Total Retail Talks

In episode 340 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jeremy Canade, co-founder and CEO of Fable, a leading direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) pet brand. Listen in as Canade discusses his professional background, the inspiration behind founding the company with his sister, and what makes Fable different from other pet brands in the market. He shares…

In episode 339 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jason Kuipers, CEO and co-founder of ZOX, an inspirational wristband brand. Kuipers discusses his professional background, how he and his brothers founded ZOX following a family arts-and-crafts night, and the goal behind the uplifting, wearable product line. He shares why ZOX sells direct-to-consumer to…

In episode 338 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Victor Sanz, creative director of TUMI, the world-class business and travel essentials brand designed to upgrade, uncomplicate and beautify all aspects of life on the move. Listen in as Sanz discusses TUMI's longstanding partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, how the brand drives…

In episode 337 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Natalie Hurst, director of customer success at Nuuly, a clothing subscription rental experience from the Anthropologie, Free People and Urban Outfitters family. Hurst discusses Nuuly's rental and resale services, her role in creating a seamless rental experience for the brand's shoppers, and the customer…

In episode 336 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Tristan Burns, global head of analytics at Pizza Hut International, a division of Yum! Brands. Listen in as Burns discusses his role within the Pizza Hut Digital Ventures tech division of the global company, his professional background, and the various ways that consumers digitally…

In episode 335 of Total Retail Talks, recorded at the National Retail Federation's Big Show last month in New York, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ken Natori, president of The Natori Company, a family-owned high-end women's fashion brand. Natori discusses the brand's heritage and its products, his career background before joining his family business, and the…

In episode 334 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mike Relich, co-CEO of PacSun, the California lifestyle clothing, shoes and accessories brand for teens and young adults. Relich discusses his recent presentation at the 2022 National Retail Federation Big Show, outlining the business challenges that developed during the COVID-19 pandemic as omnichannel shopping…

In episode 333 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Joe Fisch, CEO and chief financial officer of Wine Access, a leading direct-to-consumer wine retailer best known for offering exclusive, carefully selected wines from around the world. Fisch discusses the Wine Access business and product offerings, his professional background that led him to join…

In episode 332 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kelly Mahoney, vice president of customer marketing at Ulta Beauty, a leading cosmetics, fragrance, skincare and beauty gifts retailer. Mahoney discusses Ulta Beauty's Ultamate Rewards loyalty program, what she attributes the recent growth of the program to, and the engagement metrics the beauty retailer…

In episode 331 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Justin Baer, founder of Collars & Co., a direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brand that’s flipping the switch on elevated dresswear with a comfortable twist. Listen in as Baer discusses his entrepreneurial background, the inspiration behind Collars & Co. shirts' unique design, and and rapid growth of…

In episode 330 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Cara Pratt, senior vice president of Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) at 84.51°, the retail data science, insights and media subsidiary of the Kroger company. Listen in as Pratt discusses the business and her role at the company, the genesis of Kroger's new programmatic advertising marketplace,…

In episode 329 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Tom Ripley, chairman and CEO of Lids, the largest licensed sports retailer in North America, selling fan and fashion-oriented headwear and apparel across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Ripley discusses his professional background, Lids' partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) to open…

In episode 328 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Melissa Gonzalez, founder and CEO of The Lionesque Group, an experiential retail firm, as well as a principal and shareholder in global architecture firm MG2. Listen in as Gonzalez discusses the presentation she gave at CRMC 2021 focused on brick-and-mortar stores as a point…

In episode 327 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Sarah Rasmusen, executive vice president and chief customer officer at Lands' End, an American clothing and home décor retailer that specializes in casual clothing, luggage, and home furnishings. Listen in as Rasmusen discusses Lands' End's current digital offerings, how the business operated during the…

In episode 326 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Sachin Shroff, vice president of CRM, loyalty and marketing technology at Michaels, the largest arts and crafts retail chain in North America. Shroff discusses the technology investments the retailer made to support its personalization efforts, how Michaels is using personalization to optimize the performance…

In episode 325 of Total Retail Talks, Joe Keenan interviews Bill Ready, president of commerce, payments and next billion users at Google. Ready discusses his professional background and current role, as well as how Google is trying to create a different online commerce experience for both consumers and merchants, fostering democratized choice and transparency. He…

In episode 324 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Sarah Philips, vice president of marketing, and Tim Pitt, former senior vice president of marketing and merchandising, at Rent-A-Center, a rent-to-own industry leader. Philips and Pitt discuss how consumer behavior has shifted among Rent-A-Center customers in the last year-plus, how the business has reacted to those…

In episode 323 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Andre Persaud, chief retail officer of Rite Aid, the trusted, everyday care connector operating over 2,500 retail pharmacy locations across 17 U.S. states. Persaud discusses Rite Aid's RxEvolution strategy, how the business is redesigning the in-store experience for its customers, and the internal cross-functional…

In episode 322 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Paul Kang, senior director of product management and consumer loyalty at VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies operating a family of outdoor, active and workwear brands including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland®, and Dickies®. Kang discusses how product management…

In episode 321 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Paul Hedrick, CEO of Tecovas, a seller of handmade, high-quality western boots. Hedrick discusses the Tecovas business and his professional background, his inspiration for launching the western brand, and the factors he believes have spurred growth during the COVID-19 pandemic through physical retail expansion…

In episode 320 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Christine Grasser, manager of corporate communications, giving and volunteerism, and Sam Di Scipio, vice president of corporate communications, giving and volunteerism at Macy's. Grasser and Di Scipio discuss Macy's recent partnership with the National Retail Federation Foundation's RISE Up training and credentialing progr...

In episode 319 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jill Feldman, vice president and general manager of Kids Foot Locker, the children's brand under Foot Locker, Inc. Feldman discusses Kids Foot Locker's success during this year's back-to-school season, the target demographic for the retailer, and the dynamic of both parents and children influencing…

In episode 318 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Eric Bjorling, director of brand marketing and public relations at Trek Bikes, a heritage bicycle retailer and manufacturer based in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Bjorling discusses why Trek conducted its first-ever emissions audit in 2020, the learnings from Trek's first Sustainability report, and the steps the company…

In episode 317 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Tim Schroder, senior vice president of marketing at Save A Lot, a limited assortment discount grocer. Schroder discusses the company's offerings and his role, as well as Save a Lot's newly rolled out marketing and branding campaign "Like, A Lot A Lot." He shares why…

In episode 316 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Giovanni Monti, senior vice president of healthcare services at Walgreens Boots Alliance, a global leader in retail pharmacy. Listen in as Monti discusses his role and team at the company, how the COVID-19 pandemic increasingly blended healthcare and retail together, and what that dynamic…