Shows
The Retail Razor: Data BladesData, AI & the Customer Experience Gap - Rewriting the Marketing PlaybookS2E4 The Truth About Retail Customer Experience - What Adobe + Incisiv Discovered In this episode of The Retail Razor: Data Blades, Ricardo and Casey kick off a three‑part series with Dave Weinand, Chief Customer Officer at Incisiv, to unpack the latest Adobe + Incisiv State of Customer Experience in Retail and Consumer Goods research. Consumer expectations are rising faster than most retail marketing teams can respond, and the gap between what shoppers want and what brands deliver is widening. Dave breaks down why customer experience continues to lag despite massive investment, why traditional marketing playbooks are...
2026-02-1925 min
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersWhy Retail Strategies Fail - Kevin Ertell Breaks Down The Strategy TrapS2E2 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, longtime retail operator and author of The Strategy Trap: Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right. 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, “...
2026-02-1245 min
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersRetail Transformation Playbook: Michelle Pacynski on Innovation, Startups, and What’s NextS2E1 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, former VP of Innovation and Consumer Technology at Ulta Beauty, 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 Excelle...
2026-01-291h 08
The Retail Razor ShowThe New Era of Agentic Commerce and Retail Media Begins!Agentic Commerce, Retail Media, and the Human Experience: Season 6 PreviewSeason 6 of The Retail Razor Show is here, and we’re diving into the future of retail through the lens of Agentic Commerce and Retail Media. In this trailer, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden introduce a season built around the collision of technology, content, and the human experience. As Agentic Commerce reshapes how consumers discover and buy products, Retail Media becomes the environment where every decision is influenced, measured, and optimized.This season builds on the momentum from Season 5, wh...
2026-01-2305 min
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersRetail Is Being Rewritten - Meet the Leaders Transforming ItThe Boldest Voices in Retail Return | Season 2 Trailer Season 2 of Retail Transformers is here, and this year, we’re going deeper into the ideas, innovations, and leadership philosophies redefining the retail industry. Hosted by Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden, this season brings you candid conversations with the executives, innovators, and bold thinkers transforming commerce from the inside out. In this trailer, Ricardo and Casey reflect on the powerful insights from Season 1. From April Sabral’s purpose-driven leadership mindset to Dave Finnegan’s exploration of AI, identity, and trust. You’ll hear how leaders like Vicki Cantrell, Matt Marco...
2026-01-2005 min
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersAI and the Future of Retail - Dave Finnegan on Identity, Trust, Culture & Human ConnectionS1E6 From Anthropology to AI: Dave Finnegan on What Retail Leaders Must Understand Now AI isn’t just a technological shift, it’s a cultural revolution. In this powerful episode of The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with retail innovation leader Dave Finnegan. Dave is a former CIO of Build‑A‑Bearand CIO/CMO of Orvis, explorer, anthropologist, and member of NRF’s CIO and CMO Councils. Get ready for one of the most thought‑provoking conversations of the season! Drawing from his global anthropology journey and decades of retail leaders...
2025-12-2353 min
The Retail Razor: Data BladesProven Data-Driven Retail Tactics for Higher Average Transaction ValueS2:E3 From Service to Sales: How Retailers Can Increase ATV with Gareth Johns Retail store sales teams can no longer rely on delivering reactive service if they want to increase average transaction value. A proactive customer experience driven by passion and data are what’s required. In this episode of The Retail Razor: Data Blades, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden welcome back Gareth Johns, Chief Data Officer at TruRating, for the final installment of a three-part series. This time, the focus is on Average Transaction Value (ATV). A critical retail metric that goes beyond good service to...
2025-12-1720 min
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersRetail Leadership Lessons with Bobby Johnson – A People-First CultureS1E5 Retail Resilience & Innovation | Bobby Johnson on Mentorship, Culture, & AI In this episode of the Retail Razor: Retail Transformers Podcast, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with retail veteran Bobby Johnson, former people-first COO of BrandsMart and now co-founder of Spinjoy, a groundbreaking wash-and-fold laundry service in partnership with Walmart. Bobby shares his remarkable journey from appliance manager to C-suite executive, leading BrandsMart through decades of growth, resilience during the 2008 recession, and the challenges of COVID. His retail leadership philosophy is simple yet powerful: it’s never about the business; it’s always about...
2025-12-0442 min
The Retail Razor ShowAgentic AI for Retail Merchandising: Transforming Buying & PlanningS5E12 The Future of AI in Merchandising & Buying with Noah Herschman and Jeff FishIn Season 5, Episode 12 of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Noah Herschman and Jeff Fish of Intelo.ai to explore how agentic AI is revolutionizing retail merchandising and buying. From the art and science of retail merchandising to the persistent challenges of planning and allocation, this episode dives deep into how collaborative intelligence empowers merchandisers, planners, and buyers to make smarter, faster, and more creative decisions.What You’ll...
2025-11-2843 min
The Retail Razor: Data BladesIs Retail Loyalty Dead? Winning Today’s Savvy Shoppers with Gareth JohnsS2:E2 Retail Loyalty Unveiled: Epic Insights from Gareth Johns and TruRating Retail loyalty is no longer about points and discounts. It’s about experience, personalization, and values. In this episode of The Retail Razor: Data Blades, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden welcome back Gareth Johns, Chief Data Officer at TruRating, to explore the new retail loyalty playbook for retailers. Key Topics Covered:Why retail has one of the lowest customer retention rates across industriesThe myth of “owning” customers vs. being part of their shopping repertoireHow 59% of customers return simply because of friendly serviceThe hidden i...
2025-11-2527 min
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersThe Playbook for Scaling Startup Innovation with Anna FarberovS1E4 - From Pilot to Scale: How Anna Farberov Drives Innovation at PepsiCo Labs In this episode of the Retail Transformers Podcast, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden talk with Anna Farberov, GM of PepsiCo Labs, about how one of the world’s largest CPG companies scales startup innovation from pilot to enterprise-wide transformation. Anna shares her journey from finance and strategy into corporate innovation leadership, revealing how PepsiCo Labs built a structured playbook for startup partnerships that achieves a remarkable 50% success rate. She explains how to avoid innovation theater, define clear KPIs for pilots, and...
2025-11-2046 min
The Retail Razor: Data BladesBoost Retail Conversion: Gareth Johns on Data-Driven Strategies That Drive SalesS2:E1 Revolutionize Your Retail Strategy with Data-Driven Conversion Insights Season Two of The Retail Razor: Data Blades opens with a sharp focus on the retail metric that makes or breaks growth: conversion rates. Hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Gareth Johns, Chief Data Officer at TruRating, to reveal how real-time shopper feedback and data-driven insights are helping retailers unlock millions in revenue. In this episode, you’ll discover:Why conversion is the biggest untapped retail growth opportunity.The flaws in exit surveys, QR codes, and focus groups.How staff avai...
2025-11-0122 min
The Retail Razor ShowBONUS Sharpening Retail Strategies | AI, Customer Experience, Retail Media, and Employee ImpactBONUS - The Retail Razor: Data Blades Season 2 TrailerData Blades Returns: AI, CX, and Retail Media for Executive Leaders Welcome to a special cross-release of the Season 2 trailer for The Retail Razor: Data Blades—the podcast that slices through complex retail research to deliver sharp, actionable insights and retail strategies for executive leaders in the AI era. In Season 1, we cut through the clutter with data-backed insights to identify strategies for:Inflation’s uneven impact across age groups—where seniors felt the pinch more than younger shoppers.Shifting s...
2025-10-2903 min
The Retail Razor ShowBONUS Sharpen Your Leadership Blade | Insights for the AI EraBONUS - The Retail Razor: Blade to Greatness Season 2 TrailerRetail Executive Leadership & Coaching Insights for the AI EraWelcome to a special cross-release of the Season 2 trailer for The Retail Razor: Blade to Greatness — the podcast where retail leaders sharpen their edge. Hosted by Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden, this series explores the essential skills & qualities every retail executive needs to lead boldly, stay sharp, & stay human in the AI era.In Season 1, we uncovered the fundamentals of great leadership:how intrinsic motivation and autonomy unlock innovationwhy positivity is fuel...
2025-10-2703 min
The Retail Razor: Data BladesSharpening Retail Strategies | AI, Customer Experience, Retail Media, and Employee ImpactSeason 2 Trailer - Data Blades Returns: AI, CX, and Retail Media for Executive Leaders Welcome to Season 2 of The Retail Razor: Data Blades—the podcast that slices through complex retail research to deliver sharp, actionable insights and retail strategies for executive leaders in the AI era. In Season 1, we cut through the clutter with data-backed insights to identify strategies for:Inflation’s uneven impact across age groups—where seniors felt the pinch more than younger shoppers.Shifting shopping habits—like 74% of consumers using lists to control spending.The power of values in loyalty—with 77% of consumers say...
2025-10-1604 min
The Retail Razor: Blade to Greatness!Sharpen Your Leadership Blade | Insights for the AI EraS2 Trailer - Retail Executive Leadership & Coaching Insights for the AI EraWelcome to Season 2 of Blade to Greatness—the podcast where retail leaders sharpen their edge. Hosted by Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden, this series explores the essential skills & qualities every retail executive needs to lead boldly, stay sharp, & stay human in the AI era.In Season 1, we uncovered the fundamentals of great leadership:how intrinsic motivation and autonomy unlock innovationwhy positivity is fuel, not fluffrethinking hiring, career development, & investing in peopleSeason 2 takes it further with new retail ex...
2025-10-1403 min
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersBuilt on Belief: Matt Marcotte on Cultures of Commitment in RetailS1E3- Why Compliance Isn’t Enough: Matt Marcotte on Fostering True Commitment In this episode of the Retail Transformers podcast, part of the Retail Razor Podcast Network, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with retail legend Matt Marcotte — founder of M2 Collaborative, former COO of Bergdorf Goodman, retail executive at Apple, Tory Burch, and The Gap, and former Global Industry Advisor at Salesforce. Matt shares insights from his new book, Built On Belief: Why Cultures of Commitment Are The Competitive Advantage, exploring why commitment-driven cultures outperform compliance-driven organizations. You'll learn how belief can transform both...
2025-10-071h 00
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersBuilding Community & Transforming Careers: Vicki CantrellS1E2 - Transforming Retail: Vicki Cantrell on Building Community, AI, and Human ConnectionsIn this episode of The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Vicki Cantrell — retail executive, technology leader, and CEO & Co‑Founder of Vendors in Partnership (VIP) — to explore her extraordinary journey from wrapping gifts in a small shop to leading technology and operations at luxury brands like Tory Burch, Giorgio Armani, and Gucci Group, and shaping the future of retail communities as SVP of Community at the National Retail Federation. Known across the industry as “The Fair...
2025-09-091h 08
The Retail Razor ShowAmazon Prime Day Hidden Truths with Meghan BardenS5:E8 Prime Day Unveiled: Trends, Sales, and What Lies Ahead for RetailAmazon 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, Director of Global Retail Media at Rithum, 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 standou...
2025-08-2640 min
The Retail Razor ShowHow SHEIN is Rewriting Retail’s Marketplace Rulebook, with George ChangS5: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, GM of SHEIN Marketplace 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 fash...
2025-08-0640 min
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersLeading with Positivity: April Sabral's Retail RevolutionS1E1- Transforming Retail: April Sabral on Mindset and AI Welcome to the first episode of The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers podcast! Hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden dive into candid conversations with top innovators, change-makers, and disruptors in the retail industry. In this episode, they welcome April Sabral, a renowned leadership and mindset expert, who shares insights on the power of purpose-driven leadership, building deeper connections, and fostering a positive mindset within teams. The conversation dives deep into embracing AI in retail, building emotional resilience, and fostering a positive workplace culture. April shares insights from h...
2025-07-141h 05
The Retail Razor: Retail TransformersSpotlighting Real Change Makers in Retail Beyond the Buzz - Season 1 TrailerS1 Trailer - Insider’s Guide to the Visionaries Shaping the Future of Retail In this trailer for The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden introduce our new podcast series, part of The Retail Razor Podcast Network, focused on the individuals driving real transformation in the retail industry. Highlighting the importance of bold leadership, cutting-edge technology, and innovative strategies including AI-driven personalization, next-gen in-store experiences, and reimagined supply chains. Plus, we'll revisit past Retail Transformers guests from The Retail Razor Show for updates on their latest innovations and insights, in addition to...
2025-06-1603 min
The Retail Razor ShowThe New Playbook for Digital Marketing with Chris CarlS5:E2 Influencers, Gen Z, & Beyond Social Commerce: Lessons from AliExpress with Chris CarlWelcome to the second episode of Season 5 of the Retail Razor Show! Join hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden as they dive into the fresh tactics and cutting-edge strategies that are driving the future of retail and e-commerce with Gen Z. In this episode, they are joined by Chris Carl, the US Head of Marketing for AliExpress (Alibaba Group), to discuss ‘the new playbook for digital marketing’ fresh from his insightful session on marketing to Gen Z at eTail West!
2025-04-2443 min
The Retail Razor ShowTransforming Retail Media into a Growth Engine with Drew CashmoreS5:E1 Unleashing Retail Media's Potential: A Conversation with Drew CashmoreWelcome to Season 5 of the Retail Razor Show! In our premiere episode, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden dive deep into retail media with special guest Drew Cashmore, Chief Strategy Officer at Vantage and a pioneer in the retail media space, with a background scaling Walmart Connect to a $2 billion business. Drew shares his insights on the evolution of retail media, the driving forces behind its rapid growth, and the challenges retailers face in scaling their media networks. Drew also discusses the importance of...
2025-04-1053 min
The Retail Razor: Data BladesRetail Insights Unveiled: Maximizing Store Team PotentialS1:E6 The Power of Knowledgeable Store Teams In the final episode to Season 1 of the Retail Razor: Data Blades, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden welcome Georgina Nelson, CEO of TruRating. Georgina discusses the significant impact well-informed store teams have on retail performance. Highlighting a global sporting goods retailer's success, Georgina reveals that 90% of shoppers acknowledged receiving multiple product options from staff, leading to a 27% increase in average shopper spend. The conversation emphasizes the importance of personalized customer interactions, cross-selling, upselling, and the tangible benefits of sales and product training. Insights are derived from TruRating’s inn...
2025-03-1310 min