In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks to Chris Perry and Oskar Kaszubski of Firstmovr, a Center of Excellence for CPG eCommerce Education & Change Management about how to build and educate companies to constantly adapt to the new digital retail landscape.They discuss:The ever-expanding digital eco-system, and the need for constant learning across all areas of organizationsThe multi-dimensional capabilities now required by CPG employees rather than what was a linear approachHow companies must keep the shopper at the center of their e-commerce capabilitiesHow to overcome the struggle to find insights in a world of so much data Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Justin Honaman, head of Worldwide Retail & Consumer Goods, Go-to-Market at Amazon Web Services, and worldwide segment leader for Food & Beverage.They discuss:Immersive retail, the power of personalization, frictionless retail and where the Metaverse is already having an impactThe role of the physical store, and the impact AI can have on curating more meaningful shopper experiences. Retail media and how, if done correctly, it can deliver a “triple win”How to develop and execute a Consumer 360-view that can drive loyalty – not just discountsHow retailers and brands are behind in the cloud journey and the urgency to catch upVisit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks with Joi Pratt, Senior Consultant for Shopper Activation, at WSL Strategic Retail, about how the WSL team brought the future of retail to life in real time through a customized Retail Safari®. They discuss:The 5 Health & Wellness trends that were the focus of a two-day event conducted in collaboration with the Kroger Company in Cincinnati. The diversity of retail that inspired 30 CPG attendees – from robotics at the Ocado Shed that enable fast seamless delivery, to immersive experiences at Jungle Jim’s, to the passion of REI associates, to the Kroger Marketplace and urban format, and more.How bringing people together encourages new thinking and partnerships to deliver what shoppers want now.  And will.Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks with Mindy McKnight, CEO of M-Star Media Inc., content developer and founder of Hairitage by Mindy, about how to build a successful CPG brand today.They discuss:The essence of building a successful multi-million dollar brand without losing its founder soul, and its solution driven reason-for-beingThe keys to creating a modern business collaboration: a partner with the right intellectual capital, a retailer [Walmart] eager to experiment, a digital expertise, and a willingness to let the consumer/shopper be part of brand building  The value of real-time consumer feedback that comes with having a devoted, engaged digital communityHow new social platforms, including the metaverse, will make for exciting retail times in the futureHow a successful content-driven, social brand will make them laugh, cry, teach something or make their life easierWatch this video episode on our YouTube channel.Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks with Jenny B. Fine, executive editor of WWD and Beauty Inc., about the transformation of the beauty industry and how it has and will change over the coming decade. They discuss:Younger, Generation Z consumers and how their beauty priorities are based on not only looking good but also doing goodHow wellness is being fully integrated into beauty, with more to comeHow social media platforms like TikTok and Flip are changing the rules of engagement, especially with younger generations of shoppersThe explosion of ways to buy beauty that are leaving luxury retail behind, while new experiences are emerging in mass and specialty retail Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks with Matthew Liebmann, Chief Innovation & Data Officer at Vista Group about the role of physical experiences in addressing the increasingly disturbing societal issues of loneliness.They discuss:Loneliness and the decline of socialization prior to the pandemic, and its continuing impact across populationsThe opportunities that retail and movie theaters have to create in-person occasions to socialize – and differentiate themselves from competition at the same timeHow to get beyond demographic proxies to understand peoples’ tastes, preferences, and behaviors to build more personalized interactionsHow to build new habits of engagement in-store and through other physical experiencesThe role the employees can play when technology and digital tools free them up to interact rather than transact with shoppersVisit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks with Phil Wahba, senior writer at Fortune magazine, about what it takes to lead successful retail companies in complex times,  as operational issues clash with increasingly demanding shopper and workforce expectations.  They discuss:The qualities the next generation of retail leaders must have to succeedHow empathy is a critical CEO requirement in post-Covid times when companies are demanding a lot more of employeesThe need to adapt the structure of the C-suite to the new reality of a company.How a culture of stagnation and lack of experimentation cannot be overcome overnight by even the most innovative leadersHow the best leaders – in retail and in general -- get the fundamentals right first and always, and are not distracted by “bright shiny” thingsHow not everything Gen Z entrepreneurs do will revolutionize the (retail) worldThe characteristics that will define retail winners and losers in the future. Who’s getting it right now. (We name names.)Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks with Dr. Somi Javaid, OBGYN and chief medical officer at HerMD, about a new healthcare model that is empowering women to take control of their sexual health and wellness needs, and the opportunities she envisions for retailers and brands.They discuss:How traditional medical practices and retail have ignored women’s wellness issues, leaving health and wellness deserts A new healthcare model that focuses on a multidisciplinary approach to treating women across ages, from menstruation to menopause to sexual health and wellness, in a friendly, supportive environmentOpportunities to create and deliver products that are modern, effective, safe, and supported by education, in a retail environmentThe need – and opportunity -- to integrate both virtual and physical support for women as they navigate busy livesHow Millennials and Gen Z women will not accept current approaches and messaging on sexual health and wellness as they ageVisit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode WSL’s Wendy Liebmann, CEO, and Candace Corlett,  President, discuss WSL’s latest research, the health and wellness shopper revolution it reveals and the implications for retailers and brands. They discuss:How health and wellness has changed over the last 8 years, and the new conditions, such as mental health, that are impacting Americans’ health issues.How trust of established professionals has eroded as America continues to move through the COVID pandemic.That technology has had both a positive and negative impact on wellness – from the benefits of virtual health care to the problems of loneliness, especially in Gen Z.How the new openness around categories, such as sexual health, the growing interest in alternative solutions (e.g., immunity), and new retail concepts, are creating untapped growth opportunities.Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks with Damian Kernahan, founder & CEO of Proto Partners, an Australian-based customer experience consultancy, to understand how technology, the Covid pandemic and increasingly complex shopping behaviors are driving the urgency to build shopper-centric organizations. They discuss:The challenges to building a shopper-centric organization in today’s increasingly complicated omni-channel world Why it is critical to put the shopper at the center of every decision and understand the broader context of shoppers’ livesHow to break down barriers in siloed corporations to focus on end-to-end shopper experiences  How to get “the brilliant basics right” to create a singular shopper experience How companies often misunderstand what shoppers want, what problems they are trying to solve, and instead “throw an app at it”Why shopper personas often don’t work in building successful CXThree steps to building the right experience for shoppers, and why digging into “the question behind the question” is criticalVisit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode: WSL’s Wendy Liebmann, CEO, and Candace Corlett,  President, discuss how shoppers are dealing with spiraling price increases, how this moment is different from 2008, and how companies need to respond.  They preview WSL’s upcoming Wellness study (The New Wellness Frontier).  And the baseball season.  (Yes, really!)They discuss:WSL’s latest research on shoppers’ responses to inflation; how categories and retailers are being impacted based on new choices and trade-offs shoppers are making, and issues surrounding premiumizationHow this is different from the global economic crisis in 2008 (for those who can remember)What retailers and brands need to know, and do, in order to respond appropriately -- in 2022 terms, and not necessarily using tools they did two decades ago.WSL’s upcoming research, The New Wellness Frontier, and opine over the current baseball season (you may be surprised at what you learn on both topics)Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks with Kate Ancketill, founder and CEO of GDR UK, about the future of the physical store in a digital, and Meta-age.  They agree there will always be a significant role for good physical retail, however, it must be fully omni-channel and logistically optimized to support ecommerce.They discuss:How stores must move away from the transactional, and towards enhanced services How mass retail should hybridize space, build smart partnerships, deliver what’s trending on social media, create “tribal hangouts”, and empower retail employees That it is essential to create many different options for shoppers in their different mindset modesHow the key to successful retail is to use data to get the right product at the right time for the customer walking in the doorExamples of innovative physical retail around the world – from Spain to China to England to the USVisit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks with Sally Mueller, CEO and co-founder of Womaness, a brand that is changing not only the conversation around menopause and women’s sexual health but also breaking taboos in branding, retail distribution and merchandising. They discuss:How to build a brand through continuous consumer and shopper researchHow to identify gaps in the marketplace that lead to new whitespace and growth opportunities Creating a distinctive brand voice and how to deliver it through packaging, ecommerce, and the retail shelfHow small disruptor brands can take advantage of unique, distribution opportunities, from ecommerce and marketplaces to traditional retailThe challenges of traditional retail merchandising when selling cross category solutions that shoppers want, andEmerging opportunities around wellness and aging Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episodeWendy Liebmann talks with Chris Skyers, former Vice President of Own Brands for the Wakefern Food Corporation (which includes ShopRite), about the social imperative and commercial opportunity to support under-served communities.They discuss:The importance of access to affordable and healthier options; it’s not just about lower pricesHow important it is to see the whole shopper and their life and not assume lower-income households only look to buy the cheapest product; that premium brands and products need to be part of the offerThe commercial opportunity – the size of the prize – serving these communities is significant.Being a store of the community with services and products the community needs is the real opportunityIn the end, serving lower-income communities is not just about putting cheaper products on the shelf. It's about access and choice and inspiration.Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode WSL’s Wendy Liebmann and Candace Corlett discuss that, in spite of all the attention given to ecommerce during the pandemic, the physical store matters. But not the same way it used to.They discuss:Why the store still matters to shoppersWhat shoppers expect from stores today [hint: efficiency and happiness]How, in a world of so many choices, people have created a new shopping journey for themselves, often and alwaysHow old retail terms now have very new meaningsThat saving is about time as much as money, andWhy ecommerce is a solution, but not the only solutionVisit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode  Wendy Liebmann talks with Andrea Leigh, former Amazon executive, and founder of The Allume Group, an ecommerce education community, about the future of commerce.They discuss:How lifestage and lifestyle needs coupled with new technologies mean that shopping is now a passive -- rather than an active -- activity.That “always shopping” has impacted loyalty to retailers and brandsHow digital shopping can create opportunity to shop in physical storesThe emerging challenges for Amazon, and how specialty-oriented retailers are winningThe impact of omni-commerce and the critical need for seamless shoppingThe “revenge of the stores” as shoppers, especially older ones, move back to physical retail, andThe critical distinction between saving time and faster shopping, and the investment implications for the futureVisit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks with Bryan Gildenberg, senior vice president of Commerce for the Omnicom Commerce Group about how to create a vision of the future when we are still living in a world of wet cement.They discuss:Major pandemic shifts that will impact grocery retail, including InstacartHow the physical store will be the replenishment arm of e-commerce and that an endless aisle is “silly”The role of partnerships and experiential retailHow the reselling environment will be even more complex in three to five years, and the resulting implications for supply chainGaming, Snapchat and the metaverse, and That there’s never been more opportunity than now to address behavioral changes Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks with Paco Underhill, founder of Envirosell, author of Why We Buy, What Women Want, and his newly published How We Eat, about the changing world of food and drink, and the impact on grocery retail in this US. They discuss:The social, political, economic, and technological developments impacting food consumption and food retailThat increasingly knowledgeable and digitally engaged shoppers are on a mission to become happier and healthier, and are now demanding accountability from brands and retailersThat cutting edge grocery retail left the US 40 years ago, and that innovation is coming from Brazil, Mexico, China, and other areas around the worldHow technology is enabling retail to get smaller, more local, more diverseHow Aldi, Lidl and Trader Joe’s have built extraordinary levels of shopper trust with their curated, easy to shop conceptsThe digital home and digital kitchen, and how they are transforming the way we buy and the future impact of the hybrid world between the physical and digital shopping Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

In this episode Wendy Liebmann talks to Lauren Brindley, Group Vice President and General Merchandise Manager for Beauty and Personal Care, Walgreens, about whether the future of the beauty category is now truly connected to health and wellness. They discuss:How US shoppers have come to understand the natural link between beauty, health, and wellbeing and the opportunities for healthcare companies and retailers to support shoppers on this new journeyHow Walgreens is connecting the pharmacy to the skin care aisle with training, merchandising, and education The need – and opportunity – to create more personalized, inclusive offers to ensure healthy beauty (and the entire store) is more inclusive Where national and exclusive brands fit into the new retail beauty modelAnd how the online-offline offer to shoppers will enable their more personalized connection and drive loyaltyVisit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!

WSL’s Wendy Liebmann, CEO, and Candace Corlett,  President, challenge the notion that companies cannot anticipate the future in these times.  The shopper and retail trends WSL identified and has been tracking for 4 – 5 years are now clearly redefining the retail landscape.They discuss:How powerful shopper movements and new shopper values are transforming retailHow new retail opportunities, from live streaming to spontaneous shopping, are adding more complexity to everything from trip management, category management to shopper marketing, and supply chainThe level of retail innovation WSL tracks around the world, and how it is inspiring and challenging companies to move fast to the futureHow, by asking shoppers and retailers the right questions, WSL’s research gets to the essence of what’s coming nextVisit our website for additional links!Visit our website for transcripts and video podcasts. Subscribe and rate us with your favorite podcast app!