Our interview guest is Rick Baker, senior vice president of Charging Solutions sales at Volta. He joins the show to discuss the increasing presence of EV charging stations in retail shopping centers, why retailers and centers are finding it valuable to include the stations in their lots, ways in which they can drive additional revenue, and considerations that must be undertaken when installing. In news, Conn’s reveals a better-than-expected first quarter and announces a partnership with...

Our interview guest is Elliott Cook, Director of Real Estate for Downtown Strategies. We spoke with him at ICSC about what makes for a vibrant downtown area in small- to mid-sized markets, how these markets can attract retailers to the area, and which types of retailers might be a fit for such business districts. In news, Big Lots reacts to a rough quarter by scaling back growth plans, Ulta Beauty continues to excel, and Bon-Ton may be getting (another) new lease on life.

Our interview guest—the first in our ICSC interview series—is Lacy Beasley, President of Retail Strategies; she joins the show to discuss current trends in small- and mid-sized market retail. Topics include the importance of retail to rural markets, what retailers are doing to adjust based on market size when entering a rural market for the first time, and which retailers and restaurants are seeing the most demand from the markets themselves. In news, Advance Auto Parts sees a dip in DIY...

Our interview guest is Tom McGee, President and CEO of ICSC, who joins us to discuss the upcoming ICSC event in Las Vegas and themes surrounding retail real estate in 2022. In news, BJ’s Wholesale opens a new store with a smaller footprint, Family Dollar faces down a legal matter, and Hy-Vee issues a perplexing advertorial as they seek to move associates from their corporate office into individual stores.

Our interview guest is Topher Cramm, national account manager at STANLEY Security, who joins us to discuss developments in retail loss prevention over the past year. Main topics of discussion include how new technology is shaping retailers’ approach to loss prevention, how in-store security varies by region, and the question of organized crime. In news, Tractor Supply attracts a younger shopper due to various macro factors and internal initiatives, and we look forward to potential card...

Our interview guest is Deviprasad Rambhatla, senior vice president and sector head of retail, services, and transportation at Wipro, who joins us to discuss the findings in their recent report, “The Big Shift.” We dive into retail leaders’ thoughts surrounding cloud-based technologies and best practices of leading companies. In news, Albertsons’ fourth quarter is buoyed by fresh, and they make plans for further development in that category in 2022. And we look ahead to what could be a...

Our interview guest is Joe Fisch, CEO of Wine Access, who discusses their development of a subscription-based retail program to complement their existing retail sales. He talks about their thought process behind the platform, things they’ve learned along the way, and the importance of customer education in their retail segment. In news, Academy and lululemon both unveil amazing holiday sales numbers, with one planning major revenue growth in 2022. Also, we look ahead to Five Below’s new...

In news, we discuss Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and their plans for 2022, which include the first remodeling program in their company’s history. We look ahead to a lawsuit involving Sam’s Club (Walmart) and BJ’s, as well as Macy’s endeavor to grow their Backstage store-within-a-store concept by over 10% in the next two months. Additionally, we look back to profound retail books released within the last two years and our conversations with their respective authors. Our partner for this week’s show...

Our interview guest this week is Tal Rotman, VP of Alliances and Partnerships at Namogoo, who joins us to discuss the increasingly pervasive issue of customer hijacking, costs to retailers, and how retailers can work with certain apps or add-ons to ensure better margins and conversion rates. In news, Dollar General releases their 2022 plans, which call for more cooler doors and renovating nearly 10% of their store base. Additionally, we look at the recently released Fresh Trends 2022 guide...

Our interview guest this week is Nikki Baird, VP of Strategy at Aptos, who discusses (among other things) the role of the brick-and-mortar store in 2022, how retailers are leveraging their footprint to remove friction for the customer, and trends we may see in brick-and-mortar retail over the next two years. In news, Ulta Beauty not only releases stellar Q4 numbers, but they chart a path toward another year of growth in 2022, and REI expands their member program to include a number of new...

Our interview guest this week is Joel Bines, global co-leader of the retail practice at AlixPartners. He joins the show to discuss his new book, The Metail Economy, and how retailers can leverage the “Six Cs” in differing amounts to ensure they are meeting the needs of today’s consumer. In news, Kroger provides an earnings update, but more importantly, they provide insight on shifts in customer behavior as grocery inflation continues in 2022, and we look ahead to staffing (and stocking)...

On this week’s show, Layton rejoins the podcast to discuss updates from TJX, which come with company hopes that their supply chain is smoothed out in time for the spring season and their store opening plans for 2022. In addition, Foot Locker is forced towards brand diversification after a major supplier pulls back the reins somewhat on merchandise flow, and we look ahead to Wayfair’s unending and elusive search for profitability and the handful of Kmart stores remaining in the U.S. Our...

Our interview guest is Brad Pope, VP of customer success at Kinsa Insights, who discusses ways in which retailers are using predictive health analytics to get a leg up in terms of staffing, inventory, and supply chain management. In news, we look at the fourth quarter that was for Walmart, but more importantly, dive into their forecast for 2022 and how inventory levels and inflation might impact customer flow according to leadership. Additionally, we look ahead to 2022 private label brand...

Our interview guest is Jeremy King, CEO and founder of Attest, who joins the show to discuss Attest’s annual U.S. Consumer Trends Report (available here: https://bit.ly/3JvXBHk). In news, we discuss Simon’s latest update, in which retailers in their properties report a substantial sales increase for the 2021 holiday season. We also look ahead to pricing pressure on two major produce items in grocery stores and briefly touch on a digital grocery preference survey. Our partner for this week’s...

Our interview guest is Thad Price, CEO of Talroo; he joins us to discuss the current retail hiring landscape, ways retailers are making themselves more attractive to potential future employees, and how hiring events have changed during the pandemic. In news, Natural Grocers showcases an increase in sales and reveals their plans for expansion during calendar 2022 and we look ahead to beauty retail in 2022 after Sally Beauty posted positive sales for their holiday season.

Our interview guest is Kristina Rogers, EY’s Global Consumer Industries Leader, who joins the show to discuss their Future Consumer Index; topics include what is driving consumer purchasing decisions in 2022, where customers are finding friction in the retail process, and 2022 trends to watch. In news, we look at CBRE’s recent year-in-review report for retail real estate and what the numbers might mean for retailers and shopping centers both. Additionally, we look ahead to Home Depot’s plans...

Our interview guest is Rod Sides, vice chairman and leader of U.S. retail, wholesale, and distribution for Deloitte LLP. He re-joins the show to discuss Deloitte’s recent 2022 Retail Industry Outlook, which covers areas of concern for retailers, anticipated internal investments, and a high-level consumer overview for the year ahead based on a survey of senior retail executives. In news, we look at how a company headed up by former Fresh Thyme executives may be looking to put their spin on...

Our interview guest is Simon Dermer, executive chairman and co-founder of eSSENTIAL Accessibility, who joins us to discuss the importance of e-commerce accessibility, commonly overlooked areas for retailers, and why accessibility is of vital importance in digital retail. In news, we look at Big Lots’ plans for brick-and-mortar expansion over the next several years, Office Depot’s split being put on hold for now, and look ahead to a large beverage industry takeover.

Our interview guest is Dan Surtees, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at XCCommerce. He joins us to discuss the importance of flexibility in retailers’ promotions platforms, the ins and outs of developing the platforms for retailers with multiple brands, and where retailers may not currently be optimizing their promotions. In news, we discuss holiday sales numbers by way of Bath & Body Works and Bed Bath & Beyond as well as Target’s reported brick-and-mortar traffic...

Our interview guest is Paul Brenner, President of Audio Out-Of-Home and Chief Strategy Officer at Vibenomics; he re-joins the show to discuss various developments in in-store audio over the past two years, how c-store audio programs differ from traditional retail, and ways in which retailers can improve their approach to the medium. In news, Hy-Vee seeks “national” expansion, in the words of their CEO, and we look ahead to potential tightening in the retail real estate market as new capital...

Our interview guest is Deviprasad Rambhatla, senior vice president and vertical head of retail distribution at Wipro Limited. He joins the show to discuss the landscape of retail technology in 2022, including which technologies may see more widespread implementation in the coming year. In news, Rite Aid shows evidence of greater inventory turns amidst their efforts to reduce SKU count and streamline inventory, and a KPMG survey indicates that grocery spend may once again be on the rise in 2022.

Our interview guest is Caitlin MacNamara, who co-leads the retail practice at executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. She joins us to discuss the process behind finding the right executives for retail c-suite openings, ways in which to evaluate appropriate fits for culture and responsibilities, and the hidden costs behind not matching the right person with a c-suite position. In news, Lowe’s issues their 2022 outlook which featured some anticipated slowing of tailwinds for home...

Our interview guest is Shannon Colquhoun, the VP of global industry strategy for retail and CPG with Talkdesk. She joins us to discuss the likely retail returns landscape in Q1 of 2022 and best practices for retailers seeking to streamline or provide self-path options for returns on behalf of customers. In news, GameStop and Costco both provide quarterly updates—one good and one not so good—and we look ahead to potential holiday shortages for spirits retail. Our partner for this week’s show...

Our interview guest is Gene Dunford, senior managing director at Umpqua Bank. He discusses how the relationship between retailers and banks has evolved in the recent past, and how it must continue evolving to support new mechanisms of carrying inventory and doing business. In news, Dollar General releases their 2022 growth plans and long-term outlook for their budding pOpshelf concept. Also, sporting goods retail with Dick’s and Hibbett enjoys another solid quarter, and MINISO grows their...

Our interview guest is Brandon Isner, the head of retail research at CBRE and author of their recent Holiday Retail Trends Report. He joins us to not only discuss the report, but how shopping centers are adjusting to increased traffic in 2021 and retail trends he’s excited to research in 2022. In news, Dollar Tree makes a much-discussed move to a higher base price point, Burlington notes market share gains as off-price continues to thrive, and Target’s announcement of Thanksgiving closures in...