RETHINK RETAIL

Latest Episodes:

Micro-Arbitrage: The New Retail Media Strategy Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

The long waves of efficiency are over. If your brand waits 18 months to pivot, you have already lost the margin. Jason O'Toole, Head of Connected Commerce & Media at Gildan, and guest host Spencer Lian-Thornton, VP Growth & Partnership of Mindgruve, discuss why the "Fail Fast" culture is now a requirement for survival. INSIDE THE EPISODE: - The ROAS Trap: Why high returns often hide cannibalization and how Gildan focuses on incremental growth instead. - Test and Learn: Placing experimentation at the center of the operating model to find the 3% of initiatives that actually scale. - The Final Differentiator: As AI automates the grunt work of reporting, strategy becomes the only competitive moat left. Stop managing channels. Start managing the consumer footprint. Watch the full episode here.

Navigating AI and Strategic Partnerships in Grocery Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

On the latest RETHINK Retail Podcast, host Fritz Finlay sits down with Jeannie Scarlet Freis-Terry of Albertsons and Aidan Mittra, Co-founder of OrderGrid, to discuss how grocers can modernize their technology stack. They explore building lasting vendor relationships and laying the operational foundation for an AI-driven future in the grocery sector. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Great partnerships solve big problems: The best vendor relationships go beyond a single solution, enabling capabilities retailers could not build independently. - Modernization is a journey, not a switch: Given legacy system complexity, a phased deployment approach is far more practical than a full rip-and-replace strategy. - AI needs a solid foundation: Effective AI deployment requires trusted, real-time data. Without it, even the most sophisticated tools will underdeliver. - Pilots should be focused and measurable: Testing in five to twenty locations over four to six weeks allows retailers to prove value without overcommitting to full integration. - Feedback from the floor matters: Input from associates and customers early and often surfaces insights that data alone cannot capture. - Small-scale experimentation beats hesitation: Retailers who embrace controlled testing learn faster, fail cheaper, and build stronger strategies over time. IN SUMMARY: This episode explores how grocery retailers can move from legacy constraints to a modern, partnership-driven model built for the demands of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.

Building on Solid Ground: Dataiku on Why Retail AI Is About to Have Its Reckoning Apr 24, 2026

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The era of curiosity is over. Retailers are finding that moving from a flashy demo to a trusted, scalable production environment is much harder than a slide deck makes it look. In this episode, op Retail Expert & AI Leader, Charisma Glassman sits down with Mark Abramowitz, CMO of Dataiku, to discuss how leaders can hit their performance targets before the 2026 budget reckoning. WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN: - The Regret Gap: Why 74% of CIOs are second-guessing their AI platforms and how to pivot before budgets are frozen. - The Success Formula: Moving beyond "AI Chaos" by focusing on the three pillars: People, Orchestration, and Governance. - Agentic Reality: How organizations like SoftBank and Roche are saving hundreds of thousands of hours by operationalizing AI on day one. - Vibe Coding and Creativity: Why accessible AI is turning non-technical leaders into creators and why that is the ultimate competitive advantage. Stop managing the hype. Start building for business impact.

The Future of Grocery Retail: Consumer Behavior, AI, and the Case for Better Operations Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

Consumer habits are shifting fast, and the pressure on grocery retailers to keep up has never been greater. On the latest RETHINK Retail Podcast, R.J. Hottovy of Placer.ai and Aidan Mittra, Co-founder of OrderGrid, discuss the state of the industry and how retailers can adapt to modern demands. THE KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Shoppers are more fluid than ever: Consumers are moving freely across in-store, pickup, and delivery channels based on convenience. Consistent execution across every touchpoint is now critical. - Retail routines are expanding: Macroeconomic pressure is driving shoppers to spread spending across discounters, club stores, and convenience retailers rather than relying on a single grocery brand. - Back-end operations are the differentiator: Heavy investment in front-end digital experiences means little without reliable inventory accuracy and quality behind the scenes. - AI in grocery is finding its footing: Current applications are largely front-end focused, but the foundation being built today will determine how effectively retailers can deploy AI operationally in the future. Winning in modern grocery retail starts not with the customer-facing experience, but with the operational infrastructure powering it.

Visibility to Action: Tom Meehan on RFID Strategy Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

Here is the Spotify-optimized version for the Inventory Truth episode with Ted McCaffrey and Tom Meehan. I’ve focused on making those "Core Perspectives" pop so listeners can quickly see the technical value of the conversation. The Optimized Spotify Version Copy and paste this text directly: DESCRIPTION Retail transformation fails in the gap between corporate data and the sales floor. In this episode, Top Retail Expert Ted McCaffrey and Tom Meehan, CEO of CONTROLTEK, discuss why "inventory truth" is the only metric that matters in 2026. THE CORE PERSPECTIVES: 🔍 Distortion vs. Loss: Why a low shrink rate often hides the fact that your stock is 40% inaccurate for the actual shopper. 🤖 The Co-Pilot Mindset: Moving from manual counting to autonomous RFID so associates can focus on humans, not boxes. 📉 Data over Bias: How real-time visibility removes "gut feelings" from high-stakes merchandising decisions. THE BOTTOM LINE: Value isn't found in the code. It is found in the result. Stop counting loss and start driving action. Listen to the full episode here!

Selling Without Sales: Ankur Goyal on Growth Strategy Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Most growth leaders spend their lives chasing the promotional calendar. Ankur Goyal spent his time building a brand that didn't need one. In this episode, Marie Schwartz sits down with Ankur Goyal, the man who helped lead Coterie to a major acquisition. They move past the standard "growth hacks" to reveal the discipline required for true innovation. THE GROWTH BLUEPRINT: 📊 The Data Foundation: Before touching AI, you need a clean data warehouse. Ankur explains why AI is not a band-aid for a messy business, but a superpower for a disciplined one. ✍️ Messaging Over Medium: If you cannot sell your product on one channel at full price, adding four more won't save you. Ankur breaks down why the "creative engine" is the real heartbeat of growth. 🏗️ Selling Capability: Acquirers buy capabilities, not just spreadsheets. Ankur’s team built a self-sustaining machine that didn't rely on the "peak moments" of the retail calendar. THE TAKEAWAY: Stop managing the algorithm. Start mastering the message.

From Chore to Ritual: How quip Uses Agility to Disrupt Oral Wellness Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

The era of "testing" AI is over. For retail leaders, the tension has shifted from theoretical potential to a mandatory operational overhaul. If you aren't actioning data within 24 hours, you’re already behind. Recorded at Shoptalk, quip CEO Meredith Glansberg joins Kimberly Morgan, a Top AI Leader, to dismantle the hype surrounding retail tech. Glansberg argues that AI isn't a "point solution"—it is a foundational layer that must support the high-trust, high-touch reality of wellness products. KEY INSIGHTS: 🏗️ Foundational Readiness: AI belongs in the infrastructure, not just the marketing. quip utilizes a 24-hour "communication loop" to turn insights into action, ensuring the brand moves at the speed of the consumer. ⚡ The Agility Edge: Being a "mid-market" player is a strategic superpower. Unlike legacy "big ships," quip’s nimble structure allows them to pilot and scale AI-driven shifts while competitors are still in committee. 🦷 Humanizing the Technical: Tech should solve physical friction. While AI identifies the need, human-centric design—from "gunk-free" handles to seamless travel cases—delivers the solution. ✨ Category Expansion: By linking oral hygiene to the "Get Ready With Me" (GRWM) beauty movement, quip is reframing a 2-minute chore as an essential wellness ritual. LISTEN NOW: Listen to the full conversation here.

Scaling Community: Sarah Grosz on the Allbirds Blueprint Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Most brands treat influencers as a side project. At Allbirds, it is a unified revenue engine. Sarah Grosz joins Marie Chevrier Schwartz to discuss moving the brand beyond ad-hoc product seeding to a 3,000-plus member network that drives predictable ROI. THE CORE STRATEGY: 🛑 The Problem: The Ad Plateau: Traditional paid channels hit diminishing returns as spend increases. An influencer ecosystem creates "surround sound" that builds trust and lowers acquisition costs. 📸 The Approach: Content as an Asset: The biggest mistake is letting creator content die in a 24-hour story. Sarah discusses securing media usage rights upfront to "whitelist" posts and repurpose them across every digital touchpoint. 📈 The Result: Performance at Scale: By automating logistics and focusing on creator relationships, Allbirds has turned social proof into a scalable science. THE TAKEAWAY: Value is not found in a single post—it is found in the network.

Why Most Companies Lose Their Edge as They Scale Apr 18, 2026

Show notes

Most organizations break the same way: they get bigger, slower, and more rigid. Ujjwal Dhoot of Tractor Supply Company argues for the opposite approach: if you want to scale, you have to build like water—not like a box. ADAPTABILITY OVER RIGIDITY: 💧 Build Like Water: Scaling doesn’t mean chaos; it means fluidity. The best teams know when to standardize—and when to flex. 🏗️ Structure Without Constraint: High-performing teams operate within a structure, but they aren’t trapped by it when the environment shifts. ⚡ Preserving Speed: This mindset is how you maintain momentum through growth and acquisitions, where culture and speed usually get diluted. THE TAKEAWAY: ✨ If your organization only works under perfect conditions, it won't last. 🚀 If it can adjust without breaking, it will.

Agentic AI in Luxury Retail: Making Personalization Work at Scale Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Top Retail Expert Joshua Rockoff was joined by Yuliya Samsonava from EPAM and Vic Miles from Microsoft onsite at Shoptalk Spring to explore how agentic AI is being applied within luxury retail. In this episode, we dive into connecting data across systems, supporting decision-making in real time, and elevating the role of store associates. RETAILERS WILL GAIN INSIGHTS INTO: 📱 The Modern Associate: How to equip store associates with a complete, real-time view of each customer. 📈 Demand Signals: How to improve product allocation using live demand signals and client-level insights. ✨ Service Recovery: How to streamline service recovery while maintaining a high-touch, luxury experience. 🏗️ Orchestration: Why AI should sit as an orchestration layer across systems rather than a siloed tool. THE BOTTOM LINE: If you're evaluating where AI can drive measurable impact across your business, this podcast provides a grounded, execution-focused perspective.

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