In its early days, Birdy Grey was very much an “Instagram brand.” That means Grace Lee Chen, Monica Ashauer and their entire team looked to social communities (and especially Instagram) to gather feedback and determine what products they should sell in order to grow their business. Birdy Grey has relied on this community to grow and position itself as a disruptor in the wedding industry, which has evolved significantly with the advent of TikTok and other social channels. During this episode of Retail Remix, Chen and Ashauer reminisce, looking back on: How they successfully went from BFFs to ..read more

Hearst is harnessing its expansive portfolio of brands and its highly credible editorial team to take a curated, content-driven approach to commerce. Robert Gash, the company’s CTO of Ecommerce, has played an integral role in this new, exciting era for the company, onboarding key partners to support the new experience.     During this episode of Retail Remix, Robert shares details into Hearst’s mission and vision, as well as how he’s working with SoundCommerce to collect, aggregate and leverage data to optimize the experience. He and SoundCommerce CEO Eric Best discuss:  Why c ..read more

Taking a big leap that drives you — and your business — outside of your comfort zone can be scary. But Steve Dennis believes those leaps are critical to surviving, if not thriving, in this new era of disruption.     Host Alicia Esposito has author Steve Dennis back on the show to chat about his latest book, Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption, to discuss the personal and professional experiences that motivated him to put the pen to paper. They also chat about:   What’s driving the new innovator’s dilemma;   The “confederacy of meh” that ..read more

Despite headlines claiming the death of the shopping mall, some developers are reimagining the experience to make it memorable, even unforgettable, for consumers.     During this episode of Retail Remix, host Alicia Esposito sits down with someone who is helping shape the future of the mall: Justin Stein, EVP of Leasing at Tanger. During this episode, he shares details on: Tanger’s transformation, including thinking more like a curator and less like a traditional operator;   His team’s approach to tenant mix, ensuring the right combination of retailers, restaurants, entertainm ..read more

Will Eadie is in the world of employee experience, also known as EX. He and his company WorkJam believe that a great EX leads to a great CX.     If that’s the case, why do so many retailers struggle to invest in the right tools and strategies that drive EX? We had Will on Retail Remix to find out.     Listen to this episode to learn: What EX entails and why it matters more than ever; How EX can lead to CX outcomes; How retailers like JCPenney are seeing success with their EX investments; and Tips for finding the right tools and partners to support your EX mission and visi ..read more

Alex Weinstein is equally passionate about marketing and data science, and he’s putting that passion to good use as Chief Digital Officer of Hungryroot.     Although one could easily lump Hungryroot in with other grocery delivery services, the company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence to power customer-facing touch points as well as back-end operations. During this episode of Retail Remix, Alex shares:  Hungryroot’s key differentiators in the fast-evolving digital grocery space;   The company’s top customer experience priorities, from personalization to mobi ..read more

We’ve all heard about subscription models that give customers monetary perks in exchange for recurring purchases. But brands like IPSY are elevating this concept by integrating compelling content, community and exclusive access to products.     IPSY’s merchandising team plays a central role in bringing the brand promise to life. Led by Chief Merchandising Officer Kristy Westrup, the merch division tests more than 8,000 products per year to curate the best assortment for customers. During this week’s Retail Remix, we dig into this process, as well as:  How merchandising collabo ..read more

As CTO and Global General Manager for Zenni Optical, David Ting plays a critical role in determining the company’s key technology investments and experience priorities.   It should come as no surprise, then, that artificial intelligence (AI) has been at the top of his priority list. During this week’s Retail Remix, he shares how he researched, tested and optimized AI investments for the business. He shares insights on: How consumers search and browse on the Zenni Optical site, and how these behaviors have dictated the company’s technology decisions;  Different AI applications and ..read more

Dr. Marcus Collins isn’t just a professor. He is an author, a marketing strategist who has worked with some of the world’s top tech brands and musical acts, and a cultural translator.     It is this rich career history that has inspired his latest book, For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be, and is why he’s taking the stage at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo this June. Host Alicia Esposito sat down with Marcus to discuss:   How the culture of brands has evolved, and how culture impacts commerce; What commerce brands c ..read more

As Head of Trends for Insider Trends, Jack Stratten has toured some of the world’s newest, and most innovative, retail stores. Through these tours, he has been able to uncover how consumer behaviors have shaped storytelling techniques, technology integration and more.     During the NRF Big Show, Jack sat down with host Alicia Esposito to discuss the key trends he’s uncovered in his tours around the world, as well as what he loves most about some of the Big Apple’s top shops. Listen to learn:  Why Glossier is a great model for innovative brick-and-mortar storytelling;   H ..read more