Remarkable Retail Podcast

BONUS EPISODE: Coresight's Deborah Weinswig Recorded Live at GroceryShop

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are excited to release a series of bonus episodes recorded live in Las Vegas at the recently completed GroceryShop 2022 conference.Our first specia...

Accelerating Innovation in Turbulent Times with Guest Tim Simmons, Chief Product Officer at Sam's Club

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're recording live this week from the just wrapped GroceryShop conference in Las Vegas.Our guest this week is Tim Simmons, SVP & Chief Product Offic...

Retail Fight Club: Can Kohl's Be Turned Around?, with guest Ethan Chernovsky

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"The first rule of Retail Fight Club is to tell everybody about Retail Fight Club."- Michael LeBlancThis week we debut a new segment: Retail Fight Clu...

"Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be" with Steven Pressfield

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're back with Part 2 of our provocative interview with Steven Pressfield, acclaimed screenplay writer (The Legend of Bagger Vance, among others) and...

Slaying the Dragon of "Resistance" with Steven Pressfield

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"The more important a project is to the evolution of your soul, the more Resistance you'll feel to it."Our guest this week is Steven Pressfield, accla...

Choose Remarkable: Why Very Good Is No Longer Good Enough

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“The problem is, you think you have time.”- Carlos Castaneda, Journey to IxtlanThis week we present our first ever encore episode.We open the vau...

Are Small Stores the Answer to Department Stores Woes?

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we ask the question: can small stores save department stores? And do they, in fact, need saving? Despite the suggestion that the department ...

The Mall is Dead (Long Live the Mall) with best-selling author Alexandra Lange

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this week is Alexandra Lange, famed architecture and design critic, and author of the brand new best-seller Meet Me by the Fountain: An Insi...

Creating the Type of Company The Future Needs Now with The House of L,R & C's Christine Day

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this week is Christine Day, former CEO of lululemon athletica and Starbucks senior executive, who is now leading the growth of Russell Wilso...

Amazon and The Fault In Their Stores

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we dig into Amazon's physical store strategy as it ups the ante with the expansion of its mainstream grocery store concept (Amazon Fresh), c...

The Multi-Billion Dollar Retail Media Network Opportunity with Lauren Wiener, Managing Director and Partner, BCG

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this week is Lauren Wiener, Managing Director and Partner in the New York office of the Boston Consulting Group. With Laura lending her con...

Understanding 'Buying' vs. 'Shopping'

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we go sans guest to unpack an increasingly important strategic and executional distinction which Steve first dug into in a 2018 Forbes artic...

IT'S ALMOST TOO LATE with Special Guest Seth Godin

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Seth Godin joins us for the kick-off episode of Season 5 to discuss his new book and project: The Carbon Almanac: It's Not Too Late. For the few who m...

Buckle Up Buttercup, Get Ready for Season 5 of Remarkable Retail!

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is Steve Dennis, innovation & strategy consultant, keynote speaker and best-selling author of Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in t...

10 No Holds Barred Predictions For Retail's Future: A Mid-Year Review

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In our Season 4 finale, we peer into Steve's crystal ball to review his annual predictions as we approach the half way point of the year. In addition ...

Retail Pride Hits The Road with Special Guest Ron Thurston

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our special guest this week is Ron Thurston, fellow Rethink Retail top influencer, best-selling author of Retail Pride: The Guide to Celebrating Your ...

Fixing The Leaky Bucket in the Post-Purchase Customer Experience with Narvar CEO Amit Sharma

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our special guest this week is Amit Sharma, Founder & CEO at Narvar, the post-purchase platform for e-commerce. Amit brings tremendous experience to h...

Digitally Native Brands Hit The Wall

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Despite all the hype, after gobs of venture capital investment, several high profile IPO's and some big moves into physical retail, the OG's of the ...

The Power of Regret: An Interview With Best-Selling Author Dan Pink

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a special cross-over episode of the podcast.  We're taking a break for the week and bringing you a great conversation Michael had on The V...

I'm Just Not That Into You:  The Trap of the Promiscuous Shopper

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“We've already established what you are, now we're just haggling over price."- A less than PC old jokeIt's hardly news that the retail industry is ...

AtHome's Remarkable Growth Story with Lee Bird, CEO

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our special guest this week is Lee Bird, CEO of AtHome, the Home Decor Superstore that has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years growing to ne...

The Myth of the Great E-Commerce Acceleration

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“The future is already here, it's just not very distributed.”- William GibsonEver since the pandemic began, the narrative of a great acceleration ...

The Store As Brand Hub with Target SVP Nancy King

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this week is Nancy King, SVP, Product Engineering at Target who shares the remarkable story of her company's journey to omni-channel--or is ...

No Cake For You!: Celebrating Remarkable Retail's Birthday with special guest Sucharita Kodali

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“I think it’s terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people’s expectations. If you feel safe in the area that you’re working in, yo...

Stepping Out in Style with Crocs President Michelle Poole

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this week is Michelle Poole, President of Crocs. As Crocs celebrates its 20th anniversary we dig into the remarkable growth story behind the...

Live from Las Vegas: Shoptalk 2022 Recap

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're live and in-person together for the first time since we launched the Remarkable Retail podcast for this special bonus episode.Steve and Michael ...

Rethink Retail's Top Influencers (Part 2): The Outlook for Retail in 2022.

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we welcome our fellow "Rethink Retail Top Influencers" Cate Trotter, Hitha Herzog, and Rob Garf.  Julia Raymond Hare and  Gabriella Bo...

Rethink Retail's Top Influencers (Part 1): What's New & Next in Remarkable Retail

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we welcome our fellow "Rethink Retail Top Influencers"  Nikki Baird, Ricardo Belmar, and Alicia Esposito. Julia Raymond Hare and Gabriel...

Crafting a Compelling Omnichannel Strategy with guest Richard Armour, SVP eCommerce for Michaels Stores

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Armour is a deeply experienced omni-channel retail executive having cut his teeth at Travelocity and Gamestop. Now he is helping drive the dig...

The Great DTC v. Wholesale Debate with guest Simeon Siegel

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we welcome Simeon Siegel, the retail rockstar analyst from BMO for a provocative discussion on whether going direct-to-consumer is all it...

Why Does It Take A Crisis for Retailer's to Innovate?

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"The future is already here--it's just not very evenly distributed."- William Gibson In this episode we delve into why unremarkable retailers often s...

The Stores Strike Back Again. Again.

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”- Mark TwainTurns out physical retail isn't dead. In fact, brick & mortar retail seems to be u...

The Citizenry Founders Talk Passion and Purpose

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We love lifting up emerging remarkable retailers that may not have (yet) hit our audience's radar screen. So this episode we welcome Rachel Bentley an...

Blow It Up? It's Time for "The Great Reconfiguration"

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.”- Henry Ford Is it possible that you are not changing as dramati...

Remarkable Retail Gets Active with Vuori's CEO Joe Kudla

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we welcome Joe Kudla, CEO and Founder of Vuori, the fast-growing Southern California-inspired activewear brand. Joe's journey is a fascin...

10 No-Holds-Barred Retail Predictions for 2022

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We go sans guest this week to unpack Steve's 2022 Retail Predictions, previewed in his recent Forbes article.We cover a lot of ground including future...

Ulta's Remarkable Growth Story featuring Dave Kimbell, CEO

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our new season kick-off episode features an illuminating interview with Ulta CEO Dave Kimbell. Ulta has become one of the most remarkable growth stori...

Shift Happens: Get Ready for Season 4!

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is Steve Dennis, trusted strategic advisor, keynote speaker and author of Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption...

Season Finale with Special Guest Scott Galloway

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We wrap up Season 3 with the inimitable, irrepressible and always provocative Scott Galloway. For those who have yet to jump on the Big Dawg train, Sc...

Fulfillment is More Than a Feeling: Featuring Fabric Co-founder & CEO Elram Goren

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the battle for convenience continues to escalate the supply chain is becoming far more hybrid in nature and retailers are challenged to able to cre...

What's New & Next For Luxury Retail, with Karen Katz, Steve Sadove and Oliver Chen

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we've got a blockbuster panel featuring three of the most experienced and insightful veterans of the luxury world: Karen Katz (former Presid...

Perch CEO Chris Bell Clearcuts His Way Through the Amazon Jungle

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by Chris Bell, CEO & Founder of Perch, one of the fastest growing and most acquisitive companies offering a platform to e-commerce brands...

The Profitless Prosperity of Disruptor Brands

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For more than a decade, digitally-native, vertically integrated brands (Warby Parker, Allbirds, et al)--as well as other innovative direct-to-consumer...

Everything You Wanted to Know About Private Brand (But Were Afraid To Ask!)

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why are private branding strategies becoming increasingly important to the retail industry? We unpack this question in detail, first clarifying some o...

The Future of Grocery with Guests David Marcotte and Sylvain Charlebois

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

No part of retail has been facing more transformative forces than the grocery business. In this episode we explore how the retail food business is bei...

What We Get Wrong About E-Commerce

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we dig into some of the myths, misleading clickbait headlines, and often unfortunate misunderstandings surrounding the growth of online shop...

Kara Goldin, Founder & CEO of Hint, is Undaunted, and Our Very Special Guest

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week's special guest is Kara Goldin, CEO and Founder of Hint,  the No.1 non-sweetened beverage company not owned by Coke, Pepsi or Dr.Pepper in...

The Fault in Our Stores

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week special guests Anne Mezzinga and Neil Saunders help us deliver a MasterClass in driving retail sales through better store execution. Retaile...

The Membership Economy with the World's Leading Expert on Subscription Pricing Robbie Kellman Baxter

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome special guest Robbie Kellman Baxter, the world's leading expert on subscription pricing and membership models--and bestselling au...

Honey, I Shrunk The Store: Retailers Go Smaller to Grow Bigger

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It may seem like a paradox, but retailers like Macy's, Ikea, Nike, Target, Amazon, Nordstrom and more are all pursuing small store format strategies i...

Will the Holidays Be Merry & Bright? Deloitte's Vice Chairman Unpacks Their Retail Forecast

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rod Sides, Deloitte's Vice Chairman and US Retail & Distribution practice leader, joins us to discuss his firms forecast for robust holiday sales. We ...

Understanding Warby Parker and the Power of Customer-Based Valuation with special guest Daniel McCarthy

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As pioneering digitally-native brands Warby Parker and Allbirds prepare to go public--and the fortunes of other highflying disruptor retailers like Pe...

Do Department Stores Have a Future (Part 2)

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a robust kick-off discussion on the future of department stores last week, we return to go even deeper on how department stores went from being ...

Do Department Stores Have a Future? (Part 1) w/ Simeon Siegel and Ethan Chernovsky

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we go deep on the future of department stores with Simeon Siegel, senior retail & ecommerce analyst at BMO Capital Markets and Ethan Chernov...

A look behind the Magic Door with Ben Kaufman, CEO CAMP

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we welcome Ben Kaufman, CEO and founder of Camp, the fast growing "family experience" company, which now features multiple locations in t...

The Future of Physical Retail: Definitely Different, Far From Dead

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With brick & mortar continuing to grow--and retailers continuing to open thousands of stores--by now hopefully most have accepted that the "retail apo...

Custom Fit Retail Solutions: Drew Green, CEO & President, INDOCHINO

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we welcome Drew Green, celebrated Canadien entrepreneur and CEO of the custom menswear retailer  Indochino. In our fast-paced conversati...

The Hybridization of Retail

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the Remarkable Retail podcast Season Three, Episode Two! I’m Michael LeBlanc, and I’m Steve Dennis.  This week we go deep on a growing...

Amazon Unbound with author Brad Stone

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're back with Season 3 and we kick it off with our special guest Brad Stone, senior executive editor for global technology at Bloomberg News and bes...

Nope, physical retail, still not dead. Not even close. Get ready for Season Three!

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

 Nope, physical retail, still not dead. Not even close. Yet the lines between physical and digital continue to blur and it continues to get harder an...

Season 2 Finale with Matt Shay, President & CEO, National Retail Federation

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We wrap up our second season with special guest, Matt Shay, President & CEO of the National Retail Federation (NRF). Many of us may know about the NRF...

Retail's Great Acceleration with guest Carl Boutet

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the "3 Amigos of Retail" re-unite, as we welcome our special guest Carl Boutet for a discussion of "The Great Acceleration." When Carl first...

Retail On Purpose. The Phluid Project's Rob Smith

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week our guest is Rob Smith, CEO & Founder of The Phluid Project and Get Phluid. After many years as a senior executive working with Macy's, Vict...

Retail's Turning Point?

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we go sans guest and go deep on the latest retail earnings and overall big picture trends--and what they portend for a retail recovery and f...

What's Next for Fashion Resale with Fashionphile Founder Sarah Davis

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week our guest is fashion resale pioneer Sarah Davis, the Founder, President & CCO of Fashionphile, the leading purveyor of preowned ultra-luxury...

SPECIAL, NOT BIG: Featuring Voodoo Doughnut CEO Chris Schultz

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week our very special guest is Chris Schultz, a veteran executive with previous stints at Starbucks and MOD Pizza, who now serves as CEO of Voodo...

Getting to the Heart of Business with Best Buy turnaround CEO Hubert Joly

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week our very special guest is Hubert Joly, former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy, senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and the author of the...

AWS's Tom Litchford and the Amazon Technology Revolution

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week our special guest is Tom Litchford, Head of Worldwide Business Development for Amazon Web Services (AWS). We cover a lot of ground, touching...

Remarkable Retail 2nd Edition Book Launch Celebration

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we celebrate the publication of the expanded and completely revised edition of Steve's bestseller Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Custo...

Behind the scenes of retail reporting with CNBC’s Lauren Thomas

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome CNBC's ace retail reporter Lauren Thomas, who talks about the journey into her current position, what her beat is all about, and ...

Disruption, Destruction and What Matters Most for Retail Right Now" w/ Brendan Witcher (Forrester)

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome Forrester's Brendan Witcher for a wide-ranging, thought provoking and no holds barred discussion of what's most important right n...

Instacart and the Last Mile Delivery Journey with Special Guest Kiri Masters.

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk about the broader eco-system of last mile delivery and the role of 3 rd party services. Specifically, we go deep on Instacart, with ...

What's new and next for store traffic

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome Ethan Chernofsky, VP of Marketing for Placer.ai, a leading analytics firm that harnesses mobile data from tens of millions of dev...

Remarkable Retail in the Land Down Under

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome Michael Schneider the Managing Director of a truly remarkable retailer: Bunnings Group, the leading retailer of home improvement ...

The 6 New Forces Of The COVID Economy

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we delve into some of the new material in Steve's expanded and completely revised 2nd Edition of Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Custom...

Obsessed: Building A Brand People Love from Day One

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome Emily Heyward, the cofounder and chief brand officer  of Red Antler as our guest to help understand what branding is all about, ...

The Ticking Time Bomb of eCommerce Returns

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Product returns have always been part of the retail equation--and an often high cost of doing business. But over the years, free and easy returns have...

Stores Rise Again: Retail Engagement in the Post-COVID World

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."  - Mark TwainNot only isn't physical retail dead, but brands big and small are innovating in man...

Putting the Pride & Joy Back into Retail

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Steve knows a thing or two about how hard it is to write a best-selling business book on retail. And our guest, Ron Thurston has done just that. ... o...

Predictions For A Volatile Retail World

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We kick-off Season 2 with a predictions focused episode, wherein we try to make educated guesses about what's likely to unfold in 2021 and our uncerta...

Get Ready for Season Two of Remarkable Retail!

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Get Ready for Season Two of Remarkable Retail debuting February 2, 2021!If you think the COVID era has brought the narrative of the retail apocalypse ...

A Brave New World

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“You can't stop the waves. But you can learn to surf.”- Jon Kabat-ZinnIn the final episode of our first season, before delving into the key themes...

Becoming a Retail Radical

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“If failure is not an option then neither is success.”- Seth GodinWe discuss the final component in Steve's 8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail fram...

This One Goes to 11

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Great brands don't chase customers; customers chase great brands."- Gary Friedman, CEO Restoration HardwareWe are on to #7 ("Memorable") in Steve's 8...

Retail Without Boundaries with guest Mitch Joel, bestselling author, keynote speaker and founder of Six Pixels Group

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We move on to the 6th Essential ("Connected") in Steve's 8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail framework, discussing how an abundance of connection and th...

Treat Different Customers Differently with guest Bridget Brennan, bestselling author and CEO of Female Factor

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"Without data, you are just another person with an opinion.”- W. Edwards DemingWe move on to the 5th Essential ("Personal") in Steve's Essentials of...

Retail's New Front Door with guest Stephan Schambach, author and CEO & Founder, Newstore

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“We no longer go online, we live online”- GoogleIn our discussion of the 4th Essential ("Mobile") in Steve's Essentials of Remarkable Retail frame...

The Customer is the Channel with guest Rob Mills, EVP, Chief Technology, Digital Commerce and Strategy Officer at Tractor Supply Company

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“Silos belong on farms.”- Bob Thacker, former, Sears VP MarketingWe're moving on to the 3rd of the "8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail": Harmonized...

Human-Centered Retail with guest Rishad Tobaccowala, author of Restoring the Soul of Business

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."- Maya Ange...

Digitally Enabled

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we begin the journey to remarkable by digging into Essential #1 in Steve's "8 Essentials of Remarkable Retail" framework. And we've gone ...

Choose Remarkable

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"The problem is, you think you have time."- Carlos Castaneda, Journey to IxtlanAs we transition to the second part of our inaugural season, we take a ...

Challengers of the Status Quo with Coresight Research's CEO & Founder Deborah Weinswig

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"How did you go bankrupt?" Bill asked."Two ways," Mike said. "Gradually, then suddenly."- Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also ArisesWhy do so many companie...

The Future Will Not Be Evenly Distributed with Publicis' Chief Commerce Strategy Officer Jason "Retail Geek" Goldberg

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

William Gibson, the great American-Canadian speculative fiction author, once said: "The future is already here, it's just not very evenly distributed....

The Collapse of the Middle with Deloitte Consulting's Kasey Lobaugh

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we delve into a topic that sits at the core of the need to be remarkable: the on-going bifurcation of the retail market.For more than ...

The End of Scarcity with best-selling author Seth Godin

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we talk about the end of scarcity that previously characterized much of retail's evolution. As we entered the 21st century, some 98% o...

A World Turned Upside Down with Forrester Research's Sucharita Kodali

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In our inaugural episode we explain what Season 1 is about and the structure of the podcast. We talk about why Steve wrote his book, the underlying co...

Retail isn't dead - boring retail is.

04 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Season 1 TrailerI'm here to tell you: Retail isn't dead. Boring retail is. As a C-level executive at two Fortune 500 companies, keynote speaker and s...