Joe Keenan is the editor-in-chief of the Retail and Travel Group at NAPCO Media, which includes Total Retail, Women in Retail Leadership Circle, and Women Leading Travel & Hospitality. Previously, Joe served as senior editor at Reed Technology & Information Services.
The retail industry has entered a new era, one in which fragmented omnichannel strategies are no longer enough to meet rising consumer expectations and mounting operational pressures. According to Manhattan Associates’ latest report, Unified Commerce Powers Future Retail Success, the retailers pulling ahead are those that have moved beyond omnichannel and embraced unified commerce: a...
As artificial intelligence-powered search and discovery platforms reshape how consumers find and evaluate products, retailers and brands are being forced to rethink not just their marketing tactics but their entire digital strategy. At Shoptalk in Las Vegas last month, Lauren Price, senior vice president of marketing at COS, and Kelly Shah-McDonnell, vice president of global...
At a time when many retail brands are struggling to scale both service and authenticity, Dutch Bros is taking a different approach — one rooted in culture, emotional connection, and operational precision. Speaking last week at Shoptalk in Las Vegas, CEO Christine Barone and CMO Tana Davila offered insights into how the rapidly expanding coffee...
As domestic markets mature and competition intensifies, retailers are increasingly looking beyond their home borders for growth. Cross-border e-commerce is no longer reserved for enterprise brands with unlimited budgets. It has become a viable and strategic expansion path for retailers of all sizes. In fact, global retail e-commerce sales are forecast to reach $6.8 trillion...
At the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City last week, leaders from three of VF Corp.’s most popular brands — The North Face, Timberland, and Vans — shared insights into how they’re navigating large-scale brand transformation while staying true to deeply rooted DNA. Moderated by VF Corp. board member and former retail...
“The board is in agreement. We’d like you to be our next CEO. Congratulations.” Chief financial officers (CFOs) and business leaders of every stripe frequently aspire to hear those words from an organization’s nominating committee (NomCo). Such desire is perfectly understandable. For many people, serving as a chief executive represents the pinnacle of professional achievement....
If research points to the value of diverse perspectives in leadership for driving innovation, growth and financial performance, why do women continue to be underrepresented in senior-level business leadership roles around the world? What barriers do women face in getting to the top, and what propels the careers of women who do? When we explored...
CEO succession is one of the most critical and high-stakes responsibilities of a board. For CEOs, how they leave is part of their legacy. And while CEOs and directors recognize the importance of a well-planned and executed handoff between CEOs, we know from our work on thousands of successions globally just how challenging and emotionally...
The traditional e-commerce website, defined by search bars, filters and static product grids, is increasingly misaligned with how consumers want to shop. According to a new report from Total Retail, From Website to AI Storefront: How Retailers Are Preparing for Agentic Commerce and the Future of Online Shopping, consumers now expect to describe their needs...
At Shoptalk Fall in Chicago last week, Kim Lefko, chief marketing officer at Ace Hardware, shared how the retailer balances its century-old community ethos with cutting-edge marketing strategies. Interviewed by Joe Laszlo, global head of insights at Shoptalk, Lefko emphasized that Ace’s success comes from honoring its cooperative structure while adapting to fast-changing consumer expectations....
