Total Retail Talks

In episode 348 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ali Mize, director of environmental and social governance (ESG), belonging and corporate philanthropy at Neiman Marcus Group, the portfolio of luxury brands including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Last Call, and Horchow. Listen in as Mize discusses the release of Neiman Marcus Group's first-ever ESG report,…

In episode 347 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Lori Conley, general merchandise manager at BHLDN, a thoughtfully curated wedding shop brought to you by Anthropologie, part of the URBN portfolio of global consumer brands. Conley discusses how the BHLDN brand is unique in the bridal industry, her professional background in retail and bridal, and the…

In episode 346 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Laura Donahue, vice president of corporate social responsibility  at CarMax, a used vehicle retailer. Donahue discusses the CarMax business and her role, the retailer's 2021 Giving Tuesday campaign that provided associates with funds to donate to a charity of their choice, and why giving back…

In episode 345 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Aaron Dunford, senior director of digital and marketing at Nordstrom, the heritage luxury department store chain. Dunford discusses why Nordstrom recently launched its retail media network, how it enables brand partners to better connect with Nordstrom customers, and how the retailer is providing valuable…

In episode 344 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Scott Saeger, senior vice president, chief information officer and chief technology officer at GNC, a trusted leader in clinically studied dietary supplements for weight loss, strength and performance. Saeger discusses GNC's recent launch of Amazon Alexa voice ordering capabilities, including how consumers can utilize…

In episode 343 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Brian Beitler, chief marketing officer of QVC U.S. and HSN, part of Qurate Retail Group. Listen in as Beitler discusses how QVC is incorporating new livestream shopping tools to enhance the customer experience, why he believes consumer adoption of livestream shopping is rising, and…

In episode 342 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ron Thurston, Amazon.com No. 1 best-selling author of "RETAIL PRIDE: The Guide to Celebrating Your Accidental Career" and veteran retail executive. Thurston discusses his career history in the retail industry, what he loves about working in the retail space, and how the frontline store…

In episode 341 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Michael Maher, CEO and co-founder of Taylor Stitch, a men's lifestyle company crafting responsibly built staples that are made to last. Listen in as Maher discusses his inspiration for launching Taylor Stitch, the premium products the company creates, and how pandemic-driven consumer behavior shifts…

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…