Building Beauty for Real Women: Why Brands Must Focus on Longevity, Not Hype

Physical Retail’s Next Infrastructure Layer: Item-Level Intelligence with Radar

Physical retail is under pressure to become as measurable and responsive as e-commerce. While retailers have spent years optimizing digital channels with real-time data, store teams have often had to make decisions with incomplete inventory visibility and delayed operational signals. That gap matters because stores still account for 80% of U.S. retail sales, making better store-level intelligence a revenue, margin, and customer experience issue — not just a technology upgrade. As RFID adoption matures and AI raises the stakes for cleaner operational data, item-level visibility is becoming a more important layer of retail infrastructure. Radar, a retail technology company that recently raised $170 million in Series B funding at a billion-dollar valuation, reflects that shift, pointing to renewed confidence in tools that help retailers understand not only what inventory they have, but where it is, how it moves, and how associates can act on it in real time. The shift is being driven by a practical question for retailers: if stores remain central to the business, how can they operate with the same speed, accuracy, and intelligence as digital channels? On this episode of Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez speaks with Spencer Hewett, founder and CEO of Radar, about how retailers can make physical stores more measurable, responsive, and operationally intelligent. The conversation explores how Radar’s ceiling-mounted sensors and software platform help retailers track inventory in real time, locate products inside stores, support omnichannel fulfillment, and use item-level data to improve store operations, merchandising, demand planning, and customer experience. Key highlights from the talk… * Radar’s role in closing the store data gap: Hewett explains how the platform counts inventory continuously and locates items in real time, giving retailers a clearer view of what is available, where it is, and how products move throughout the store. * Why inventory accuracy is foundational: The discussion highlights how inaccurate inventory can create out-of-stocks, fulfillment issues, missed sales, and flawed demand planning. Hewett argues that improving inventory accuracy gives retailers better data for decision-making and future AI applications. * How store intelligence supports associates and operations: Gonzalez and Hewett discuss how item-location data can help associates find products faster, fulfill buy online, pick up in store orders more efficiently, and spend more time serving customers instead of searching for merchandise. Spencer Hewett is the founder and CEO of Radar, a retail technology company building RF sensing technology to automate inventory, analytics, and checkout in physical stores. Since founding the company in 2013, he has led its evolution from an autonomous checkout concept into a broader platform for item-level intelligence, working with retailers representing more than $100 billion in annual sales. Hewett is also a Thiel Fellow and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, with earlier experience in RFID localization, signal processing, e-commerce technology, and startup development.

From Monitoring to Knowing: How Owlet Is Redefining Infant Health at Retail

Baby monitors have long promised parents the ability to see and hear their child from another room. But as connected health devices become more normalized in everyday life, from smartwatches to sleep trackers, parents are beginning to expect more than visibility. They want insight. For Owlet, that shift matters because its wearable monitors track critical infant health metrics like pulse rate and oxygen level, bringing hospital-grade technology into the home and turning baby monitoring into a more data-informed experience. As infant monitoring moves beyond seeing and hearing, how can technology help parents truly understand their baby’s well-being, and how should that reassurance show up across the retail journey? In this episode of Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez welcomes Elizabeth Teran and Jennifer Billington from Owlet Baby Care for a discussion on how infant health technology is reshaping the way parents discover, evaluate, and shop for baby care products. The conversation explores Owlet’s FDA-cleared wearable monitoring technology, the role of physical retail in high-trust purchases, the importance of speed and availability for new parents, and how data, AI, and connected devices are reshaping expectations around early parenthood. Top insights from the talk… * Why infant monitoring is moving beyond audio and video. Teran explains that Owlet’s approach is built around “hearing, seeing, and knowing,” using a wearable sock to track pulse rate and oxygen levels in real time and alert parents if readings fall outside preset ranges. * Why retail availability matters after the baby arrives. Billington notes that while 60% of Owlet customers buy before birth, 40% purchase after the baby is born, often following a rough night, illness, or health scare. That makes in-store availability, curbside pickup, same-day delivery, and omnichannel retail partnerships central to Owlet’s strategy. * How data can empower, not overwhelm, parents. Teran says the opportunity is not just to show parents more information, but to help them understand what the data means, why it matters, and what they can do with it. Owlet has monitored more than two million babies and is building subscription and telehealth experiences designed to add context to infant health data. Elizabeth Teran serves as Chief Parent Officer at Owlet Baby Care, where she leads product management, design, customer experience, and marketing with a focus on translating parent insights into products and experiences that build confidence and peace of mind. Since joining Owlet in 2020, she has held senior roles across product marketing, brand strategy, and executive marketing leadership, including Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Marketing. Before Owlet, Teran spent nearly a decade at Skullcandy, where she led product marketing, consumer research, retail training, go-to-market strategy, and data-driven product positioning. Jennifer Billington serves as the Head of Retail at Owlet, where she leads revenue strategy and execution with a focus on sustainable, profitable growth. Over the past five years, she has held increasingly senior sales roles at Owlet, including Director of Retail Sales, Vice President of North America Sales, SVP of Sales-Americas, and Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing domestic and international sales strategy. She brings more than 18 years of sales and channel leadership experience from the Coca-Cola system, where she managed major retail accounts, built strategic partnerships, led high-performing teams, and drove revenue growth across convenience, mass, drug, value, and foodservice channels.

A Gen Alpha Take on Experiential Retail: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Missing

Gen Alpha is no longer a future consumer segment—they are already shaping how retail and entertainment experiences are designed today. Research from MG2 shows that a whopping 70% of Gen Alpha influence what adults in their lives purchase, reshaping brand decisions faster than many companies are prepared for. As experiential retail continues to evolve—with concepts like Netflix House blending content and commerce—brands are under pressure to meet a generation that expects interaction, clarity, and relevance. The stakes are clear: experiences that fail to engage risk being quickly dismissed. So what does retail actually look like through the eyes of Gen Alpha—and what are brands getting right or wrong when trying to capture their attention? Welcome to Retail Refined. In the latest episode, host Melissa Gonzalez is joined by a very special guest: her 10-year-old daughter, Siena. Broadcasting from Dallas after visiting the Netflix House experience, the two explore how immersive entertainment translates (or doesn’t) for a Gen Alpha audience. Their conversation spans everything from interactive exhibits and store design to slang, content habits, and shopping preferences—offering an unfiltered look at how younger consumers evaluate retail environments today. Key takeaways from the episode… * Experience matters—but expectations are high: Gen Alpha responds to immersive retail environments, but expects deeper integration between content and experience. Concepts that connect storytelling with participation are more likely to drive repeat visits and sustained interest. * Interactivity must feel real: Hands-on engagement is essential for Gen Alpha, but it needs to be meaningful. Environments that limit physical interaction can weaken the overall experience, even if the concept is visually compelling. * Content and commerce are deeply connected: Entertainment-driven environments naturally extend into shopping and sharing behaviors. From gameplay to social “haul” culture, Gen Alpha seamlessly connects experiences with purchase intent and content creation. Siena represents the leading edge of Gen Alpha—a digitally fluent, highly perceptive generation growing up with constant access to content and technology. In this conversation, she offers an honest, unfiltered point of view shaped by how she interacts with brands and content in everyday life. Her perspective offers a valuable lens into how this generation experiences retail and entertainment today.

Building Beauty for Real Women: Why Brands Must Focus on Longevity, Not Hype

Walk into any beauty aisle—or scroll through your feed for five minutes—and it’s clear the industry is obsessed with what’s new. New formulas, new trends, new “rules.” But for many women, especially those who’ve been using makeup for decades, the question isn’t what’s new—it’s what actually works. And increasingly, the answer isn’t coming from the brands shouting the loudest. It’s coming from those that are listening more closely—and building with real life, not aspiration, in mind. That shift is backed by data: according to consumer research by MG2, more than half of beauty consumers say they want to be both educated and inspired when they shop, not just sold to. So what does it take to build a beauty brand that doesn’t just chase trends, but earns a place in women’s everyday routines? That’s the question at the heart of the latest episode of Retail Refined. In this episode, host Melissa Gonzalez sits down with Laura Geller, Founder of Laura Geller Beauty, to unpack how decades of hands-on experience with everyday consumers shaped a brand rooted in education, problem-solving, and purpose. From her early days backstage on Broadway to becoming a pioneer on QVC, Geller shares how staying close to the customer—not chasing trends—has driven lasting success. What you’ll learn… * How to better identify and serve your true customer—and why trying to appeal to everyone can hold brands back. * How consistent, education-led storytelling builds trust across channels. * How to develop products that solve real consumer needs, not just follow trends. Laura Geller is a veteran makeup artist and founder of Laura Geller Beauty, known for building a brand centered on making beauty accessible, uncomplicated, and designed for real women. She began her career working in Broadway, film, and television before launching her Upper East Side studio and becoming a pioneering force on QVC, where her line remains one of the longest-standing beauty brands. Recognized for innovation and industry leadership—including her iconic primer category and Forbes 50 Over 50 honor—she continues to shape the beauty space through customer-driven product development and education-led selling.

The Art of Evolution: Leading a Founder-Led Brand Into Its Next Chapter with Mary Beth Sheridan

For many retail brands, growth today isn’t just about innovation — it’s about keeping pace with customers whose expectations are evolving in real time, led by younger generations who expect brands to reflect their values and show up with cultural relevance. In fact, recent research from MG2 [https://mg2.com/latest/gen-z-is-evolving-their-search-for-meaning-connection-and-the-brands-that-get-it/#h-interested-in-more-download-the-full-report] found that the overwhelming majority of Gen Z shoppers say they shop with their values in mind. For founder-led brands entering new phases of growth, the challenge isn’t just expansion — it’s scaling without losing the soul that made customers care in the first place. So how does a founder-led, design-driven home brand expand its reach, embrace new channels and technologies, and engage younger consumers—while staying unmistakably true to its creative DNA? Welcome to Retail Refined [https://marketscale.com/shows/retail-refined/]. In the latest episode, host Melissa Gonzalez [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagonzalezlionesque/] sits down with Mary Beth Sheridan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-sheridan/], recently named President of Jonathan Adler [https://jonathanadler.com/], to explore what leading brand evolution looks like at a pivotal moment for the company. Sheridan discusses strengthening the core business, expanding wholesale and partnerships, activating the brand’s interior design studio, and leveraging AI—while protecting the bold, witty, and joyful identity that defines Jonathan Adler. The conversation delves into… * Balancing founder-led creativity with operational discipline to scale sustainably. * Unlocking growth through wholesale expansion, strategic partnerships, and a robust design studio. * Engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha by fostering authenticity, community, and meaningful participation. Mary Beth Sheridan is a C-suite retail executive and global merchant with more than two decades of experience leading large-scale brand transformation, P&L management, and omni-channel growth across iconic retailers, including Anthropologie, Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and The Children’s Place. She has led large-scale, high-growth retail businesses, repositioned legacy brands, launched new categories, modernized digital and merchandising strategies, and successfully navigated private equity transitions while driving profitability and cultural transformation. Currently serving as President of Jonathan Adler, she oversees brand, product, and commercial strategy across retail, e-commerce, wholesale, and B2B, leading the design-driven brand’s next phase of growth and innovation.