Future Shop Podcast with WSL

In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Muriel Gonzalez, President, The Vitamin Shoppe about how the pandemic brought her out of retirement to lead the transformation of street corner vitamin shop into a model of 21st century wellness.

They discuss:

• The keys to transforming a store for fitness jocks into one for anyone on a wellness journey
• How to manage fast-emerging categories and products in the health and wellness space, from hydration to sports fitness, from menopause to immunity
• Working with young entrepreneurs and the power of influencers and social media
• The importance of the “health enthusiasts” staff in helping shoppers make sense of all the news -- and noise.
• Creating value in the heavily discounted vitamin category
• How to create a reason for quick trips and longer-term loyalty

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In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Alissa Hsu Lynch, formerly of Google and Johnson & Johnson, about the consumerization of technology in health care, and the implications for consumer packaged goods companies and retail.

They discuss:

• Google’s utilization of 10x thinking to create radical solutions 
• How technology will provide better outcomes and more affordable access to health care 
• The success of consumerizing technology in health care is staying focused on real consumer needs
• How wearables will evolve and provide more insight into everyday lives over time.
• How digital tools, like generative AI, plus real people will provide better outcomes. 
• What will come next – from advances in sensors to prescription digital therapeutics for mental health, and the implications for retail
• The urgency to build integrated teams – across brand, R&D, marketing, media, user experience
• How data is key to it all

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In this episode, Wendy Liebmann, WSL’s CEO and Chief Shopper, and Justin Honaman, Head of Worldwide Retail & CPG, GTM & Segment Leader for Food & Beverages for Amazon Web Services, introduce Future Shop’s Cloud Chat – a short, sharp, sometimes provocative take on emerging technology and the implications for the future of retail.  

They discuss:  

• Generative AI…of course
• The need to explore proofs of concepts and piloting…fast
• New focus on data for legacy brands…good news and not
• Real opportunities for upstart brands to use new tech…take heed legacy brands
• Compossible commerce…and more
• All in 10 minutes or less.

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In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Justin Lafoe, most recently Executive Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising for Trader Joe’s and, prior to that, SVP of Merchandising & Retail, Disney Parks, Experience & Products, where he worked for 25 years.

They discuss:

• How delivering a relevant shopper experience has changed as a result of technology and COVID.
• How deep understanding of changing shopper expectations is essential to building relevant experiences.
• How the role of the physical store is more important than ever.
• Why retail icons, such as Starbucks, known for delivering extraordinary experiences have lost their way.
• How essential it is to engage all constituencies: employees and shoppers in order to deliver a compelling retail experience.
• The challenges to retailers and brands when values are so politicized.
• The role of a company’s culture in delivering the right customer experience at retail.

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In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to six industry leaders about key trends that will impact retail in 2024-2025.  Listen to:

• Susan Lang, CEO, XIL Health
• Michael Clinton, CEO & Founder, ROARForward
• Parbinder Dhariwal, VP & General Manager, CMX, CVS Health
• Dawn Clark, Co-founder & Principal Architect, Osean Studios
• Justin Honaman, Head Worlwide Retail & CPG, GTM, Food/Beverage, Amazon Web Services
• Lisa Paley, President, North America, Haleon

They discuss:

1. The health and wellness revolution at retail, and how to define women’s wellness.  
2. The new generation cohort driving growth: how 50+ consumers are the big opportunity now.
3. Personalization, retail media, and how one-to-one marketing is finally in retail’s sights. 
4. The role of the physical store: now a place of engagement, not more stuff.
5. How AI has already transformed business.  Now what? 
6. The urgency to create a modern corporate culture; engaging internal and external constituencies to grow.   

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In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to WSL’s president Candace Corlett about the latest How America Shops® research that addresses the foundational changes in shopper sentiment and behavior as a result of five years of turmoil. (That’s right, it’s not only about the pandemic.)

They discuss:

• The paradox of shoppers’ “just in case” approach to spending versus treating themselves
• The paradox of shopping in many, many more places – channels, stores, digital – versus wanting to make their shopping lives easier
• The paradox of the new shopper journey
• The paradox of what makes a brand – and the real challenges to national brands from private brands (not private label)
• The paradox of how shoppers are taking care – and control -- of their own health and wellbeing

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In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Noah Rosenblatt, president, SpaceNK North America, about the company’s unique retail model, and how to straddle Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Walmart all at the same time.

 They discuss:

• Why the changing beauty landscape exemplifies where retail at large is headed 
• How to successfully straddle luxury and mass distribution at the same time
• How the pandemic opened the door to a partnership model that brings prestige to a broader audience
• The key to curating categories, brands and price points efficiently to suit the moment
• Why successful retail today is about accessibility and affordability 
• How technology enables a better service environment in mass retail, and overcomes staff shortages in luxury retail

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In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Parbinder Dhariwal, VP & General Manager of CMX, at CVS Health, about the evolution of Retail Media Networks and the opportunity they offer to create more personalized shopping experiences. 

They discuss

• Whether this is the moment of one-to-one shopper personalization.
• The challenge of digitizing a traditionally analog retail business 
• How Retail Media Networks must be consumer-led and add value through the increasingly fragmented shopper journey.
• How to enable consumers to discover products within categories or adjacent areas, and then become a recommendation engine.
• The responsibility to utilize data and assets to understand consumers to enhance their lives, and their health and wellness journey and deliver the right message to the right person at the right time.
• How CVS’s CMX is staying true to its purpose to benefit CVS shoppers on their health and wellness journey. 

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In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Michael Clinton, author of ROAR into the Second Half of Your Life - Before It’s Too Late, and CEO and Founder of ROARforward, a joint venture with Hearst Ventures. 

They discuss:

• The new 50+ cohort and the social movement driving change in the developed world, as people live longer. 
• One-third of the population is already 50-plus with substantial – and growing spending power. 
• They're not brand loyal. They're blowing up all of the stereotypes, rejecting brands and retailers where they don't feel they represent them accurately.
• How marketing strategy and merchandising approaches need to be rethought. 
•  How understanding this new cohort is critical for business, employees, brands, and retailers.
• The implications for brands and retailers – most of whom are currently getting an F grade.

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In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks to Susan Lang, founder of XIL Health, a women-owned healthcare analytics and technology company that advises major corporations on health care strategy and  invests in healthcare startups. In her prior life, she was a senior executive at Express Scripts, and has spent her entire life working in healthcare.

They discuss:

• Healthcare at retail in the next 3 - 5 - 10 years through the lens of patients/consumers/shoppers.   With advice for CPG companies and retailers 
• The role of the front store and in-store clinics in the future  
• New health categories that are emerging 
• The impact virtual medical care will have in the future; for which patients and conditions (even pets get a mention)
• New technology advances, including AI
• The shift from “self care” to “self control”
•   What “Women’s Wellness” really means

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