We have an fantastic episode for you featuring the virtual launch event for Steve's brand-new book, Leaders Leap, recorded Monday April 22nd. Steve is joined by a panel of extraordinary guests, all of whom are leaders in their respective fields. We have the privilege of hosting best-selling author and friend Seth Godin, an entrepreneur and speaker who has not only launched one of the most popular blogs in the world but has also written 21 best-selling books. We also have Bridget Brennan, acknowledged as the leading authority on the world's most powerful consumer market: women. She is the autho ..read more

Joining us for the second of three episodes recorded in the Bambuser remote podcast studio/beach cabana at Mandalay Bay during Shoptalk is Melanie Brown Vice President of Orange Apron Media and Monetization for The Home Depot. In a special two segment interview Melanie unpacks The Home Depot's retail media journey, highlighting the company's unique approach, which recently culminated in a doubling down and re-branding of its efforts. We've had analysts and consultants on to explore the rapidly growing retail media world, now we get a deeply experienced practitioner's in-depth perspec ..read more

This week we preview the NRF Big Show APAC debuting this June in Singapore, with two very special guests:  Ngai Yuen Low, Group Chief Merchandise And Marketing Officer at AEON Co Malaysia live from Kuala Lumpur, and Ryf Quail, Compexosium's Managing Director live from Sydney, Australia. We start by delving into Yuen's incredible and diverse experience in the region, getting her thoughts on what makes her company so remarkable, before we explore her leadership style. Then Ryf gives us his thoughts on the impetus for such an exciting new event and what guests can expect. Needless to say, St ..read more

Our guest this week is Michael Ward, CEO of Harrod's.  Harrod's is truly among the most iconic and remarkable retailers in the world, and Michael gives us a glimpse inside what makes the brand and store so special. He also shares details about how they provide exceptional levels of customer service, the best of the best products, and how they stay on the leading edge of innovation. We also learn about their new members club in Shanghai, and get a glimpse into his upcoming talk at the World Retail Congress in Paris next month. As usual, we kick things off by delving into the week in r ..read more

This week we explore some of the content from Steve's forthcoming book Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption, which is now available for pre-order at book retailers worldwide.  In particular, we go deep on a strategy of being "Special, Not Big" by significantly narrowing the aim of the customers you serve to be more intensely relevant and more highly differentiated. Finding your passionate core is about discovering those customers that sit at the heart of your customer bulls-eye and editing what you do to amplify your impact. In a world where it's harder and h ..read more

Our guest this week is Andrea Dorigo Head of Global Retail for Adidas. Andrea shares many strategic leadership lessons gleaned from his  incredibly deep and diverse experience working across a spectrum of international brands. Now he leads a network of more than 2,000 stores for one of the world's most iconic vertically integrated brands. We get to learn his thoughts on how to best strengthen overall brand equity while driving operational efficiency and extending product reach. He also shares his view on how to think about the right balance between DTC and wholesale and gives us a sn ..read more

This week we're reprising our November 2022 interview with Hal Lawton, President & CEO of Tractor Supply Co, a truly remarkable retailer that has delivered some of the strongest results of any brand during the past five years.   We explore Hal's diverse journey from McKinsey, to Home Depot, to eBay, to Macy's and on to Tennesee-based Tractor Supply Company. the nearly 85 year old company that now does over $14.5 billion in annual sales through more than 2,200 stores. We learn about Tractor's "life out here strategy" and the critical distinction between being a lifestyle bran ..read more

Our guest this week is Beth Ann Kaminkow, Global CEO, VMLY&R who joins us to talk about the ever changing landscape of retail and consumer branding, customer engagement, and loyalty. In particular with dip into what defines high performance retail and the emerging world of "creative commerce."  We also get a sneak preview of her upcoming session at the World Retail Congress in Paris.  Then, as usual, we unpack the week in retail news including the correct way to pronounce Temu, news on the persistency of inflation and what lessons can be gleaned from the past month in retail sale ..read more

Joining us for a deep dive on creating remarkable brand stories and driving powerful customer engagement are two industry veterans who will also be gracing the stage at next month's Shoptalk event in Las Vegas. Christiane Pendarvis, co-CEO of Pattern Beauty, Tracee Ellis Ross's hair care brand, and Andrea Moore, Chief Digital Officer of NEST New York, the fast growing fragrance brand deliver s a master class on the changing consumer landscape, evolving customer journeys, and what brands must do to stand out and win the future. They also preview their Shoptalk sessions. But as usual we start wi ..read more

Once again it's time for Steve's annual retail predictions--and this list doesn't just go to eleven it goes to thirteen! Steve's provocative prognostications include "the bifurcation of just about everything," the culling of the unicorn herd, thoughts on the future of Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Nordstrom, along with a possible AI themed action movie, the outlook for sustainability, retailers stepping up their health services offerings, and a whole lot more. But as is our custom, we kick off with our hot takes on the week in retail news, including Temu's decision to 10X its advertising, layoffs a ..read more