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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.
On this episode, we're joined by Sarah Henry, VP, Head of Content, Influencer & Commerce at Walmart U.S., for an inside look at how one of the world's biggest retailers is redefining discovery and engagement. Sarah shares insights on Walmart Creator, Gen Z strategy, and the role of AI in powering shoppable experiences. From Pokémon drops to fashion-forward content, it's a fascinating dive into the intersection of commerce, creativity, and community at scale.
In the first of our 8-part series our guest Is retail veteran and tech investor Ken Pilot, recorded live at the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York City. Ken reflects on his expansive career at Gap, J.Crew, Ralph Lauren, and beyond, and shares timely insights on tariffs, generative AI, and the future of retail tech. With humor, candor, and even a pretty solid POTUS impression, Ken's perspective offers a masterclass in leadership and retail reinvention.
In this Season 10 finale of The Remarkable Retail Podcast, Steve interviews Vuori CEO & Founder Joe Kudla live on-stage during the closing keynote of the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York. Steve and Michael also are on-stage for a session gleaning the top retail trends of the year so far and set the stage for what's most important to focus on the balance of the year.
In this episode, Michael and Steve unpack the week's top retail headlines, from Amazon's extended Prime Day to luxury slowdown signals, before welcoming Mark Irvin, Best Buy's EVP & Chief Supply Chain Officer. Mark shares how his team is reimagining the supply chain with AI and digital twins, while delivering sustainability at scale. With over 1,000 stores and 80,000 employees, Mark reveals what it takes to keep Best Buy agile, customer-centric, and future-ready in an ever-evolving landscape.
This dynamic episode of the Remarkable Retail podcast showcases Part Two of “The Analysts” — a powerhouse retail roundtable featuring Sucharita Kodali (Forrester), Neil Saunders (GlobalData), and Simeon Siegel (BMO). From the future of Agentic AI to the fate of department stores and what remarkable brands are emerging, the panel brings sharp insights, humor, and candor. Plus, Michael and Steve unpack the latest economic and political volatility affecting retail, including tariffs, labour challenges, inflation, and cyber threats.
Part one of Remarkable Retail's new feature, "The Analysts," brings together Sucharita Kodali (Forrester), Neil Saunders (GlobalData), and Simeon Siegel (BMO Capital Markets) to parse the signal from the noise. After the hosts tackling the most important retail news of the week, The Analysts take on 3 big retail stories.
In addition to unpacking the week in retail news, Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc tackle retail's emerging crisis with Steve's "10 Tantalizing Tips for Tumultuous Times." Steve's advice covers radical transparency, embracing uncertainty, continuous testing, customer focus, human-centered approaches, storytelling, editing to amplify, friction audits, distinguishing table stakes from differentiators, and cash management—essential guidance for retailers navigating unprecedented challenges.
Joining us for a fascinating interview on this encore episode is Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, one of the most successful and innovative "disruptor brands" to emerge in the past two decades. Neil shares the brand's origin story, what makes Warby Parker remarkable, why they've aggressively invested in brick-and-mortar locations, the critical interplay between digital and physical, and a whole lot more. First, Steve gives us an update on the progress that Warby Parker is making in their business.
Stephen Yalof, CEO and President of Tanger joins the Remarkable Retail podcast to discuss the evolution of outlet centers and value retail more broadly. Yaloff shares insights from his extensive retail career at Gap, Ralph Lauren, and Simon, and in his role leading Tanger a leading shopping center operator with 37 outlet centers and an expanding lifestyle portfolio. The conversation explores how outlet retail has transformed from pure manufacturer inventory clearance to a customer-focused approach offering branded experiences and value to aspirational shoppers.
Josh Friedman, SVP Digital & E-commerce at Ulta Beauty, discusses the company's focus on personalization, AI integration, and international expansion into Mexico and the Middle East. With 44 million loyalty members, Ulta leverages customer data to create relevant experiences. The episode also analyses the week's top retail news including Trump's tariff negotiations, April's surprising 7% retail sales jump, and Skechers' $9 billion acquisition by 3G Capital.
In this second part of their interview with retail media expert Andrew Lipsman, founder and chief analyst at Media, Ads and Commerce, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis explore the future of retail media networks. Lipsman shares insights on the retail media flywheel concept, balancing customer experience with ad revenue, and predicts massive growth in in-store retail media. The episode also covers recent economic news, tariff impacts, and notable earnings reports from Amazon and Apple.
In this episode, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis cover breaking news on tariffs, trade tensions, retail leadership insights, and luxury market shifts before welcoming Neil Tenzer, Vice President of Customer Loyalty, Insights, and Engagement at Tractor Supply Company. Neil shares how Tractor Supply’s "Neighbors Club" loyalty program became a powerhouse, his team's customer-centric innovations, and the crucial role of personalization in retail growth. It's a masterclass in loyalty and leadership straight from the frontline of one of America’s most remarkable retailers.
In this episode, Michael and Steve welcome back Andrew Lipsman, Founder & Chief Analyst Media, Ads + Commerce, one of the foremost experts on retail media networks, for part one of a two-part deep dive. Andrew explores the explosive growth of retail media, its measurement-led impact on digital advertising, and why retailers are flocking to this space. But first, the hosts break down this week’s top retail headlines—from escalating tariffs to luxury earnings to IKEA’s small store strategy.
In this special episode, we take a retrospective and forward-looking dive into Steve's "Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption" five years after its publication. We dissect the Eight Essentials framework, what’s held up, and what needs updating in a rapidly changing retail world. The conversation also includes analysis of the current global trade war, escalating tariffs, inflation fears, supply chain chaos, luxury retail contractions, and the uncertain fate of TikTok and Saks Global. A must-listen for retail leaders navigating 2025.
