjunction with retail point-of-sale and omnichannel platform KWI, features survey data from Total Retail’s audience of technology decision makers about their comp...

In episode 416 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Deanna Hernandez, senior manager of digital offers and loyalty at McDonald's, the leading global foodservice retailer. Hernandez discusses her role and responsibilities (0:43), how McDonald's is evolving to match consumers' changing digital behaviors (1:40), and how digital engagement results in more loyal customers for…

In episode 415 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chris Ebel, former assistant vice president, marketing and CRM at Pep Boys, the leading automotive aftermarket chain in the U.S. Listen in as Ebel discusses his role at the organization (0:40), why it's critical for retailers to track shoppers' paths to purchase (1:10), and how…

In episode 414 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Valerie Grant, lifecycle marketing manager at Kroger, an American grocer operating a variety of banner names. Grant discusses her role leading engagement and retention membership marketing (0:45), how Kroger differentiates its approach between brand and lifecycle marketing (1:45), and the importance of agile, sustainable m...