Total Retail Talks

In episode 300 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Andris Lagsdin, founder of The Baking Steel, a pizza stone retailer with a range of products made from ultra-conductive steel. Listen in as Lagsdin discusses why he launched the brand, his professional background, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced The Baking Steel's business.…

In episode 299 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Michael Stein, head of e-commerce at Coleman Furniture, an online furniture retailer that is part of Renegade Furniture Group. Listen in as Stein discusses how Coleman Furniture is utilizing technology to differentiate itself from the competition, examples of how the company is using artificial…

In episode 298 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Dick Sullivan, CEO of PGA TOUR Superstore, a leading national golf equipment, apparel and technology retailer. Listen in as Sullivan discusses PGA TOUR Superstore's business, his career experience in retail and professional sports, and to what he attributes the rapid growth of the golf…

In episode 297 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kristine Moody, founder and managing director of Team Magnus, the leading junior sports and outdoors brand focused on pre-teens. Listen in as Moody discusses the Team Magnus brand and its products, how and why the brand sells about 97 percent of its product on Amazon.com,…

In episode 296 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Harry Temkin, vice president of seller experience at eBay, a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world. Listen in as Temkin discusses his role at the company, the survey eBay recently conducted with its sellers to better understand…

In episode 295 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Stuart Landesberg, founder and CEO of Grove Collaborative, a leading sustainable CPG company and certified B Corp that creates innovative natural products and offers a curated selection of healthy home essentials. Listen in as Landesberg discusses the mission behind Grove Collaborative, his background that…

In this bonus episode of Total Retail Talks, Digital Content Director Kristina Stidham interviews Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan about Total Retail's recently published report, How-To Guide for Doing BOPIS and Curbside Pickup Right. Listen in as Keenan shares a few key highlights from the report, why consumer adoption of omnichannel fulfillment programs figures to continue post-pandemic,…

In episode 294 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Natalya Utesheva, senior brand manager at Schick, a leading heritage men's and women's shaving brand. Listen in as Utesheva discusses the launch of Schick's new fully recyclable Xtreme 3 Eco Glide razor, and why sustainability is core to the shaving brand and its parent company, Edgewell.…

In episode 293 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chase Fisher, founder and CEO of Blenders Eyewear, a direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) lifestyle eyewear brand specializing in fresh, vibrant and affordable eyewear. Listen in as Fisher discusses the origin of Blenders Eyewear, his professional and personal background as a semi-pro surfer, and the first steps…

In episode 292 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kecia Steelman, chief store operations officer at Ulta Beauty, the largest U.S. beauty retailer for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. Steelman discusses her recently announced transition to the chief operating officer position at Ulta Beauty and the company's…

In episode 291 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jeffrey Berk, managing director at Privé Porter, a luxury goods resale e-commerce company, specializing in sourcing and delivering authentic Hermès handbags. Listen in as Berk discusses the luxury handbag resale market, Privé Porter's unique business model of reselling hard-to-find Hermès handbags, and his professional bac...

In episode 290 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kendra Stepp-Davis, senior content producer and co-chair of the Black Hive, and Randy Goldberg, co-founder and chief brand officer of Bombas, a comfort-focused sock and apparel brand with a mission to help those in need. Listen in as Stepp-Davis discusses the origin story behind the…

In episode 289 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Janet Ries, vice president of marketing at Carhartt, a U.S.-based apparel company founded in 1889 known for its workwear. Listen in as Ries discusses Carhartt's partnership with Guinness for St. Patrick's Day, the limited-edition Carhartt x Guinness apparel collection, and why the iconic beer maker…

In this bonus episode of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Brian Lange, co-founder of Future Commerce, a retail media research startup focused on helping e-commerce businesses create strategic vision. Listen in as Lange discusses his career background, the inspiration behind starting Future Commerce, and what he finds compelling about working in the retail…

In episode 288 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Topper Luciani, founder and CEO of Goodfair, an online thrift store that sells used clothing in mystery bundle packs. Listen in as Luciani discusses Goodfair's business model, his career background in the used apparel and vintage space, and the company's new wholesale partnership with Nordstrom.…

In episode 287 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Phil Ryan, CEO of City Chic Collective, a women's plus-size apparel retailer. Listen in as Ryan discusses City Chic Collective's brand portfolio and history, his personal background in retail, and the company's recent acquisition of U.K. plus-size fashion brand Evans. He shares why Evans is a seamless…

In episode 286 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Suzanne Quigley, director of global corporate responsibility at Qurate Retail Group, and Meghan Cruz, director of grassroots at the National Retail Federation (NRF). Listen in as Quigley discusses why Qurate wanted to launch the Small Business Spotlight program, and how the initiative is helping dozens of…

In episode 285 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Gregg Melnick, executive vice president and chief stores officer at Bed Bath & Beyond. Listen in as Melnick discusses how the retail chain has transformed at an accelerated rate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of operating within an "omni-always" lens, and how…

In episode 284 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mark Murrell, founder and CEO of Get Maine Lobster, a direct-to-consumer seafood seller based in Portland, ME, delivering the finest seafood in the world straight from the dock to its customers’ doorsteps. Listen in as Murrell discusses Get Maine Lobster's origin story and its sales…

In episode 283 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Anne Cavassa, president of Saucony, a global running shoes, accessories and clothing brand. Listen in as Cavassa discusses the history of Saucony, its target customers and distribution channels, and how the brand is catering to both new runners and the entire running community. In…

In episode 282 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Maggie Dawkins, vice president of merchandising, design, planning, and production at FabKids, the largest membership-based children's apparel and shoes brand. Listen in as Dawkins discusses the history of the brand and her role with the company, how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted FabKids, and…

In episode 281 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Stacey Helbig, vice president of solution strategy, and Brian Coupland, senior vice president of merchandising at Staples. Listen in as Helbig and Coupland discuss the Staples Connect Breakthrough Project, the inspiration behind the initiative, and the criteria being used to evaluate new product ideas during the…

In episode 280 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Bradford Manning and Bryan Manning, co-founders of Two Blind Brothers, ultra-soft designer clothing funding blindness research. Listen in as Bradford and Bryan discuss the brand story and why they founded Two Blind Brothers, their lack of prior retail experience, and the charitable aspect of…

In episode 279 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Phillip Raub, CEO of Model No., the first custom furniture brand that operates at the intersection of technology, design and sustainability. Listen in as Raub discusses his professional background, the ethos of the Model No. brand, and why he was drawn to join the…

In episode 278 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Shane Pittson, vice president of growth and marketing at quip, the modern oral health company. Listen in as Pittson discusses the growth of the startup brand, his professional background and role at quip, and when and why the company expanded into wholesale and brick-and-mortar retail.…