RETHINK RETAIL

Latest Episodes:

Scaling Assisted Wellness: Building Member Loyalty Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

Standing out in the $2.1T wellness market takes more than running social ads. As people seek real solutions for chronic pain and mobility, growing brands have to figure out how to scale nationally without losing the personal, in-person connection that keeps clients coming back. Jeremy Goldman sits down with Lindsey McFadden, CMO of Stretch Zone, to talk about how the assisted-stretching pioneer balances medical claims with retail fitness, uses star power like Drew Brees, and turns first-time trial visits into multi-year memberships. INSIDE THE EPISODE: • Cutting Through Digital Noise in a $2.1T Market: With wellness ad feeds more crowded than ever, maintaining brand clarity requires sharp positioning that clearly distinguishes assisted stretching from DIY routines. • Balancing Clinical Benefits with Retail Fitness: Navigating therapeutic claims demands a flexible messaging strategy that resonates equally with chronic pain sufferers and active golfers without alienating either group. • Leveraging Star Power Without Intimidating Everyday Clients: Utilizing high-profile partners like Drew Brees drives powerful local foot traffic, but must be balanced to ensure non-athlete, everyday consumers feel welcomed and capable. • Scaling Brand Cohesion Across 400+ Locations: Maintaining strict nationwide brand standards while empowering local franchisees to tailor marketing to their specific communities is essential for scalable growth. • Scaling Tech Without Sacrificing the Human Touch: Leveraging backend AI and automated workflows optimizes customer acquisition and retention while preserving the high-touch, personal connection of in-studio sessions. 🎧 Listen above for a practical look at scaling retail wellness, building member retention, and standing out in a crowded market.

Grocery, Surveillance Pricing & Should Brands Go Public? Aug 07, 2026

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Welcome to another edition of Retail Roundup—your weekly brief helping retail leaders decode the biggest shifts in retail, AI, and commerce. In this week’s episode, Jeremy Goldman sits down with industry experts David Polinchock (Co-Founder & President at Unified Brand Experience Lab) and Aidan Mittra (Co-Founder at OrderGrid) to examine the operational and regulatory forces redefining the industry. From the growing divide in grocery retail, the intense regulatory scrutiny surrounding dynamic pricing and electronic shelf labels, to the strategic debate over whether consumer brands should go public or stay private. INSIDE THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: - THE GROCERY DIVIDE: VALUE vs EXPERIENCE: As cost-conscious shoppers trade down and higher-income consumers seek experiences, middle-ground grocers are caught in the squeeze. While tech giants win on speed, experiential grocers thrive through in-person engagement and community. - DEMYSTIFYING SURVEILLANCE PRICING AND ELECTRONIC SHELF LABELS: Growing regulatory scrutiny and consumer mistrust over dynamic pricing and electronic shelf labels are pushing retailers toward transparency. Winning back trust requires bridging the online-offline pricing gap with a clear value exchange. - PUBLIC MARKET PRESSURES vs THE POWER OF STAYING PRIVATE: Faced with a cool IPO market, consumer brands are choosing to stay private longer. Prioritizing long-term brand equity over quarterly earnings pressure proves that rapid expansion doesn't always yield lasting value. As consumer expectations shift and regulatory pressure mounts, retail leaders must balance operational efficiency with clear customer value. 🎧 Listen above for the full conversation on the trends making us rethink retail this week.

Beyond Translation: Standardize Globally, Adapt Locally Aug 05, 2026

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The platforms change, but retail’s core rules stay the same. Whether you're entering new international markets or integrating AI into fulfillment, lasting growth comes down to standardizing global foundations while unlearning local habits. On this episode of Global Lens, Senior Retail Analyst Lavina Suthenthiran joins Jim Fielding (former CEO of Claire’s and former President at Disney Stores Worldwide) to unpack practical expansion strategies, experiential store design, and where AI fits into modern retail execution. INSIDE THE EPISODE: - Localization goes far beyond translation. Global consistency can’t ignore local reality. True localization hits trademark laws, product naming, and visual merchandising before inventory ever ships. - The 70/30 Assortment Rule. Over-centralizing creates a "Western bias" that misses regional demand. The strongest global brands maintain a common core while allowing local teams to adapt to regional preferences. - Retail + Storytelling Outpaces Passive Browsing. Physical retail spaces can no longer act as simple transaction hubs. They must provide emotional resonance or risk irrelevance against screens. - Surfing AI Disruption Requires Human Judgment. While AI dramatically accelerates operational speed, automated commerce still faces a massive trust deficit with consumers. Listen to the full episode above for practical lessons on global expansion, localized execution, and experiential retail.

Beyond the Search Bar: AI Agents in Retail Aug 03, 2026

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AI is changing what search means in e-commerce. Shoppers are no longer just typing keywords and scanning static results. Conversational agents are shaping discovery, addressing objections, and guiding purchases like digital salespeople. Brands must look beyond traditional SEO and design for both human shoppers and AI-driven journeys. Jeremy Goldman sits down with Sean Whitehead, VP of Digital Product & Tech at Fracture, and Aniket Deosthali, CEO and Founder of Envive AI, to discuss how brands can bring in-store service online, adapt to the rise of AI search, earn consumer trust, and preserve brand distinctiveness as AI tools become commoditized. INSIDE THE EPISODE: From Keyword Matching to Digital Salesmanship Traditional search assumes shoppers already know what they want. AI can address hesitation and objections directly on the product page before they turn into abandoned carts. The Financial Imperative of AI Search With half of consumers using AI search, and a projected $750B revenue impact by 2028, optimizing for AI engine visibility (AEO/GEO) is non-negotiable. Brands need to focus on durable fundamentals: structured data, strong content, authority, and answering real customer questions. Trust and Security Are the Ultimate Bottlenecks for AI Adoption With nearly 40% of consumers fearing AI scams or data misuse, brands must "treat AI like a new hire"—using strict guardrails and brand-approved data to prevent costly glitches. Brand Differentiation Will Shift to Proprietary Data and Brand Voice As AI tools commoditize, standing out requires training models on your distinct brand voice and unique customer data. 🎧 Listen above for a practical look at how retail leaders are rethinking AI search, customer trust, and brand differentiation.

Retail Roundup: Luxury Split, TikTok Shop & Heritage Jul 31, 2026

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Welcome to another edition of Retail Roundup—your weekly brief helping retail leaders decode the biggest shifts in retail, AI, and commerce. In this week’s episode, Jeremy Goldman sits down with industry experts Charisma Glassman (Genpact) and RETHINK Retail's very own Tanya Thorson to examine the shifts redefining commerce. Together, they analyze shifting consumer spending, the evolution of social commerce platforms, and the operational tightrope legacy brands must walk to survive. INSIDE THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: 1. HIGH-INCOME RESILLENCE VS ASPIRATIONAL FRICTION Luxury retail’s recovery is divided. High-net-worth consumers continue spending on hard luxury like Tiffany & Co., while aspirational shoppers pull back on fashion due to economic pressure. This gap is forcing retailers to sharpen demographic targeting by doubling down on high-end jewelry or recalibrating price points for cautious buyers. 2. SOCIAL COMMERCE IS MOVING FROM DISCOVERY TO ECOSYSTEM OWNERSHIP TikTok's testing of a paid membership program demonstrates that social commerce platforms are moving beyond viral product discovery. By layering in subscriptions, logistics, and perks, platforms aim to own the entire customer lifecycle and drive repeat purchases. 3. BRAND HERITAGE IN AN EMOTIONAL ASSET, NOT JUST MARKETING Evolving a legacy brand is high-stakes operations, not just marketing. As Cracker Barrel learned, abrupt changes to logos, menus, or store design can feel like a betrayal to core customers, triggering swift backlash and financial friction. As consumer behavior splits and platforms evolve, retail leaders must adapt operations to protect brand value and secure customer loyalty. 🎧 Listen above for the full conversation on the trends making us rethink retail this week.

Why Global Demand Is Outpacing Operations Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

“The hard part isn’t going global. It’s staying operational once you’re there.” Senior Retail Analyst Lavina Suthenthiran unpacks the newest Global Lens report in a new podcast series exploring the forces reshaping global retail. Over the coming weeks, she dives deeper into the data, case studies, and market dynamics behind one central conclusion: cross-border growth has shifted from a demand problem to an execution problem. In this episode, Jeremy Goldman joins Lavina to explore the major themes behind that conclusion, and how leading brands are learning from costly mistakes as they build for global growth. DEMAND IS ARRIVING FASTER THAN BRANDS CAN OPERATIONALIZE FOR IT: Discovery has never been easier. Between social platforms and AI, brands can suddenly see demand in markets they never planned to enter. The challenge now is whether brands will be ready on the backend when that demand appears. - Supporting data: ESW research found that 71% of Gen Z discovers products on social media, but only 6% want to complete the purchase there, indicating that discovery and conversion now happen in different places. CAPABILITY GAPS ARE DRIVING CROSS-BORDER FAILURE: When demand comes, brands need to be prepared to deliver. The problem is, most aren’t. Failure tends to stem from fulfillment, checkout, planning, and execution weaknesses rather than a lack of appetite. - Supporting data: 7 in 10 cross-border expansions fail, and 7 in 10 failures trace back to a capability gap, not market readiness. LOCALIZATION IS STRUCTURAL, NOT COSMETIC: Local knowledge has to be present before decisions are approved, not after problems emerge. Localization is not just translation or surface-level cultural adaptation. It must shape decision-making, assortment, channels, and service design. Without that local knowledge, brands risk appearing out of touch or missing their audience entirely. DESIGN A GLOBAL OPERATING MODEL, NOT A MARKET-BY-MARKET IMPROVISATION: Fragmented, market-by-market operations eventually collapse. Sustainable international growth requires clear rules on what remains standardized versus what flexes locally. - Supporting data: Skull Footwear used organic demand data across 90+ countries to focus DTC expansion in India, Brazil, and Indonesia, instead of spreading everywhere at once. Listen above to the full discussion, including real-world cautionary tales and success strategies from leaders who have mastered global execution.

Retail Roundup: Retail’s End to Safe Plays Jul 24, 2026

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Welcome to another edition of Retail Roundup—your weekly brief helping retail leaders decode the biggest shifts in retail, AI, and commerce. In this week’s episode, Jeremy sits down with Martin Bailie (MWB Advisory) and Kimberly Morgan (The Fashion Tech Exec) to break down how three major retail moves signal a definitive shift away from safe, superficial trends toward bold execution. INSIDE THE EPISODE: - Marketplaces As Infrastructure: GameStop’s CEO Ryan Cohen put $500M of his own capital toward acquiring eBay (a company 5x GameStop's size). Regardless of the outcome, it shows massive conviction in combining physical store networks with marketplace scale to power modern commerce. - Practical AI Execution: Instacart acquired computer-vision startup Arpalus to track shelf inventory in real time. Shoppers will experience fewer substitutions and out-of-stock items. (For more on Instacart’s infrastructure moves, check out our interview with the Chief Commercial Officer, Ryan Hamburger, here) - Profits Over Growth: Reformation’s $1B IPO filing will test public market appetite for direct-to-consumer brands. The standards have changed: investors now prioritize healthy margins, sane customer acquisition costs, and durable unit economics over raw expansion. Different headlines, same story. Safe, incremental moves aren't cutting it anymore. Moving ahead right now takes clear strategy, strong execution, and real financial discipline. 🎧 Listen above for the full conversation on the trends making us rethink retail this week

The Omnichannel Execution Gap Jul 20, 2026

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Most retailers have the tools, platforms, and channels. The problem? They don’t talk to each other. Simply offering apps, delivery, and pickup options is no longer enough—the real challenge is connecting those systems seamlessly underneath the surface. In an upcoming report, Jeremy Goldman (VP of Editorial and Insights) outlines this exact issue: the omnichannel execution gap. Ahead of the release, he sat down with Xavier Vaissiere (Global Insights & Analytics Director at CP Skin Health Group) and Erica Meagher (Head of E-commerce at Beiersdorf) to discuss why this operational gap is widening and how retailers can fix it. INSIDE THE EPISODE: - Why a massive percentage of retail dollars still sit within the physical store, and how leaders are connecting it to digital. - How constantly adding new sales platforms without retiring old ones is creating a data nightmare—and what to do about it. - The specific trap brands fall into when deploying AI without a clear roadmap, and how to use it effectively. - Why closing the execution gap requires mastering four specific, unglamorous backend operations (from real-time inventory to returns). Listen to the full discussion above to learn how to make your underlying systems work together. The full report lands later this month.

Retail Roundup: From Reaction to Retail Restructure Jul 17, 2026

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Welcome to another addition of Retail Roundup. Your weekly brief to help retail leaders decode the biggest news in retail, AI, and commerce—and understand what those developments mean in practice. In this week's episode, VP of Editorial & Insights Jeremy Goldman joins Zak Stambor (EMARKETER) and Richard Kestenbaum (Triangle Capital LLC) to highlight how retail giants are shifting from reaction to restructuring when facing market disruptions like tariffs and inflation. These titans are completely changing how they manage inventory, set prices, and run seasonal campaigns to build a permanent competitive advantage. INSIDE THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: The Tariffs Front-Loading Surge: Instead of waiting to see how trade policies play out, retailers are treating tariffs as a permanent, predictable business expense. They are aggressively front-loading their inventory, accepting high storage costs today to guarantee their shelves aren't empty tomorrow. - U.S. ports are expected to handle a record 2.47 million import containers in July as retailers rush to get goods in before expected August tariff updates. WALMART'S OFFENSIVE PRICE WAR: The retail giant isn't just lowering prices to help shoppers fight inflation, it is using price cuts defensively and offensively. By slashing margins on highly visible everyday staples (like meat, produce, and soda), they are squeezing out smaller competitors who simply cannot afford to match those discounts. THE JULY BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHIFT: The traditional late-August rush is officially a thing of the past. Amazon Prime Day has permanently pushed the shopping calendar up into July, while shoppers are increasingly using AI discovery tools to map out what to buy weeks before they ever visit a physical store or checkout screen. - 17% of shoppers had already finished most of their back-to-school buying by early July, per CivicScience. Listen above for the full conversation on the trends making us rethink retail this week.

Instacart’s Connected Store Strategy Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

Instacart is shifting from a basic delivery app to a complete digital operating system that runs grocery stores from top to bottom. Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer at Instacart sat down with Yael Kochman, Chair of AiR, to break down how the platform is bundling hardware, software, and AI tools that help grocers manage everything from smart shopping carts to automated inventory tracking. “Consumers know the shopping cart. You cannot make it a complicated experience. Otherwise they will abandon it.” By solving real-world frustrations on the store floor and removing the inventory guesswork for retailers, Instacart is scaling AI to create a unified experience for everyone in the aisle. INSIDE THE EPISODE: - How smart carts bring your digital account, real-time store inventory, and loyalty rewards directly to the grocery aisle. - Why tools only succeed if they fit a shopper's routine, making it effortless to budget in real time, find items on the shelf, and manage lists. - How Instacart handles the technical headache for grocers trapped by ancient computer systems by wrapping software around existing infrastructure. - How Instacart’s AI acts as a proactive meal planner for shoppers while tracking shelves and predicting inventory for retailers. Listen above for the full discussion on how grocery AI delivers the most value when it connects the entire retail ecosystem while remaining simple for shoppers and practical for grocers.

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