The New Rules of DTC: How AquaSonic Became a Multi-Channel Powerhouse

The New Rules of DTC: How AquaSonic Became a Multi-Channel Powerhouse

DTC success used to hinge on cutting out the middleman. Today, the real growth opportunity is knowing how to show up everywhere customers shop. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Arsalan Rahbarpoor, Founder and CEO of AquaSonic, about how he built an Amazon-native oral care brand that now sells across Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Best Buy and TikTok Shop. Arsalan shares how AquaSonic disrupted a legacy-dominated category with premium design, accessible pricing and a sharper read on consumer demand — and why consistency, packaging and operational planning became critical as the brand expanded into national retail. Key Takeaways * How AquaSonic identified white space in oral care by combining premium design with accessible pricing;   * Why launching on Amazon was foundational to AquaSonic’s future multi-channel success;   * What changed when the digital-native brand expanded into brick-and-mortar; * How TikTok Shop creates a different kind of discovery-driven opportunity than Amazon or brick-and-mortar retail;  * What the success of AquaSonic says about consumers’ increased interest in wellness and their new expectations for the category; and   * Why AquaSonic is expanding beyond oral care into broader health, wellness and everyday essentials.   Related Links * Explore AquaSonic [https://aquasonic.com]’s oral care products and wellness essentials * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com] * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]

AI-Powered Pricing: The Future of Retail — or a Friction Point?

In an era of tariff swings, rising costs and AI-powered deal hunting, pricing has become one of the most complex (and consequential) levers in retail. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Revionics’ Matt Pavich about how retailers are using AI-driven pricing to stay competitive without eroding consumer trust. Matt breaks down the difference between dynamic pricing and surveillance pricing, explains why the best retailers use AI to listen more closely to customer behavior rather than exploit it, and shares what guardrails are essential if brands want to move faster on price while still keeping shoppers on their side. Key Takeaways * Why ongoing disruption, from COVID to inflation to tariffs, has made AI pricing tools a competitive necessity for retailers;   * Why the healthiest pricing strategies combine proactive planning with the ability to react quickly when the market shifts;   * The critical distinction between dynamic pricing and surveillance pricing, and why consumers view them very differently;   * How retailers can use aggregated customer behavior, not personal data, to set smarter prices and promotions; and   * Why pricing agility, strong guardrails and a healthy dose of curiosity will define the most successful retail organizations in the years ahead. Related Links * Learn more about Revionics [https://www.revionics.com] and AI-powered retail pricing solutions * Related reading: Exclusive Q&A: Why Retailers Should Leverage the Power of Dynamic Pricing [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/auto-draftexclusive-qa-why-retailers-should-leverage-the-power-of-dynamic-pricing/617624/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com] * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]

Calling BS in the Sauce Aisle: How One CPG Brand is Taking on Big Food

If you’ve ever stood in the grocery aisle staring at a wall of “clean,” “natural” or “better-for-you” labels and wondered what any of it actually means, you’re not alone. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Anna Vocino — actor, comic, cookbook author and founder of Eat Happy Kitchen — about what it really takes to build a clean-label CPG brand in a market dominated by food giants. Anna shares how her celiac diagnosis set her on a hunt for better-for-you foods that has evolved into a thriving food business and why breaking into grocery requires far more than a great-tasting product (although that matters). From label confusion and ingredient trickery to slotting pressure, promo costs and the realities of wholesale expansion, this conversation offers a candid look at what it takes to build a mission-driven food brand from the ground up. Key Takeaways * How Anna turned her personal health journey into cookbooks, a podcast and the growing CPG brand Eat Happy Kitchen;   * Why building a clean-label food brand means constantly pushing back against misleading ingredient claims and grocery aisle “trickery”;   * How to navigate the challenge of not just getting on shelves but staying there by driving trial and managing margin pressure;   * Why Anna’s direct-to-consumer community remains essential for the brand even as it expands to more than 1,300 retail doors; and * What Anna’s background in acting and comedy has taught her about pitching, negotiating and surviving the “Walmart wince.” * PLUS…Stick around to the end to hear the voice Anna would give one of her best-selling products.  Related Links * Explore Eat Happy Kitchen [https://www.eathappykitchen.com]’s sauces, spices and snacks * Related reading- Small Business, Big Ideas: Eat Happy Kitchen’s Recipe for Breaking into a Crowded Market [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/small-business-big-ideas-eat-happy-kitchens-recipe-for-breaking-into-a-crowded-market/155987/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com]\ * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]

Selling Memory at Scale: Pandora’s Digital Transformation Story

Most people know Pandora for its iconic charms, but far fewer realize the company is the largest jewelry brand in the world by volume — producing more than 100 million pieces a year. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with David Walmsley, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Pandora, about how the brand is modernizing its business without losing sight of what it really sells: memory, connection and emotion. David shares how Pandora’s Program Phoenix transformation has helped turn around the business, why the company is investing heavily in digital and omnichannel infrastructure, and where AI is starting to unlock value across service, selling, forecasting and product design. Key Takeaways * Why the company focused first on building stronger digital channels and stabilizing store tech before chasing bigger transformation bets;  * How Pandora is using AI in customer service today, and what the agentic future holds for the company; * Why jewelry creates a more emotionally complex AI selling challenge than more functional categories;  * Where AI may have the biggest long-term impact at Pandora: design, service and operational automation;  * Why omnichannel success depends on brands — not customers — being the “glue” across digital and physical touchpoints; and * How to avoid the tech pitfall of “platformitis.” Related Links * Explore Pandora [https://us.pandora.net]’s jewelry collections and gifting experience * Related reading: How Data and Tech Power Jewelry Brand Pandora’s Mission to ‘Give a Voice to People’s Loves’ [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/how-data-and-tech-power-jewelry-brand-pandoras-mission-to-give-a-voice-to-peoples-loves/130189/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com] * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]

How Whatnot Made Live Shopping Click in America

After years of hype around live shopping in the U.S., Whatnot looks like it might be one of the first companies to truly make the model stick at scale. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Whatnot’s VP of Categories and Expansion Armand Wilson about why the platform’s community-first approach is resonating with Western consumers. Armand explains how Whatnot evolved from a collectibles marketplace built around trust into a live shopping platform spanning hundreds of categories — everything from trading cards to tomahawk steaks — and how live commerce creates a more human, transparent and personalized shopping experience than traditional ecommerce. Key Takeaways * Why Whatnot’s model differs from live shopping in China and is built more around community and expertise than mass product pushing;  * How the platform grew to more than $8 billion in GMV in 2025, doubling year over year;  * Why trust, transparency and seller expertise are central to the Whatnot’s experience;  * How the platform’s algorithm blends social engagement signals and purchase intent to surface the right streams to the right buyers;  * Why categories like beauty and food are opening up new opportunities;   * What makes a successful Whatnot seller (hint: it has more to do with business fundamentals than a sparkling personality, although that certainly helps); and * Why Armand believes 2026 could be the year live shopping goes mainstream in the U.S.   Related Links * Explore live shopping on Whatnot [https://www.whatnot.com] and discover sellers across categories * Related reading: Gary V on the Shifting Landscape of Attention and the Death of Don Draper Marketing [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/gary-v-on-the-shifting-landscape-of-attention-and-the-death-of-don-draper-marketing/157095/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com] * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]