The Retail Focus Podcast

Our interview guest is Lupine Skelly, Deloitte’s Retail, Wholesale, and Distribution Research Leader. She joins the show to discuss Deloitte’s 2023 retail industry outlook, which features input from major retail executives—themes include handling a more price-sensitive consumer, durable goods sales, and continued concerns surrounding supply chain. In news, Sam’s Club shifts back into brick-and-mortar growth mode by revealing news for new stores, Sherwin-Williams overcomes shortages, and food economists’ outlook on the price of eggs. The full Deloitte 2023 outlook may be accessed here: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/retail-distribution-industry-outlook.html

Our interview guest is Richard Jones, Chief Revenue Officer at Wunderkind. He joins the show to discuss the advertising and marketing landscape for retailers in 2023—and how digital spending and marketing content may change or adjust based on consumer habits. In news, Albertsons posts better-than-expected sales numbers and sees a massive jump in loyalty members. Additionally, we look ahead to two retailers potentially on the verge of declaring bankruptcy in the near future.

Our interview guest is Katie Gilsenan, senior trends manager at GWI, who joins the show to discuss retail trends for 2023, consumer motivations in the new year, and which categories might see a lift in tight economic times. In news, CBRE issues guidance regarding retail real estate trends and how they may impact both retailers and their physical spaces, and we look at “dark” Amazon Fresh locations.

Our interview guest is Kristina Rogers, EY Global Consumer Leader. She joins the show to discuss EY’s 11th Future Consumer Index, and broadly, what the 2023 retail consumer will look like as far as decision-making, demand, and outlook on personal finances. In news, we get a look at early numbers from the 2022 holiday shopping season, and preview what could be a busy 2023 in shoe retail through the lens of DSW and Nike.

Our interview guest is Randy Mercer, VP of Global Products at 1WorldSync. He joins the show to discuss the process behind getting effective product content to retailers, and the role that good product descriptions play in reducing returns from digital channel sales. In news, we briefly touch on lululemon’s outstanding quarter before looking at Chewy’s autoship success and fulfillment center strides that have improved margins and shipping distances despite lower hard good sales.

Our interview guest is Jazmen Johnson, the VP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at ICSC; she joins us to discuss the themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion in retail real estate and addresses the need to see value in diverse retail centers. In news, Dollar General releases their growth plans for 2023 and attracts a wider band of customers, and grocers look towards fresh bakery to stimulate impulse buys.

Our interview guest is Ann Ruckstuhl, senior vice president and chief marketing officer with Manhattan Associates. She joins the show to discuss Manhattan’s recent research surrounding inventory visibility, point of sale options, and the surprising number of retailers who are uncomfortable with their current inventory tracking. In news, we look at early Black Friday shopping numbers as well as Dollar Tree’s recent update which featured the first traffic increase for Family Dollar in over two years.

Our interview guest is Mike Webster, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Retail. He discusses Oracle’s recent Retail Shopper Outlook, including holiday expectations, development of consumer trust, and what we can expect regarding post-holiday returns. In news, Ross details its efforts to provide consumer value while still increasing ticket size in a promotional environment, and we look ahead to the Kohl’s leadership transition (and an important Q4).

Our interview guest is Chris Lentjes, CEO of U.S. operations for Eurora Solutions; he joins us to discuss the current state of imports and exports for retailers, where automation and processes may be able to ease retailers’ burden in the future, and what retailers should be mindful of regarding international supply chain components in 2023. In news, Sprouts Farmers Market remains firm on their plans to grow location count despite tepid comp sales growth at existing stores, and SpartanNash indicates that supply chain costs may be declining—at least for their wholesale network.

Our interview guest is Rick Kelly, Chief Product Officer at Fuel Cycle. He joins us to discuss a recent private label study conducted that reveals consumer attitudes towards private labels in 2022, where they are most likely to devote share of wallet to private labels, and how permanent brand-related shifts in behavior can be. In news, Floor & Décor charts a path forward with significant growth in store counts as they continue to enjoy robust sales, and we look ahead to redevelopment projects by REITs in 2023.