Winning Retail

This episode features an interview with Orchid Bertelsen, Head of Consumer Experience, Strategy & Innovation at Nestlé USA. With over 30 brands in her portfolio, Orchid has spent the past ten years evaluating and testing emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, voice assistance, and AR/VR.

On this episode, Orchid discusses the connection between consumers and cavemen, the rise of social commerce, and Ruth the Cookie Coach.

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“People jump to the technology because it's almost a shortcut and they're enamored by it...but you cannot go chasing a solution without identifying the problem, because then you can't make sure that the solution addresses the problem.” -Orchid Bertelsen

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Show Notes

• (3:00) Orchid’s backstory
• (7:43) What innovation means to her
• (9:44) A new solution to an old problem: the story of Häagen-Dazs and the bees
• (13:40) The connection between consumers and cavemen
• (18:03) The rise of social commerce 
• (22:24) Introducing Ruth the Cookie Coach
• (28:06) The Toll House Cookie Conundrum: addressing an emotional problem 
• (31:09) Dissecting the technology role vs. the business objective of Ruth
• (35:11) Lightning round: getting to know Orchid the person

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Sponsor 

This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

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Links

Connect with Orchid on LinkedIn

Follow Orchid on Twitter

Ruth the Cookie Coach

Connect with Tony on LinkedIn

Connect with Tony on Twitter

Tony Saldanha - Transformant

This episode features an interview with John Kirk, President & CEO of the Retail Solutions Providers Association, or RSPA. As the head of North America’s largest community of VARs, software developers, and vendors in the retail, restaurant, and grocery verticals, John oversees a member network whose mission is to accelerate growth through connections and education. 

On this episode, John discusses retail IT innovation in the SMB space, how VARs can help to optimize supply-chain, and what to expect at the upcoming RetailNOW2021 conference.

3 Takeaways:

• Omnichannel means more conduits to the cash drawer, and with that comes a greater challenge to deliver high-level customer experiences across all channels.
• By providing the right training and technological solutions, value-added resellers (VARs) can help small and medium-sized businesses bridge the gap between overwhelming demand and supply-chain inefficiencies.
• Unable to attend RSPA’s flagship conference, RetailNOW2021? Winning Retail will be there to cover the latest in emerging markets, NextGen technologies, sales and sales management, cybersecurity, leadership training, and customer service.

Key Quotes: 

• “You’ve got to mobilize your operation if you’re going to take mobile orders, and we’ve got to help. We can’t just identify the problem as the RSPA - we’ve got to attack that problem full speed ahead.”
• “Oftentimes when we talk about technologies and innovation, we forget about the ABCs, and you've got to have a secure environment.”
• “If I'm a VAR, I've got to have the right alliances with the right vendors, and they've got to have the right solutions. Then we can turn a problem that our operators are facing into a great opportunity for us to transform our business.”

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

This episode features an interview with Richard Kestenbaum, Co-Founder and Partner of Triangle Capital. As an investment banker, author, and speaker, Richard has spent his career advising clients in the retail & consumer sector, with a speciality for mergers & acquisitions. 

On this episode, Richard discusses the importance of running your business as though you’re never going to sell it, how consumer tastes have shifted to focus on brand values, and what legacy companies can learn from young upstarts.

3 Takeaways:

• Consumers today want products from companies that convey values like sustainability, ethical supply chain, and local production. The ability to adapt to those changes in an authentic way is where young upstarts succeed while legacy retailers struggle.
• Run your business as though you’re never going to sell it. Buyers are generally very smart, and when they see that you're making investments for the long term that will benefit them, they’re going to give you more credit for it.
• What is a store? It used to be a place to sell “stuff.” Now, it functions as a space to deliver experiences and raise brand awareness.

Key Quotes: 

• “It’s not that online and stores are different channels. There are no channels. There is only the consumer, and wherever they are, you have to find the best way to sell to them.”
• “We don’t talk enough about Artificial intelligence and machine learning...what we are observing now is a land grab in technology, because whoever becomes the leader has the opportunity to remain the leader.”
• “What I look for in a great company is: is the technology transformative, and is this the team that understands they’re standing in front of a brick wall, and they have to figure out a way to go through it, under it, around it, knowing full well that behind that wall is another wall.”

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

This episode features an interview with Warren Shoulberg, award-winning journalist and consultant for the retailing and home furnishings industries. He is a regular contributor to The Robin Report, Forbes.com, The Business of Home, and his own blog, Stupidbusiness.com.

On this episode, Warren gives us his take on a wide range of contemporary retail issues, including technological innovation and supply-chain backlog, and shares why he dislikes the terms “brick-and-mortar,” “omnichannel,” and “upholstery.”

3 Takeaways:

• Get out there. Talk to your customers, go into your stores to ensure they are executing on a local level, and keep your nose to the grindstone.
• On the supply side, technology is not going to save the day in industries that are labor-intensive. Retailers must understand where their competitive levers lie and the distinctiveness of their businesses.
• While some retail buzzwords get low marks from Warren, here is one that doesn’t: “retail-as-campus.” The immersive, experiential concept is presenting a different way to engage shoppers. Multiple structures offer retail, dining, and even lodging in an experience that cannot be replicated online.

Key Quotes:

• “That’s why I like the retail business: because you can just see with your own eyes what’s going on, and they can’t fool you.”
• “Any time I run into an independent retailer who says, ‘I can’t do E-commerce,’ I say, ‘You’re crazy, because you’re willing to write off 30% of the potential market.’”
• “You’ve got to go out and see the stores. If you don’t - if you’re just sitting on your computer or your phone all day - you’re going to miss a lot of stuff.”

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

This episode features an interview with Anna Barsby, Founder and Managing Partner at Tessiant, a UK-based management consultancy, and the former CIO of Asda. As a people and change leader, Anna has spent her career helping to build cultures through the implementation and adoption of technology. 

On this episode, Anna talks about the incredible opportunity of building a data system from scratch, what it was like to start her own organization during the pandemic, and how Asda recently partnered up with Dell to provide 7,000 laptops to school children in need.

3 Takeaways:

• When it comes to technology, you’ve got to be very clear on the business outcome you’re after and why you’re using it. Technology for technology’s sake will not bring an organization along, but articulating how it can get you to your goal faster, cheaper, and in a more productive way will.
• Similarly, technology works best when it brings teams together across an operation and helps build cultures of collaboration and trust. It falters when it is over-engineered and loses sight of what retailers fundamentally do.
• The challenge of overhauling an organization’s systems is no small feat. For some, it is like rebuilding a plane in midair. For others, it is akin to being in a swivel chair needing to seamlessly transition users from one system to another. The opportunity is equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking and requires expertise on both a systems and business front.

Key Quotes: 

• “As a technologist, you have to talk to business people in their own language and about their outcomes. There is no point talking about the systems or even the data.”
• “I've seen examples in my past where some of the big consultancies have tried to over-engineer grocers or retailers....and several of the chief execs have said, ‘look, we’re shopkeepers, and we've got to be good shopkeepers. The tech has its place and will absolutely enable, but don't lose sight of what we fundamentally do.’” 
• “One of the reasons I keep coming back to retail is because with technology you’re very close to the customer, and you're very close to your business colleagues, and you can see the impact that you make.”

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

This episode features an interview with Max Pedró, Co-Founder & President of Takeoff Technologies. As an eCommerce and Financial Services entrepreneur, Max is working to transform online grocery by developing an ecosystem of automated micro-fulfillment centers.

On this episode, Max takes us inside the backroom of what he calls “the beehive of automation,” discusses why price cannot be overlooked in favor of speed and convenience, and lays out his vision for the grocery store of the future. 

3 Takeaways:

• By making humans 10x more productive, automation allows for the investment in click-and-pick technology. A Takeoff micro-fulfillment center can assemble 130 units per labor hour vs. 20 units in a brick-and-mortar supermarket. It also increases online volume by 20%.
• Online grocery is here to stay. Four years ago, 0.5% of purchases were online. This year, it is projecting to be north of 10% - a 20x increase. This behavior is going to stick post-pandemic, and customers are going to continue to expect same in-store prices and two-hour delivery.
• Love your lamb chops but don’t care about roaming the aisles for toilet paper? The grocery store of the future will feature a combined shopping experience where “wants” items (meats, coffee, flowers) are still made available to pick and enjoy in-store, while routine items are set aside for drive-through and delivery fulfillment.

Key Quotes: 

• “Let's face it, companies like Amazon and Walmart are making this the new norm: same price as in-stores, no additional fees. You choose pickup or home delivery within two hours. The only way that you can actually build viable businesses is if you put automation very close to where their shoppers are; therefore, hyper-local micro fulfillments.”
• “We can help reimagine retail, and in doing so we can actually democratize access of quality foods at even cheaper prices, all while adding convenience.”
• “In a world without shelves, shoppers just want convenience and not to pay more for it.”

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

This episode features an interview with Rod Sides, Global Leader of Deloitte Insights & Vice Chairman, US Retail and Distribution Leader. For over 25 years, Rod has helped guide retailers as they navigate uncertainty, compete globally, and improve performance and profitability, creating efficient operations from top to bottom. 

On this episode, Rod discusses the importance of getting back to the basics, why only 3 in 10 retail executives feel they have a handle on digital technology, and the rise of the data war. 

3 Takeaways:

• Technology investments should focus on creating convenience for the consumer rather than being about the shiny new project. Driving top-line comes from having things like inventory integrity in place, not magic mirrors or AR.
• At the same time, embracing back-office technologies like bots frees up employees to focus on more significant tasks. It is a reinvestment in their capabilities to do higher-level work.
• From a customer-facing perspective, is it time to use a SaaS-type model to be able to chase Big Tech? This is a question many retail leaders will have to ask themselves as they continue to try and differentiate from the competition.

Key Quotes: 

• “We talk about how to win in retail. If you’re not going to win on price, then you better win on service.”
• “The new battleground is going to be around data and data efficiency and using that data at a micro level to be able to understand the trends and what we need to do around that. We’ve spent a lot of time fighting for customers. We’ve fought for real estate. To me, the war of the future in retail is the data war.”
• “It’s not about the shiny object and the new capability that everyone adopts. It’s about the utility of the technology to make it easier for the customer.”

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

This episode features an interview with Tom McGee, President & CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Since 2015, Tom has overseen strategic leadership and operations as ICSC, which is the pre-eminent organization for retail and real estate professionals.

On this episode, Tom discusses the impact retail has on our local communities, why physical retail has never been more important, and what to expect at RECon, ICSC’s flagship event, this December in Las Vegas.

3 Takeaways:

• You need to serve the consumer in whatever way they want, and the experience needs to be consistent and frictionless.
• Physical retail has never been more important. By getting people to the store, you’re not only saving on shipping, you’re engaging with your customer. It simultaneously solves last mile, improves profitability, and fosters connection.
• How can ICSC help? With nearly 70% of shopping center tenants being small businesses, ICSC just released a small business toolkit (“Setting Up Shop”) and will be launching a new Small Business Center of Excellence soon.

Key Quotes: 

• “70% of the tenants within retail centers are small businesses. And that really motivates me, because I think the success of our industry is tied to the success of small businesses.”
• “There isn’t an E-commerce channel and there isn’t a physical channel. There’s only one channel: it’s called the consumer channel.”
• “We all think we have a constitutional right to free shipping, but somebody’s actually paying for that free shipping. And that’s typically the retailer, right? So getting you to the store obviously takes an enormous cost out of the distribution chain.”

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.

This episode features an interview with Mary Lunghi, Senior Vice President of Consumer Insights and Analytics at Ikea. As the “Voice of the Consumer,” Mary has spent over 25 years distilling data into compelling narratives that drive results, and has been instrumental in Ikea’s recent expansion into urban centers.

On this episode, Mary discusses how she uses quantitative insights to influence decision making, the importance of adopting an omni-channel mindset, and what they at Ikea call “the red thread.”

3 Takeaways:

• Research must be actionable. Start by asking yourself, what is the actionability here? What is the question you’re seeking to answer? Or the problem you’re trying to solve? The unmet need? Then, take that data and connect the dots to find a narrative that is short, succinct, and compelling.
• Omni-channel is more than simply throwing up a website. It requires a magnitudinal shift that, for Ikea, began in 2016 with advancements and investments in technology, infrastructure, web, logistics, automation, and more. It is also a mindset that differentiates itself from multichannel, which is several different experiences versus one seamlessly-integrated experience.
• The customer experience is not a “one size fits all” approach. It varies by city and degree. The challenge is understanding the source of the demand and meeting the customer where, when, and how they shop.

Key Quotes: 

• “It’s not just about sharing data and numbers. You have to find the meaning behind the numbers, because ultimately at the end of the day, if you’re not influencing, if you’re not helping to inform those decisions that are happening, it’s all for naught.”
• “We were already an omni-channel player. We already had E-commerce. But it wasn’t to the degree and keeping up at the pace at which the consumer was adapting to the behavior.”
• "We're really trying to adapt and meet the customer when, where, and how they shop us. It is a journey and we are still on it."

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This podcast is presented by Dell Technologies and Intel. Together they help you realize digital transformation across retail by driving IT innovation to better engage with today’s connected consumer. Learn more at DellTechnologies.com/retail and Intel.com/retail.