Total Retail Talks

In episode 33 of Total Retail Talks, I interview Richard Mancinelli, loyalty program manager for Advance Auto Parts. Mancinelli talks about the automotive replacement parts and accessories retailer's third annual mobile tour and the value it provides in driving brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Content marketing has become a favored way for retailers and brands to engage their customers, establish brand awareness and thought leadership, and, ultimately, help them sell more products. In episode 32 of Total Retail Talks, Lisa Dominish, director of e-commerce at Rachel Roy, discusses how the women's fashion retailer is using content as part of…

Personalizing the shopping experience for consumers in all channels is a primary initiative for omnichannel retailers. Saks Fifth Avenue is no exception. In episode 29 of Total Retail Talks, Joe Milano, senior vice president, general manager, digital retail and e-commerce for Saks, talks about how the luxury department store chain is working to give consumers…

invino, a private sale shopping community for wine lovers, wanted to use its members’ passion for the brand — and its wine — to help it recruit new members and, ultimately, customers. The online retailer worked with social commerce platform ShopSocially to embed a "Refer a Friend" app on its website, offering visitors a free…

Late last month the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a firm that provides a cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction, released its 2015 Retail Report. In episode 27 of Total Retail Talks, David VanAmburg, managing director of the ACSI, discusses some of the report's key findings, including why there was an overall drop in customer satisfaction…

In episode 26 of Total Retail Talks, Patrick Cassidy, who leads global digital brand marketing and social media content strategy for New Balance, the athletic footwear, apparel and accessories brand, discusses the company's shift from a point-in-time marketing approach to a consistent, year-round conversation with consumers, and the role content plays in this new strategy.

In episode 25 of Total Retail Talks, we feature a conversation with Meaghan Rose, co-founder and CEO of Rocksbox, a premium jewelry subscription service. Subscription-based commerce — i.e., subscribers paying a monthly or annual fee to have products delivered directly to them on an ongoing basis — is one of the emerging trends in e-commerce.…

In episode 24 of Total Retail Talks, Vijay Ramani, co-founder and CEO of Totspot, a resale shopping app for clothes and accessories for the entire family, discusses why the startup business opted for a mobile app marketplace rather than a traditional e-commerce site as well as the company's plans for its recently secured $1.5 million in…

In today's age of advanced cyber threats and what seems to be near-daily data breaches, retailers have been forced to develop strategies and defense systems to combat fraudsters. In episode 23 of Total Retail Talks, Vincent Damiano, vice president of information security and compliance at Modell's Sporting Goods, discusses the steps his company has taken…

Jay Baer is a celebrated digital marketing strategist, speaker and New York Times best-selling author, as well as the president of Convince & Convert, a digital marketing consulting firm. His advice on customer service has helped some of the world's leading brands, including Nike, Cisco, Oracle, Cabela's, and many others. In this episode of Total…

With the start of a new year, retailers are trumpeting the good deeds they've done the previous year, as well as putting their plans in place for the current year. For example, GameStop recently announced that with the help of its customers, the company was able to raise $2.8 million for St. Jude Children's Research…

Venus Fashion, a retailer of swimwear and fashion, was looking to grow its brand by taking it international. But in order to meet the needs of international customers, the retailer first needed to get a logistics plan in place to efficiently ship its products to foreign lands. In episode 20 of Total Retail Talks, Paula…

Unique Vintage, a retailer of vintage-inspired fashions for women, is successfully using social and visual commerce technology to acquire, retain and reward customers. In episode 19 of Total Retail Talks, Courtney Lear Wallace, director of digital marketing and e-commerce at Unique Vintage, discusses the retailer's visual commerce strategy and why it's paying big dividends.

With consumers engaging brands in a growing number of channels, retailers are challenged to deliver personalized shopping experiences. While they may have the data required to deliver on this need, using that data for said goal is an entirely different story. In episode 18 of Total Retail Talks, Jess Stephens, chief marketing officer at SmartFocus,…

2015 may well be remembered in the retail industry as the year of mobile. This year saw mobile account for more than 50 percent of online traffic and 20 percent of online sales. Wanting to get its piece of the mobile pie, Wine.com, a San Francisco-based online wine retailer, launched a new mobile site this…

On-demand customized shoe retailer Shoes of Prey made headlines last week when it announced that it had secured $15.5 million in a round of financing from various investors, most notably Nordstrom. In episode 16 of Total Retail Talks, Jodie Fox, co-founder and chief creative officer of Shoes of Prey, discusses the brand's partnership with Nordstrom.

For Pawstruck.com, on online retailer of natural dog treats and chews, selling via third-party marketplaces, most notably Amazon.com, is critical to its business. During the holidays, when Pawstruck's sales ramp up on both its own site and on Amazon, ensuring that its products are well stocked is a top priority. In episode 15 of Total…

In episode 14 of Total Retail Talks, we feature a conversation with Jennifer Farrelly, director of human resources at Lorna Jane, a women's activewear brand. With the holiday shopping season quickly approaching, retailers’ stores and websites will begin to see an uptick in traffic. To help accommodate this increase in demand, many companies hire extra…

Last month, overstockArt.com launched a new e-commerce site to replace the online retailer's 12-year old flagship online store. In episode 13 of Total Retail Talks, Amitai Sasson, vice president of marketing and development at overstockArt.com, discusses how the brand is leveraging its new site to better engage consumers and sell its products.

The fourth quarter is an especially busy time of the year for fine jewelry retailer Ritani. In episode 12 of Total Retail Talks, Brian Watkins, president of Ritani, discusses how the retailer is trying to better meet the needs of today's omnichannel shoppers, as well as what it's doing to prepare for the holiday rush.

In episode 11 of Total Retail Talks, Eric Kirkhofer, chief operating officer of BuySeasons, the parent company of leading online retail brands BuyCostumes, Costume Express, and Birthday Express, discusses how the brands are leveraging personalization to improve the online shopping experience and drive sales.

In episode 10 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Rob Garf, vice president of industry insights and strategy at Demandware, an enterprise, cloud-based commerce platform provider, on the impact Twitter's "Buy" button will have on retailers’ operations, as well as consumers’ growing acceptance of social commerce.

Lionel, the iconic model train maker, recently launched two e-commerce websites — Lionel Trains, Lionel Racing — on NetSuite's SuiteCommerce platform. In episode nine of Total Retail Talks, Rick Gemereth, chief information officer and senior vice president of Lionel NASCAR Collectables, discusses the benefits of being on a cloud-based e-commerce platform and how it's impacted…

In episode eight of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Andrew Spencer, director of technology for Stance Socks, about the company's recent partnership with Rihanna, its 2015 holiday marketing strategy and future collaborations.

In episode seven of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Melissa Campanelli interviews Mark Wolverton, CEO of Lush Cosmetics, about how the company got its start, its holiday marketing strategy and plans for more retail storefronts.