Retail Remix

With her wealth of experience and diverse industry connections, Kimberly Lee Minor is driving positive change in the retail world. She has an infectious enthusiasm for community connection and a proven track record in implementing effective data-backed strategies around Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

During this episode of Retail Remix, we tap into Kimberly’s wealth of expertise by looking back at her session at the 2022 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo. During the session, Kimberly shared the important roles of mentors and sponsors in driving DEI in any forward-thinking retail business. Listen in to learn: 

• The difference between diversity and equity;
• How to support mentorship and sponsorship in your organization; and
• Practical actions to help your business meet and exceed DEI goals.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Bumbershoot
• Check out the WOC Retail Alliance
• Register for the 2023 Retail Innovation Conference & Expo in Chicago

During this special episode of Retail Remix, Alicia Esposito sat with Adam Blair, Editor at Retail TouchPoints, and Philip Jackson, Co-founder of Future Commerce, to dig into their experiences bouncing around sessions and the expo floor at this year’s NRF Big Show. If their insights are any indication, 2023 is shaping up to be a year of optimization, not revolution.

For example, instead of pulling out pieces of tech from your stack – what Philip innocently referred to as “noodles” – retailers will look to layer new technologies on top of existing frameworks to embrace buyer needs and promote cost-effectiveness. Retailers can then stay in the conversation without sacrificing during times of economic uncertainty.

The panelists discuss the key themes highlighted throughout the show, as well as the conversations they had and the lessons they learned. Listen to this episode to hear:

• Key industry predictions for 2023; 
• How retailers will invest in tech over the next year;
• What the future looks like for industry trade shows; and
• Expectations from events like NRF moving forward and what deems a successful show. 

RELATED LINKS

• Read more of Philip’s perspectives at Future Commerce
• Catch up on NRF 2023 coverage from Retail TouchPoints
• Check out the event recap from NRF 2023

Companies often become so fixated on short-term and long-term goals that they forget to prioritize the most important objective: creating value. Stuart Landesberg, CEO at Grove Collaborative, says that the company’s success, and vision for long-term value creation, can be attributed to four key areas. 

During this episode of Retail Remix, Stuart breaks down these four areas and shares his perspective on how to effectively grow business through providing customer value. When done right, it can take a brand to the next level – even public! Tune in to learn: 

• What helped support Grove’s marketing efficiency and effectiveness;
• What has proven to be the most fruitful channel for Grove;
• What, exactly, is a contextual channel?; and
• How sustainability will continue to impact retailers and their investors.

RELATED LINKS

• See Grove Collaborative coverage on Retail TouchPoints
• Get Grove Collaborative’s latest financial updates
• Learn more about Grove’s expansion into more stores
• Dig into Grove’s campaign against plastic

The metaverse is creating a lot of buzz in the media, especially with its promise of creating a more integrated and open digital world. With its many associated technologies, such as Web3, NFTs and blockchain, it has especially generated a lot of hype in the retail industry. But it also has garnered a lot of speculation. 

Ben Earl, Partner at Skyview Way Studios and “Web2.5” strategist, has been busy implementing forward-thinking projects in NFTs, blockchain and the film industry, and is passionate about ways to integrate fandom and storytelling into the broader metaverse conversation. During this episode of Retail Remix, Ben shares how his work as a writer and creator impacts his views on the metaverse. Topics discussed include: 

• The definition of “Web2.5” and how it fits into the retail ecosystem;
• The cultural implications of deep digital immersion in the metaverse; and
• How to create integrated experiences that represent who we are, while not isolating others.

RELATED LINKS

• Read this report on retail brands embracing the metaverse
• See additional news and coverage on the metaverse
• Listen to other Retail Remix conversations that dig into the metaverse opportunity
• Dig into metaverse predictions and insights from McKinsey

As the founder and CEO of Argo Tea, Arsen Avakian faced challenges managing an expansive list of retail partners and all of their distinct marketing and advertising offerings. With the rise of retail media, he saw a unique opportunity to bring robust, data-driven creative to the physical environment, which inspired him to start Cooler Screens.  
 
During this episode of Retail Remix, get Arsen’s perspectives on: 

• The evolution of retail media and the specific challenges brands and retailers will need to tackle;  
• How the power of retail media can come to life in physical stores, and what technology supports it; and  
• Lessons learned from Cooler Screens’ expansion into various retail spaces and experiences, including in Walgreens stores.  
   
   

RELATED LINKS 

• Learn more about Cooler Screens 
• Read various case studies featuring other brands 
   
   

Mirakl has helped hundreds of brands and retailers launch their own marketplaces. As a result, Adrien Nussenbaum and his team have a pretty good understanding of what works and, most of all, what doesn’t.  
 
As the marketplace model continues to evolve, now is the time for retail execs to find ways to build, improve and expand their strategy. Listen to this episode of Retail Remix to get insights from Mirakl’s Co-founder and CEO on:  

• How retailers can determine if the marketplace model is a fit for their business;   
• Top reasons why marketplaces fail (and how to avoid them); and  
• How different teams and functions should collaborate to set a foundation for success.
   

RELATED LINKS 

• Learn more about Mirakl  
• See Retail TouchPoints’ latest coverage on marketplaces 

McKinsey indicates that commerce media has the potential to generate more than $1.3 trillion of enterprise value in the U.S. alone. Many believe that commerce media is poised to completely transform the advertising world because it helps close the loop between media impressions and commerce transactions and give brands and retailers more insight into consumer behaviors and expectations.  
 
During this episode of Retail Remix, Emily Del Greco, Partner at McKinsey, offers her expansive expertise in marketing and advertising tech to answer some key questions about this evolving landscape. Key questions addressed include:  

• Who has the most to gain from commerce media — brands, retailers or media publishers? 
• What are the long-tail benefits of commerce media and how can we quantify them? 
• How should teams be structured to optimize commerce media success? 
• What KPIs should be used to drive organizational alignment and understanding? 

RELATED LINKS 

• Dig into McKinsey’s analysis  
• Read the Retail TouchPoints report on commerce media 
• See additional news and coverage on commerce and retail media trends 
   
   

To achieve true loyalty, brands need to ensure they’re creating value for their customers. That value can be found in discounts, exclusive offers, access to unique products and experiences, and so much more. With an expansive portfolio of brands, General Mills wanted to think critically about what loyalty meant to its customers, and brainstorm unique ways to build and nurture this loyalty across the business.  
 
KC Glaser, Senior Manager of Brand Experience – Loyalty & Rewards, embarked on a journey with his team and Fetch Rewards to launch the Good Rewards Loyalty Program. During this episode of Retail Remix, he digs into the journey and shares how General Mills is:  

• Meeting customer needs with personalized and digital-first experiences;  
• Rewarding shoppers using helpful and relevant incentives; and 
• Make it easy (and fun) for consumers to save on groceries across all channels.  
   

RELATED LINKS 

• Learn more about the General Mills loyalty program 
• Learn more about Fetch Rewards 
• Read the Fetch blog post  
• See the official press release  

Every brand and retailer seems to be talking about Gen Z or Gen Alpha. But new data from GWI shows that there is more to millennial consumers than meets the eye...and businesses need to take note. 
 
During this episode of Retail Remix, we dig into the data with Consumers Trends Manager Laura Connell. She shares:   

• How new life stages are impacting category trends and channel usage; 
• Whether sustainability and inclusivity influence brand loyalty; 
• Which social platforms are influencing content consumption and product purchases; and  
• How the metaverse will impact the future of brand engagement — even among these older consumers.  
   

RELATED LINKS 

• Download a copy of the U.S. Millennial Report 
• Get global perspectives on millennial consumers 
• Uncover how millennials (and other consumers) will interact in the metaverse  

TOMS was an early pioneer of the purpose-driven retail model. Although many know the brand for its one-for-one approach to charitable giving, the brand recently underwent a transformation that included rethinking its approach to social impact.  
 
To get the scoop, we brought Amy Smith, who is the Chief Strategy & Impact Officer for TOMS, on the show. She shared how her role within the company has transformed with the brand’s evolution, and how she and the broader team have:  

• Balanced mission and values with product innovation and strategic growth;  
• Implemented new initiatives, including WEAR GOOD and TOMS 10x10, and lessons learned along the way; and  
• Integrated customer and employee feedback into the model to ensure they're addressing the issues that matter.  
   

RELATED LINKS 

• Learn more about TOMS  
• Get more details about TOMS 10x10