The Ecom Edge: Recent Episodes
Coveo
The Ecom Edge podcast brings you conversations and tools to build ecommerce experiences that are worthy of customer advocacy. Learn how to thrive in an ecommerce landscape dominated by retail giants using digital personalization and intuitive customer experiences.These thought provoking conversations- on topics from ecommerce machine learning to online shopper psychology and brand differentiation strategies- will help you drive ecommerce growth.
Join Shawn Wilkinson as he reveals how he successfully pitched, launched, and scaled a major ecommerce personalization initiative at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Time stamps
[01:00] What is the “Art of the Possible” personalization program?
[03:51] What are the biggest challenges when launching an ecommerce personalization initiative?
[07:01] What kinds of campaigns is Dick’s testing?
[09:26] Did anyone in the organization create friction during the launch?
[11:26] What role does ecommerce play in Dick’s overall differentiation strategy?
[13:30] How do you leverage tech to scale your tests?
[14:34] How are Dick’s customers reacting to personalization?
[15:26] What sort of results can you expect from a personalization program?
[16:43] How can merchandisers and ecommerce teams balance their normal tasks with a massive launch like this?
[17:49] How is Dick’s future-proofing their personalization strategy?
[20:14] Which brand is the best at ecommerce today?
[21:40] What’s the best advice Shawn has received as a leader in ecommerce?
Ecommerce expert Bryan Gildenberg shares how you should think about your retail media network so you can boost conversions, increase average cart sizes, and add new revenue streams to your business.
Time Stamps
[00:17] Who is Bryan Gildenberg?
[10:00] What are brands trying to do when they get involved in retail media?
[12:26] Are retailers going to make the same mistakes as the dying newspaper publishing industry?
[14:42] How are brands using content to sell?
[19:39] Should retailers try to copy Amazon, or should they…?
[23:08] How can brands avoid breaking the user experience when implementing a retail media network?
[25:34] What were Bryan’s biggest takeaways from NRF 2023?
The impressive rates of digital adoption and retail tech development over the last two years have led to the genesis of a new retailer species. A type of retailer that is smarter, more agile and is evolving to compete with the likes of Amazon.
Doug Stephens, aka. The Retail Prophet, is a top retail influencer and Fortune 100 business advisor. In this episode, Stephen dives into the future of retail and the demands of the new experience economy. How can retailers like you navigate the metaverse, AR, AI (and many other emerging technologies) to remain top of mind for consumers?
Press play to find out.
Topics covered:
1:00 Who is Doug Stephens (aka. the Retail Prophet)?
1:16 Could retailers have predicted the disruptions of 2022?
4:03 Were retailers prepared for the pandemic?
5:20 Shoppers want to buy more post-pandemic; but how are their new purchasing habits different?
9:25 In-store, online, or social commerce? What does the “new norm” for retail look like?
10:33 How can retailers deliver a shopping journey that meets the demands of today’s experience economy?
13:02 What opportunities does the metaverse bring for retailers?
18:24 How can retailers prepare for the metaverse and use this technology as major competitive advantage?
20:01 When is VR not the right choice for your company?
22:17 What promising tech should retailers be exploring and investing on in 2023?
24:12 Why have retailers stepped away from 3D printing technologies?
27:02 What myths are preventing retailers from adopting AI on their online stores? What are the consequences of failing to deliver personalized journeys?
31:40 What are practical ways retailers can build customer loyalty and an engaged community?
Retail innovation is highly affordable today. So why are retailers still resisting it?
In today’s episode, Jeff Roster, Strategic Retail Advisor with over 25 years of experience, joins Diane Burley to discuss the dangers of the industry’s conservative approach to innovation. Roster highlights why the pressure on adopting new technologies to differentiate is greater than ever, as shoppers have increasingly come to expect personalized journeys and memorable brand experiences.
As Co-Host of the retail podcast, This Week In Innovation, Jeff believes that to stay competitive in the retail industry, companies need to adopt an innovation mindset and a culture where employees across departments are “comfortable with …failing”.
“My entire worldview is based on looking at life through a retailer's eyes and looking at life through someone that has to understand costs.” - Jeff Roster
Listen and learn how retailers like you can leverage technology, alongside talent to reach your revenue targets. Topics Covered
2:45 How has a background in small retail influenced Jeff and his career?
5:08 Why can good technology be superior to good talent?
7:35 How can retailers get through the “marketing noise” of technology vendors and determine which solution is best?
10:42 Should retailers be more conservative or proactive when it comes to adopting new technologies?
13:15 How are the management and people processes evolving with technology?
16:00 How can retailers maintain loyalty when customers can easily compare and switch?
16:37 How can decision-makers put themselves in the shoes of retailers?
17:38 Why are retailers so resistant to adopting technologies which create a frictionless experience?
21:06 Which segments and companies are innovating well in the retail space?
23:38 How can retailers improve the buyer’s journey by innovating both in-store and online?
26:34 Why is it important that retailers collect data across multiple channels and then act on it?
In the annual Coveo Holiday Report, 4000 consumers were interviewed, and 80% said they anticipate spending the same amount or more in this upcoming holiday season. How does this hold up against the volatility of today’s economy – and how can retailers prepare?
Alex Kantrowitz is an on-air contributor for CNBC and host of Big Technology podcast – featuring interviews with tech disruptors like Meta, Amazon, Uber and the big minds behind them. In this episode, Alex joins Diane Burley to discuss the current climate of the tech market, and how it influences ecommerce sellers and retailers. Alex tells us how the tech titans create a culture of innovation to stay competitive and how retailers can learn from this.
Despite the numerous shopper trends identified for the 2022 holidays, the upcoming season remains generally unpredictable for retailers. Shoppers are returning to life “in-person”, hoping to put the pandemic in the backseat. Furthermore, inflation is driving costs, reducing margins, and consumers are becoming more selective about what they pay for – what else lies ahead?
Tune in to discover Alex’s suggestions for retailers to navigate through this volatile season and leverage the identified trends in the new year. If you’re a retailer looking to stay profitable and competitive in this economy – this one’s for you.
Alex Kantrowitz is the founder of Big Technology, a newsletter and podcast of all things featuring Big Tech from Amazon and Google to Microsoft. He is the author of Always Day One featuring over 130 insider interviews Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to hourly workers. His book detailed how giants Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft operate in Day One: by prioritizing innovation to stay on top. He has also been referenced by publications such as The New Yorker to the Wall Street Journal.
Topics Covered
1:02 What do retailers need to know about the current state of the market?
1:46 Customers are predicted to shop the same amount or more this holiday season (Coveo Holiday Report) – how does that contract with the current market climate?
3:42 What is the impact of increasing costs of customer acquisition, markdowns and product returns on profitability?
5:11 How has innovation and reinvention played a role in keeping tech giants, like Amazon, relevant?
8:35 Why are growing retailers skeptical of reinvention and innovation?
10:20 How can retailers and companies promote a culture of innovation like the tech giants?
16:25 What do tech executives and leaders need to know to be profitable in this unpredictable climate?
17:40 Budgets are tightening – what is one thing retailers and ecommerce leaders should focus on?
20:40 What are the consequences for companies that aren’t willing to reinvent themselves? ?
22:25 How do retailers make smarter decisions to maintain profitability, using tools such as AI?
In a post-pandemic world, brands are shifting their attention to selling directly to consumers more than ever. But this begs the question – how do you do this at scale?
How can ecommerce sellers get as close to customers as possible without drowning in costs, complicated logistics and numerous customer demands?
In this episode, Mike Stevens, best-seller author and founder of Hutside, Peppersmith and Rightfounder, joins Diane Burley to discuss what works for successful DTC retailers, and tips for retailers expanding into DTC.During the pandemic, the world shut down and manufacturers had to find online channels to keep their businesses going. This created a DTC space for retailers looking to expand their sales, or digital natives looking to launch a great product idea.
Stevens discusses ways that brands can remain relevant in a sea of DTC retailers, how big-box brands like Nike and Amazon benefit from DTC, and what consumers are looking for in a successful DTC brand. If you’re looking to go DTC in retail or marketplaces – tune in to find out how a personalized shopping experience online is your key differentiator.
Mike Stevens is the author of best-selling The Direct to Consumer Playbook, a collection of stories from successful DTC brands such as Huel, graze and Snag. Stevens shares the strategies and common mistakes when it comes to building a DTC brand. He began his entrepreneurial journey at innocent drinks, before co-founding the confectionary company Peppersmith. Mike is now the CEO and founder of Hutside, and a management consultant.
This year, shoppers are looking to do holiday business with retailers that align with their values.
Ahead of this year’s season, brand value alignment is on the rise and brand loyalty continues to rain. Coveo’s 2022 Holiday Shopping Report found Millennials (58%), Gen Xers (67%), Baby Boomers (75%), and Silent Generation (77%) all stayed loyal to brands they liked in the last year.
In this episode, Molly Trerotola, Head of Social Impact at ShoppingGives and CSR enthusiast, joins Diane Burley to discuss the growing surge of corporate philanthropy in ecommerce ahead of this year’s holiday season – and why customers value it so much.Customers are looking to make a social impact this holiday season, and retailers are looking to facilitate relationships. Trerotola talks about ways retailers can utilize technology to seamlessly integrate corporate philanthropy on their site and remain government compliant. If you’re a retailer looking to get involved and get creative with corporate giving — this one’s for you.
Molly Trerotola is Head of Social Impact at ShoppingGivess, an ecommerce platform that enables ecommerce and DTC brands to give back, through enabling retailers to donate a percentage of each purchase to a nonprofit of their choice – enabling a personal shopping experience. Molly has worked with organizations like Pfizer, Malala Fund, DoSomething, PayPal and her work has been featured in Forces, NBC and Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Topics Covered
2:48 What is it about corporate philanthropy that resonates with retailers?
4:35 How can tech be used to establish corporate philanthropy within a SaaS company?
6:11 What is it about corporate philanthropy that attracts shoppers – why do they constantly seek it?
7:17 How do ecommerce retailers begin impactful philanthropy giving, and decide which type of action best fits them?
9:33 How does the dissemination of funds process actually take place within the retailer and the non-profit organization?
10:43 How can brands meet government compliance requirements and ensure that funds are received?
12:30 What does the timeline look like when setting up philanthropic giving and what are the effects from a cost perspective when starting (for every size of brand)?
14:55 How can retailers showcase philanthropic giving on their social media, and what are their effects?
15:35 Companies have resources and technologies they want to give, how can they facilitate that type of giving to non-profit organizations?
16:38 What are the results for a brand when they include these social impact motivators?
18:01 How can brands use UN Sustainable Goals as a starting point when selecting the non-profit that’s right for them, to give back to a certain initiative instead of a single non-profit?
19:20 Where are brands in their journey when they want to adopt philanthropic giving technology on their site?
Customers returning your products is a problem. An expensive problem.
Learn how to tackle returns the right way by paying attention to the data that matters, so you can prevent your growing rate of returns and scale your business.
In this episode, Navjit Bhasin, CEO and Founder of Newmine, joins Diane Burley to discuss why retailers need to address increasing return rates.
Retailers have an expectation to match the liberal return policies of big box giants like Amazon and Zappos – an unrealistic expectation for growing ecommerce retailers. Bhasin talks about ways retailers can utilize data to prevent these returns from taking place, and using his product Chief Returns Officer can drive returns reduction.
Navjit Bhasin is the CEO and Founder of Newmine, a company that tackles high return rates in the ecommerce space to ensure profitability for retailers at every point of the customer journey – with no takebacks. As a veteran entrepreneur and active angel investor, he has worked with several global retailers and consumer brands to transform their consumer experience.
If you’re an Amazon seller looking to grow and build your online brand — this one’s for you.
In this episode, Digital Marketer, Influencer, CEO and Founder of BlueTuskr Andrew Maff joins Diane Burley to discuss all things customer acquisition and retention when it comes to growing your ecommerce business.
Maff talks about the steps to scaling your product beyond online marketplaces like Amazon, the do’s and don’ts to keep in mind, and his clients own experiences when growing their ecommerce business.
Andrew Maff is the CEO and founder of BlueTuskr, a full-service marketing company that specialises in growth of ecommerce sellers. He is also the host of ecommerce podcast The Ecom Show. With over 15 years of experience, Maff shares best practices, like personalisation or discounting, when it comes to customer acquisition and retention.
Topics Covered
2:36 What are the first steps for ecommerce sellers trying to move off marketplace spaces and create an independent brand?
4:35 Which method leads to the highest audience conversion rate when trying to move off marketplace spaces, like Amazon?
5:35 How do marketplaces like Amazon act as social-proof for beginner online brands?
7:30 What’s the value for retailers when beginning to sell on Amazon?
9:01 Which data sets actually matter when expanding and diversifying business further?
11:40 Which should sellers pay most attention to between Conversion rate, Average Order Value, Lifetime Value?
13:03 Does personalization matter in any scale of online selling?
15:55 What is the strategy on discounting today without losing out on profit?
18:15 Are sellers targeting the wrong customers for their products?
19:50 What are the shifts in purchasing habits after the pandemic?
25:39 What should marketers know about entrepreneurship in order to make a greater impact?
28:05 What is vital for a seller to know when targeting a new audience segment?
30:06 What are best practices when building materials for one product with varied audiences?
What does it really take to initiate and maitain a successful DTC strategy in 2022?
The advantages of a direct-to-consumer strategy (DTC) are well known: access to your customers’ data, higher margins, stronger brand loyalty, etc. However, whilst avoiding wholesalers and distributors may sound like a dream to some, DTC comes with it’s own set of challenges.
In this episode, Nick White, ‘Digital & DTC Transformation Advisor’ at Samsung shares the lessons learnt over the past 25 years working in e-commerce and DTC with brands like John Lewis, Waitrose, Thomas Cook and now, Samsung.
Much has changed in ecommerce over the last 2 decades and Nick shares his views on everything from evolving customer expectations and common mistakes in DTC, to building successful ecommerce teams and tech essentials for companies in this space.
Listen-in to learn how you can develop a successful and sustainable D2C strategy. Direct to consumer is not for everyone, there are many costs and risks that must be considered- this episode serves as strategic guidance for you to make the right moves.
Topics we Cover
1:40 What have been the most significant changes in the ecommerce space over the past few years?
3:25 How have customer expectations changed in comparison to 5 years ago?
6:30 What are the most common mistakes brands make in their direct-to-consumer strategy?
9:34 What is the importance of free delivery and free returns?
13:13 How does CRM data play into companies' direct-to-consumer strategy?
16:40 How do companies define their customer proposition based on high value customers to differentiate in the market?
21:14 How can companies effectively communicate their differentiators and value propositions to customers in a digital landscape?
23:22 What is the best way for leaders to set up a solid DTC team?
28:50 How can companies instill a good culture within their teams?
31:14 What type of technology is vital to setting up DTC from scratch for a big brand?
34:30 What metrics should companies be using to measure their success with a new DTC offering?
39:40 From a metrics perspective, how has the perception of profit changed in ecommerce?
44:45 What tactics will companies employ to increase profitability?
47:00 What are the top skills for ecommerce leaders?
Achieving sustainable growth and profitability in ecommerce is no easy feat.
Especially in a marketplace where Amazon Prime and Gorillas have made high-cost experiences, like same-day deliveries, a standard expectation.
In this episode, Mark Patchett, founder of Growth Shop, shares the top ecommerce expectations and growth misconceptions to help you scale. Mark has over 10 years of ecommerce experience, working in industry-leading companies like Trouva and Nectar Sleep (where he led company growth from £10 million to £240 million in just 18 months).
From workplace culture and brand connection to retail media and team building, Mark shares important considerations that are critical to sustainable ecommerce growth.
Listen in to learn need-to-know principles to scale your ecommerce business.
Topics we cover:
2:56 What led Mark to founding Growth Shop?
4:50 What are some big changes in ecommerce over the last couple of years?
7:27 What is the impact of the “Amazon standard” on the rest of ecommerce businesses?
10:35 What are common misconceptions around scaling ecommerce?
12:30 What obstacles stand in the way of businesses trying to achieve growth and profitability?
14:29 What company culture is necessary to achieve sustainable growth?
16:59: What KPIs are most commonly used in the ecommerce space?
18:59 What is it about the model of ecommerce that makes it so hard to reach profitability?
21:30 What are the key differences between an online point of sale and brick and mortar?
24:00 What were some of Nectar’s tactics for differentiation?
26:10 What does the customer experience look like for online shoppers today? And which companies are doing it right?
**Let's address the elephant in the room: ecommerce profitability.
Undoubtedly, competition in the ecommerce space is increasing, acquisition costs are rising and ROAS is diminishing- it's time to review just how profitable it is to keep up an online store.**
In this episode, Andrea Leigh, a top 100 Retail Influencer with over 20 years of ecommerce experience presents a framework to build sustainable growth & success online in 5 steps:
- A sustainable cross-retail strategy
- Proper and accurate item setup
- Financial viability
- In stock items
- Receiving traffic and activity
Andrea is the founder and CEO of Allume group, which packages insider intelligence from thought-leaders into digestible online courses for practitioners. Previously, Andrea worked as a senior executive at Amazon, where she helped launch Amazon’s automated pricing system and CRaP (Can’t Realize any Profit) programs.
The framework introduced in this episode has helped 1000s of companies achieve ‘mutual profitability’, in a landscape where both brands and retailers are seeing tightening margins.
Listen in to learn how to apply the 5-step success framework to your company, improve collaboration between brands, manufacturers and retailers, and watch your profitability rise.
Generation Z is not “Millennials: The Sequel.” Instead, the members of this rising generation have their own preferences and values that drive their shopping behavior — and which brands must respond to. Dr. Corey Seemiller, a leading expert on Gen Z, joins host Diane Burley, chief storyteller at Coveo, to talk about key insights on Gen Z’ers and how they shop.
Corey Seemiller is a professor at Wright State University in Ohio, the author of four books on Generation Z and a consultant to corporations and marketing firms on Gen Z.
Topics:
4:46: What do brands need to know about Gen Z?
7:14: Why are Gen Z shoppers so interested in tailored recommendations?
9:57: What drives brand loyalty for Gen Z shoppers?
16:43: How can brands attract Gen Z shoppers?
20:31: How can brands encourage word-of-mouth promotion by Gen Z?
26:22: Does Gen Z enjoy shopping?
28:51: What are the early predictions about Generation Alpha?
33:47: What is the single most important thing for marketers to know about Generation Z?
Cate Trotter, one of the world’s top 100 retail influencers is back to share a sneak peek of what the future of retail holds and what it means for your ecommerce strategy. Think Digital Data Passports, drinking a virtual Red Bull and flying in virtual reality!
Cate believes that to maintain a competitive advantage in the future of ecommerce, retailers must take a ‘blank-slate approach’ to their customer journey strategy. Some of the questions every retailer should ask include: ‘What would I do if I was starting again? How would I connect with online shoppers? How would I bring my brand to life?’
This is the perfect episode to learn the ecommerce trends that are shaping ecommerce in 2022, 2035 and beyond.
“I would argue that the leading retailers of 2035 will be more like tech companies than retailers, and they don’t even exist yet,”
Cate Trotter is the Head of Trends at Insider Trends and one of the world’s top 100 retail influencers. She works with brands such as Facebook, Nike, Chanel, Galeries Lafayette, Swarovski, and Samsung to create world-leading, profitable retail concepts.
Topics
- Virtual reality in ecommerce
- Future of Artificial Intelligence in ecommerce
- Sustainable retail strategies
- Ecommerce technology trends: 3D printing, smart sensors and nanotechnology
- The end of third-party tracking cookies
- How the metaverse will reshape ecommerce
Is physical retail dead? Is it still worth investing in a physical store? Will online shopping replace traditional shopping?
In this episode, Cate Trotter explores some of the most pressing questions in the retail world in relation to online shopping vs retal shopping. Cate draws from her global retail experience to challenge the role of physical retail in a brand’s distribution and engagement strategy. She shares what retailers must do to keep up with consumers and provides examples of how successful brands optimize their omnichannel customer journeys.
“..if retailers looked at all the different methods of interaction they have at their disposal, they wouldn’t rely as much on [physical] stores as they do today.”
Cate Trotter is the Head of Trends at Insider Trends and one of the world’s top 100 retail influencers. She works with brands such as Facebook, Nike, Chanel, Galeries Lafayette, Swarovski, and Samsung to create world-leading, profitable retail concepts.
In this episode we chat about:
- Digital-first customer experiences
- Customer-focused environments in retail
- The role of physical stores in modern retail
- Examples of omnichannel shopping journeys
Should you make your products available on Amazon? Is it possible to compete against retail giants?
Brian Kilcourse is back to tackle the 800-pound gorilla that lords over e-commerce. We address the top concerns of online retailers and ecommerce brands when it comes to co-existing and competing with retailer’s greatest threat, Amazon.
Kilcourse shares practical examples of differentiated brand strategies and non-replicable customer value propositions. He also explains how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be leveraged as a tool to clarify your brand’s “value-add” and avoid price wars.
“Community is really important, and it’s a value add that Amazon and Walmart are not trying to duplicate”
Brian Kilcourse is the Managing Partner and Co-founder at Retail Systems Research (RSR), providing thought-leadership for retailers to address business and technology challenges. Kilcourse has been recognized as one of the Premier 100 IT Leaders by Computerworld magazine and by Information Week as leader of the #1 retail IT shop. His experience also includes advisory to several technology startups and frequent contributions to publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ComputerWorld and CIO Magazine.
In the episode we chat about:
- Creating differentiated customer experiences
- Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to create strong value propositions
- How to beat Amazon
- The importance of community and belonging
- Aligning people and processes to support your differentiation
Online or in-store? What’s better for the next-generation of retail ecommerce?
In this episode, Brian Kilcourse discusses the future of ecommerce and trends that will shape your ecommerce strategy. He urges ecommerce retailers to build an omnichannel strategy and unified ecommerce experience. Kilkourse also advises on retailers’ must-have technology to thrive in the future of online shopping.
“Consumers begin many of their shopping journeys in the digital space even when they fully expect to go to a store to fulfill it,” Kilcourse
Brian Kilcourse is the Managing Partner and Co-founder at Retail Systems Research (RSR), providing thought-leadership for retailers to address business and technology challenges. Kilcourse has been recognized as one of the Premier 100 IT Leaders by Computerworld magazine and by Information Week as leader of the #1 retail IT shop. His experience also includes advisory to several technology startups and frequent contributions to publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ComputerWorld and CIO Magazine.
Topics:
- How to create an omnichannel customer experience
- Importance of a unified brand experience
- Meeting digital shopper expectations
- How technology empowers the online shopping experience
- Shopper expectations for online retailers
Digital personalization giants such as Amazon and Netflix have made delivering personalized customer experiences a non negotiable. Yet, too many organizations feel unprepared to meet shopper expectations or lack an effective digital personalization strategy. Perhaps you can relate?
In this episode, Ciro Greco shares practical guidance and digital personalization examples for big and mid-size companies to create personalized experiences at scale. Principally, he challenges the myth that you need Amazon-like volumes of behavioral data to deliver 1:1 digital personalization.
“A machine should think like a human as much as possible—not the other way around.”- Ciro Greco
Ciro Greco is Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Coveo. He holds a PhD in Linguistics and Cognitive Neuroscience from Milano-Bicocca and worked as visiting scholar at MIT and as a post-doctoral fellow at Ghent University. In 2017, he founded Tooso.ai, a San Francisco-based startup specializing in Knowledge Representation and applied Natural Language Processing. Tooso was acquired by Coveo in 2019.
Topics
- Importance of personalized experiences in a saturated market
- Market personalization ladder (and how to pace your approach to personalization)
- The limitations of history-based personalization
- Personalization for first-time and anonymous visitors
- Examples of contextual personalization
- Ecommerce data collection ideas
- AI and machine learning with limited data
Welcome to the Ecommerce Edge podcast. In this space you’ll learn how enterprise ecommerce brands can become more intelligent with their use of data, technology and resources, to compete with digital retail giants.
These thought-provoking conversations- on topics from ecommerce machine learning to online shopper psychology and brand differentiation strategies- will help you drive ecommerce growth.