Retail Remix

VICI was founded in 2012, when women were looking for trendy, high-quality fashions on a relatively new platform called Instagram, but were extra wary of their spending. With consumers now in a very similar headspace, it is an optimal time for Co-founder and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer Aimee Dudum Colorado to reflect on how the business has evolved.

During this episode, Aimee chats with host Alicia Esposito about:

• How the mission and values of VICI have evolved since the company’s inception, if at all;
• How VICI helped shape the “Instagram Brand” model; 
• The distinct role that influencers and creators play in driving marketing and new product creation; and
• How the “meme-ification” of marketing is making standing out harder for brands.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about VICI
• See Retail TouchPoints’ latest coverage on all things social commerce

To identify new collaborative opportunities, retailers should focus on their distinct business values and how they translate into serving specific customers and communities. That is how Dollar General was able to turn its commitment to supporting households into a successful multi-year partnership with Bayer.

For this special episode of Retail Remix, Allen Warch, VP of Food & Fresh Merchandising at Dollar General, gets behind the mic with Jenny Maloney, Global-Americas Strategic Accounts Manager at Bayer, to discuss: 

• How both companies serve local communities by providing access to fresh fruit and vegetables;
• Why the commitment to feeding communities inspired a new partnership surrounding National School Lunch Week; and
• The lessons both companies learned in 2023 and how they’ve applied them to their 2024 partnership.

RELATED LINKS

• See details on the 2023 partnership between Dollar General and Bayer
• Learn more about Dollar General’s commitment to offering fresh produce in stores
• Download Dollar General’s “Serving Others” report to see how the retailer is serving local communities

If you want to create store experiences that are not only engaging, but truly immersive, storytelling should be your central design strategy. 

American Girl is one brand that has taken storytelling to the next level, creating realms where imaginations flourish and brand narratives are celebrated. For this episode of Retail Remix, we’re replaying a session from the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, where Kristina Duncan, Creative Executive at American Girl, and Ted Galperin, Partner & Director of Retail Design at creative studio Mythology, shared how executives can: 

• Explore, imagine or reimagine their brand story; 
• Harness what’s happening in pop culture to deliver a highly relevant and curated retail environment; and 
• Identify the right partners to bring their physical storytelling to life. 

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about American Girl
• Learn more about Mythology
• Get more insights on how to design spaces for kids
• Subscribe to Design:Retail for more retail design trends and insights

Rachel Frederick oversees various aspects of Sur La Table’s digital business, from digital marketing to the brand’s direct-to-consumer ecommerce site, fraud prevention and even fulfillment offerings. 

To ensure Sur La Table creates experiences that meet and exceed customer expectations, Rachel and her team rely heavily on customer data. During this episode of Retail Remix, Rachel discusses how audience insights have helped the brand: 

• Adopt new fulfillment offerings and experiences, such as Amazon Today; 
• Understand Sur La Table’s key differentiators to strike the perfect balance between high-quality service and convenience; and 
• Embrace a more collaborative, multi-disciplinary culture within the organization.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Sur la Table
• Connect with Rachel Frederick on LinkedIn

Merchants of all sizes and across categories have heard the call: to survive in an era of heightened expectations, they must empower consumers to buy anytime, anywhere and in any way they want. And oh yeah, they have to get those products to customers’ doorsteps faster. 

Companies like Feedonomics are making it a reality by ensuring product data is accurate, compelling and integrated across all platforms, from marketplaces to social apps. During this episode of Retail Remix, Alicia Esposito sits down with Sharon Gee, SVP of Sales and Partnerships at Feedonomics, to discuss: 

• The evolution of omnichannel and how new platforms like TikTok Shop are making the landscape more complex; 
• The challenges brands are facing as they try to keep pace with the proliferation of new commerce experiences, and why data is central to success; and 
• What instant commerce really is and how Feedonomics is powering it by partnering with Amazon Today. 

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Feedonomics
• Read about Feedonomics’ partnership with Amazon Today 
• Get more details on Instant Commerce
• See more coverage featuring Feedonomics and BigCommerce

For his latest book, Gary Hawkins wanted to explore the gap between technology's rapid evolution and retailers' slow adoption of it. With Bionic Retail: How to Thrive in an Exponential World, he identifies what's holding retailers back, and how they can adapt their systems, processes and cultures to embrace innovation.

During this Retail ThinkTank Ideation Session, Hawkins explores what's happening in retail today...and what's possible in the future, from in-store retail media to wearable commerce. Listen to get a peek into the conversation, and click the link below to watch the full episode.   

Click here to watch the Retail ThinkTank Ideation Session

The beauty and wellness industries are brimming with new trends and growth opportunities. Yuriy Boykiv and his team at Front Row are focused on helping brands in these dynamic markets adapt, innovate and drive growth. 

During this episode of Retail Remix, Yuriy outlines: 

• How the growth of marketplaces has created new challenges for smaller brands; 
• Why social commerce may reach a tipping point, especially for beauty and skincare brands; 
• Ways brands can harness trend and behavioral data to figure out their next move; and 
  The key traits of a successful, high-growth brand.  

Ramping up your holiday plans? Register for the Retail Strategy & Planning series to get tactical tips and best practices to drive your Q4 and holiday season success.
  

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Front Row
• Connect with Yuriy Boykiv on LinkedIn

Bodegas are a fixture in local communities and large cities alike. Rachel Krupa has her own fond memories of local corner stores, which is why she’s leveraging her deep CPG experience to reimagine and elevate the experience. 

During this episode of Retail Remix, Rachel provides insight into why she founded The Goods Mart, and how she has:   

• Created a distinct space for “good for you” brands to enter physical retail; 
• Embraced local events and community activations to drive foot traffic and engagement; 
• Designed a “test-and-learn" model that drives collaboration with CPG brand partners; and 
• Identified new opportunities for brands to differentiate and grow through retail. 

Ramping up your holiday plans? Register for the Retail Strategy & Planning series to get tactical tips and best practices to drive your Q4 and holiday season success. 

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about The Goods Mart
• Connect with Rachel Krupa on LinkedIn

The streaming era isn’t just giving households one-click access to a seemingly endless supply of content; it’s enabling brands and retailers to deliver relevant and impactful advertising to target consumers, making media moments shoppable. 

Walgreens Advertising Group is capitalizing on this opportunity by testing new connected TV (CTV) advertising offerings through Roku. For this week’s Retail Remix episode, we’re replaying a session from the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo featuring Caitlin McKnight of Roku and Katie Vogt of Walgreens, who shared: 

• The most important steps for retailers to test and learn TV-driven sales;
• How to use retail media networks (RMNs) to enhance TV campaigns; and
• Best practices for calls-to-action and products to promote.

Want to dig deeper into what’s new and what’s next in retail? Subscribe to the Retail ThinkTank hub to get exclusive access to high-value content on the emerging trends poised to shape the future of the industry.

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Roku Advertising
• Learn more about Walgreens Advertising Group
• See Retail TouchPoints’ coverage of this session 

Consumers want to make more thoughtful decisions about what and how they buy. They don’t want to just minimize their environmental impact, though. They also want to purchase high-quality goods that are good for them and the individuals they love. Yes, that even includes their pets.

During this episode of Retail Remix, we explore Nestlé Purina PetCare’s vision and launch of Purina ONE DualNature. Gabriella Herrera joins a dynamic conversation with Andrew Hovells, who’s with the brand’s key agency partner, Live & Breathe, to discuss:

• How sustainability is influencing purchase behaviors across categories;
• The distinct nuances of pet parents and what they really look for in brand marketing and product development;
• How Nestlé Purina PetCare effectively balances the scientific and emotional aspects of communicating the value of high-quality, sustainable products; and 
• Lessons from the initial launch, and how the brand plans to evolve its omnichannel engagement approach moving forward.

Want to dig deeper into what’s new and what’s next in retail? Subscribe to the Retail ThinkTank hub to get exclusive access to high-value content on the emerging trends poised to shape the future of the industry.
 

RELATED LINKS

• Learn more about Live & Breathe
• Explore the Nestlé Purina PetCare portfolio

Connect with Gabriella and Andrew on LinkedIn