The Retail Razor Show

S5:E8 Prime Day Unveiled: Trends, Sales, and What Lies Ahead for Retail Amazon Prime Day 2025 may be over, but its ripple effects are just beginning. In this episode, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Meghan Barden [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barden/], Director of Global Retail Media at Rithum [https://www.rithum.com/], to unpack the surprising data and shopper behaviors that emerged — and what they mean for retail and ecommerce leaders heading into the holiday shopping season. You’ll discover: •  📊 Prime Day outcomes that matter — from sales spikes to category standouts, and how they compare to past years •  🛍 Why the timing right after July 4th may have shifted discretionary spending patterns •  💡 Meghan’s expert take on how retailers can turn Prime Day insights into Q4 wins •  🔮 The strategic moves brands should make now to capture Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and beyond Whether you’re a retail strategist, ecommerce operator, or simply fascinated by the biggest shopping events of the year, this conversation delivers actionable insights to help you outpace the competition. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube [https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube] About our Guest Meghan Barden [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barden/] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barden/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barden/] Rithum [https://www.rithum.com/] - https://www.rithum.com [https://www.rithum.com/] Meghan Barden is an accomplished retail media strategist with over 20 years of experience in marketing and client services in both retailer, brand and agency environments. Currently serving as the Director of Global Retail Media at Rithum, she leads the company's efforts in helping brands and retailers leverage first-party data to create personalized and impactful retail media campaigns. Her expertise spans various facets of retail media, including strategy development, media planning, and campaign optimization. For more Amazon Prime Day analysis by Rithum, access the full report [https://explore.rithum.com/prime-day-guide-cont/prime-day-lessons-for-peak-shopping-season?personalization=&utm_campaign=brands&utm_content=retail+razor+podcast+description+link&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=retail+razor&utm_term=offer-gatedasset] → https://explore.rithum.com/prime-day-guide-cont/prime-day-lessons-for-peak-shopping-season [https://explore.rithum.com/prime-day-guide-cont/prime-day-lessons-for-peak-shopping-season] 00:00 Previews  01:01 Show Intro  10:09 Welcome Meghan Barden  10:17 Overview of Prime Day and Rithum's Role  12:20 Prime Day Anomalies and Trends  16:15 Generational Shopping Behaviors  19:20 Impact of Gen Z on Retail Strategies  24:54 AI and Authenticity in Retail  31:51 Preparing for Future Retail Events  37:59 Final Thoughts  39:11 Show Close Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, & Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/], and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/], a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2023 - 2025, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! Includes music provided by imunobeats.com [http://imunobeats.com/], featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

S5:E7 Unplugged and Unscripted: Retail Club's AI-First Event Revolution w/ Krystina Gustafson What happens when you blend cutting-edge innovation, authentic community, and the brightest minds in retail? You get RetailClub—the AI-first retail event redefining how industry leaders connect, collaborate, and shape the future. In this episode of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Krystina Gustafson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystina-gustafson-908a5a14/], co-founder and Chief Content Officer at Retail Club [https://www.retailclub.com/] and one of the visionary forces behind RetailClub. Krystina shares the inspiration behind this exclusive retail conference, how it fosters meaningful connections among AI changemakers, and why RetailClub is more than just another event—it’s a movement. 💡 What You’ll Learn: * Why RetailClub is unlike any other retail event you’ve attended * How the power of retail community is driving innovation and collaboration * The role of AI in retail and how it’s shaping the conversations at RetailClub * Behind-the-scenes insights from Krystina on curating impactful content and experiences Whether you’re a retail executive, tech innovator, or curious observer of industry trends, this episode delivers a front-row seat to the future of AI in retail! Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube [https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube] About our Guest Krystina Gustafson, co-founder & Chief Content Officer, RetailClub - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystina-gustafson-908a5a14/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystina-gustafson-908a5a14/] Register for RetailClub’s AI Deep Dive Retreat - https://www.retailclub.com [https://www.retailclub.com/]   Krystina is a co-founder and the chief content officer at RetailClub, a new retreats business from the founders of Shoptalk. RetailClub is building retail’s first AI-native community, bringing together 500 AI champions and changemakers for their inaugural AI Deepdive Retreat, taking place Sept 14-17, 2025 in Huntington Beach, CA. Prior to RetailClub, she was the senior vice president of content at Shoptalk and Groceryshop, the leading conferences in the retail, grocery and consumer packaged goods industries. She led the team that shaped the retail and ecommerce industry narratives across its four annual events – Shoptalk, Shoptalk Europe, Shoptalk Fall and Groceryshop – including agenda development and speaker selection. Krystina joined Shoptalk in 2017, after spending four years as a retail reporter and content editor at CNBC.com [http://cnbc.com/]. Prior to CNBC, Krystina was a web editor at Women's Wear Daily, the trade publication for the fashion industry.She has interviewed prominent business figures from retail and beyond, including the CEOs of Target, Sam’s Club, The Honest Company and Warby Parker, Dreamworks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, and “Shark Tank” shark Kevin O’Leary. 00:00 Previews 01:04 Show Intro 08:44 Welcome Krystina and the Importance of AI! 09:56 Introducing Retail Club and AI Deep Dive Retreat 12:03 Event Structure and Unique Approach 14:07 Challenges and Opportunities in AI Adoption 17:56 The Future of AI in Retail & Event Experiences 22:46 Data Readiness and Tech Maturity 27:04 Agentic AI's Impact on Retail Operations 36:36 Event Details and Future Thoughts 41:26 Show Close Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, & Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/], and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/], a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2023 - 2025, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! Includes music provided by imunobeats.com [http://imunobeats.com/], featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

S5:E6 SHEIN’s Marketplace Evolution - A Conversation with George Chang, GM & Head of SHEIN Marketplace 🎙️What does modern marketplace success look like in the U.S? SHEIN is rewriting the rules — and George Chang [https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-chang-usc/], GM of SHEIN Marketplace [https://seller-us.shein.com/homepage] and key member of the senior leadership team at SHEIN, is leading the charge with his energetic & visionary leadership style. In this episode of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden dive deep with George to uncover how SHEIN is building a curated, invitation-only marketplace designed for Gen Z and Millennial consumers. From fashion and beauty to lifestyle and social commerce, SHEIN’s ecosystem is built for discovery, agility, and growth. 💡 Key topics in this episode: * • How SHEIN uses data insights to drive personalization and loyalty * • Why seller partnerships and social commerce are central to SHEIN’s strategy * • The evolution of customer acquisition post-2020 * • George Chang’s journey from Rakuten, Mirakl, and Newegg to SHEIN * • What makes SHEIN’s marketplace model different from Amazon, Temu, and others * • The future of retail and digital marketplaces 📈 Whether you’re a seller, strategist, or retail innovator, this episode delivers actionable insights into the next frontier of ecommerce! Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube [https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube] About our Guest George Chang, GM & Head of SHEIN Marketplace. https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-chang-usc/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-chang-usc/] SHEIN Marketplace: https://seller-us.shein.com/homepage [https://seller-us.shein.com/homepage] Prospective Sellers: https://seller-us.shein.com/get-started-shein-marketplace [https://seller-us.shein.com/get-started-shein-marketplace] To learn more about SHEIN: https://www.sheingroup.com/ [https://www.sheingroup.com/] George is an Ecommerce and Marketplace veteran with Senior leadership roles at Rakuten, Newegg, Sears, Mirakl, VTEX, Spreetail, and Cymax Group. He is currently part of the leadership team at SHEIN U.S. and is leading the 3rd Party Marketplace business at SHEIN. He has a unique 360 degree perspective on Ecommerce Marketplaces having operated, licensed, consulted and sold on multiple marketplaces. Chapters 00:00 Preview  01:10 Show Intro  05:40 Welcome George Chang, GM SHEIN Marketplace  06:59 What Sets Shein Apart  08:55 Shein's Marketplace Strategy  11:50 Customer and Seller Experience  16:58 Expanding Beyond Fashion  20:16 Evolving with the Customer  22:06 Diverse Seller Community  24:03 Understanding Gen Z and Millennials in E-commerce  26:49 The Rise of Social Commerce and Live Shopping  30:08 Driving Customer Loyalty through Engagement  33:06 Sustainability Initiatives and Mindful Purchasing  35:15 Future of Marketplaces and Hyper-Personalization  38:08 Final Thoughts  39:36 Show Close Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, & Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/], and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/], a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2023 - 2025, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! Includes music provided by imunobeats.com [http://imunobeats.com/], featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

S5:E5 Leading with Values: How Naturepedic Builds a Better Brand, with Arin Schultz What does it take to lead growth at the forefront of a movement for safer, healthier sleep? In this episode of The Retail Razor Show, we sit down with Arin Schultz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/arin-schultz-581a132b/], Chief Growth Officer at Naturepedic [https://www.naturepedic.com/], a pioneering brand in certified organic mattresses and bedding. With over eleven years in the organic sleep industry, Arin shares how he’s helped Naturepedic expand its market share, launch innovative products, and build a trusted brand committed to health, sustainability, and safety. We talk about the evolution of the organic mattress category, how purpose-driven growth strategies translate to retail success, and the balancing act of leading multiple departments—sales, marketing, retail, R&D, and more. Whether you're in retail, health-conscious consumer products, or looking to build a values-based, mission-led brand, this episode delivers sharp insights from one of the industry’s most committed and capable leaders! Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube [https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube] About our Guest Arin Schultz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/arin-schultz-581a132b/] is Chief Growth Officer at Naturepedic [https://www.naturepedic.com/], the leading organic mattress brand. As the lead on all Naturepedic marketing efforts, Arin develops and implements strategies that support the company’s business growth, customer retention, product innovation, consumer education initiatives and sustainability goals. Working for the certified organic, non-toxic mattress pioneer opened Arin’s eyes to the dangers of harmful chemicals and their pervasive presence in households across the globe. This knowledge has added a deeper purpose to his relentless push to help transform the brand’s vision into reality. A father of four and an empathetic listener, Arin’s success at Naturepedic is centered on his authentic understanding of the Naturepedic customer and his genuine desire to help families make the safest, healthiest sleep choices. 00:00 Preview  01:45 Show Intro  07:21 Arin Schultz, Chief Growth Officer, Naturepedic - The Mission  08:43 The Founding Story of Naturepedic  12:09 Challenges and Growth in the Mattress Industry  17:13 Retail Expansion and Customer Engagement  19:30 Product Innovation and Sustainability  23:10 Industry Environmental Impact and Continuous Product Improvement  35:20 Customer Experience and Meeting Their Needs  38:21 Replacing Your Mattress & Customer Service Excellence  43:20 Sourcing and Tariffs Impact  49:53 Embracing AI in Marketing and Operations  56:28 Advice for Growing a Values-Based Brand  59:23 Final Thoughts  01:00:38 Show Close Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, & Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/], and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/], a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2023 - 2025, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! Includes music provided by imunobeats.com [http://imunobeats.com/], featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

S5:E4 Empowering Women in Retail Tech: A New Era of Leadership In Season Five, Episode Four of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden engage in a captivating conversation with Shannon Flanagan, a seasoned retail leader and founder of Retail Women in Tech (RWIT). Shannon shares her journey from folding jeans at 18 to leading billion-dollar business transformations and emphasizes the importance of embracing change and innovation in retail. The episode underscores the critical role of diversity and inclusion in driving the industry forward, touching on the challenges and opportunities for women in tech and retail. Shannon discusses her vision for RWIT, a community aimed at fostering connections, mentorship, and leadership among women and allies in the retail tech space. With insights on change management, the impact of AI in retail, and the power of allyship, this episode offers valuable perspectives for retail professionals and tech enthusiasts alike. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/] Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube [https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube] About our Guest Shannon Flanagan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-e-flanagan/], founder of Retail Women in Tech [https://retailwomenintech.org/], https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-e-flanagan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-e-flanagan/] - Retail Women in Tech, https://retailwomenintech.org [https://retailwomenintech.org/] Shannon Flanagan caught the retail bug at 18 and never looked back. A retail strategist, AI enthusiast, and career change practitioner, she brings a 360-degree perspective on retail transformation—from product creation to customer experience—shaped by her work with hyper-growth startups to Fortune 500 retailers, consulting firms and tech companies. As a strategic partner and top industry voice, she collaborates with RETHINK Retail [https://www.linkedin.com/company/rethink-industries/], RetailWire [https://www.linkedin.com/company/retailwire/] and the RetailAICouncil [https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-ai-council/] to drive conversations that shape the future of the industry. As the founder of Retail Women in Tech [https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-women-in-tech/], Shannon has built a global community dedicated to creating life-changing connections for women and allies who share a passion for retail and technology. As social as retail is, there are surprisingly very few communities representing every facet of the industry. Shannon is on a mission to change that—stay tuned for more to come! 00:00 Preview  00:51 Show Intro  05:26 Welcome Shannon Flanagan  06:14 Shannon's Retail Journey Begins  08:47 Insights on Change Management  10:21 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives  15:03 Challenges in Hiring for Innovation  24:00 The Birth of Retail Women in Tech (RWIT)  34:42 Addressing the Leadership Gap  38:39 The Challenge of Asking for Help  40:36 The Harsh Reality for Female Founders  45:08 The Importance of Allies  49:01 Building a Supportive Community  59:32 The Future of Retail Women in Tech  01:06:22 Final Thoughts and Call to Action  01:08:53 Show Close Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech: Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Retail Thought Leader, Top 50 Management Thought Leader, & Top 100 Digital Transformation Thought Leader, plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation [https://business.gmu.edu/retail/], and is the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft. Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/], a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2023 - 2025, and Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community] advisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! Includes music provided by imunobeats.com [http://imunobeats.com/], featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.