The Clienteling Podcast

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What happens to the human side of retail when everyone at the conference is talking about agents?

Bryan Amaral spent three days at Retail Club AI in Huntington Beach, a beachside festival with about 2,000 retailers, brands, investors and technology leaders. He went with his usual lens, listening for what each group thinks the others are missing. In this solo episode, he passes along the handful of ideas that matter most to anyone who cares about clienteling, assisted selling, personalization, and the relationship between customers and the people who serve them.

The episode opens and closes with a Stitch Fix story about a client named Deborah and her stylist, Wendy. Along the way, Bryan covers how Under Armour, Helzberg, Batteries Plus, Fabletics, Daydream and others are actually putting AI to work. He also shares takeaways from the Retail AI Council panel he moderated with Fujitsu’s Nick Lee and retail operator Mike Relich. The conclusion is optimistic, but it comes with a challenge: the industry spent three days talking about context, memory and trust, and barely mentioned the store associate, who is best placed to earn all three.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why a Stitch Fix client called her stylist, not her app, her “hero”
• How Stitch Fix stylists handle about 10x the volume with AI while keeping humans at the center
• The winners aren’t doing the same things faster. They’re doing different things.
• How Under Armour cut a six-week product-copy process to six days by building it around its in-house expert instead of working around her
• A simple test for executives: where does the judgment live, is the process written down, and who owns it?
• McKinsey’s finding that high performers are about 3x more likely to have redesigned their workflows
• Agents for the routine basket, humans for the considered and emotional purchase
• Helzberg’s “agent in between”: clienteling with an AI front door
• Kearney’s view of the margin pressure agentic shopping will put on commodity retailers
• Why investors expect a reckoning for software that doesn’t solve a big, hard problem
• Context as the buzzword of the show, and why the richest context lives in the conversation between associate and client
• Batteries Plus:  search time was cut by 75%, an AI voice agent named Edison, and a “MythBusters” approach to change management
• Fabletics using AI for associate role play and multilingual support
• From the Retail AI Council panel: start with the economics, AI utilization is not ROI, and improve one decision in the next 90 days
• The gap no one talked about: equipping the associate in the moment

Notable Quote:

“That’s not the future of clienteling. That’s clienteling finally getting the tools it’s always deserved.”

AI works best as preparation. The value of the brand still comes through the people who build the relationship.

Listen & Connect

Bryan’s full write-up on LinkedIn, AI Is Changing Retail, Probably Not the Way You Think: https://lnkd.in/p/eHb6NA6f

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the Fujitsu-sponsored series Engaging Deeper & Scaling Smarter for more conversations with leaders in retail innovation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2595750/episodes/18780866

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: [email protected]
Call Bryan: 404-348-4849

Tags: #retail #clienteling #clientricity #RetailClub #AgenticCommerce #RetailAI #StoreAssociates

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What does it really take to scale innovation inside a modern retail organization?

In this episode of The Clienteling Podcast, Bryan Amaral sits down with retail industry veteran Andy Laudato, EVP & Chief Operating Officer of The Vitamin Shoppe and Co-Founder of the Retail AI Council, for a candid discussion about leadership, customer-centricity, operational excellence, and the realities of implementing innovation at scale.

Drawing on decades of experience spanning technology, supply chain, digital commerce, and retail operations, Andy shares why successful retailers focus on solving customer and business problems—not chasing technology trends—and how AI can create real value when applied thoughtfully.

The conversation explores the intersection of retail operations and customer experience, the challenges of scaling innovation across hundreds of stores, and why great execution still comes down to people, processes, and a relentless focus on the customer.

Whether you’re a retailer, technology executive, consultant, or industry leader, you’ll find practical insights that go well beyond the latest buzzwords.

Key Topics Discussed:

• How Andy’s journey from technologist to retail operator shaped his leadership philosophy

• Why retailers should never “solve technology problems with business” and how that lesson applies directly to AI

• The difference between building a prototype and scaling a solution across hundreds of locations

• The hidden operational complexities behind omnichannel retail and customer experience

• Why inventory accuracy remains one of retail’s most important—and difficult—challenges

• How The Vitamin Shoppe uses AI to gather and analyze store feedback at scale

• The critical role store associates play in driving customer engagement and loyalty

• Why innovation is often more about people and processes than technology

• The importance of psychological safety in fostering innovation inside large organizations

• Why so many retail pilots fail to scale—and how leaders can avoid common mistakes

• Practical applications of AI that are delivering measurable value today

• AI governance, employee education, and responsible deployment strategies

• The future of composable commerce and why Andy believes retailers should focus on building flexible, service-based architectures

• Why customer-centricity remains the most important competitive advantage in retail

Notable Quote:

“I don’t have an AI strategy. I have a sell-more-vitamins strategy.”

That simple statement perfectly captures the central theme of this conversation: technology matters, but only when it helps retailers better serve customers and achieve meaningful business outcomes.

Listen & Connect

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the series Engaging Deeper & Scaling Smarter for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of retail innovation.

Andy Laudato's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlaudato

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Call Bryan: 404-348-4849 

Fujitsu's FNAI Engaging Deeper & Scaling Smarter Podcast Series:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2595750/episodes/18780866

Tags: #retail #clienteling #clientricity #R

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Episode Summary

This episode is a rebroadcast of the first episode Bryan recently hosted for Fujitsu Retail on the Engaging Deeper and Scaling Smarter Podcast. The link for the series can be found below or follow Fujitsu wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode, Bryan Amaral sits down with retail innovation leader Michelle Pacynski (former VP of Digital Innovation & Consumer Technology at Ulta Beauty) to explore what it באמת takes to scale innovation in high-engagement retail categories like beauty.

Michelle shares firsthand insights from helping grow Ulta’s eCommerce business from $125M to over $2B, unpacking how customer-centricity, disciplined experimentation, and strong business cases turn promising ideas into enterprise-wide impact.

From AI-driven personalization to unified commerce and the future of digital engagement, this conversation blends strategy with practical execution—offering a clear lens into how retailers can innovate with purpose, not just speed.

Key Topics Covered

• Why customer-first thinking is the foundation of scalable innovation
• The gap between pilot success and enterprise rollout—and how to close it
• Building a business case that earns prioritization inside large organizations
• The real challenges of unified commerce across digital and physical channels
• How to evaluate emerging tech like AI without falling into hype cycles
• When to stop an innovation and what “success” really means in experimentation
• Rethinking personalization in an era where “creepy” is being redefined
• Governance, trust, and responsible AI in beauty retail
• What separates scalable innovation from point solutions that stall
• The future of digital: conversational, immersive, and interactive experiences

Notable Insights

• “Scaling smarter starts with solving a real customer problem—not just launching something new.”
• “Winning experiments don’t scale themselves—you have to sell them internally.”
• “Success in innovation isn’t always outcomes—it’s often what you learn.”
• “Being early can feel a lot like being wrong.”
• “Retailers need to shift from a portfolio of products to a portfolio of customers.”

Looking Ahead

Michelle emphasizes that the next wave of retail innovation will be driven by two-way, conversational digital experiences—blending AI, video, and human-like interaction to mirror the best of in-store engagement.

 About the Guest

Michelle Pacynski is a seasoned retail and technology executive and former VP at Ulta Beauty, where she led digital innovation and consumer technology. Today, she advises companies, founders, and investors on how to translate emerging technologies into scalable business value.

Listen & Connect

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the series Engaging Deeper & Scaling Smarter for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of retail innovation.

Michelle's Email: [email protected]

Michelle's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-pacynski

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Call Bryan: 404-348-4849 

Fujitsu's FNAI Engaging Deeper & Scaling Smarter Podcast Series:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2595750/episodes/18780866

Tags: #retail #clienteling #clientricity #R

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In this episode, Bryan Amaral interviews  Ruaraidh ("Rory") Grubb, CEO of Own-Kind, a UK-based clienteling and customer-engagement platform. Rory traces Own-Kind’s evolution from a 2018 “digital wardrobe” concept to a post-lockdown product-market fit that helps retailers deliver exceptional, content-rich customer experiences. Framing clienteling as a practice supported by software, Rory explains how Own-Kind shortens time-to-value for store associates and customers through personalized, shoppable lookbooks, QR-enabled onboarding, and engagement telemetry that surfaces purchase intent and prompts timely human follow-ups.

Bryan and Rory dig into real outcomes and adoption: streamlined integrations (including Shopify), 1:1 onboarding for every user, and results reported by brands such as 2–4× higher conversion and 3× AOV, with rapid ROI. They also explore the road ahead—supporting in-store events with sales attribution, instant chat, social modules, and an enhanced appointments flow—and how AI should remove admin and amplify people rather than replace them, keeping associates at the center of the relationship.

Key takeaways

1. Clienteling is a practice — Software should enhance associate engagement, and empower better human moments.
2. Content drives engagement — Personalized, video-rich lookbooks + clickstream insight reveal intent before purchase and is the entry point into creating high-value customer journeys.
3. Adoption by design — 1:1 user onboarding provide real-world insights into how technology supports retail selling and constant UX iteration lower friction and speed results.
4. Plug-and-play where possible — Streamlined integrations (incl. Shopify) reduce IT lift and time to go-live.
5. Measured impact — Brands report rapid ROI, 2–4× conversion, and 3× AOV; retention is the next frontier to quantify.
6. Human + AI balance — Use AI/agents to suggest next best actions and remove admin while the associate stays in the loop.

Enjoy the show!

 Own-Kind Website: www.own-kind.com

Ruaraidh's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruaraidhgrubb/

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Call Bryan: 404-348-4849 

Tags: retail clienteling clientricity Own-Kind retailtransformation

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In this episode, Bryan Amaral interviews Whitney Cathcart, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer 3DLook, a leading AI-based mobile body scanning and virtual fit and try-on startup for the fashion industry. Whitney is a noted fashion and retail tech expert, having worked in apparel manufacturing, retail, and e-commerce,  with three decades of experience in senior leadership roles for leading branded apparel, celebrity licensing, and private-label manufacturing companies. 

She is also certified by MIT’s Sloan School of Management in Artificial Intelligence, Whitney is among the leading voices on retail innovation. 

First, Whitney shares her personal story and the motivation to create an AI-based 3D body measurement and sizing solution. Then she shares her perspective on what is happening in today's retail market that is finally making this technology an investment priority for retailers and what she hears from customers and prospects as the Size-Fit category expands.   She shares her perspective on how evolving consumer expectations, sustainability, and demand for greater personalization are necessitating virtual fitting room capabilities.  

Whitney and Bryan discussed the cornerstone of 3DLook's underlying body measurement technology and how the Mobile Tailor SaaS app is enabling an array of made-to-measure products ranging 
1. Lean into the technology and communicate the value to your customers.

2. Knowing your customer - In a clienteling environment, asociates are able to recommend the ideal fit and know who they are.  

3. The world is shifting into 3D - Digitize your products.
 

Enjoy the show!

Resources:

3DLook  Website: 3DLook.me
Email: [email protected]
Whitney's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneyjoycathcart/

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Call Bryan: 404-348-4849 

Tags: retail clienteling clientricity Size-Fit Virtual Try-on 3DLook 

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In this episode, Zornitza Stefanova joins the show and is interviewed by Bryan Amaral. Zornitza is Founder and CEO at BSPK, a global clienteling platform. 

She was an early employee of Wired, (acquired by Conde Nast), eGroups (acquired by Yahoo) as well as Six Apart (a division of Say Media), imeem (MySpace), Prosper and other Silicon Valley technology innovators. 

During her career, Zornitza has led product strategy and business development with a focus on consumer apps, as well as B2B services. She has been a guest speaker at multiple technology events and the entrepreneurship track at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Zornitza was born and raised in Bulgaria. She defected before the fall of the Iron Curtain and was granted political asylum in the United States, where she became a citizen.  She graduated from Stanford University with a BA in International Relations and from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with an MBA in Finance. Her passion is the quest for better customer experiences powered by technological innovation and the discovery of better and easier ways to communicate, create and enjoy life and learning in the mobile age.

First, Zornitza shares her personal story and the motivation to create a clienteling solution. Then she shares her perspective on what is happening in today's retail market and what she hears from customers and prospects in Europe and the US.  She shares her perspective on how various technological forces and changing customer expectations are necessitating a new way to engage and run retail operations.

Next, Bryan and Zornitza discussed the cultural imperative to be customer-focused and how to overcome change management challenges when transforming the store. Zornitza shared what BSPK believes is the key to associate adoption of new selling technologies.

Finally, Zornitza shared three principles that retailers should keep in mind as they move forward into the next age of retail:

   1. Clienteling practices are essential to building loyalty.
   2. Adoption stems from technology being an enabler not an obstacle.
   3. Digitally enabled associates shows your customer that you are investing in their satisfaction and shows your employees that you are investing in their success. 

Enjoy the show!

Resources:

BSPK Website: BSPK.com

Zornitza's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zstefanova/

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Call Bryan: 404-348-4849 

Tags: retail clienteling clientricity BSPK 

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Back by popular demand! In this episode of The Clienteling Podcast, Bryan Amaral highlights what you might have missed, including some of the more compelling customer-centric solutions on the show floor. See what happens next in the world of #Clienteling and #retailtransformation!

Bryan's original Retail Geek's Take on NRF 2023 recap article is available here: https://tinyurl.com/5fdr73fa

Highlights of today's podcast: 

• Friday Nights Kick-off Event - The VIP Awards
• NoteWorthy News - Shopify and Square
• Staffing and Store Operations  Vendors
• Clienteling Vendor Update
• The Growth of Livestream Commerce
• New Social Selling Platforms
• Advances in Fit Tech
• Metaverse Update
• Retail Telecom, 5G  and IoT Advancements
• AI in Retail for 2023
• Wrapup

Resources:

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Call Bryan: 404-348-4849 

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Interview with Alan Berner

In this episode Bryan interviews omnichannel and clienteling executive, Alan Berner. Alan has worked for some of the country’s most respected discount, specialty and department store brands and has been at the forefront many leading customer centric innovations in enterprise retail.    

Alan shares some historical context on clienteling, sharing his experiences of how selling culture has benefited as tools evolved from a black book to sharing customer data at POS to more sophisticated mobile solutions that guide an associate through the selling process.  Alan describes that as online became a more significant channel, there was a shift from targeting customers based on what they bought in the past to making new creative recommendations based on what could be learned about their lifestyle such as important people in her life, the significant dates for her and her family, the type of work she did, and the places she traveled to. He describes how they needed to understand how she spread her shopping dollars across the family of business as well as across the store, so that we could introduce her to those items that fit into her lifestyle that she may have overlooked us for in the past or possibly those she chose to buy elsewhere. 

Bryan and Alan discussed how innovation projects are prioritized and how new technologies were considered, and validated. Alan explained that innovation must address the needs and wants of the customer but too often new ideas are “introduced and sometimes put into motion before the business realizes that they are chasing after a shiny toy rather than fixing a problem”.

Alan explains some of the biggest challenges he’s had in gaining adoption and the role of training, accountability, communication and an eye on the metrics. 

Alan and Bryan then discussed his thoughts on the future of retail and what experiential retail be in a post COVID world. 

Alan’s final recommendations for retailers included:

a.      Focus on the customer

b.      Make their lives and experiences better leveraging digital tools

c.      Innovate and try something new – evaluate quickly.

d.      Provide clear expectations and accountabilities for seller, vendors, and other constituents.

Resources:

Alan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-berner-04a9863/

Alan's Email: [email protected]

Bryan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan's Email: [email protected]

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Interview with Scott Lux

In this episode, Scott Lux joins the show and is interviewed by Bryan Amaral. Scott is a senior executive with experience in various aspects of ecommerce, digital strategy, marketing and analytics from both the brand side and agency perspective. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Columbia and FIT and is the VP/Head of Digital Marketing and Digital Commerce at Theory and Helmut Lang.  

The show starts with Bryan and Scott discussing what it was like to join a new company just as retail shut down due to the pandemic. He discussed the need to lead and manage a team remotely and make a determination of what was the appropriate tone and voice to message their customers given the crisis... especially when ecommerce was the only channel open that "could keep the lights on".  

He shared that as the realization that the crisis was not short term, inventory issues needed to be addressed through aggressive promotional strategies. Scott shares how clienteling outreach and associate communication with customers made a positive impact on the business and how customers welcomed hearing from associates. 

Scott discussed how they were mindful of proven best practices and knew exactly what data measurements were important. The data was used to assess if their strategy was working and if were they meeting objectives and if not, how could they optimize. Scott shares examples of cost of acquisition and what LTV could be anticipated so they could determine if the customer acquisition spend was prudent. He explained how they set records on daily and monthly volume with rapid promotional programs designed to move inventory quickly in the early stages and how those same metrics were leveraged to help move audiences to full price product later. 

Scott explained how chat was an example of a rapid customer experience design initiative to get customers back to full price selling. He talked about his optimism for the next generation of retail stores, and elevated experience (experience design) and the need to have a tactile experience with product. 

Bryan asked Scott about how he prioritized activity and made it work remotely.
   1. Need to instill trust that they will get their job done.
   2. Leadership and mentorship - maintain culture to unify the team
 
Scott talked about how he thought about prioritizing new feature and capability platform enhancements and assessing if current solutions can meet future demand. He shared his perspective on how ISV's should do their homework prior to reaching out to busy leaders. 

The show wrapped up with three nuggets that retailers should keep in mind for the journey ahead:
1. Customer First/Experience Design across all touch points
2. Foundational elements - ensure that you have solid practices in place
3. Maintain your culture and team   

Resources:

Scott's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottlux/

Scott's Email: [email protected]

Bryan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan's Email: [email protected]

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In this episode, David Ressinger and Jim Malafronte join the show and are interviewed by Bryan Amaral. David and Jim are founding partners at a new retail consultancy, Zenza Consulting. 

David is a Strategy and Operations consultant with over 25 years of experience delivering business value for his clients in areas such as retail and brand strategy, store operations, and technology innovation.  David was previously with several boutique consulting firms as well as Andersen Consulting. 

Jim has over 30 years of experience with a concentration in workforce management, retail strategy, omnichannel retail, customer engagement, technology, merchandising, analytics and process engineering. Jim was previously with Macys as well as KPMG and Deloitte. 

First, the guests explain why they formed the new consultancy and what makes Zenza relevant in today's challenging retail environment. 

Next, the duo discussed those issues that are impacting retail operations today. Topics included demand fluctuations and the impact on inventory, spending patterns, traffic, and labor requirements. Jim shared perspectives on workforce management and why existing models and metrics don't make sense in a post-COVID world. 

The team discussed the changing complexion of stores, the development of new and smaller store formats, new staffing decisions consistent with the changing roles of stores, new technology investments, and improving customer experiences. They more deeply explored key operational areas such as revisiting the labor model, forcasting challenges, operational execution, utilization, and the importance of doing the right thing for a specific time of day, every day, every week. 

Finally, Jim and David shared a few golden nuggets that retailers should be considering as they move forward into the next age of retail.

Enjoy the show!

Resources:

Zenza Consulting Website: zenzaconsulting.com

Zenza Consulting Phone: 1-630-240-2034

David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daressinger/

Jim's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-malafronte-7015b23/ 

Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanamaral/

Bryan’s Website: https://www.clientricity.net

Bryan’s Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Call Bryan: 404-348-4849 

Tags: retail clienteling clientricity zenza consulting