RETHINK RETAIL

Latest Episodes:

AI Is Changing How We Shop. Are Retailers Ready? Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

“Ultimately, it's the people that determine the success or the failure of technology, not the technology itself.” The latest report by Arktic Fox and Six Degrees dives deep into why brands and retailers will only win in retail media, personalization, and AI if they pair rising investment with stronger data foundations and better product content. Teresa Sperti, Director at Arktic Fox, sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss how achieving these results ultimately requires credible measurement alongside teams capable of turning technology into execution. Inside the episode: - Why brands are shifting away from marketing to humans and moving towards optimizing for AI-driven discovery and decision-making - How brands can shift their tech approach toward loyalty and personalization - Why retailers need to invest in eCommerce and stronger digital shelf capability to defend share and improve performance - Why brands must better prepare their talent, as companies are currently buying technology faster than they are building the organizational skills to run it Don't let your technology investments outpace your team's capabilities. Listen to the full podcast episode above to bridge the execution gap.

Beekman 1802: Beating Content Slop with Creative AI Jun 08, 2026

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In an already competitive market, Beekman 1802 is maintaining steady growth through human connection and is using AI to do it. David Baker, Chief Revenue Officer at Beekman 1802, sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss how his team is cutting through industry traffic and content using human creativity and emotional brand building. "AI is not coming for our jobs. People who know how to use AI will come for the people who don't know how to use AI.” Inside the Episode: - Ruthless Inventory: Why you need to avoid the micro-trend trap, and double down on what your customers are loyal to. - Operational Simplification: How reducing SKU count freed up working capital, eased vendor management, and improved store planning, without sacrificing brand identity - Getting Creative with AI: How to position your tech into a ‘red-teaming’ approach to aggressively stress-test ideas, name options, and look for vulnerabilities before any capital is deployed - Keeping AI Out of Creative: How to establish market differentiation amid the influx of AI-generated content - Stop letting tech run your creative. Start using it to clear out the daily clutter so your team has the breathing room to stand out. Catch the full conversation and more inside the episode.

Build for Omnichannel Success: Partnerships, AI, & Clean Data Jun 05, 2026

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As the path to purchase continues to splinter over multiplying channels, brands need to be everywhere their customers are. Suzy Davidkhanian, Vice President of Retail Insights at eMarketer, sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss why long-term retail success depends on a multichannel model and durable partnerships, despite the rise of generative AI. Inside the Episode: - The Omnichannel Business Model: Why the direct-to-consumer approach is no longer sustainable as a standalone business model - Creating Strong Partnerships: Why brands should evaluate partners based on shared values and audience alignment, focusing on building long-term equity rather than short-term sales spikes - Practical Impact of AI Shopping: How AI and predictive technology will automate routine reorders, shifting where ad dollars are spent rather than destroying them - Clean Data as the Foundation: Why true personalization and relevance are impossible without a solid data foundation AI is a powerful tool, but without a clean, focused retail operation, technology alone cannot salvage a broken strategy. 🎧 Listen to the full episode.

The Chatbot Hangover Is Over: The Future of Retail Customer Service Jun 03, 2026

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Are basic chatbots hurting your customer experience? In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, guest host Christine Russo sits down with Antanas Bakšys, CEO and Co-Founder of Ace Waves, to discuss the massive transformation happening in retail CX. Antanas shares insights from his 15 years in ecommerce, explaining how retail customer support is shifting from rigid software into an elite autonomous workforce. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Beyond Chatbots: Why legacy retail automation fails and how to transition to true AI teammates. - Customer Service Debt: How to identify this hidden burden in your organization and clear it out. - Risk Management: How autonomous AI agents safely handle sensitive tasks like refunds and cancellations. - Future of Retail CX: A contrarian 12-month prediction on where retail automation is heading. Meet Ace Waves at Shoptalk Europe! > Heading to Barcelona this June 9th through 11th? Meet Antanas and the team in person at the Ace Waves booth.

Shoptalk Europe 2026: Moving from AI Theory to Execution May 19, 2026

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As retail leaders prepare for Shoptalk Europe 2026, the conversation is no longer centered on what AI could do. It’s shifting toward what AI in retail is already doing, where it is creating measurable value, and what it takes to move from pilots to profit. In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Jeremy Goldman, VP of Insights at RETHINK Retail, sits down with Joe Laszlo, Head of Content at Shoptalk, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Shoptalk Europe agenda is built, and why this year’s program reflects a more execution-focused moment for retail. The conversation explores: → Why the Shoptalk Europe 2026 agenda moves beyond theory and into real-world retail AI application → How European retail leaders are navigating AI, customer connection, and physical retail reinvention → Why agentic commerce is being approached with both excitement and scrutiny → What makes the European retail conversation distinct across markets, regulations, and consumer behaviors → Which sessions and speakers are set to shape the biggest retail conversations in Barcelona With leaders from Vestiaire Collective, Arc’teryx, Christian Louboutin, Zalando, Estée Lauder, Sephora, L’Oréal, Google, and more taking the stage, Shoptalk Europe is bringing together the people defining what retail execution looks like next. 🎧 Listen to the full episode for a preview of the themes, speakers, and conversations shaping Shoptalk Europe 2026, taking place June 9–11 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.

Insights from eTail Toronto 2026 (Part 2) May 14, 2026

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The conversation continues! In the conclusion of our special two-part coverage from eTail Toronto 2026, host Jeremy Goldman sits down with four more industry experts to explore the shifting dynamics of modern retail and what it takes to stay ahead in an increasingly automated landscape. Featured in this episode: - Janet Ihm (Vice President, Channel Strategy & Digital Experience, Ontario Cannabis Store): Using retail data programs to level the playing field for mom and pop shops and the importance of intentional, cautious AI strategy. - Thomas Hamilton (VP of Sales & Marketing): Why he’s teaching his team philosophy and critical thinking to act as tastemakers who audit the machine. - Mario Lemieux (Partner, DAC): The collapse of the traditional marketing funnel and the rebirth of the physical store as a billboard for the brand. - Roger Emeka (Director of Customer Experience, Browns Shoes Inc.): Why Customer Experience is a profit center and the immediate fallback rule that keeps humans at the center of the journey. Listen now to hear the full conclusion of our eTail Toronto series!

Beyond Viral Trends: Stanley 1913’s Strategy for Lasting Relevancy May 13, 2026

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Stanley 1913 has moved far beyond a single blockbuster product. Graham Nearn, Chief Product and Sustainability Officer, PMI WW Brands, LLC (Stanley 1913), sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss how a brand with a century of history stays absolutely relevant in a trend-driven market. Inside the Episode: - The Credibility Ladder: Why every expansion must pass the four filters of quality, originality, invention, and mission to avoid overextending the brand. - Lifestyle Evolution: How the Vitalize collection and the new Clutch Bottle move the company beyond hydration and into everyday essentials. - Universal Truths: Adapting a global strategy to meet hyper-local needs, from car culture in the US to commute culture in Asia. - Circular Success: A look at the award-winning Take Back program that reclaims 96 percent of materials for the supply chain. - Predictive Learning: Using real-time social dialogue and data to inform the next move before the market catches up. Stop managing a blockbuster product. Start fueling the human experience.

Store to Door: Making E-commerce Operationally Viable May 12, 2026

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Retailers have spent 25 years trying to make in-store picking profitable. Most are still struggling because fulfillment is managed as an afterthought. In this episode, Top Retail Expert Vinny O'Brien sits down with Xavier Pym, Partnerships Development Manager at Vusion and Kristofer Browall, Head of Solution Sales at StrongPoint, to bridge the gap between digital strategy and operational reality. Discussion Highlights: - The Design Conflict - Direction Over Data - The Human Factor - The Connected Advantage Stop managing the store as a side project. Start building a real-time fulfillment engine.

B2B AI Secrets: How RS Group and Rezolve Ai Scale May 11, 2026

Show notes

B2B commerce is built on a foundation of extreme complexity. When a part fails in a 100 million dollar machine, the customer needs a solution, not just a search result. Carl Holt, Director of Digital Product and Transformation at RS Group plc, sits down with Howe Gu, Group SVP, Customers and Partners at Rezolve AI, and Evan Burgess, Global Sales Director at Rezolve AI. They discuss the leap from legacy search engines to agentic commerce. Inside the Episode: - 99 Percent Rule Reduction: The automation strategy that allowed RS Group to replace 30,000 manual rules with an AI product platform. - Natural Language Moats: Why engineers are moving toward "plain English" problem solving to bypass technical jargon. - Predictive Fulfillment: A look at the future of IoT sensors and AI agents that order spare parts before a machine actually breaks. - Agent-to-Agent Commerce: How to build digital experiences for the AI agents that will soon be shopping on behalf of global organizations. Value is not found in the catalog size. It is found in the speed of the solution.

Insights from eTail Toronto 2026 (Part 1) May 08, 2026

Show notes

We’re live from the floor of eTail Toronto 2026! In the first half of our special two-part coverage, we’re digging past the buzzwords to find out what is actually driving retail innovation in 2026. Host Jeremy Goldman sits down with three industry leaders to discuss everything from boardroom AI mandates to the digital rebellion of the next generation of consumers. Featured in this episode: - Dave Stevens (CTO, Groupe Dynamite): How to achieve "10x the CX" by stripping away AI noise and focusing on exposure therapy for internal teams. - Stacey DeSantis (Content Marketing Manager, Home Hardware): Solving the "Chicken Parm problem" by prioritizing authenticity and getting to the point fast for AI search. - Paul Briggs (Principal Analyst, EMARKETER): The data behind the Canadian market, from last mile delivery hurdles to the future of automated grocery replenishment. Whether you’re a CTO drafting a tech strategy or a marketer fighting for authenticity, this episode is packed with real-world takeaways you can use today. Listen now and keep an ear out for Part 2 coming soon!

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