Description

In this episode of Looped In: The Retail Re-Engagement Podcast, Ines sits down with Eleanor Thadani, a seasoned leader in CRM, clienteling, and customer experience whose career spans iconic brands from J.Crew and Michael Kors to LVMH, Zegna, and Jimmy Choo.

Eleanor shares how her journey from the e-commerce boom to luxury clienteling has shaped her view on personalization, why CRM and clienteling are “two sides of the same coin,” and what retailers often miss when they separate data from customer relationships.

We dive into:

• How luxury brands pioneered clienteling and what mass and DTC brands can learn.
• The untapped opportunity in mid-tier customers — beyond VICs.
• Why store-first perspectives matter when building CRM journeys.
• The messy but critical role of messaging channels (email, WhatsApp, text, Instagram DMs).
• How qualitative in-store feedback can unlock smarter merchandising.
• AI’s potential — and pitfalls — in scaling personalization.

Whether you’re a retailer exploring omnichannel engagement or just curious about how luxury brands have long mastered one-to-one relationships, this episode is packed with practical insights and future-facing questions.