The Retail Perch

This week, Shekar and guest host, Stephanie Doherty interview Katie Hotze, founder, and CEO of Grocery Shopii, a digital meal planning platform that drives relevant recommendations while solving the problem of cart abandonment in e-commerce. In this episode, Katie explains the inspiration behind her product and how her hyper-focus on the customer journey has made Grocery Shopii successful. Additionally, Katie shares her very honest journey from digital marketer and data analyst to entrepreneur. Her inspiring story is one that anyone with a good idea should hear but is especially helpful for other women considering the grand adventure of entrepreneurship in a male-dominated industry.

It’s time again for a Retail Roundup. This week Gary and Shekar discuss some of retail's big news items including the Tops and Price Chopper merger, the rise in seafood sales, the future of Instacart, and an introduction to the new social media platform, Clubhouse…are you on it?

In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar discuss the concept of a Customer Intelligence Platform (CIP). They describe how the latest trend in grocery retail unifies information, insights and action in one place, and how retailers can elevate to this next level.

In Part 2 of this episode, Gary and Shekar learn more about Nir's role at Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the program manager for AWS Jam (https://jam.awsevents.com). Nir lays out the 4 principles of AWS: Mechanism, Architecture, Culture and Organization, unlocking the mystery of how Amazon remains the most relevant and nimble company out there.

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Gary and Shekar get the opportunity to speak with Nir Pilo, one of retail loyalty's pioneering architects. He was the owner of a Retalix loyalty product that was awarded Gartner's "#1 Product in the Market." Nir gives a unique look into what the backend of retail systems look like and details the differences between tier 1, tier 2, and smaller independents when it comes to loyalty and promotion. Peppered throughout, Nir offers sage advice based on his years of experience in the industry, "Innovation is a game of numbers. The more you do, the more you fail, the more you learn from it and you become a better learner."

The Retail Perch is back! Join Gary and Shekar as they interview the VP of Marketing at Harps Food Stores, Inc., David Ganoung. David is a grocery lifer, starting at the young age of 16. He offers an enlightening perspective on how grocery retail and marketing has evolved over the years.

In this interview, the trio discusses the imperatives of grocery retail. David offers his advice to others who hope to up their digital engagement game. He also outlines his approach to market research when it comes to adopting new technology. You won't want to miss this one!

Loyalty and personalization are often used interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing. In this episode Gary and Shekar explore the differences as well as the relationship between the two. Gary also outlines the roadmap for retailers to take from one to the other on the road to true customer engagement.

This week The Retail Perch tries something new and asks shoppers to discuss how their holiday shopping has changed, how they feel about it, and whether or not they plan on returning to normal when the time of Covid has passed. In these interviews conducted by The Retail Perch's producer, Stephanie Doherty, some valuable and sometimes surprising insights are uncovered. All the data in the world can't replace honest, customer feedback as a means of understanding customer behavior.

This week Gary and Shekar welcome back Brian Numainville and Doug Madenberg of The Retail Feedback Group to discuss their recent findings around e-commerce, shopper behavior, and the future of retail. With consumers making fewer trips to the grocery store, retailers must take meaningful steps to make those experiences feel safe and satisfying. This episode can help by answering the questions: Do shoppers feel that their primary grocery store is providing good value? Has disruption in the supply chain affected consumer use of add flyers? What is the main determinant of satisfaction of a shopping trip even prior to the pandemic? and What are the biggest risks to traditional retailers?

She is a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) Retail Technology & Insights expert. Mary works between technology companies, brands, and the retailer to translate needs from product management to business consulting. 

In this interview, Gary, Shekar, and Mary discuss the role and responsibility of retailers in their shoppers' health and wellness. Where are the opportunities to create loyalty by putting the customer first? How can retailers leverage data to give their shoppers a customized and personalized experience that meets their health needs? At a time when we are facing another season of quarantine people need ways to stay healthy and boost their immunity, this is an excellent opportunity for grocery to step up and help fill that need.