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The hosts break down a big week in retail: the U.S. government shutdown finally ends, shoppers keep spending despite uncertainty and headwinds, AI-powered shopping conversion jumps 16%, and Doug McMillon shocks the industry with his Walmart exit. In the interview segment Julie Bornstein, Founder & CEO of Daydream, whose AI-driven fashion search platform partners with 10,000+ brands and has raised $50MM, discuses the agentic commerce opportunity. Julie shares her journey and why taste-based AI is retail’s next frontier.
Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc sit down with David Lafitte, President & CEO of Tecovas, to explore how the Austin-based western lifestyle brand is redefining retail through craftsmanship, authenticity, and what Lafitte calls radical hospitality. From the brand’s digital-native roots to its expansion into Soho and beyond, Lafitte shares lessons on scaling thoughtfully, empowering teams, and maintaining focus. The hosts also unpack major retail news—from wobbly unicorns to luxury bifurcation to Amazon’s automation powered future.
Guest co-host Ben Miller, Shoptalk's VP of Original Content and Strategy joins to dive into major retail news, including Amazon's strong earnings and the acceleration of AI-driven commerce with Chat GPT. The interview segment features Puck's fashion correspondent Lauren Sherman, who provides incisive analysis on the luxury market's "reset." She discusses the post-COVID boom, the significant slowdown in Chinese spending, the rise of DTC, the resilience of the top 1% consumer, and how resale is fundamentally changing the shopping journey.
This episode unpacks a week of turbulence and transformation across the retail landscape, before a deep dive on Steve's groundbreaking new Blank Canvas Strategy framework, designed to help retailers escape incrementalism and chart bold new futures.
In this episode, Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc sit down with David Boone, CEO of Michaels, for a dynamic discussion on transformation, creativity, and bold retail decision-making. Boone unpacks how Michaels is capitalizing on category white space left by JoAnn’s and Party City, accelerating innovation, and re-energizing its stores and digital ecosystem. In the news, Steve and Michael explore the implications of Walmart’s OpenAI partnership, Aritzia’s breakout quarter, Levi's DTC driven results, and fresh insights from the luxury and apparel sectors.
In this new episode hosts Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc break down the latest forces reshaping retail including Nike's tarrif-driven price increases, the potential shadow on retail spending due to the U.S. government shutdown. and holiday online sales predictions. Then they dive deep into the agentic AI revolution with guest Scot Wingo, serial entrepreneur and co-host of The Jason & Scot show who reveals why agentic commerce could disrupt search, reshape marketplaces, and reignite innovation across retail.
In this episode, Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc explore Birkenstock’s remarkable evolution with David Kahan, President & Managing Director of Birkenstock Americas. David shares how the 250-year-old brand stays authentic while captivating new generations—from the red carpet to the yoga studio. He reveals how unwavering commitment to the brand’s DNA, “engineered distribution,” and purpose-led leadership drive success. Additionally, Michael and Steve discuss major retail news, including new tariffs, TikTok, and shifting economic winds, ahead of the holiday season.
In this special fifth-anniversary edition of the Remarkable Retail Podcast, we welcome back Seth Godin. Seth unpacks the essence of remarkability in today’s crowded marketplace, the danger of confusing “better” with “remarkable,” and how AI unlocks new creative frontiers. Alongside fresh insights, we revisit unforgettable moments with past guests including Scott Galloway, Artemis Patrick (Sephora), Hal Lawton (Tractor Supply), Chris Nicholas (Sam’s Club), Joe Kudla (Vuori), and Neil Blumenthal (Warby Parker).
With a return edition of "The Analysts," we welcome Forrester VP & Principal Analyst Sucharita Kodali and GlobalData Retail's Managing Director Neil Saunders. Together, they explore surprisingly strong U.S. sales numbers, the gap between consumer sentiment and spending, tariff impacts, and the state of iconic bran retail turnaround stories. The panel also tackles AI’s evolving role in retail, Amazon’s logistics dominance, and what to expect for holiday 2025.
Lauren Steinberg, Loblaw's EVP & Chief Digital Officer discusses the transformation journey at Canada’s largest retailer. Lauren shares how Loblaw is integrating AI, loyalty, and retail media to create seamless customer experiences, while shaping the future of personalization. In the weekly news of the week segment the hosts unpack tariffs, inflationary pressures, RH’s bold reinvention, and Sam’s Club’s digital leap.
Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc unpack the week's retail headlines—tariffs, India sanctions, de minimis shifts, consumer confidence, and labor market turbulence—before an insightufl inteview featuring Amit Kaswani, Chaloub Group's Chief Omnichannel Officer , and Stacie Henderson Capece Minutolo, To'ds Chief Marketing Officer, Americas. They explore how AI, loyalty innovation, omnichannel design, and customer-obsessed strategies are redefining luxury. The guests also share insights ahead of speaking at the upcoming Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi this January.
Season 11 kicks off with our first ever guest co-host: Ethan Chernofsky, CMO of Placer.ai, the fast-growing advanced location analytics company. Get ready for a wide-ranging conversation on the turbulent retail landscape. From tariffs and pricing power to Target’s leadership and performance challenges, Walmart’s surge, Amazon’s same-day grocery delivery push, and evolving mall dynamics, the trio breaks down where the industry is headed. They also spotlight branding missteps, AI trust issues, and what to watch next in a bifurcated retail economy.
With the pace of disruption continuing to accelerate, with more and more power being concentrated in the hands of only a few mega-retailers, with consumer needs and wants being constantly reshaped, and with the global impact of tariffs still far from certain, how do you make sense of what to do and, most importantly, gain the confidence to aim higher, move faster and act more boldly. That's where the industry leading, award-winning Remarkable Retail Podcast comes in. The all new season of the Remarkable Retail podcast launches Tuesday, September 2nd. We hope you’ll join us.
In our final summer bonus episode, we sit down with two remarkable leaders shaping Tapetry's future: Pooja Chandiramani, who helps drive marketing analytics and transformation for the holding company that owns Coach and Kate Spade, and Avinash Kaushik, best-selling author and digital marketing pioneer. Together they share how the multi-billion dollar global fashion powerhouse is driving brand transformation through analytics, creative pre-testing, and cultural alignment. They also reveal how expressive luxury, intent-centric marketing, and AI are shaping the future of consumer connections.
Our guest this week is Lauren Price, Senior Vice President, E-Commerce & Digital Marketing, COS North America. Lauren shares her career journey from luxury e-commerce pioneer to driving growth for the H&M-owned fashion brand and reveals how COS engages Gen Z through authenticity, quality storytelling, and TikTok virality, while preparing for the next wave of AI-driven discovery. Lauren also offers timely holiday strategy advice—focusing on agility, rapid data analysis, and making the most of short, high-impact shopping windows like Black Friday.
In this fast-paced episode, recorded live at the CommerceNext Growth Show, we sit down with Pano Anthos, Managing Partner at XRC Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that sits at the intersection of consumers and technology. Pano shares his insights on why retail innovation often stalls, despite transformative technologies and seemingly compelling financial returns. We explore his investment theses on retail media and other key retail priorities. Pano also offers candid advice to startups selling to retailers —and a bold blueprint for restructuring retail to meet the demands and pace of modern shoppers.
In this special encore episode we revisit an insightful conversation with Janet Hayes, CEO of Crate and Barrel Holdings as she shares her career journey and the brand’s $5B growth ambitions. From their visionary Flatiron NYC flagship to enhanced digital design services and significant tech investments, the iconic 60 year old home retailer furnishings retailer is modernizing for a more remarkable future.
In this summer bonus episode, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis reunite to break down the latest headlines shaking up the retail world. From the uncertain impacts of tariffs, the questionable promise of Amazon Prime Day(s), the dramatic shakeups in luxury retail, AI’s growing role in commerce, and American Eagle's controversial ad campaign, the host provide an unfiltered, insightful look at what’s heating up—and cooling down—this summer in retail.
In this episode, we sit down with Stuart Hogue, Lands' End Senior Vice President, US Consumer, for a dynamic conversation recorded live at the CommerceNext Growth Show. Stuart unpacks how Lands' End is balancing its rich heritage with modern innovation—from AI and digital marketplaces to viral tote bags and fashion drops. Discover how this legacy brand is attracting younger customers while staying true to its timeless products, iconic franchises, and deeply rooted brand values.
In this episode, we sit down live at the CommerceNext Growth Show with Jeannie Yoo, CEO of Draper James, the lifestyle brand founded by Reese Witherspoon. Jeannie shares her retail journey from Michael Kors to high-end fashion to leadership of a fast-growing lifestyle brand. As CEO of Draper James she's on a mission to "democratize" fashion through a mix of direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and licensing partnerships. We dive into human-centric retail, celebrity branding, the role of AI, and the brand's "decade tour" strategy.
