Spieckerman Speaks Retail

Sales in discretionary categories are soft, the hype surrounding direct-to-consumer brands is dulling, and achieving E-commerce profitability remains elusive. Against this backdrop, SuitShop emerges as a triple threat. 

SuitShop is a thriving direct-to-consumer, E-commerce company specializing in discretionary goods that people aren’t used to buying. Co-founder Diana Ganz is a fervent advocate for delivering exceptional customer experiences and personally ensuring results that defy industry standards. In this episode, Diana shares insights into how she and her partner have broken through barriers and cracked codes on some of the toughest challenges facing digital-forward brands today.

Episode highlights:

·       How problem-solving can overcome discretionary dips.

·       Why organic attraction beats paid advertising.

·       How new brands stumble early in the game.

·       Why showing the hand to promotions pays off.

Information and resources:

SuitShop website

Diana Ganz LinkedIn

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The one-two punch of Q2 earnings reports from Walmart and Target is always a harbinger of retail’s health as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the make-or-break holiday season loom. Yet the daylight between these power players keeps getting brighter. Direct comparisons between Walmart and Target do a disservice to both as their priorities, capabilities, and business models diverge. Carol Spieckerman teases out uncommon takeaways from this second-quarter double feature, highlighting the growing differences that now set Walmart and Target apart.

Episode highlights:

·      How Walmart’s diversification slays retail setbacks.

·      Why product sales will take a back seat.

·      How “mix shifts” and “frequency categories” bring on the pain.

·      Why retail crime isn’t an equal opportunity crisis. 

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The digitization of stores, the rise of retail media, and retail theft prevention all share a common trait: rapid evolution from disjointed, scrappy efforts into unified opportunities that boost retailers' bottom lines. Now, a surge of innovative solutions is emerging, promising to consolidate complex opportunities and standardize approaches to challenging problems. 

A new era of retail defragmentation is underway.

Carol Spieckerman connects three trending topics that highlight the escalating advantages unification will bring to retail. 

Episode highlights:

·      Why third-party solution providers are heading for a heyday.

·      How embracing complexity is maximizing retail media opportunities.

·      Why multi-faceted in-store solutions are now table stakes.

·      How retailers’ united front will take a bite out of retail crime.

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Big money. Massive margins. Exponential reach. It’s no wonder retail media has emerged as retailers’ top platform monetization play. Opportunities will hit new heights as in-store digitization accelerates and new touchpoints are energized. Brandcrush CEO, Teresa Aprile returns to the show joined by Criteo’s general manager of global enterprise, Sherry Smith, to share exciting updates on retail media’s next revolution as the companies join forces. Join Carol and this dynamic duo as they explore the powerful possibilities that will be unleashed as new in-store, out-of-store, and online assets are activated.

Highlights from the interview:

·       Why unified commerce is no longer a pipe dream.

·       How in-store digital deployments will change the game.

·       Why retailers’ influence will radiate to new spaces.

·       How disruptions to agency alliances benefit the ad ecosystem

Information and resources:

Criteo website

Brandcrush website

Brandcrush sales contact: [email protected]

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A new breed of retail chain emerged in the 80s that spelled a last hurrah for brick & mortar before the digital floodgates opened in the 90s. Bigger than a specialty store yet smaller than a supercenter, category killers offered every size, style, and color imaginable, all in one place, and at nice prices. Suburban expansion, supply chain leaps, and global communications advances added momentum. Then came Amazon and its wake of digital competitors, slaying niches without mercy. A recent wave of retail bankruptcies attests to how lack of diversification has become a deadly trap. Category killing was a great model...until it wasn’t.

In this quick-take episode, Carol Spieckerman explores the history and future of category-killing and its impact on the retail landscape.

Episode highlights:

·      Why retail obituaries are riddled with dubious causes of death

·      Why smart retailers are scrambling to diversify

·      How category killing quashes retail media opportunities

·      Why portfolio plays and digital forays won’t save the day

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 Walmart’s Windy City wind-down and portfolio purges, Bed Bath & Beyond going bust, retail returns resets, “free” shipping surges…It’s been a newsy couple of weeks in retail to say the least! In this lightning-round episode, Carol claps back at the clickbait and sets the record straight on retail’s buzziest stories. 

You’ll learn:

·      How retailers’ latest returns schemes might (finally) make the math work.

·      Why shipping perks are a gateway drug for diversified retailers.

·      How crime is crashing retailers’ big city dreams

·      Why category killing has gone from brilliant to brutal.

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Malls are by no means dead, but they have been largely excluded from the e-commerce economy. Mall tenants have traditionally owned direct consumer connections that translate into digital relationships. All of that is set to change as mall owners awaken to the potential to take ownership of the physical and digital experiences that consumers crave. As CEO of Placewise, Peter Tonstad is on a mission to unlock the power of malls to monetize beyond the square foot and forge long-lasting digital relationships with shoppers. 

In this episode, Carol and Peter discuss what it takes for malls to build ownable shopper data assets and the long-term benefits. Peter shares compelling stats on how escalating participation translates into increased footfall and sales. 

Takeaways from the interview:

·       Why malls must engage in direct digital outreach now

·       How to incentivize shoppers to share data

·       How collective content marketing makes all the difference

·       Why digital marketplaces will power the mall of the future

Information and resources:

Placewise website

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After years of investing in digital and E-commerce capabilities, retailers and brands are swinging attention back to their bricks. A wave of innovation and diversification is set to crest in 2023 and stores will be hubs for much of the action. In this episode, Carol Spieckerman outlines the new motivations and models that will propel the year of the store forward.

In this episode you’ll learn:

·      Why store growth isn’t the main story (yet still in the mix)

·      How the wholesale heyday will drive direct-to-consumer

·      Why Amazon hasn’t redefined convenience after all

·      Why retailers’ top growth goals hinge on brick and mortar

Relevant Spieckerman Speaks Retail episodes:

Crushing the Retail Media Opportunity

Not Everyone is Nike (Maybe That’s a Good Thing)

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Tis the season when retail watchers around the globe read the tea leaves to divine how the 2022 retail home stretch will play out. In this lightning round episode, Carol connects the dots across a dizzying array of holiday hot topics, inspired by her latest media and content contributions. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

·      Why promotional “events” are misleading

·      New headwinds undermining holiday predictions

·      Why small businesses are sitting pretty

·      Why must-have gifts aren’t worth the chaos

Articles and appearances mentioned in this episode:

CGTN interview

Reuters article

Organized crime video (MarketScale)

ReThink Productivity podcast (Retail Trajectories episode)

RethinkRetail group mixer recap

Star Tribune interview

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Carol catches up with Nick Harbaugh, otherwise known as the Retail Nomad, as he wraps up his 2022 global retail tour. Combining his love of travel with an endless curiosity about retail, Nick will have visited five continents, 18 countries, and 35 retail malls by the end of the year. He shares first-hand accounts of challenges and opportunities that are emerging around the globe, where he goes for inspiration, and a snapshot of his 2023 itinerary.

Highlights from the interview:

·       Which markets are emerging as innovation (and automation) hot spots

·       How the pandemic accelerated in-store digitization

·       How labor and materials shortages impact store revitalization

·       Why global collaboration is key to retail innovation

Guest Information:

Nick Harbaugh LinkedIn

Retail Nomad on YouTube

Sephora store of the future tour video

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
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