Slice of Retail

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Doug Stephens, Founder & CEO at Retail Prophet.

What you’ll get out of this episode:

• Doug Stephens discusses the disappearance of mid-tier retail and the rise of retail extremes—luxury vs. budget.
• Reveals how resale, duplicates, and aspirational strategies are reshaping consumer markets.
• Breaks down AI’s dual role in retail innovation and workforce disruption.
• Emphasizes the growing importance of creativity as a key differentiator in an AI-driven landscape.
• Shares insights from his upcoming book, The Future of Competition, launching Spring 2026.

To Learn More About Retail Prophet:
Website: http://www.retailprophet.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-prophet/

Guest's Socials:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dostephens/

Show and Host's Socials:
Slice of Retail
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/

Jared S Taylor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/

Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc. 

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Melodie van der Baan, Co-Founder & CEO at Max Retail.

What you’ll get out of this episode:

• Solving the Excess Inventory Problem – How Max Retail helps retailers recover costs from unsold stock.
• The Importance of Inventory Turnover – Why poor turnover is the biggest challenge for struggling retailers.
• Max Mondays for Success – A simple strategy to maximize sales and maintain fresh inventory listings.
• The Future of Retail Staffing – How hiring and training challenges impact small businesses.
• A Founder’s Perspective – Melodie van der Baan’s journey from retail owner to CEO of Max Retail.

To Learn More About Max Retail:
Website: https://maxretail.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinmaxretail/

Guest's Socials:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melodie-van-der-baan/

Show and Host's Socials:
Slice of Retail
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/

Jared S Taylor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/

Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc. 

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Mike Robinson, Founding Member & Head of Retail Solutions at The Eighth Notch (T8N).

What you’ll get out of this episode:

• Mike Robinson’s Journey – From accidental retailer to innovator in retail logistics.
• The Three Pillars of Retail – Customer experience, immediacy, and controlled chaos.
• The Eighth Notch’s Vision – Optimizing retail delivery density to reduce costs and emissions.
• Amazon’s Influence – Why retailers must rethink their approach to efficiency.
• What’s Next? – Expanding partnerships and driving industry-wide change.

To Learn More About The Eighth Notch (T8N):
Website: https://t8notch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/t8notch/

Guest's Socials:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikerobinsonsf/

Show and Host's Socials:
Slice of Retail
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/

Jared S Taylor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/

Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc. 

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Toju Ogbeide, Founder & CEO at Goodszilla.

What you’ll get out of this episode:

• Toju Ogbeide's vision for community empowerment through Goodszilla.
• Insights into how Goodszilla drives meaningful social impact.
• The importance of aligning business success with philanthropy.
• Jared S. Taylor explores how technology can amplify community engagement.

To Learn More About Our Guest:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toju-ogbeide-201b2b34/

Show and Host's Socials:
Slice of Retail
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/

Jared S Taylor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/

Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc. 

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Lanita Layton, FMR Managing Director at HUGO BOSS.

What you’ll get out of this episode:

• Luxury Retail Evolution: Lanita Layton shares her experiences with HUGO BOSS and Berks, leading major transformations in the luxury retail space.
• Omnichannel Retail Strategy: She emphasizes the importance of a seamless customer experience across all channels, predicting the rise of customer experience officers.
• Exclusivity in Digital Expansion: Layton explores maintaining luxury brand exclusivity while expanding online, discussing the nuances of customer data analysis.
• Luxury Storytelling & Personalization: The role of storytelling and hyper-personalization in luxury, with a spotlight on brands like Brunello Cuccinelli.
• Breaking into Luxury Retail: Advice for students aspiring to enter the luxury retail industry, including the value of curiosity and strategic internships.

To Learn More About Our Guest:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanitalayton/

Show and Host's Socials:
Slice of Retail
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/

Jared S Taylor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/

Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc. 

Join us on this week's episode of the Slice of Retail podcast, hosted by Jared S. Taylor! Our Guest: Joe Shasteen, Global Manager of Advanced Analytics at RetailNext.

What you’ll get out of this episode:

• Introduction to RetailNext: Joe Shasteen explains how RetailNext offers e-commerce-style analytics to brick-and-mortar stores, providing real-time insights into customer behavior.
• Impactful Projects: Joe shares how RetailNext’s traffic data aids retailers in optimizing labor allocation, boosting conversion rates, and enhancing overall store performance.
• AI in Retail Analytics: An overview of how RetailNext uses AI and machine learning to refine data accuracy and track customer engagement in-store.
• Future Trends: Joe discusses emerging trends in retail analytics, such as digital media networks and data partnerships, that are shaping the future of the industry.
• Communication and Data: The importance of internal communication in successfully implementing retail technology, highlighting a humorous anecdote about employees covering sensors.

To Learn More About RetailNext:
Website: https://retailnext.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retailnext/

Guest's Socials:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeshasteen/

Show and Host's Socials:
Slice of Retail
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slice-of-retail/

Jared S Taylor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredstaylor/

Slice of Retail is produced by Slice of Media, Inc.