The Retail Experience Show

In this episode of The Retail Experience Show, Chiara Figueroa, Senior Manager of Global Retail Experience at Benefit Cosmetics, shares her dynamic journey through the retail and tech sectors. She discusses the critical integration of technology to enhance customer experiences and the importance of education and training for retail staff in the cosmetics industry. 

Chiara also emphasizes the need for building strong relationships with global teams to ensure a consistent brand experience across locations. She offers her unique insights and innovative strategies for navigating the evolving landscape of retail and delivering exceptional service to customers. 

Topics discussed:

• The importance of leveraging technology to optimize customer journeys and enhance overall business operations in the retail sector.

On today’s episode of The Retail Experience Show, Bobby speaks with Jeanniey Walden, CMO of RITE AID and Ice Cream Executive at Thrifty. They discuss how Jeanniey's acronym AIR (authenticity, inspiration and relatability) is key to drive a successful marketing strategy, how RITE AID makes consistent service across locations part of their company culture, and how the company is incorporating the online experience into their business.

They also discuss the future of brick and mortar stores and how they can stay relevant with innovation.

Topics discussed:

• How RITE AID strives to give the best service to their customers and their communities.

On today’s episode of The Retail Experience Show, Bobby speaks with Matt Sutton, CMO at The Black Tux & Marke, a clothing brand for men that aims to offer more diverse, stylish options for life's big events. 

They discuss how The Black Tux balances their online marketing efforts with those of their retail locations and how marketing is tied into their customer experience. They also discuss how to be intentional about deciding where to put a new retail location.

Topics discussed:

• Why The Black Tux keeps inclusivity and diversity at its core.

In this episode of The Retail Experience Show, Bobby speaks with Ryan Ellis, CEO at TravisMathew, a lifestyle brand. They discuss TravisMathew's growth to 40 stores across the country, why they focus on product storytelling, and how they use fun experiences to attract customers into the store. They also talk about why aspiring retailers should slow down at the beginning, the role of digital in the future of retail, and why great customer experiences begin with people.

Topics discussed:

• How TravisMathew created a lifestyle brand in a space no one was addressing and grew to 40 stores.

In this episode of The Retail Experience Show, Bobby speaks with Richard Cox, VP of Men’s and Global Partnerships at PacSun, a retail clothing brand. They discuss how PacSun creates consistent experiences across its 300 brick-and-mortar locations, as well as how it converges the online/in-store experience. They also talk about what retail technology they're using, advice for new retailers, and how PacSun is expanding its community through partnerships.

Topics discussed:

• Richard's long-time career with PacSun in both merchandising and overseeing brand partnerships and collaborations.

In this episode of The Retail Experience Show, Bobby speaks with Dean Butler, Founder and CEO at LensCrafters, an international retailer of prescription eyewear. They discuss how Dean started LensCrafters with the revolutionary premise to make "glasses in about an hour" and what steps they take to create "enthusiastically satisfied customers all the time." They also talk about best practices for advertising and customer service, advice for young entrepreneurs, and what's changed in retail — or hasn't — over Dean's 40-year career.

Topics discussed:

• How Dean started LensCrafters with the revolutionary idea of "glasses in about an hour," and how he applied what he learned at P&G to marketing it.

On today’s episode of The Retail Experience Show, Bobby speaks with Bill Barton, President and CEO at Bob's Discount Furniture, a furniture store chain. They discuss how Bob's Discount Furniture creates omnichannel experiences for their customers, as well as how they’re leveraging technology like tablets and 3D room simulation apps to improve customer service and the customer journey. They also talk about how the best way retail leaders can scale their business and set themselves up for success is by knowing their customers, knowing their value proposition, and building a great team.

Topics discussed:

• How Bob's Discount Furniture was the "original disruptor" in the furniture industry, and how they've grown to 170 locations across 24 states.

Jenna Posner is the Chief Digital Officer for SNIPES, one of the fastest growing sneaker and streetwear retail platforms in Europe and the US. Jenna is a seasoned retail industry professional having worked as a retail technologist and digital retailer for an impressive lineup of innovative tech startups like Radius8 (Fiserve), Clutch, Curalate (Bazaarevoice) and Levelup (GrubHub).

In this episode, Jenna gives us an overview on her current role at SNIPES, and shares some tips on how she supports all channels of the business by prioritizing customer experience, cultivating a strong partnership with vendors, and leveraging technology to expedite and augment her team’s efforts.

Topics discussed:

- Jenna’s career journey, from being a retail technologist to a digital retailer, and how she came to work at SNIPES

- A brief history of SNIPES, and how established vendor relationships and legacy knowledge let to it’s steady growth and success

- Jenna’s primary role and three main disciplines Jenna focuses on on a day to day basis

- Using technology to improve customer confidence

- How the company utilizes the BOPUS (buy online, pick up in store) business model

- Jenna’s view on the future of e-commerce

- The importance of using information and data to better engage with consumers and drive value

- SNIPES’ ‘‘Crack the Code” initiative

- Jenna’s advice for start-up retailers to prepare them for the future

On today’s episode of The Retail Experience Show, Bobby speaks with Matthew Morein, VP Brand & Marketing at Psycho Bunny, a men's clothing company that "redefines the classics." They discuss the ways in which Psycho Bunny builds its brand on three things — quality, color and vibrancy, and "the double take" — and how every effort to create a consistent brand experience both online and in-store gets filtered through those three pillars. They also talk about how to elevate brand perception, the experiences Psycho Bunny offers in-store to delight customers, and why the future of retail commerce will focus on in-store experiences.

Topics discussed:

• How Matthew's career began in art, video, printmaking, and music, his introduction into clothing through his roommate's clothing boutique, and how he worked as a stylist before moving into marketing and becoming head of branding at Psycho Bunny.

In today’s podcast, Bobby is joined by Nadina Guglielmetti, Vice President, General Manager, Marketing at The Vitamin Shoppe, a popular specialty vitamin and supplement retailer.

Nadina shares how her team at the Vitamin Shoppe makes use of a process that allows them to democratize work and enables them to plan and strategize with consistency across all channels whether it be for brand launches, promotions, or brand messaging. She highlights the importance of leveraging data and technology and of having a solid understanding of both the online and offline world in building better customer relationships.

Topics discussed:

• Nadina’s  background in retail, advertising, pr, and marketing working for top-tier brands, and what led her to working with the Vitamin Shoppe