Spieckerman Speaks Retail

Retail media networks are still on fire, but most retailers are just scratching the surface when it comes to tapping in-store opportunities. In this episode, Cole Johnson, founder and CEO of The Looma Project [https://theloomaproject.com/], reveals why the next five years will be a land grab for in-store retail media. As inflation and tight margins put on the squeeze, savvy retailers are modernizing their store environments while tapping into lucrative new revenue streams. Cole breaks down the "three CXs" that have kept some retailers on the sidelines: customer experience concerns, CapEx requirements, and operational complexity. The good news? Solutions are emerging that check all the boxes. Looma's three-screen approach creates an enterprise-grade platform that drives results without busting budgets, overwhelming shoppers, or compromising customer experience. Key Takeaways: Content is king in retail media, but authenticity is emperor. When shoppers tune out overly promotional content in less than a second, cookie-cutter commercials won't cut it. Learn why documentary-style storytelling featuring real people is the new standard. Location, location, location. Sales lift 5-10 times higher when digital media and merchandise are co-located rather than placed away from products. Find out how smart positioning can transform displays from background noise into powerful conversion tools. The numbers tell the story. Combining ad revenue and sales lift adds up, especially for low-margin businesses like grocery. Get insights into why in-store retail media can quickly become an exponential game-changer. New tools call for new metrics. Although traditional KPIs such as ROAS and iROAS still have a place in the new retail media frontier, they don’t tell the full story. Understand how four key value drivers bring greater insight. The in-store retail media revolution is poised to transform multiple high-involvement categories like beauty, outdoor gear, and pet supplies. The playbook is ready and the metrics have been established - now it's up to retailers to build the infrastructure and invite brands along for the ride. The future of retail media isn't just digital - it's dimensional. Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail? Contact team@spieckermanretail.com Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates [https://www.spieckermanretail.com/] Follow Carol on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolspieckerman/] Follow Carol on Twitter [https://twitter.com/retailxpert]

In this episode of Spieckerman Speaks Retail, Carol Spieckerman sits down with Joe Brady, commercial real estate guru and author of "Work. Shop. The Consumer-Driven Transformation of Commercial Real Estate."  Joe unpacks how the concepts of "work" and "shop" have shape-shifted from nouns to verbs, driven by technology and changing consumer behaviors. From the rise of omnichannel retail to the tectonic shifts in work culture post-pandemic, Joe offers a fresh perspective on how these and other transformations are reshaping our physical spaces, leadership styles, and business processes. Joe and Carol dive into the realities of consumer primacy and how retailers are balancing customer empowerment with behavior-shaping technologies. They explore the delicate dance between giving customers everything they want and nudging them towards mutually beneficial choices. Key Takeaways: * Why the office sector is having a “retail moment” (and it’s long overdue). * How the recent wave of return-to-work mandates might backfire. * Why effectiveness beats productivity in the conceptual economy. * How "sick buildings" could drive more sustainable spaces. If you’re curious about the future of work and shopping, this episode is packed with insights that'll have you seeing built environments in a whole new light.    Joe Brady website [https://joebrady.ai/] Joe Brady on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joebrady03/] Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail? Contact team@spieckermanretail.com Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates [https://www.spieckermanretail.com/] Follow Carol on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolspieckerman/] Follow Carol on Twitter [https://twitter.com/retailxpert]

In this episode of Spieckerman Speaks Retail, Carol Spieckerman explores the convergence of commerce and media with Eitan Koter, Co-CEO of Vimmi [https://vimmi.net/]. Eitan shares Vimmi’s journey from a media and entertainment technology provider to a leading video commerce platform. The conversation delves into Vimmi's sales acceleration platform, which seamlessly integrates shoppable video across multiple channels, from diverse social media platforms to brick-and-mortar stores. Carol and Eitan discuss why multi-platform video is a must-have in modern retail marketing and how the "TikTok-ification" of content has transformed best practices. Eitan will have you rethinking your approach to video and challenging the "quality over quantity" standards of the past. He provides step-by-step guidelines for creating authentic, high-volume content that aligns with business lifecycles while tackling customer pain points. Eitan busts the “brands are dead” myth and expands on the power of storytelling to onboard new generations of shoppers and accelerate conversion.  The discussion hits on the rise of retail media networks and how Vimmi's solutions optimize retailers’ in-store digital aspirations. Eitan shares his thoughts on the future of retail, highlighting the causes and concerns that will drive consumer engagement.   Key Takeaways: * Quantity Over Quality: How flooding the zone and adjusting on the fly make engagement soar. * Founder-led Favor: How to leverage authenticity and origin stories to differentiate in a crowded marketplace. * Rapid Iteration Hacks: Why narrow-lens innovation, lean launches, and live-testing are the ways of the future. * Data-Driven Domination: How advances in video analytics optimize content and campaigns in record time. Part crystal ball, part strategy session, this episode offers valuable insights to retailers and brands looking to harness the power of video commerce and navigate the retail media landscape. Are you ready to turn up the volume? Guest contact information: Eitan Koter on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eitankoter/] Vimmi website [https://vimmi.net/] Vimmi YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@VimmiCommunications] Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail? Contact team@spieckermanretail.com Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates [https://www.spieckermanretail.com/] Follow Carol on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolspieckerman/] Follow Carol on Twitter [https://twitter.com/retailxpert]

In this episode of Spieckerman Speaks Retail, host Carol Spieckerman sits down with Joe Shasteen, global manager of advanced analytics at RetailNext [http://www.retailnext.net], to discuss the latest trends in retail analytics and in-store technology. RetailNext is a pioneer in bringing e-commerce-level analytics to brick-and-mortar stores, helping retailers optimize their physical spaces and enhance the customer experience. Joe introduces RetailNext's concept of "full path analysis," which provides detailed insights into customer behavior throughout the store. Using strategically placed sensors, retailers can track customer movements, dwell times, and engagement with displays, fixtures, and other store elements. The data collected from the sensors helps retailers capture customer attention, optimize store layouts, and improve staff allocation. The conversation explores the critical role data plays in improving store operations, from optimizing labor allocation to enhancing conversion rates. RetailNext's analytics connects the dots, enabling retailers to align staffing with customer traffic patterns and identify opportunities to engage shoppers more effectively. The interview also touches on how RetailNext's technology can assist with loss prevention and asset protection. Using AI to flag potential instances of theft or suspicious behavior, retailers can react in real time as incidences are identified.  Joe wraps up by sharing insights on broader retail trends, highlighting the importance of creating meaningful in-store experiences that go beyond simple transactions. He emphasizes the value of using data to optimize the customer journey and strengthen brand connections in physical retail spaces. Key Takeaways: * How retailers can leverage full-path analysis to drive conversion, mitigate shrink, optimize labor, and elevate store design. * Why basing labor allocation on traffic trends rather than sales data improves store efficiency and conversion rates. * How in-store data analytics can create deeper brand experiences and bridge the gap between online and offline retail. * How retailers can validate test-and-learn experiments in advance of rollout.   RetailNext Website [https://retailnext.net/] Joe Shasteen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeshasteen/] Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail? Contact team@spieckermanretail.com Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates [https://www.spieckermanretail.com/] Follow Carol on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolspieckerman/] Follow Carol on Twitter [https://twitter.com/retailxpert]

The old days of retailers quietly testing new tech offstage are a relic of the past. Welcome to the launch and learn era, where retailers are ditching the warm-up act and releasing tech straight into consumer environments before the kinks are worked out. It's a gutsy game of moving fast and iterating even faster based on real-time shopper feedback. This high-risk, high-reward strategy aims to keep retailers innovating at a rapid pace, but it isn’t without potential pitfalls. Carol dives into this new frontier, unpacking how major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon are unleashing shiny new tech onto unsuspecting customers first and figuring out the bugs and backlash as they go. Key examples discussed include: * Best Buy's new AI assistant built to support (or replace?) human assistance. * Walmart's rocky road with self-checkout scaling. * Amazon's pivot to smart Dash carts after pulling "Just Walk Out" tech from Fresh stores.  Carol explores how the exponential pace of tech innovation, razor-thin competitive windows, and the lure of cost cuts are fading the idea of perfecting solutions before launch. But diving head-first into uncharted waters has its hazards. Consumers expecting seamless experiences are instead being used as guinea pigs, sparking confusion and triggering control issues. On the flip side, retailers are placing big bets that the efficiencies will pay off by hitting "launch" first and making the business case later. Key Takeaways: * How tensions can flare when consumer expectations and retailer justifications are at odds. * How some retailers are balancing high-tech and high-touch solutions on the front end rather than lurching between extremes. * Why retailers are trading between live experiments instead of defaulting to the tried and true. * Why Amazon’s checkout tech pivots are the ultimate launch-and-learn case study. Want to be a guest on Spieckerman Speaks Retail? Contact team@spieckermanretail.com Check out more of Carol's retail insights and updates [https://www.spieckermanretail.com/] Follow Carol on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolspieckerman/] Follow Carol on Twitter [https://twitter.com/retailxpert]