We all know that this has been year like no other, yet unprecedented disruption has sparked new thinking and awakened ingenuity. Carol’s guest is uniquely qualified to bring much-needed perspective on lessons learned and best practices going forward. Courtney Hawkins’ passion for retail started early and she has since been responsible for over $1.5 billion in P&L as she served in executive roles with iconic brands like Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic and now, as VP of retail for fashion innovator The RealReal. In this far-ranging interview, Courtney and Carol roll through pivotal developments encompassing bricks and clicks and Courtney shares advice for retailers and brands seeking to secure their place in the new retail era.

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

As retailers re-imagine brick and mortar, stores are once again at the center of the action. But what about the people who power the action, store associates? They can get left out of the conversation as technology and automation grab attention, yet these front-line workers are critical to retailers’ success across every channel. Carol’s guest is passionate about acknowledging and encouraging store workers and he’s written an important book to fulfill that commitment. Ron Thurston is the author of Retail Pride: The Guide to Celebrating Your Accidental Career, a labor of love that pulls together Ron’s years of experience developing store teams for top brands like Apple, West Elm, Tory Burch, St. Laurent and now, as VP of stores for INTERMIX. In this interview episode, Ron and Carol discuss what it takes for retail workers to own their contributions and careers and how retail leaders can motivate brick and mortar teams during challenging times.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

·       The three pillars of retail expertise

·       Why shifting from accidental to intentional changes everything

·       Tactics for motivating store teams and messaging that they matter

·       How to merge high tech and high touch without upsetting the balance

Contact information:

www.retailpride.com

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

Cross-border commerce is heating up! Chinese consumers want unfettered access to authentic and unique brands and according to recent studies, 43% are confident about an economic recovery occurring next year. Joe Crawford is the U.S. president and co-founder of Avocado, a soon-to-be-launched digital platform and app that promises to unlock the opportunity. In this interview episode, Carol and Joe discuss how the Avocado app will remove hurdles to U.S. brands getting noticed, increasing engagement, and selling to Chinese consumers.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

·       Why authenticity counts with Chinese consumers

·       Which lifestyle categories are driving differentiation

·       Why “West is best” approaches fall flat

·       How to stand out as global online marketplaces proliferate

Guest contact information:

Joe Crawford email [email protected]

Website: www.theavocadoapp.com

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

Retailers are expanding into new business models and launching new formats. They are augmenting their platforms through acquisitions and partnerships. Diversification is retail’s future growth engine and suppliers that get on board will reap rewards. In this final installment in Carol’s 8 Mistakes Suppliers Can’t Make series, she outlines new strategies for expanding alongside your retail partners and shares case studies that illuminate best practices. There’s never been a better time to expand your vision!

In this episode you’ll learn:

•        Which two tactics will power retail expansion

•        Why you must diversify your distribution before it’s too late

•        How to reframe your case studies to drive diversification

•        Why multi-format mojo should be your mandate

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

Retailers have never had more options at their disposal, including building brands, solutions, and services in-house. Retail suppliers must continually demonstrate value to earn a seat at the table. In the latest installment of her series 8 Mistakes Suppliers Can’t Make, Carol reveals findings from her survey of top retail leaders. She distills retailers’ insights and advice on supplier pitfalls and integrates relevant retail trajectories to prepare your teams for opportunities in 2021 and beyond. Are you ready to hear from the source? 

In this episode you’ll learn:

•                Three mega-mistakes that retailers want you to stop making

•                How ignoring retailers’ platform power weakens your prospects

•                Why culture counts (but you’ve got to get it right)

•                Easy habits that will get you noticed and give you favor 

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

Retail’s reinvention will permanently transform organizational structures, roles, and responsibilities. New titles, new players, and flattened reporting structures are the new norm and no two retailers are taking the same approach. As new decision-makers and influencers step in, that spells opportunity for suppliers and solution providers that step up. So why are so many supplier companies still using old-school standards, to hire old-school talent, to take on retail’s new-school retail opportunities? As the retail game changes, so must your player line-up, particularly in sales and business development. In this episode, Carol draws powerful contrasts between traditional hiring standards and the new criteria that will power your retail business into the future.

In this episode you’ll learn:

•        Why contacts and connections no longer count

•        Why you can’t afford to let “lone wolves” go on the prowl  

•        Why gender balance (still) sets you apart 

•        Why alignment between sales and marketing is elusive (yet essential)

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

As unpredictable, chaotic, and downright exhausting as 2020 has been, this is no time to take your foot off the gas. In fact, the fourth quarter and holiday retail season are a terrific time to make your move and pull out all the stops. After all, ‘tis the season when your retail partners are engaged and determined to make things happen while your competitors could be kicking back! In this episode, Carol shares personal anecdotes and real-world retail dynamics to support your end-of-year offensive. She wraps up the episode by revealing three shifts that will shape the 2020 holiday shopping season. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

•        Why retailers move faster at the end of the year

•        How holiday vigilance tees up your 2021

•        Three shifts that will shape the holiday shopping season 

•        Why price plunges may not materialize even as value prevails

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

We’ve all heard about mega-hype, when the benefits of something are exaggerated to the hilt. The opposite has taken hold in retail –

a condition Carol calls “nega-hype”. As tempting as it is to join the gloom-and-doom crowd, doing so is deadly to your retail positioning and business development. As pessimism hits a fevered pitch, Carol reveals powerful alternatives that drive differentiation and results for retail product, brand, and solution suppliers.

In this episode you’ll learn:

•        Why nega-hype is so pervasive

•        The best advice Carol received on staying in the game 

•        How price presumptions play into nega-hype

•        One question that will always set you in the right direction

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter

Retailers are no longer just places that sell stuff, they are platforms that tie together products, services, data, content, acquisitions, partnerships and much more. It takes a lot of people to run those platforms and the cookiecutter organizational structures that defined retail for decades are being replaced by unique frameworks and new faces. So why are so many suppliers still relying on old-school contact targeting and limiting their outreach? In this episode, Carol cautions against stalking the “usual suspects” as COVID-19 narrows the retail playing field and provides tips and tactics for broadening your influence and staying in the mix.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to own your value harnessing the power of platform positioning
• Three rules to expand your retail reach and build influence
• How to put an end to giveaways and scope creep
• Why going for the close will clog your sales pipeline

Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail?
Contact [email protected]
Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates
Follow Carol on LinkedIn
Follow Carol on Twitter