Retail Remix

When Anna Harman wanted to get a new ear piercing, she only had two viable options: an upscale boutique that would charge her hundreds of dollars...or a tattoo parlor. While the latter was just as safe as the former, the experience left her feeling wanting more. 

Most of all, the experience made Anna realize what a big white space there was in the market, which inspired her to start Studs with Lisa Bubbers. During this episode of Retail Remix, Anna shares Studs’s origin story, as well as: 

• The essence of the Studs brand and how it adapts and amplifies across digital and physical channels; 
• Why it's critical for the marketing team to balance fun, entertainment-driven initiatives and borderline-scientific content; 
• How she and Lisa developed a scalable business framework and service strategy; and 
• Entrepreneurial lessons that all retail executives can embrace and apply.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Studs 
• Follow Anna on LinkedIn

Will Eadie is in the world of employee experience, also known as EX. He and his company WorkJam believe that a great EX leads to a great CX. 

If that’s the case, why do so many retailers struggle to invest in the right tools and strategies that drive EX? We had Will on Retail Remix to find out. 

Listen to this episode to learn: 

• What EX entails and why it matters more than ever; 

• How EX can lead to CX outcomes; 

• How retailers like JCPenney are seeing success with their EX investments; and 

• Tips for finding the right tools and partners to support your EX mission and vision.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about how WorkJam supports retailers
• Get the JCPenney case study
• Read our coverage of WorkJam’s research with Forrester
• Read our latest report about employee technology
• Connect with Will Eadie on LinkedIn

Alex Weinstein is equally passionate about marketing and data science, and he’s putting that passion to good use as Chief Digital Officer of Hungryroot. 

Although one could easily lump Hungryroot in with other grocery delivery services, the company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence to power customer-facing touch points as well as back-end operations. During this episode of Retail Remix, Alex shares: 

• Hungryroot’s key differentiators in the fast-evolving digital grocery space; 

• The company’s top customer experience priorities, from personalization to mobile app design;

• How Hungryroot uses behavioral data and zero-party insights to power back-end operations; and 

• How AI is helping Hungryroot tackle food waste and reduce environmental impact. 

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Hungryroot
• Read the latest on artificial intelligence (AI) 

Want to hear from other innovative brands like Hungyroot to learn how they’re investing in AI and other cutting-edge technologies? Register for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, in Chicago. Click here to get your ticket and get more tactical tips from her and other forward-thinking executives!

We are taking this week off, but tune in next week for another great episode of Retail Remix! Be sure to subscribe to hear the latest episodes when they launch.

We’ve all heard about subscription models that give customers monetary perks in exchange for recurring purchases. But brands like IPSY are elevating this concept by integrating compelling content, community and exclusive access to products. 

IPSY’s merchandising team plays a central role in bringing the brand promise to life. Led by Chief Merchandising Officer Kristy Westrup, the merch division tests more than 8,000 products per year to curate the best assortment for customers. During this week’s Retail Remix, we dig into this process, as well as: 

• How merchandising collaborates with marketing to create compelling content that drives member acquisition and retention; 

• How the team applies social media insights and other data points to constantly keep a pulse on what’s trending; and

• How the team integrates customer feedback consistently to refine assortment and expand into new brands and categories.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about IPSY
• Read how other companies are reimagining subscription commerce
• Connect with Kristy on LinkedIn

Kristy’s colleagues from IPSY will dig deeper into the brand’s membership model during the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo. Click here to get your ticket and get more tactical tips from her and other forward-thinking executives!

As CTO and Global General Manager for Zenni Optical, David Ting plays a critical role in determining the company’s key technology investments and experience priorities. 

It should come as no surprise, then, that artificial intelligence (AI) has been at the top of his priority list. During this week’s Retail Remix, he shares how he researched, tested and optimized AI investments for the business. He shares insights on:  

• How consumers search and browse on the Zenni Optical site, and how these behaviors have dictated the company’s technology decisions;
   
• Different AI applications and how they have supported operational efficiency and ecommerce performance; 

• Workforce and company policies that have had to evolve with AI adoption; and

• Lessons he has learned testing and implementing different AI-powered solutions, and the advice he would offer to peers. 

RELATED LINKS

• Visit Zenni Optical to see the site experience firsthand
• Read more about Zenni Optical’s innovation on Retail TouchPoints 
• Download our Special Report on how generative AI is driving ecommerce transformation

David’s colleague, Dennis Maxwell, Senior Director of Performance Marketing, will be speaking at the 2024 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, in Chicago. Click here to get your ticket and get his insights on how brands can use AI practically to drive performance.

Jill Pavlovich and Francisco Bram work very closely on shaping the customer experience for Albertsons shoppers. Together, they collect, integrate and analyze rich customer insights and then transform this information into compelling experiences across all channels. 

During this episode of Retail Remix, they share more details on: 

• How their teams collaborate to shape omnichannel strategies and prioritize new tech investments; 

• How Albertsons consumers shop today, and how Albertsons is creating experiences that drive efficiency and delight; 

• The role that generative AI currently plays in the Albertsons experience, and how the company plans to invest in the technology moving forward; and  

• Insights into how the retailer is using data (especially from loyalty members) to craft immersive and personalized marketing campaigns. 

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Albertsons
• Listen to Retail Remix, featuring Harvey Ma of Albertsons Media Collective
• Read the latest news and content about Albertsons
• Register for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo 

Claire Wyatt, VP of Business Strategy and Marketing Science for Albertsons Media Collective, will be speaking at the 2024 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, in Chicago. Click here to get your ticket and learn how you can tap into Albertsons’ highly loyal customer base. 

Dr. Marcus Collins isn’t just a professor. He is an author, a marketing strategist who has worked with some of the world’s top tech brands and musical acts, and a cultural translator.

It is this rich career history that has inspired his latest book, For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be, and is why he’s taking the stage at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo this June. Host Alicia Esposito sat down with Marcus to discuss: 

• How the culture of brands has evolved, and how culture impacts commerce; 

• What commerce brands can learn from Beyoncé and other musical artists that are embedded into culture; and 

• How brands like Patagonia are embracing cultural proximity to drive relevance and foster customer loyalty.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Dr. Marcus Collins
• Get your copy of For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be
• See more insights from Dr. Marcus Collins
• Register for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo to join Jack on the Store Tours around Chicago

Dr. Marcus Collins will be the headline keynote speaker during the 2024 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, in Chicago. Click here to get your ticket and learn how you can embrace culture to drive commerce.

As Head of Trends for Insider Trends, Jack Stratten has toured some of the world’s newest, and most innovative, retail stores. Through these tours, he has been able to uncover how consumer behaviors have shaped storytelling techniques, technology integration and more. 

During the NRF Big Show, Jack sat down with host Alicia Esposito to discuss the key trends he’s uncovered in his tours around the world, as well as what he loves most about some of the Big Apple’s top shops. Listen to learn: 

• Why Glossier is a great model for innovative brick-and-mortar storytelling; 

• How brands can incorporate surprise and delight effectively in stores; and 

• How to do innovation right in physical retail spaces. 

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Insider Trends
• Register for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo to join Jack on the Store Tours around Chicago
• Check out a recent webinar featuring Jack and his friend Ian Scott, as they discuss the evolution of store spaces

Jack will be hosting Store Tours around Chicago during the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, along with fellow brick-and-mortar nerd Ian Scott. Click here to get your ticket and get more tactical tips from him and other forward-thinking executives!

Boisson was created to make it easier for consumers to discover and learn about non-alcoholic beverage brands. The company helped jumpstart the market, which is projected to have a 25% compound annual growth rate through 2028. 

Founder Nick Bodkins had a vision where Boisson was “the Sephora of NA,” bringing together the power of an immersive ecommerce experience, neighborhood-style stores with passionate employees, and a wholesale strategy that drove growth for new brands. Although Boisson recently announced it would be undergoing a restructuring and immediately shuttering its stores, Bodkins’ vision, and the innovation within the Boisson business, showed what is truly possible for the NA market. Listen to this episode of Retail Remix to: 

• Hear Nick’s perspective on the evolving NA market;
• Learn how Boisson is thinking long-term about wholesale distribution and growth;
• Get insights on how the VC market could influence the current state, and future, of NA; and 
• Understand why Boisson’s approach to brick-and-mortar was so innovative—and what your brand can learn from it. 

RELATED LINKS

• Connect with Nick on LinkedIn 
• See what’s next for Boisson
• Dig deeper into the Boisson story

Do you want to hear more from Nick Bodkins on founding and scaling an omnichannel business? He will share more candid perspectives (and lessons) during the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-6, 2024, at McCormick Place in Chicago. He will join other senior executives from brands such as Michaels, Pinterest, Petco, Zenni Optical, Adore Me and many others. Get your ticket today and join the brightest minds in retail.