Retail Transformation Playbook: Michelle Pacynski on Innovation, Startups, and What’s Next

Voice of the Frontline - 25 Years on the Sales Floor with Kit Campoy

S2E5 The voice of the frontline reveals the truth about 80% retail turnover, and what corporate keeps missing about stores   What corporate keeps getting wrong about the store floor, told by someone who actually ran it. In this episode of Retail Transformers, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Kit Campoy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-campoy-you-got-this/], a 25-year retail store leader, author of The Retail Leader's Field Guide [https://a.co/d/0cEHP1Xv], and the writer known across the industry as the Voice of the Frontline [https://kitcampoy.substack.com/] from her Substack newsletter. Kit has managed store teams at PacSun, Lucky Brand, Anthropologie, Tilly's, Old Navy, and Buckle, and today she helps retail tech and SaaS companies actually speak the same language as the store managers they are trying to sell to. The conversation goes straight into the HQ-to-store disconnect that quietly costs retailers millions: the rollouts that look great in a boardroom and fall apart on a Saturday afternoon, the metrics that distort behavior on the sales floor, and the retail tech pitches that insult store managers on slide two. Kit walks through what 80% retail turnover actually feels like inside a store, why store manager pay has stopped covering rent, and the invisible work that makes a store team function or fall apart. If you build retail tech, lead a retail brand, or sit somewhere between corporate and the store floor, this conversation will change how you think about the frontline. What You'll Learn in This Episode ·       Why "welcome in" is a confession, not a greeting ·       The corporate retail blind spots Kit sees on every store visit ·       What store managers would say out loud if there was zero career risk ·       How siloed HQ teams pile five priorities into one impossible week ·       The metrics distorting behavior on the sales floor (yes, including the manager who yelled at her own family for hurting her conversion rate) ·       The 20 jobs hiding inside the store manager job title ·       How to tell the difference between an underperforming store team and one that is just overwhelmed ·       The payroll game store managers play just to staff the floor ·       Why 80% retail turnover is something companies built, not something that happened to them ·       What store manager pay is really telling people about how much the role is valued ·       What Gen Z sees through instantly, and what brands keep getting wrong with them ·       The one thing every retail executive should do this quarter to support frontline teams Support our sponsors: This Episode is Brought to You By RetailClub [https://www.retailclub.com/]. Join 2,000 retail leaders at RetailClub AI Festival, September 22–24 in Huntington Beach. Dive deep into how AI is reshaping retail while soaking up the sun at a fully outdoor, beachside venue. Decision-makers from retailers and brands can attend with free tickets and up to $1,250 in travel reimbursement. Head to retailclub.com [https://retailclub.com/retail-razor-podcast] to learn more. https://retailclub.com/retail-razor-podcast [https://retailclub.com/retail-razor-podcast] Subscribe & Follow Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers for more episodes featuring retail innovators, disruptors, and bold thinkers reshaping commerce. Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/ [https://retailrazor.com/] Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube [https://go.retailrazor.com/utube] About Our Guest Kit Campoy, https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-campoy-you-got-this/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-campoy-you-got-this/] https://kitcampoy.com [https://kitcampoy.com] Author, “The Retail Leader's Field Guide”. https://a.co/d/0cEHP1Xv [https://a.co/d/0cEHP1Xv] Substack. The Voice of the Frontline, https://kitcampoy.substack.com [https://kitcampoy.substack.com] Kit Campoy spent 25 years on a retail floor, then wrote the book, The Retail Leader's Field Guide. She now publishes The Voice of the Frontline on Substack. Her key message: frontline teams are the most undervalued assets in retail. Her work gives store operators the language and respect they deserve. Chapters (00:00:00) Teaser (00:01:01) Show Intro (00:05:44) Welcome Kit Campoy! (00:07:14) Kit's Retail Journey (00:10:31) Corporate Blind Spots (00:14:58) What Managers Fear Saying (00:21:23) Bad HQ Decisions (00:27:14) Metrics Gone Wrong (00:33:33) Store Manager Many Hats (00:38:54) Empathy Builds Teams (00:42:17) Gaming Payroll To Survive (00:46:55) Turnover Never Lets Up (00:49:52) Pay And Talent Retention (00:55:45) Why Great Managers Leave (00:59:57) Gen Z Sees Through Brands (01:02:16) Reality Check And Thanks (01:05:35) Show Close Meet Your Hosts Helping you stay sharp, be bold, and transform retail: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/]and the Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community]. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/]. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!  Episode Music Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Tropikool, from the album Future Beats 2, plus Virtual Apology and New Styles, from the album Shimmer Pop, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

The Agentic Commerce Playbook | Scot Wingo on AI Agents, Product Catalog Strategy & the Future of Retail

S2E4 Agentic Commerce Is Here: Scot Wingo on How AI Agents Are Rewriting the Rules of Retail   What happens when your next customer never visits your website because their AI agent already bought what they needed? And what does it mean for your brand when your product catalog is essentially invisible to the AI doing the shopping?   In this episode of Retail Transformers, Ricardo and Casey sit down with Scot Wingo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/] — e-commerce legend, co-host of the iconic Jason and Scot Show [https://retailgeek.com/jason-scot-show/], host of the Retailgentic [https://retailgentic.transistor.fm/] podcast and newsletter [https://www.retailgentic.com/], and CEO of ReFiBuy [https://refibuy.ai/] — to unpack the rise of agentic commerce and what it means for every retailer, brand, and operator in the industry today. From founding ChannelAdvisor in 2001 and taking it public in 2013, to launching ReFiBuy to tackle the AI commerce frontier, Scot has been at the center of every major e-commerce wave. Now, he believes agentic commerce — the shift to AI-powered shopping agents that handle the entire research, find, and buy journey — is the biggest transformation yet. And unlike the marketplace era, this one is moving fast. What You'll Learn in This Episode •       What agentic commerce actually is, and how to define it before the buzzword fog sets in •       Why Scot believes agentic commerce will re-accelerate e-commerce growth and challenge Amazon's dominance •       The 'Research-Find-Buy' (ReFiBuy) framework and which shopping categories are ripe for AI agent takeover •       What OpenAI's Instant Checkout experiment got right, and the critical things it missed •       Why the merchant of record breakthrough changes everything for brand relationships and loyalty programs •       How Google's Universal Checkout Protocol (UCP) and identity linking could reinvent retail loyalty •       Which retailers are leading the agentic commerce charge right now (Sephora, Ulta, Gap, and more) •       Why product catalog optimization is the #1 thing retailers need to fix before AI agents make it irrelevant •       The concept of 'keyword jail' and why your current catalog strategy was built for a world that no longer exists •       Scot's bold holiday 2025 prediction: agentic commerce could touch 10% of transactions by year-end Support our sponsors: This Episode is Brought to You By RetailClub [https://www.retailclub.com/]. Join 2,000 retail leaders at RetailClub AI Festival, September 22–24 in Huntington Beach. Dive deep into how AI is reshaping retail while soaking up the sun at a fully outdoor, beachside venue. Decision-makers from retailers and brands can attend with free tickets and up to $1,250 in travel reimbursement. Head to retailclub.com [https://retailclub.com/retail-razor-podcast] to learn more. https://retailclub.com/retail-razor-podcast [https://retailclub.com/retail-razor-podcast] Subscribe & Follow Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers for more episodes featuring retail innovators, disruptors, and bold thinkers reshaping commerce. Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/ [https://retailrazor.com/] Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube [https://go.retailrazor.com/utube] About Our Guest Scot Wingo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/], Agentic CEO. ReFiBuy [https://refibuy.ai/]. https://refibuy.ai [https://refibuy.ai] https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/] Retailgentic [https://www.retailgentic.com/] newsletter. https://www.retailgentic.com [https://www.retailgentic.com] Retailgentic [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retailgentic-consumer-behavior-retail-trend/id1816979446] podcast. https://retailgentic.transistor.fm [https://retailgentic.transistor.fm] The Jason & Scot Show [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jason-scot-show-e-commerce-and-retail-news/id1058718804] podcast. https://retailgeek.com/jason-scot-show/ [https://retailgeek.com/jason-scot-show/] Scot Wingo, is a 5-time serial entrepreneur having started five companies: Stingray Software, AuctionRover, ChannelAdvisor/Rithum, Spiffy and ReFiBuy.  Scot also co-hosts a top ecommerce podcast with Publicis' Chief Commerce Officer, Jason Goldberg (Jason and Scot Show) and his new podcast and substack is Retailgentic where he discusses the latest Agentic Commerce trends. Chapters (00:00:00) Teaser - What if your customer's AI agent shops without them? (00:00:50) Show Intro & Retail Razor Podcast Network news — Goodpods top charts domination (00:07:51) Welcome, Scot Wingo! (00:09:27) ChannelAdvisor Origins - from eBay auctions to Amazon marketplace innovation (00:13:51) How AI agents solved ChannelAdvisor's most expensive manual problem — catalog mapping (00:17:27) Why Scot started ReFiBuy: the Research-Find-Buy compression thesis [https://refibuy.ai/] (00:19:41) The podcasting origin story: Jason and Scot Show and the Retailgentic podcast [https://retailgentic.transistor.fm/] (00:23:07) Defining agentic commerce — is it a sales channel, a buzzword, or both? (00:26:44) Amazon Rufus And Ad Load - Is it real or too much? (00:29:33) OpenAI Instant Checkout: what it got right, what it missed, and what comes next (00:31:11) The merchant of record breakthrough and why it matters more than it sounds (00:40:35) Answering the naysayers: is agentic commerce just AI hype? (00:52:47) Identity linking, loyalty programs, and how Google UCP changes the game (00:55:25) Retailer FAQs, misconceptions, and the product catalog wake-up call (01:00:31) Scot's holiday 2025 prediction: agentic commerce hits 10% of transactions (01:02:38) Show Close - Subscribe & Follow! Meet Your Hosts Helping you stay sharp, be bold, and transform retail: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/]and the Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community]. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/]. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!  Episode Music Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Tropikool, from the album Future Beats 2, plus Virtual Apology and New Styles, from the album Shimmer Pop, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

Primark’s US Expansion | Rene Federico on Retail Growth & In Store Strategy

S2E3 Primark’s US Expansion: How Style, Quality & Affordability Are Rewriting the Rules of Retail   In this episode of the Retail Transformers Podcast, we sit down with Rene Federico [https://www.linkedin.com/in/renefederico/], the US Head of Marketing for Primark [https://www.primark.com/en-us], for a deep dive into Primark’s US expansion, the brand’s bold growth strategy, and why the in‑store retail experience remains the most powerful engine for customer connection. Primark has been a global powerhouse for more than 50 years - but in the US, the brand is still in the early chapters of its growth story. Rene shares how Primark is building cultural relevance, scaling with intention, and staying true to its core promise of style, quality, and affordability without compromise. We explore how the shift from creative‑led to growth‑led marketing is reshaping the industry, how the creator economy influences modern retail, and why in‑store retail experience is still the ultimate differentiator in a world obsessed with clicks. From the new Herald Square, New York City flagship, to the immersive Primark Studio in NoHo, Rene breaks down how Primark is designing experiences that inspire, delight, and drive footfall in stores.   What We Cover * How Primark approaches US market growth * Why in‑store retail experience drives long‑term loyalty * The shift from creative‑led to growth‑led marketing * How Primark balances style, quality, and affordability * The role of the creator economy in modern retail * The strategy behind the Herald Square flagship * How the Primark Studio builds deeper brand storytelling * The biggest mistakes brands make when scaling globally Why This Episode Matters If you want to understand Primark’s US expansion, how global brands scale successfully, and why physical retail is more relevant than ever, this episode delivers the insights you’ve been waiting for. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers for more episodes featuring retail innovators, disruptors, and bold thinkers reshaping commerce. Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/ [https://retailrazor.com/] Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube [https://go.retailrazor.com/utube] About Our Guest Rene Federico [https://www.linkedin.com/in/renefederico/]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/renefederico/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/renefederico/] US Head of Marketing. Primark [https://www.primark.com/en-us]. https://www.primark.com/en-us [https://www.primark.com/en-us] Rene is the head of marketing for Primark in the US, where she leads the development and execution of Primark’s end-to-end marketing strategy, ensuring consistent alignment of the brand’s strategy and values across all channels. With a roadmap to grow Primark’s US footprint, Rene and her team will lead Primark through the expansion of its brand exposure nationally and locally. To kick off her new appointment, her team developed and launched Primark's first US brand campaign, That's So Primark, to build further awareness of the brand's value, quality and style proposition to savvy American shoppers looking to fall in love with their closet over and over again. She has a deep understanding of brand dynamics and consumer engagement from working with global brands and marketplaces. With more than 20 years at Nike, Rene started in retail sales followed by roles across visual merchandising, retail marketing and brand marketing. Most recently, she joined Primark from Converse (a wholly owned Nike subsidiary) as the VP, Global Direct Marketing, where she led the global brand experience, global social media and global direct to consumer marketing strategy. About Primark To help shoppers find what they're looking for, Primark's website allows customers to browse its product offerings and check which products are available in their local store. Visit: www.primark.com [http://www.primark.com/]. Shoppers can also sign up here [https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4186332-1&h=980184190&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.primark.com%2Fen-us%2Fsign-up-and-subscribe&a=sign+up+here] to get email updates on Primark's latest product drops, style inspiration, store opening dates, and more. Chapters (00:00) Teaser (00:57) Show Intro (04:31) Welcome Rene Federico! (04:52) Rene’s Retail Journey to Primark (07:11) Marketing Shifts Today (10:29) Primark’s US Growth Role (12:50) Marketing for Footfall (17:24) The Design - Value - Quality Balance (21:07) NYC Studio and Flagship (26:44) How Brands Make Mistakes Scaling Globally (31:43) Brand Health and Funnel Bets (37:06) AI Agents and Future Retail (41:02) Agility as Your Edge (42:51) Wrap Up and Thanks (44:05) Show Close Meet Your Hosts Helping you stay sharp, be bold, and transform retail: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/]and the Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community]. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/]. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!  Episode Music Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Tropikool, from the album Future Beats 2, plus Virtual Apology and New Styles, from the album Shimmer Pop, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

Why Retail Strategies Fail - Kevin Ertell Breaks Down The Strategy Trap

S2E2 Your Strategy Isn’t Failing - Your Execution Is. Here’s How to Fix It.   Most strategies don’t fail in the boardroom - they fail in the real world. In this episode of Retail Transformers, Ricardo and Casey sit down with Kevin Ertell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinertell/], longtime retail operator and author of The Strategy Trap: Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right [https://a.co/d/04AqxywE]. Kevin shares why 67% of well‑crafted strategies fail, the early warning signs leaders miss, and how his Six Cs framework helps teams turn strategy into real‑world results. As Kevin explains, “Most strategies fail later, not loudly” - and the root cause is almost always poor execution, not bad ideas. Drawing from 30+ years at Nike, Sur La Table, Borders, and Tower Records, plus interviews with 60+ operators, Kevin breaks down how leaders can avoid the strategy trap and build strategies that humans can actually execute. What We Cover * Why most strategies fail in execution, not planning * The Strategy Trap: what it is and how to avoid it * The Six Cs framework: Co‑creation, Clarity, Capacity, Communication, Coordination, Coaching * Why co‑creation is essential for execution success * The “tree stump theory” and how blind spots derail execution * Why leaders must “slow down to speed up” * How culture, incentives, and communication shape execution * Real‑world examples from Nike, Borders, and more   Why This Episode Matters If you’re launching a new strategy this year. Or wondering why the last one didn’t land. This conversation gives you the tools, frameworks, and mindset to execute with confidence. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers for more episodes featuring retail innovators, disruptors, and bold thinkers reshaping commerce. Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/ [https://retailrazor.com/] Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube [https://go.retailrazor.com/utube] About Our Guest Kevin Ertell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinertell/], https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinertell/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinertell/] Author, The Strategy Trap: Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right [https://a.co/d/04AqxywE]. https://a.co/d/04AqxywE [https://a.co/d/04AqxywE] Founder & CEO, Mistere Advisory [https://www.mistereadvisory.com/]. https://www.mistereadvisory.com [https://www.mistereadvisory.com]   Kevin Ertell is a veteran executive and trusted advisor with more than 30 years of experience leading transformations at brands like Nike, Tower Records, and Sur La Table. As founder and CEO of Mistere Advisory [https://www.mistereadvisory.com/], he helps companies of all sizes bring clarity, alignment, and action to their strategies. Known for his straight talk, practical insight, and ability to cut through complexity, Kevin draws on deep experience across leadership, operations, and digital growth to help teams turn ideas into results. When he’s not helping companies get unstuck, he’s likely playing bass, cooking for family, or following Cleveland sports with stubborn optimism. Chapters (00:00) Preview Teaser (01:22) Show Intro (04:21) Welcome Kevin Ertell to the Retail Transformers Podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinertell/] (07:54) The Strategy Trap: An Introduction [https://a.co/d/04AqxywE] (10:15) Common Pitfalls in Strategy Execution (11:53) Techniques for Successful Execution (14:58) The Six Cs Framework (24:13) The Importance of Co-Creation, Clarity, and Capacity (25:29) Showtime: Communication, Coordination, and Coaching (26:31) Coaching as a Leadership Tool (27:30) Real-World Example: Borders Rewards Program (30:56) Key Decisions Before Strategy Kickoff (32:41) Slowing Down to Speed Up (37:23) The Role of Company Culture (39:03) AI in Strategy Execution (41:41) Conclusion and Final Thoughts (44:08) Show Close Meet Your Hosts Helping you stay sharp, be bold, and transform retail: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/]and the Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community]. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/]. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!  Episode Music Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Tropikool, from the album Future Beats 2, plus Virtual Apology and New Styles, from the album Shimmer Pop, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

Retail Transformation Playbook: Michelle Pacynski on Innovation, Startups, and What’s Next

S2E1 Ulta Beauty’s $2B Digital Transformation: Michelle Pacynski Reveals the Retail Innovation Playbook   In this season‑opening episode of The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers, Ricardo and Casey sit down with Michelle Pacynski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-pacynski/], former VP of Innovation and Consumer Technology at Ulta Beauty [https://www.ulta.com/], to unpack one of the most compelling retail transformation journeys in modern retail.   Michelle shares how Ulta scaled its digital business from $125M to over $2B, built a mobile‑first strategy before the rest of the industry caught up, and created an innovation team that ultimately became the company’s AI Center of Excellence.   This conversation is a masterclass in retail transformation and innovation, AI adoption, startup collaboration, and the leadership mindset required to build what’s next.     What We Cover: * How Ulta built a mobile‑first digital experience before it was mainstream * Why infrastructure, fulfillment, and omnichannel foundations matter more than hype * The real story behind GlamLab, virtual try‑on, and beauty tech adoption * How to evaluate retail tech startups and build a risk‑reward experimentation model * Why innovation teams should sit inside the business, not IT * The future of search, video commerce, and agentic AI in retail * Why retailers must embrace experimentation to stay competitive * The mindset shift leaders need to drive meaningful retail transformation Why This Episode Matters If you care about the future of retail transformation, leadership, startup innovation, and agentic AI in the beauty industry, this is an essential listen.   Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers for more episodes featuring retail innovators, disruptors, and bold thinkers reshaping commerce. Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/ [https://retailrazor.com/] Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube [https://go.retailrazor.com/utube] Guest info: Michelle Pacynski, Senior Digital Executive | Digital Transformation | Futurist | Innovation | Board Member | Strategic Advisor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-pacynski/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-pacynski/] A high performing, visionary leader, Michelle Pacynski shapes – and reshapes – the retail industry with leading innovations and designing new ways to discover and shop. For over six years, she founded and led a team of global digital innovators, overseeing work that connects digital and physical shopping journeys with leading technology to create differentiated, relevant guest experiences. She also championed the creation of a corporate venture fund, Prisma Ventures (™) to accelerate innovation by forming strategic partnerships with the startup community. She’s currently a strategic advisor for several tech startups and while overseeing Prisma Ventures (™) she deployed over 50% of the $20M fund to some 12 early-stage startups over 3 years. Recently named one of the Top 25 Leaders to Watch in 2025 by CommerceNext, Michelle is currently a Strategic Advisor with iVantedge Advisors, LLC a company she founded specializing in guiding innovative technology startups through pivotal growth stages. She helps tech founders navigate complex challenges, drive product-market fit, and positions them for long-term success in dynamic, fast-paced markets. Chapters: (00:00:00) Preview Teaser (00:00:38) Show Intro (00:04:19) Introduction and Welcome Michelle Pacynski (00:05:05) Michelle's Retail Journey (00:06:15) Transforming Ulta's Digital Business (00:09:29) Mobile First Strategy (00:12:25) Building a Native App (00:15:00) Innovation and Experimentation (00:29:53) Virtual Try-On and Gamification (00:34:54) Challenges in Retail Tech (00:39:13) Strategic Partnerships and Innovation (00:40:43) Experimentation and Quick Wins (00:43:59) Future of Retail Innovation (00:45:13) Interactive Commerce and Video (00:49:26) Heads-Up Displays and AR (00:52:34) AI and Practical Applications (00:59:33) Recognition and Personal Reflections (01:02:50) Mindset Shifts for Retailers (01:04:51) Closing Thoughts and Contact Information (01:07:15) Show Close Meet your hosts, helping you stay sharp, be bold, and transform retail: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/]and the Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community]. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/]. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2026/] from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!  Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Tropikool, from the album Future Beats 2, plus Virtual Apology and New Styles, from the album Shimmer Pop, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.