Resilient Retail: Recent Episodes
Andrew Lowry
Retail business owners have resilience in their DNA. From real stories of struggle and breakthrough to the insights your retail business needs right now, find inspiration, take action, and make your business future-proof.
🥳 SEASON FINALE! Today is our final, regular programming for Season 2 of Resilient Retail. Today, our host Kristen LaFrance is walkig us through the three pillars of community-led retail, aka- the next era of successful commerce. Tune in to hear her thoughts, emotions, and heartfelt response to this season. But don't worry- we'll be back with a wrap up episode soon. Cheers!
Today Steph Laposta is joined by Jeremy + Julie Brown of Province of Canada for the last episode of Real Life Retail, a weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. To finish the season off they talk about the creation of Province of Canada, the patience it takes to build a business, their thoughts on having a physical retail store versus online, and their dreams for the future of Province of Canada!
REI needs no introduction. They’ve been a juggernaut in the outdoor retail industry for decades, and most of us already know that their customer experience is absolutely unmatched. In this episode, Chief Experience Officer Curtis Kopf digs into the ways that REI builds community, adventure, and sustainability into every touchpoint. That means amazing experiences in their physical stores, online, and everywhere in-between.
- Check out REI and follow them on Twitter
- Connect with Curtis on LinkedIn and Twitter
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
This Friday, Kristen is joined with Kat Cole to cover the hottest industry news and trends of the week. Sadly we have reached the finale of Resilient News! To finish the season off we chat about leading through change, having empathy as a business owner, and staying on track with the mission.
So much of Resilient Retail this season has been about the importance of brand. But what happens when you take brand out of the equation? Well, you get Italic. They’re rethinking the basics of commerce by connecting top-tier manufacturers directly to customers at the lowest possible markup. It’s a more radical move than you might think. This episode is all about a fundamentally different approach to growth based on a simplified supply chain and a membership model.
- Check out Italic and follow them on Instagram
- Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
Venus ET Fleur is a husband-and-wife-led luxury brand disrupting the flower industry - not least by offering roses that last a full year with minimal upkeep. That alone would set them apart. But they’ve also nailed an exciting, innovative approach to meeting their customer’s needs, no matter how they enter the funnel. Maintaining pitch-perfect operations is important for a brand like VEF. After all, they’re dealing with living, breathing products that need special care to arrive on customers’ doorsteps in tip-top shape. This episode is all about the ways that operations feed directly back into the customer experience.
DTC subscription and in-store retail often feel like they’re coming from opposite ends of the shopping spectrum. So what happens when you combine the two? Shane Pittson, VP of Growth at Quip, is all about creating a shopping experience that helps customers build healthy oral care habits in the most convenient ways possible. This episode digs into the relationship between retail and subscription, Shane’s innovative rewards program, and how Quip has hit an 80% response rate on their post-purchase survey.Â
- Check out Quip and follow them on Instagram
- Connect with Shane on LinkedIn
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. Today we have a special episode in celebration of PRIDE month! Joined by Queeriosity folks Eli Holtz and Kai Joseph, to chat about starting Queeriosity, the struggles of going through the production process, getting their product sold in retail stores, and we even get a little taste of the game, Queeriosity: The LGBTQ+ Social Game!
Most entrepreneurs would have balked at the decision to launch Neighborhood Goods in late 2018. After all, many department stores were barely surviving by the end of the 2010s, and the department store retail model appeared to be on the verge of collapse. But against all odds, co-founder and CEO Matt Alexander has leveraged amazing growth in changing economic times.
So what sets Neighborhood Goods apart? It all comes down to a creative rethinking of the in-store experience. They start by curating a smart range of products. Then, they display them in dynamic, engaging spaces built for human connection. It’s all about bringing to life the kind of community experience that transforms a quick errand into an enjoyable event.
- Check out Neighborhood Goods and follow them on Instagram
- Connect with Matt on LinkedIn
Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
🚨BREAKING NEWS: Arpan Podduturi, Director of Retail Product here at Shopify joins the show for a surprise announcement of a new Shop App feature that will have a massive impact on local retailers. You don't wanna miss this episode.
Emanuel Edwards took a big risk when he transitioned to managing his curated vintage brand The Goody Vault full-time in early 2021. Thanks to the fact that he’d already been building relationships via his one-on-one showroom experience for a couple years, he was ready to hit the ground running when the Vault moved from side hustle to main attraction. Emanuel’s success is rooted in his understanding that fundamentally, people buy from people. He crafts every in-store experience for maximum human connection, and that approach has built a community around the brand that’s hard to top.
- Check out The Goody Vault and follow them on Instagram
- Connect with Emanuel on LinkedIn
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Jenna Lam, from Early Bird & Worm and Nest & Hatch, joins us to chat about starting a private label, the challenges of not being able to plan, and the rollercoaster of owning a business.
Jennifer Fisher has styled for clients from Miley Cyrus to Rihanna, but her jewelry brand’s major break came in 2006, when Uma Thurman wore one of Jennifer’s custom necklaces on the cover of Glamour magazine.
Since then, Jennifer Fisher Jewelry has exploded. Her creations have appeared in Vogue, Variety, People, Elle, and more. She’s expanded into a culinary line and the brand has recently opened retail locations in New York and Beverly Hills. Jennifer’s spent the past fifteen years building a brand that can change with the times while remaining true to her initial creative spark, and the results have been astounding. This conversation digs into the ways that Jennifer has remained flexible, authentic, and open over the years.
- Check out Jennifer Fisher Jewelry and follow the brand on Instagram
- Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn and check out her food Instagram
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
Join Kristen and Halie LeSavage to cover the hottest industry news and trends of this week. Sadly it's the last episode with Halie around but we’re here to chat about Amazon Prime Day and back to school shopping, Etsy’s acquisition of Depop, the power of physical retail, and Bed Bath and Beyond’s new changes.
A pizzeria isn’t generally what comes to mind when we think of retail, but General Assembly Pizza (also known as GA Pizza) isn’t exactly playing by the rules. Since 2017, they’ve been rewriting the playbook for fast casual.
Founder and CEO Ali Khan Lalani has built the brand around truly seamless customer experiences. That means focusing on the connections between technology and the range of mediums customers use to interact with the brand- online, dine-in, and everywhere in-between. This episode is all about the ways that GA Pizza serves their ever-expanding customer base.
- Check out GA Pizza and follow them on Instagram
- Connect with Ali Khan Lalani on LinkedIn
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
This week on Real Life Retail, Steph LaPosta is joined by Jeff St. Pierre, Retail Launch Engineer at Shopify, for an honest, candid conversation about what he’s learned in his own successes of working in retail, how to create a brand vision, and creating smart partnerships.
This episode of Resilient Retail is a little different. Brik + Clik has spent the last eight months testing out a range of much-hyped technologies in their California location. Co-founder Hemant Chavan is here to tell Kristen what worked, what didn’t, and what to expect from the next decade in retail.
So here’s the name of the game: Kris quizzes Hemant on a range of technologies, and he talks us through what’s here to stay. This episode is loaded with actionable insights from one of the most cutting-edge brands in the retail world today. Kristen and Hemant dig into NFC tags, micro-fulfillment, gamification, and much, much more.
- Check out Brik + Clik and follow them on Instagram
- Connect with Hemant on LinkedIn
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
This Friday, Kristen is joined with Kat Cole to cover the hottest industry news and trends of the week. This week we’re talking all things travel! As travel restrictions are lifting we’re seeing a trend in hospitality, immersive experiences, and the opportunities in the hospitality market.
Hill House Home has exploded over the past couple of years, especially in the wake of a truly viral product known as the "Nap Dress.” Through it all, founder and CEO Nell Diamond has balanced customer demand and her own personal vision to craft a brand that’s both responsive to its customers and true to its founding aesthetic.
So how did Hill House grow from a Yale University incubator into a brand with a truly fanatic fan base? It comes down to Nell’s deeply humanistic approach to business. This episode of Resilient Retail is all about the ways that brands and customers build a story together and the amazing results those connections yield.
- Check out Hill House Home and follow them on Instagram
- Connect with Nell on LinkedIn and Instagram
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter and LinkedIn
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Tim Guram, Founder of 100 Years of Love joins the show to talk about the passion behind 100 Years of Love, the thought process behind a rebrand, and why the approach of being open and honest is important.
What’s the central nervous system of your business? For Goorin Bros controller, Aaron Wyse, it’s the logistical tools that underpin your operations. That means looking at the interplay between technology and human labor to build workflows that hold up under pressure.
Goorin Bros has pivoted to new forms of omnichannel shopping over the past couple years, which opens up a ton of challenges and opportunities. Aaron digs deep into the questions brands should be asking as they scale and connect with customers in new ways.
- Check out Goorin Bros
- Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter or LinkedIn
Articles discussed:
- Facebook's new live-streaming program [Tech Crunch]
- Macy's expanding into new categories [CNBC]
- Toronto E-commerce company Knix Wear raises $53-million after CEO nixes involvement of any investor who questioned her pregnancy [The Globe and Mail]
SuitShop might come from humble beginnings, but you’d never know that looking at them today. The men’s formalwear brand is an incredible example of a digitally native brand that’s grown by prioritizing the customer every step of the way. That started with crafting a great online shopping experience, but it has also meant a surprise pivot to retail and groundbreaking new approaches to omnichannel selling. SuitShop’s success comes from a willingness to shift, bend, and change based on customer behavior. This conversation is a masterclass in product-market fit, and the ways that brands build trust with customers in the lead up to one of the biggest days of their lives.
- Check out SuitShop and follow them on Instagram or Twitter
- Connect with Jeanne and Diana on LinkedIn
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter or LinkedIn
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Bo Hong from Lou-Lou's Flower Truck talks mobile retail and pop ups, the importance of social media, and pivoting the floral industry in the midst of COVID.
If there’s a theme in the past decade of retail, it’s been the shift online. For most of us, that begs a tough question: how do we stay personal and human-focused when our interactions with customers are mediated through technology? For Loeffler Randall, a family owned and operated fashion brand sold in over 300 retailers worldwide, maintaining genuine relationships means understanding yourself first.
Founder and Chief Creative Officer Jessie Randall has built an amazing brand by staying true to the passion that first drove her to start designing shoes in her Brooklyn apartment. Sixteen years later, she and her teammates are still the primary audience for the product. They know the customer will love something as long as they love it first. This episode digs into the launch of Loeffler Randall’s first retail location, how they connect with their fans, telling the brand story in full 3D, and much, much more.
- Check out Loeffler Randall and follow them on Twitter
- Follow Jessie on Instagram
- Connect with Kristen on Twitter or LinkedIn
This week on Resilient news, Kristen is on her own! We'll walk through the impacts of new vaccination rollout, the back to school rush, Chipotle's push to hire 20,000 new workers, and a bold move by New Belgium Brewery.
eevee’s is a PEV (personal electric vehicle) company rethinking the ways that we move, selling everything from electric unicycles to onewheels and eSkateboards. Co-founders Bradley Spence & Lukas Tanasiuk are building a brand that straddles the online and retail spaces and they’ve used their focus on community and education to survive and even thrive after launching during a pandemic.
This episode digs into the ways they’ve harnessed free in-store lessons to build trust and community, as well as what it means to be a customer service fanatic. Moral of the story? Sometimes you’ve gotta deliver beer and a burger to a customer’s house.
Show Links
- Check out eevee’s
- Follow eevee’s on Instagram: @_eevees
- Connect with Bradley and Lukas on LinkedIn
- Connect with Kristen on LinkedIn or Twitter
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Pam and Frank from North Standard Trading Post share their journey from being retailers to becoming wholesalers, how a reselling business turned to a full on brand and how they're rethinking their business for the future.
Retail is supposed to consist of humans helping one another to find products that improve our lives. During the pandemic, that was challenged. One of the companies helping to bridge the gap was HERO, which strives to bring together the best of the retail world and the digital world. HERO has helped companies like Nike and Liberty London to keep retail associates employed by breaking down traditional retail silos. Founder and repeat Resilient Retail guest Adam Levene describes how HERO brings the warmth of the human touch to digital, and incorporates the ease of digital technology into physical spaces. In essence, they’ve helped to push the creative boundaries of retail in order to meet customers exactly where they are.
- Check out HERO
- Follow HERO on LinkedIn or Twitter
- Connect with Adam Levene on LinkedIn or Twitter
Every Friday, join Kristen and a co-host to cover the hottest industry news and trends of the week. This week, Halie LeSavage, writer of Retail Brew is back to chat about Zara's beauty launch and their sustainability, brands allowing consumers to opt out of holiday emails, and consumer behaviors going into the summer.
Founded in 1988, Rosalind’s Ethiopian Restaurant is practically a landmark. In fact, it helped inspire the formal creation of LA’s Little Ethiopia. Pre-pandemic, Rosalind’s had served as a communal hub thanks to Meklit’s personable and well-connected father. But COVID put them into a tailspin, with a daunting menu and food that didn’t easily lend itself to takeout.
Meklit, an art director who had experience working with startups, decided to experiment with the menu. Working with her father, she injected some new life into both the copy on the menu and the dishes themselves. Soon, customers were lining up asking for the new specials, and John Legend and Chrissy Teigen even gave the restaurant a resounding seal of approval. But change is a balancing act, and Meklit was careful to walk the line between innovative fusion and authentic traditions.
Check out Rosalind’s Ethiopian Cuisine
Follow Rosalind’s on Facebook or Instagram
Connect with Meklit Gebre-Mariam on LinkedIn or Instagram
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Leah Eyles of Scout shares her ideas behind creating Scout, the launch of a second location, how she transitioned to online shopping due to COVID, all the hardships of having a small business in the midst of a global pandemic, and she finds strength in all the challenges.
When Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon founded The Village Market ATL in 2016, she was a former educator who felt inspired to help local Black entrepreneurs make their mark on the world. What started as a support system to facilitate businesses in her home base of Atlanta to connect with customers soon turned into something bigger. Today, the organization has helped funnel over $5.3 million dollars to Black-owned businesses across the nation and beyond. During the pandemic, the organization even opened its first retail location in the form of a special co-op called The Village Retail. Dr. Key’s philosophy is simple: when you buy local and through sources like The Village, everybody wins.
- Check out The Village Market ATL
- Follow The Village Market ATL on Instagram
- Connect with Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon on LinkedIn or Instagram
Every Friday, join Kristen and a co-host to cover the hottest industry news and trends of the week. Kat Cole is back this week to talk about all things food, from the evolution of food brands, food retailers missions, the healthiest leading brands, and all their favorites!
Mexico is the birthplace of many wonderful things, but eCommerce isn’t one of them. In a country where online purchases are a source of distrust and skepticism, Macarena Riva and Andrea Sanchez are turning the tide. The two best friends started Raw Apothecary, a natural beauty brand that speaks to women of all ages with minimalist packaging and clean ingredients.
But it wasn’t a fancy website that sealed their first sales. Instead it was the personal attention of the brands two passionate founders. The women’s journey started by tapping into Mexico’s thriving bazaar marketplace culture. After forming an in-person relationship with customers, they took the brand online with the conviction that Latin America’s online ecosystem would soon catch up to the rest of the world.
- Check out Raw Apothecary
- Follow Raw Apothecary on Facebook or Instagram
- Connect with Macarena Riva on LinkedIn
- Connect with Andrea Sanchez LinkedIn
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Ashley Wittig of Honey’s Ice Cream and Tyger Tyger, shares her experience creating delicious, plant-based ice cream for Honey’s Ice Cream and her passion project, Tyger Tyger promoting great, plant-based, holistic options for everyone.
Trendy new brands are certainly exciting. But some brands have been around for decades, and they give us a distinctive fuzzy feeling inside. Igloo coolers is one of those brands. Founded in the 1940’s, Igloo may give us that warm nostalgic glow - but they’re all about keeping things cool. Brian Garofalow is the Chief Marketing Officer at Igloo. An experienced ecommerce marketer, Brian’s focus with Igloo is less about building brand awareness (about 90% of households already know the Igloo name) and more about dialing in how Igloo’s many sales channels can play nicely together. Listen in to hear how Igloo is pursuing a new DTC approach, and how innovative designs and partnerships are keeping things fresh.
- Check out Igloo
- Explore Igloo’s Playmate anniversary video
- Follow Brian Garofalow or LinkedIn or Twitter
Every Friday, join Kristen and a co-host to cover the hottest industry news and trends of the week. This week, Kristen takes a few minutes to reflect on the last year of the world's most important news, and Halie LeSavage is back to talk Amazon’s first hair salon opening in the UK, the passion behind retail workers and the future, and the new expansion of comfort and inclusivity in women's intimates.
What do you get when a rock and roll backpacker and pilot-slash-poker-player start a jewelry business? The results are out-of-this-world unique. Shane Vitaly Foran is the founder and CEO of Compound Studio, a company that has dreamed up three incredible brands. With their focus on jewelry and accessories that cater to specific consumer archetypes, Shane and team have successfully spun up brands in different universes.
Bootstrapped from day one, the company took their flagship line Vitaly through a journey of apparel pop ups and wholesale before settling on a more scoped jewelry collection that you won’t find anywhere else. Listen in to hear Shane share how the team ignores industry traditions in favor of customer trends, why they discontinued Vitaly’s popular clothing line, and how he would teach a course on Marketing 101.
- Check out Compound Studio
- Explore Vitaly, Clocks and Colours, and Etah Love
- Follow Vitaly on Facebook and Instagram
- Follow Shane Vitaly Foran on LinkedIn and Twitter
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Bryce Taylor-Vaisey, from Penny Candy Jam and AM Bagel, talks about the creation of his businesses, his experiences with selling at flea markets, and how he stays focused on the business dream.
Allbirds was one of DTC’s first pioneers when they built their successful sustainable sneaker brand. Driven by an ethos of transparent sustainability, every pair of Allbirds shoes is made with earth-friendly materials like merino wool and eucalyptus fiber. Travis Boyce is Head of Global Retail Operations at Allbirds and handles all things brick and mortar for the brand. He explained why Allbirds decided to pursue a global retail strategy - and why they view their current efforts as simply another channel within their original DTC framework.
On today's BONUS episode, Kristen takes us on a tour across the UK and Ireland retail. You'll hear from four retailers and experts based in the UK and Ireland as they tell us the stories of their last 12 months and their plans for reopening.
Every Friday, join us as we cover the hottest industry news and trends of the week. This week, Kristen and Kat Cole talk about all things cannabis industry, dispensaries and their retail methods, their favorite brands, and Kat shares her theory of how CBD will blow up in the years to come!
Sustainability starts with good habits, and good habits can start with great role models. This episode of Resilient Retail focuses on Azora Zoe Paknad, founder of ecommerce retail brand Goldune. Goldune is all about injecting excitement into the realm of sustainable and zero waste shopping. For Azora, this meant elevating sustainability out of the realm of hippie handbags or wealthy housewives and transforming it into something both approachable and chic. By curating a carefully vetted collection of sustainable brands from diverse merchants, Goldune entices shoppers to put sustainability center stage.
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Richard Nair of Nishe shares his story of launching Nishe, the loyalty and emotional aspect of connecting to stores, and how creating monthly idea sounding boards helps further the business.
When Jack Meredith became the first employee at Kettle & Fire, the company had zero revenue and next to no retail know-how. Today, their healthy bone broth products are sold online, in stores like Whole Foods, via subscription, and more. Kettle & Fire’s technique lies in proactively listening to customers and taking a uniquely hands-on approach to growth. In this episode of Resilient Retail, Jack described how Kettle & Fire took on the wholesale market by mailing letters to local nutritionists, and how they use their digital presence to test and execute the perfect marketing messages.
Every Friday, join Kristen and a co-host to cover the hottest industry news and trends of the week. This week, Halie LeSavage, writer of Retail Brew is here to chat about Dick’s Sporting Goods’ new experiential flagship concept, a major acquisition in the jewelry world, results from a new teen spending survey, and lastly our hosts wonder whether the pandemic has made brunch culture a thing of the past.
When Althea Johnson opened Korean beauty shop Propr Life + Style a mere week before the pandemic, she was soon surrounded by shuttered stores on all sides. But the creative and resourceful retailer refused to be one of them. Instead, she anchored herself in growing her business through an innovative combination of home delivery, social media, and email marketing. By listening to her customers’ changing needs and remaining available through thick and thin, Althea earned the loyalty of a customer base that was eager for self-care dialogue during a trying time.
Join Steph LaPosta each week for Real Life Retail. A weekly segment with honest, candid conversations with retailers. In this episode, Brenda Ngina Kahura of Parkdale Pet Foods shares her experience starting a business in the midst of COVID, navigating health regulations, the booming pet industry, oh yeah, and all the regular growing pains and celebrations of starting a small business.
Gorjana and Jason Griffin Reidel founded a small jewelry company in 2004 and sold Gorjana’s delicate designs from the confines of their apartment. Fast forward to the present day and that company - gorjana - is now a cult sensation with a robust online presence and 19 physical retail stores across the United States.
For many physical retailers, business is driven by maximizing square footage and cramming the windows with bestsellers. For Gorjana and Jason, building gorjana was more about feng shui. By embracing things like aesthetics, scent, and an authentic sense of place - not to mention gorgeous jewelry - the couple has created a growing brand that customers come back to again and again.
- Check out gorjana
- Follow gorjana on Instagram
In our final pre-season episode, Kristen and Steve Dennis sit down once more to discuss the 8 essentials of Remarkable Retail. Hear how your store can embrace these essentials to survive, and thrive, in the coming years.
Resilient Retail has a brand new show for Season 2: Real Life Retail with Steph La Posta of Common People Shop. Today, Kristen sits down with Steph to discuss her journey through retail, her plans for the season, and what makes Toronto such a special city to focus in on.
Get ready for Retail News and Trends! Kat Cole of Focus Brands and Halie LeSavage of Morning Brew are joining Resilient Retail once a week to discuss all things retail news and how small retailers can respond to current events to stay resilient.
Today on Resilient Retail, we're getting ~futuristic~. Sit down with Kristen and eCommerce expert Taylor Holiday for a deep dive into the blockchain, NFT's, the Metaverse, and how this digital future will impact physical retail.
Steve Dennis is a consultant, keynote speaker, author, and podcast host focused on retail growth and innovation. He has been named a top global retail influencer by multiple organizations and his thoughts on the future of shopping are regularly shared in his role as a Forbes Senior Contributor. Steve's best-selling book-- "Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption"--will be released in a completely revised and expanded 2nd edition this Spring. Steve is currently the President of SageBerry Consulting. Prior to founding SageBerry, he was the chief strategy officer and SVP, multichannel marketing for the Neiman Marcus Group. Today, we talk about the 6 major changes COVID-19 brought to the retail world, and what they mean for local small business owners.
Season 2 is coming on April 6th! Join Kristen LaFrance as we walk through the changes we'll see the season, some hints about guests (and hosts) you'll meet, and more.
Today, we’re closing out season one with a recap ...and holy moly it’s been a season. We’ll be walking through the six main themes of Resilient Retail and hear from some of our incredible guests this season. Embracing the uncomfortable, taking the in-store experience online, the rise of new fulfillment methods, holistic (omnichannel) commerce, leaning into community, and, of course, resiliency.
What happens when your entire supply chain can't produce your products? When demand outweighs your yearly supply in a mere 3 weeks? This is what happened to Juliana Di Simone and the team at tokyobike throughout the pandemic. tokyobike is an independent bicycle company founded in Japan, and growing rapidly throughout the US and Europe. Based on the concept of Tokyo Slow their bicycles are designed to explore the places we love and call home. Juliana walks us through the highly strategized ethos of their retail operations, how they unified their commerce across online and offline, and how the company is dealing with the overwhelming demand for their bikes this year.
Today, Kristen sits down with Kat Cole, COO and President of FOCUS Brands, the parent company to Auntie Anns, Cinnabon, Schlotzchky’s Carbell Ice cream, Mos and Mcalister’s Deli. So yeah, she knows retail. Kat tells the story about growing Hooters into a global business in her 20s, how brands can act local while thinking global, and how to deconstruct your brand to its core to make strategic pivots.
2020 has been a year and a half. And yet, Knix and KT by Knix, popular direct-to-consumer intimate apparel brands have found massive success through two highly strategic marketing plays: virtual styling and off-season warehouse sales. Today, join Kristen and Joanna Griffiths, founder and CEO of Knix as they dig into these COVID-friendly tactics, the awkwardness of bra shopping, and why it's more important than ever for brands to stand for something.
The future of commerce is local. It's human-centric. It's all about community. Today, Kristen sits down with Jaime Schmidt, Founder of Schmidt's Naturals, a personal care brand that has now been acquired by Unilever and Helena Price Hambrecht, Founder and CEO of Haus, a wildly popular DTC aperitif brand to talk about this shift towards connection. You'll hear how these two founders grew their brands through grassroots, localized marketing and how to truly serve your customers above all else. Plus, Jaime and Helena share their stories of failure, fear, and perseverance.Â
Combining the founders' rich African heritage with contemporary fashion design, Daily Paper has become one of the fastest growing fashion brands out of Europe. And now, they've opened their first flagship store in NYC. In this episode, Kristen sits down with all three Daily Paper Founders (Hussein Suleiman, Jefferson Osei, and Abderrahmane Trabsini) to dive into the differences between European and American retail culture, reinvigorating a local neighborhood with artistic design, playing the long-game, and building a worldwide fan base.
While COVID-19 has kept folks further away from each other physically, it's revealed the true importance of relationship building between brands and customers. Today, Alexandra Waldman (Founder, Universal Standard) joins us to share how the innovative and inclusive retailer used personal shopping and one-on-one appointments to bring their business closer to the future of fashion.
Small businesses have been incredibly resilient through COVID — but they'll need even more help to get through the winter. That's why Gusto is calling on Congress and state officials to act now. Today we're joined by Lexi Reese, COO of Gusto to talk about this push. Lexi and Kristen get into the real economic impacts the retail industry has faced in 2020, what you can do to take care of your employees, what the next round of aid needs to look like, and how we can protect our local economies as winter approaches.Â
Heatonist is a New York City based shop that specializes in top shelf hot sauces. Founder and owner of Heatonist, Noah Chaimberg joins us today alongside a special guest, Shopify's President Harley Finkelstein as they discuss meeting each other at summer camp, going from selling hot sauce from a pushcart to two retail locations, and partnering with one of the world's most popular media outlets.
When we say this next guest is cool—we mean that she's the "I've met Rihanna" level of cool. Holly Cann is the Senior Brand Manager for Rihanna's skincare line, Fenty Skin. Today, Holly joins us to give an inside look at how the powerhouse beauty brand has worked through the complexities of 2020, including throwing their own virtual house party with Lil Nas X.
With foot traffic down and a greater focus on ecommerce, retail stores have started to seek out new opportunities for the passionate and knowledgeable folks they already have working their sales floors. Today, Romain Gaillard (Founder, The Detox Market) and Adam Levene (Founder, HERO) join us to talk about how the Detox Market transformed their operations by empowering their store associates to bring their expertise and talents online.
We're all on more video calls than ever these days, but video has also been having a huge impact on how retail stores are operating too. This whole week, we'll be talking with our pals from HERO, a Shopify app that lets retail associates video chat with online store shoppers; used by everyone from Nike to Levi's to UNTUCKit. Adam Levene, founder of HERO, joins us today to dive deeper into how the lines between ecommerce and retail are blurring during the pandemic, especially when it comes to customer service and personal shopping.
According to the Denver Post, COVID19 cost Denver retailers over $1 billion in lost sales. With fewer people passing through Denver, fewer dollars are being spent. Tourism has dried up. The city's convention business disappeared. Sporting venues were shut down. And thousands of office workers who populated the Central Business District and Cherry Creek remain hunkered down at home. And yet, Denver is a shining example of what it means to be resilient. Our spotlight on Denver continues with this bonus episode as we look into how the local retail community is stepping up with special guests Paige Briscoe (ReRoot Gardens), Jaime Jennings (Fancy Tiger Crafts), Curt Peterson (Smith + Canon Ice Cream Co.) and Kaylee Leets (Cycology Studio).
CJ Johnson is an acclaimed startup advisor with tons of experience consulting for small businesses, Fortune 50 clients, and everyone in between. He's also managed massive influencer marketing campaigns—both as an advisor, and as an influencer himself (with hundreds of thousands of followers). Today, CJ shares his expert insights into how retailers can level up their digital marketing, and what his ideal retail space would look like.
We wanted to understand how some of the world's most resilient retail communities are dealing with the pandemic, so this week we're shining a special spotlight on the city of Denver with two bonus episodes. In our first bonus episode: we're joined by Alex Bibby, Regional Store Manager of Topo Designs, a Denver and Colorado staple specializing in mountain culture and outdoor living. Alex shares Topo Designs' journey through the pandemic, and the effects he's seen on the Denver retail community.
When the pandemic forced a total halt to all production, restaurant sales, and foot traffic, Great Lakes Brewery needed to think quick to keep getting their craft beer into the hands of customers. Today, Troy Burtch joins us to discuss how the Great Lakes Brewery team launched local beer delivery in less than a week and kept their brewing business afloat.Â
Before the pandemic hit, 98% of TC Running's business came through in-person, in-store interactions. So when they had to shut down their two Minnesota retail locations, they needed to move their entire business online—fast. Today, brand director Jeff Bull gives us the inside lane on TC Running's sprint towards online selling and why omnichannel is now the foundation of their retail business (including their instant hit loyalty program).
The travel industry has taken a big hit during the pandemic, and cities like Las Vegas, where tourist traffic powers the retail economy, are facing mounting challenges. Doughp recently shut down their flagship retail location on the Vegas Strip—today, founder Kelsey Moreira shares what the cookie dough brand is doing to adapt and how they're continuing to support their mental health-focused mission.
Since the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matters protests, every industry is working to create equality. But has the beauty industry truly embraced the fight for equal representation? Christina Funke Tegbe, founder and creative visionary behind award-winning beauty brand 54 Thrones, shares her thoughts on the push towards equality, partnering with major retailers like Nordstrom, and how she's connecting customers to suppliers who have previously been left out of the conversation.Â
Since the early 90s, streetwear culture has exploded—and Jeff Staple has been there every step of the way. Jeff designed the first Nike sneaker to cause riots. He launched a retail boutique and art gallery in NYC. He founded a leading visual communications agency. And now, he hosts The Business of Hype podcast on Hypebeast Radio. You can say that Jeff has easily had a hand in just about every facet of streetwear, including its transformative impact on the retail industry. Today, he sits down with us to share how the love story between streetwear and retail started, and where it might be heading next.
Pattern Brands is working to help people enjoy daily life again through their family of lifestyle DTC brands. Emmett Shine, Founder and Chief Creative Officer joins us today to share stories about founding a branding agency in 2007, breaking down traditional barriers, and what it's like to be kicked out of Adidas' headquarters.
For Mack Weldon, retail is all about taking a digital-first online shopping experience and bringing it to life in their Hudson Yards store. Brian Berger (CEO and Founder) joins us today to share how direct-to-consumer, omnichannel commerce has fuelled Mack Weldon's breakout performance in a highly competitive market.
Despite very few of us wearing a bra since March, Lively has been able to survive (and thrive) throughout 2020 by focusing on creative, subtle shifts in the business. Michelle Cordeiro Grant, Founder and CEO of Lively joins us today to talk about creating the leisuree category, building a raving community, and staying nimble with Lively's brick and mortar presence.
2020 has been tough for everyone, but micro-retailers have generally been hit the hardest. Between forced closures, lack of government aid, and attempting to navigate eCommerce for the first time, being a two-woman team is far from easy. Steph La Posta, Co-owner of Common Goods Shop in Toronto brings us a real, honest conversation on the struggles (and resilience) they have faced this year.
Beardbrand, a digitally native brand based in Austin Texas, recently opened up their own barbershop... in the midst of a global pandemic. Eric Bandholz, Founder and CEO is here to talk about his strategy, the early lessons from retail, and how this new space helped him reach 1M impressions on YouTube.
Corianna & Brianna Dotson, twin sisters and co-owners of Coco and Breezy Eyewear are two of the most inspirational and authentic entrepreneurs there are. On this episode, Coco and Breezy are here to share powerful insights into running a Black-owned business in 2020, retail partnerships, popups, building a brand, designing the iconic Third-Eye glasses for Prince, and more.
The holidays are going to look different this year. No Black Friday door busting, families opening gifts via Zoom, it's an unpredictable season for retailers. Halie LeSavage, writer of Retail Brew and Nik Sharma, THE DTC guy are here to help. On this episode, we go deep into curbside pickup, 'Shop and Ship,' local delivery, retailer partnerships and more.
What does the future of retail look like? Is the apocalypse coming? And what makes a retailer resilient? Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify is here to share his thoughts on the state of retail, the difference between resilience and resistance, and how Shopify is deeply invested in brick and mortar merchants.