Shows
The Retail Perch116. From Layout to Loyalty: Retail Design with Flora DelaneyThis week on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary sit down with Flora Delaney, a veteran retail and CPG executive, consultant, and author of Retail: The Second-Oldest Profession.With over 25 years of experience, Flora shares how smart space planning, strategic category management, and AI-driven insights transform today’s in-store experience.Join us as we explore her patented Intelligent Dashboard for Pricing and Promotion, the Earned Space Model for space optimization, and why balancing national and regional retail strategies is key to growth.2025-07-0845 min
The Retail Perch114. Interview with Neil Twa of Voltage Holdings, LLCDon't miss this week’s episode, featuring Neil Twa, the CEO of Voltage Holdings, LLC. As co-author of Almost Automated Income with FBA, Neil specializes in launching, operating, and acquiring e-commerce brands, particularly within the Amazon FBA space. In this conversation with Shekar and Gary, he shares his journey from almost studying music theory to uncovering his passion for e-commerce—and much more.2025-02-0345 min
The Retail Perch113. Interview with Todd Maute of CBXThis week on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary welcome Todd Maute, who is a parter at CBX. With many years of branding expertise, Todd shares his journey from advertising to transforming private labels into high-quality, innovative brands. They discuss the evolution of private label perception, the role of retailers like Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, and more.2025-01-2742 min
The Retail Perch112. Interview with David Milstein of SellCordThis week on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary are thrilled to chat with David Milstein, the co-founder and CEO of SellCord, a service agency dedicated to simplifying the process of selling on Walmart’s marketplace. David shares his unique journey and insights into navigating Walmart’s ecosystem, from his beginnings in IT to helping clients with product placement. The trio discusses his entrepreneurial path, challenges that sellers face, strategies for thriving in the competitive retail landscape, and much more!2024-12-0241 min
The Retail Perch111. Interview with Mykhailo Maksymenko of CustomerTimesIn this week’s episode, Shekar and Gary are joined by special guest Mykhailo Maksymenko, Vice President and Salesforce Practice Head at CustomerTimes Corp, a leader in CRM and digital transformation. Mykhailo shares insights into his role as a product-to-market expert, exploring topics such as crafting emotional connections with buyers, the power of synthetic data, cocktails, and much more.2024-11-1945 min
The Retail Perch110. Interview with Kevin Coupe of MorningNewsBeatThis week on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary are excited to welcome an intelligent and humorous guest, Kevin Coupe, the founder of Morning News Beat—a news platform that provides the latest updates and insights in the retail industry. As Kevin shares his journey from starting out as a news reporter, the trio dives into discussions on retailers' reactions to AI, the shifting dynamics of advertising, Amazon, and much more.2024-08-1248 min
The Retail Perch109. Interview with Kausambi Manjita of MasonThis week on the Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary are thrilled to host Kausambi Manjita, who divides her time between Bangalore and Toronto. She is the Co-founder of Mason, a provider of AI-powered customer service solutions. They discuss a unique perspective on the intersection of technology and customer experience, geographic consumer behavior, generative AI, and much more.2024-06-2144 min
The Retail Perch107. Interview with Gary Hawkins, Author of Bionic RetailOn this special episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar hosts our very own Gary Hawkins, to tell us about his latest book! Bionic Retail: How to Thrive in an Exponential World explores the connection between evolving technology and supermarkets. They chat about Gary's childhood, farm life, and his family's grocery business, uncovering fascinating stories along the way.2024-04-0831 min
The Retail Perch103. Interview with Ross Finman of AugmodoIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome a new guest and a topic closely related to Gary's upcoming book, “Bionic Retail.” Ross Finman is the CEO & Founder of Augmodo, a spatial computing company that works to improve the grocery industry. The three discuss Ross’s journey from living on Llama Farms to Silicon Valley, integrating mapping with augmented reality, and much more!2024-03-0441 min
The Retail Perch102. Interview with Suryaveer Singh of Emirates National Oil CompanyDo not miss this episode with Shekar, Gary and special guest, Suryaveer Singh! Suryaveer Singh is the head of loyalty at Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC). Suryaveer explains his background in banking and slowly making his way into the loyalty industry. The three discuss how fuel retail works, how loyalty cannot be bought and much more!2024-02-1943 min
The Retail Perch101. Interview with Brian Cohen of PureRedThis week, on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary are thrilled to welcome Brian Cohen, the CEO of PureRed, a dynamic company at the forefront of marketing and technology innovation. In this engaging conversation, Shekar and Gary delve into Brian's diverse background, spanning from space science to cutting-edge machine learning technology. Together, they explore exciting developments in the realm of artificial intelligence, the future landscape of e-commerce, and a host of other fascinating topics!2024-02-0546 min
The Retail Perch100. Interview with Len CovelloThis week on the Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar are in the festive spirit as they mark a momentous occasion - their 100th episode! To make it truly special, they're joined by a distinguished guest, Len Covello, the Chief Technology Officer of Engage People, a company dedicated to enhancing customer loyalty. Together, Gary, Shekar, and Len dive deep into the fascinating world of customer loyalty. They discuss the intricate dynamics of loyalty programs, the redemption of reward points, the ever-evolving landscape of customer loyalty in the era of technological advancements, and so much more. Tune in for an insightful...2024-01-0239 min
The Retail Perch99. Interview with Scott GreenbergIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Scott Greenberg, an acclaimed keynote speaker, renowned for his insightful understanding of people dynamics, and an accomplished author. Scott's insights not only shed light on the intricacies of managerial roles within businesses but also offer actionable takeaways for those navigating the dynamic world of retail. The three discuss the influence of diverse personality types on retail environments, the nuances of generational disparities in the workplace, and much more.2023-12-0446 min
The Retail Perch98. Interview with Linda WakimOn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Linda Wakim, a very special guest and someone they know very well. Linda Wakim, VP of Pre-Sales and Client Success at Birdzi has vast knowledge in all things retail . The three discuss Linda’s pathway through the technology in the retail industry from Giant Eagle to Birdzi, her love of analytics, how she uses her experience to help retailers get the most out of their data, and much more!2023-11-2041 min
The Retail Perch97. Interview with Chris Kocek of Gallant BrandingIn the latest installment of The Retail Perch, your hosts Gary and, filling in for Shekar, co host Stephanie, have the pleasure of welcoming a Chris Kocek. Chris, the author of "Any Insights Yet?" and the visionary Founder & CEO of Gallant Branding, takes us on an intriguing journey through his transition from the world of advertising to the realm of strategy. Join us as Chris delves into the art of defining insights, explores the impact of AI tools on this crucial facet, and covers a myriad of other thought-provoking topics.2023-10-3035 min
The Retail Perch96. Interview with Tom Burgess of Snipp InteractiveThis week on the Retail Perch, Gary Hawkins and Shekar Raman are joined by the remarkable Tom Burgess, a true polymath who divides his time between pioneering new ventures and sailing the open seas. Tom boasts a distinguished track record as the founder of four companies, and he currently holds the esteemed position of President at Snipp Interactive. Join us as Shekar, Gary, and Tom engage in a captivating conversation spanning topics such as payments data integration, the synergy between banking and retail data for shoppers, Tom's adventures sailing across the globe, and a myriad of other intriguing subjects.2023-10-0938 min
The Retail Perch95. Interview with Paul V. McEnroeOn this very special episode, Gary and Shekar welcome Paul V. McEnroe, author of THE BARCODE: How a Team Created One of the World's Most Ubiquitous Technologies and a retail pioneer. The inventor of the barcode joins The Retail Perch for a riveting discussion. Paul explains his story in Ohio and his path to creating such an important part of our daily lives. They discuss his journey, the introduction of the barcode to the retail industry in the 1980s, and much more.2023-09-1142 min
The Retail Perch94. Interview with SparkPlugDo not miss this episode with Shekar, Gary, Andrew Duffy, and Jake Sky Levin, co-founders of SparkPlug. SparkPlug is a sales incentive software built for retailers and brands to engage frontline teams to hit sales goals while increasing employee engagement. Andrew and Jake explain their interesting career path from hedge funds to tea companies to the retail industry. Also covered in this episode are Sparkplug’s onboarding process, their most recent accomplishments, and much more.2023-08-1440 min
The Retail Perch93. Interview with Raz Golan of ShopicThis week, Gary and Shekar are joined by Raz Golan co-founder of Shopic, a company that has transformed the shopping experience to another level. Shopic seamlessly integrates online stores with physical retail stores, enabling businesses to manage inventory, sales, and customer interactions in one unified system. It offers a streamlined shopping experience for both online and in-store customers, fostering efficient and effective retail operations. Shopic has developed an artificial intelligence based device called Smart Cart that attaches to a shopping cart. With cutting edge technology can detect when shoppers remove and add items to their cart acting as a...2023-07-1741 min
The Retail Perch92. Interview with Max Koziolek of SpectrmOn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Max Koziolek who has come a long way from politics to making a marketing platform. Max Koziolek is the co-founder of Spectrm, a conversational marketing platform that powers chatbots for a wide range of companies. Max shares his run in a national election in Germany, his interest in journalism and how that transformed into his current focus of helping marketing teams build trust, and provide success to brands. The three discuss marketing, the rise of marketing on WhatsApp, and much more!2023-07-1238 min
The Retail Perch91. Interview with Justin Chen of PickFuIn this week’s episode, Shekar and Gary interview Justin Chen, co-founder of PickFu, a company that provides a self-service way to get in-depth consumer feedback be it for businesses, authors, game designers, and more. Their instant polling services allow you to get feedback on anything from logos to business ideas from your chosen target audience in minutes. Justin explains how this whole project began, how PickFu can be used in the retail industry, how the surveys work, and much more. 2023-06-1934 minThe Retail Perch90. Interview with ChatGPTOn this week's The Retail Perch, Gary, and Shekar welcome a fascinating, virtual guest, that knows a lot about...well everything. The three of them discuss marketing personalization in retail, the podcast, and the future of AI in the retail industry. 2023-05-1528 min
The Retail Perch89. Interview with Chandan Mahajan of DotKonnektIn this episode, Shekar and Gary chat with Chandan Mahajan, one of the founders of DotKonnekt, a company that focuses on helping consumer brands scale their D2C channels organically. Chandan comes from a family of retailers and learned the ropes of retail in his earlier years from his father. The three discuss emotional engagement, a brand's relationships with its customers, and much more.2023-03-2735 min
The Retail Perch88. Interview with Galen Walters of Stor.aiDon't miss this episode where Shekar and Gary welcome Galen Walters. Galen is the CEO of Stor.ai, a Relationshop Company, a platform that empowers retailers by combining ecommerce, data analytics, and omni-channel engagement capabilities to increase transactions, enhance loyalty and grow sales. Galen shares his history in the grocery industry from a boy working in grocery to a pioneer in shopper engagement and changing the retail technology industry. The three discuss the big shifts in the retail industry from a digital marketing perspective, the challenges those shifts may entail for retailers, and much more.2023-03-2138 min
The Retail Perch87. Interview with Valentin Radu of OmniconvertIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar delve even deeper into the world of data and marketing with Valentin Radu, CEO of Omniconvert. Omniconvert focuses on Direct to Consumer businesses, and enriching their customer experiences. Valentin explains his journey in e-commerce, and how to retain customers. The three discuss the future for the company, the goals Omniconvert has and its involvement with the grocery retail industry.2023-02-2736 min
The Retail Perch86. Interview with Sean Snyder of Engagement AgentsIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Sean Snyder. Sean Snyder, a fellow retailer himself, is CEO of Engagement Agents. His company helps retailers optimize leases, drive traffic and sales, and prevent lost traffic and sales to competitors! Retailers can achieve up to 30% more traffic and sales by engaging the "hidden" marketing dollars within their leases with the help of Engagement Agents. Sean discusses his marketing background, his time working at Stitch It, his inspiration for Engagement Agents, and much more.2023-02-1330 min
The Retail Perch85. Interview with Carol Leaman of AxonifyIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary returns to join Shekar in welcoming Carol Leaman. Carol is the CEO of Axonify Inc., a company that delivers fun training and communications to frontline employees. In this episode learn why companies like Kroger and Walmart have used Axonify to communicate with their frontline employees. The three discuss the effects the pandemic had on Axonify, digitization of employee training, retail workforce predictions and much more!2023-02-0632 min
The Retail Perch83. Interview with Sharat Potharaju of BeaconstacThis week on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary welcome their first guest from India, Sharat Potharaju. Sharat is the Co-Founder & CEO of Beaconstac. Beaconstac generates QR codes, makes templated landing pages, and facilitates engagement with QR codes. Sharat explains his steps in problem-solving for Beaconstac and connecting the physical and digital world, the importance and future of QR codes in the retail industry, and so much more.2022-12-1937 min
The Retail Perch82. Shekar and Gary's Predictions for 2023!In this special episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary discuss their top 10 predictions for 2023 surrounding supermarket retail. They both share five of their own predictions which include the growth of retail media networks , artificial intelligence, smart carts and much more!2022-12-1331 min
The Retail Perch81. Interview with Andrew Forman of GivzThis is the perfect episode to kick off the season of giving! Gary and Shekar welcome Andrew Forman, Founder & CEO of Givz, a platform that provides customers with an alternative option to traditional discounts that give back to others. Andrew discusses the origin story of Givz, and what inspired him to combine his passion for charity with e-commerce. He explains how donation incentives rather than discounts are helping retailers see a lift in sales and consumer engagement. 2022-11-1431 min
The Retail Perch80. Interview with Andrew and Thomas Parkinson of Sifter SolutionsIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary are excited to have brothers, Andrew and Thomas Parkinson, founders of Peapod, on The Retail Perch. Andrew and Thomas have more recently founded Sifter Solutions, which personalizes the shopping experience by matching complex diets with the right foods. They explain how their backgrounds led them to the retail industry, the future of e-commerce, future plans for Sifter Solutions, and how Peapod inspired Birdzi.2022-10-3137 min
The Retail Perch79. Interview with Todd Michaud of HuLoop AutomationThis week Shekar and Gary are thrilled to welcome Todd Michaud to The Retail Perch. Todd is the CEO of HuLoop Automation, a company that works with retailers and brands to provide them with digital assistants and digital workers to help them augment what their people do. The three discuss the benefits HuLoop Automation brings to retailers, what the Kroger-Albertsons merger means to the industry, Instacart's recent valuation, and much more.2022-10-2431 min
The Retail Perch78. Groceryshop Recap with Gary and ShekarIn this special episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary share their thoughts on the recent Groceryshop event in Las Vegas. It is evident from their enthusiasm that in-person events are almost back to their pre-covid glory. They discuss Instacart’s acquisition of Rosie, computer vision platforms, electronic shelf tags, dynamic pricing, and much more!2022-10-1023 min
The Retail Perch77. Interview with Shawn Tuckett of WebstopThis week on The Retail Perch, Shekar, and Gary welcome Shawn Tuckett, CEO of Webstop, a company that helps retailers be more successful digitally. Shawn explains how Webstop levels the digital playing field for small to midsize retailers by providing powerful end-to-end solutions to create a complete digital grocery experience. The three discuss; Webstop's retail media network for small to midsized retailers, how digital strategies have changed over the last 10 years, the flexibility of digital promotion vs. the traditional ad cycle, why retailers should prioritize promotional pages on their websites, and so much more.2022-09-1940 min
The Retail Perch76. Interview with Russ Hawkins of AgilenceThis week Gary and Shekar welcome Russ Hawkins, President, and CEO of Agilence. Agilence is a leader in loss prevention analytics, helping retailers, restaurants, and grocery retailers reduce preventable loss. Russ describes his journey from New England Telephone to Agilence and all the stops along the way. The three delve into the areas where businesses are using Agilence’s analytics platform to gather insights into revenue, revenue management, climate management, compliance, and cost and expense controls2022-08-2939 min
The Retail Perch75. Interview with Kevin Sterneckert of DemandTecThis week Gary and Shekar welcome Kevin Sterneckert, Chief Strategy Officer at DemandTec an Acoustic Company. Kevin brings extensive experience in grocery retail, retail technology analysis, and identifying the possibilities of AI, IoT, big data technologies of the future that are creating excellence in the supply chain. The three discuss the keys to successful deployment, reasons deployments fail, how physical shopping is changing, and much more. 2022-08-1543 min
The Retail Perch74. Interview with Doug Madenberg of The Feedback GroupIn this episode, Gary and Shekar welcome back Doug Madenberg Chief Listening Officer and Executive Director at The Feedback Group. Doug is on to share the findings from The Feedback Group's recent national research on food price inflation and shoppers' perception of grocer's profitability. Doug shares the strategies customers are using to cope, the percentage of shoppers using these strategies, the call to action that retailers can't afford to ignore, and much more. The insights from this research are too valuable to miss, if you are a retailer, take the time to listen to this episode.2022-08-0140 min
The Retail Perch73. Interview with Stephen Statler of WiliotThis week Gary and Shekar get the opportunity to geek out with Stephen Statler, SVP at Amazon-backed Wiliot a company that has designed IoT Pixels to track the location and temperature of produce from farms to stores. Stephen explains how their postage stamp-sized technology is allowing retailers to minimize waste and maximize freshness for customers. The three also delve into how these tiny computers are powered, the costs associated with them, their uses in grocery retail, and much more. 2022-07-2545 min
The Retail Perch72. Interview with Arsen Avakian of Cooler ScreensThis week, Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking Arsen Avakian CEO and Founder of Cooler Screens and Founder of Argo Tea. The focus of today's conversation is the sophisticated digital add platform known as Cooler Screens, but Arsen shares how building his challenger tea brand, Argo Tea, helped him to understand the consumer experience gap (CX Gap) between the information available online and the information deficit of brick and mortar shopping. Cooler Screens bridge that gap by using AI to deliver ingredient information, allergens, calories, etc. as well as vibrant images of the actual products within the ca...2022-07-1846 min
The Retail Perch71. Interview with Jay Jordan of Strella BiotechnologySustainability seems to be a buzzword in grocery retail these days. Many retailers have gone so far as to sign sustainability pacts. In this episode, Gary and Shekar speak with Jay Jordan, co-founder, and COO of Strella Biotech, a startup that provides actionable data to optimize the fresh supply chain. Strella Biotech focuses on upstream supply to make ripeness predictable and reduce food waste. Jay explains where the inspiration for Strell Biotech came from, how their ethylene sensing technology works to optimize inventory, the possibilities for this tech in retail, and much more. 2022-07-1139 min
The Retail Perch70. Interview with Sterling HawkinsThis week Shekar, Gary, and guest host Stephanie have the privilege of speaking with Sterling Hawkins, keynote speaker, investor, entrepreneur, and author. Sterling is on the show to share his new book, "Hunting Discomfort." We discuss the #nomatterwhat movement, how fear and ego keep us stuck in business and life, and much more. This show is for anyone who feels there are too many obstacles between them and the goals they would like to achieve. 2022-07-0545 min
The Retail Perch69. Interview with Lucinda Wright of Cask & KettleGary and Shekar welcome Lucinda Wright, co-founder and CEO of Cask & Kettle, creators of boozy cocktail k-pods for home coffee brewing systems. That's right boozy k-pods! When one thinks of alcoholic beverages, technology probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but Lucinda’s story about their k-pods distilled spirits will make you think twice. Boozie vanilla latte anyone? Just load the k-pod and press brew on your coffee maker! Lucinda shares her inspiration story and the challenges associated with breaking into adult beverages with a product unlike any other on the market. 2022-06-0639 min
The Retail Perch68. Interview with Adam Zimmerman of DESIGN HOUSEThis week Gary and Shekar welcome Adam Zimmerman, Partner at DESIGN HOUSE, an advanced digital circular platform. DESIGN HOUSE is redefining the weekly ad for retailers in more ways than one and of course, Gary and Shekar were excited to offer their .02 on the subject. Adam explains how his company has taken the weekly circular of the 1970s and modernized it into a digital ecosystem that drives traffic into the store, and they have the analytics to prove it.2022-05-0932 min
The Retail Perch67. Interview with Alicia Esposito of Retail TouchPointsThis week is a first for The Retail Perch! Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking with Alicia Esposito, VP of Content at Retail TouchPoints. Alicia offers the unique perspective of someone in retail media. The three discuss Retail TouchPoints' approach to delivering relevant content to retailers, the different retail verticals and what they can learn from each other, the power of TikTok and other social media, what grocery can learn from the cosmetic retail industry, and much more!2022-05-0233 min
The Retail Perch66. Interview with Tommy Yionoulis of OpsAnaliticaThis week, Gary and Shekar are joined by Tommy Yionoulis founder of OpsAnalitica, a SaaS platform that helps clients manage their daily operations and identify issues in their business so they can be addressed quickly and efficiently. Tommy tells the story of how he went from college grad to stand-up comedian to founder of OpsAnaliica. They discuss the positive impact the platform had on businesses during Covid, the ways it reduces the load of operations teams, and much more!2022-04-2547 min
The Retail Perch65. The Path to Personalization: Part IIIIn Part III of this series, Gary and Shekar discuss how to execute quickly on the copious data that retailers have to ensure they are providing the most relevant offers to their customers. They also talk about how marketing automation combined with a sophisticated understanding of each shopper helps retailers create strategies for 1 to 1 personalization, the future of the weekly ad, and much more.2022-04-1127 min
The Retail Perch64. The Path to Personalization: Part IIIn Part II of this series, Gary shares how he took his family stores from mailed out paper coupons targeting the top 30% of shoppers to an engine that supported personalization algorithms which allowed him to deliver coupons to specific customers via the web, email, or a kiosk. Shekar then explains the transition from pre-cloud data centers to the more accessible cloud and how it democratized access to high-performance computing. They finish their discussion by clarifying the difference between segmentation and personalization. 2022-03-2833 min
The Retail Perch63. The Path to Personalization: Part IIn part one of a two-part series, Gary and Shekar discuss how personalization has evolved over the years. Gary shares his experience in the retail trenches and the lessons he learned from them. They discuss why grocers needed to develop loyalty programs and the new information they were able to learn from these programs. Next week they will discuss the steps grocers can take to move their personalization strategies to the next level. 2022-03-2129 min
The Retail Perch62. Interview with Manolo Almagro of Q DivisionThis week, Shekar and Gary welcome Manolo Almagro, Managing Partner at Q Division, a transformational tech consultancy. Manolo offers his perspective on retail tech and where it's going. He also weighs in on the MetaVerse and how it can be used in grocery, the limitations of the Amazon stores, his ideal e-commerce experience, why 5-year plans should make way for 12-24 month plans, and so much more.2022-03-1435 min
The Retail Perch61. Interview with Michael Solomon Expert on Consumer BehaviorThe Retail Perch is back! And what a fantastic guest to return with. This week, Gary and Shekar have the opportunity to speak with Michael Solomon, prolific author and Professor of Marketing at Saint Joseph's University. "They want to be educated, they want to be stimulated, they want to be entertained, and there’s no reason not to do that,” says Michael about consumers. The three discuss how to achieve this in grocery retail in addition to the importance of environment on buying behavior, how to move a grocery store from a food warehouse to a community center, and so mu...2022-03-0740 min
The Retail Perch60. Interview with Jason Goldberg of RetailgeekThis week Gary and Shekar welcome a fellow podcaster on the show. Jason Goldberg, co-host of the popular e-commerce Podcast, the Jason & Scot Show. He is also a 4th generation retailer who brings with him the perspective of someone who had a front-row seat to the digital disruption of retail. Jason explains his family journey from a fruit cart to Blockbuster Video to Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis and Retailgeek. Jason offers his prediction for the future of e-commerce in grocery, advice on how retailers can make e-commerce profitable, and much more. 2022-01-3136 min
The Retail Perch59. Interview with Harold Lloyd of Harold Lloyd PresentsThis week Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking with Harold Lloyd, vice president at Harold Lloyd Presents, Inc, where for the past 25 years he has been presenting ideas and solutions to the retail and supermarket industry to better enhance their productivity, team leadership, time management and more. To say this episode is entertaining would be an understatement. Harold shares the story of how he fell in love with grocery retail, his totem pole theory, his projections for the next five years and so much more. Do not miss this episode. 2022-01-1749 min
The Retail Perch58. Interview with David Klavsons of King Juice Co./Calypso LemonadeThe Retail Perch is back this week with a refreshingly new perspective from a CPG company. Gary and Shekar interview David Klavsons, Chief Executive Officer at King Juice/Calypso Lemonade. David explains his journey from big CPGs like PepsiCo, Nabisco, and Craft to convenience retail and now Calypso Lemonade. He highlights how his organization has used a test and learn environment to grow its brand. He has some great advice for brands including how data, distributors, retailers, and your own organization work together as pieces of the same puzzle. 2022-01-1041 min
The Retail Perch57. Interview with Rupal Patel of VocaliDThis week's episode is a slight departure from our usual focus on grocery retail. Shekar and Gary have the opportunity to speak with Rupal Patel, CEO of VocaliD, custom synthetic voice designers, and the makers of PARROT STUDiO, a no-code audible content creation platform. Rupal explains how synthetic voice is created using AI, the various uses for synthetic voice, and some of the ethical issues around it. Best of all, she gives us a live demo of the PARROT STUDiO platform inspiring Gary and Shekar to brainstorm all kinds of uses for it within the grocery sector. Visit https...2021-12-1344 min
The Retail Perch56. Interview with Daniel Lundh of Lifvs powered by StorekeyAre unmanned stores the wave of the future? This week Gary and Shekar speak with Daniel Lundh, founder and COO of Lifvs, and the platform that powers it, Storekey. Daniel shares why areas of Sweden can be considered food deserts and the solution he created to solve the problem. Lifvs are small, 24-hour, unmanned grocery stores that shoppers can access through the company's app. The company currently boasts more autonomous stores than Amazon. Listen to learn how they handle supply chain and shrinkage, and how the technology can be used in other retail verticals. Learn more at storekey.com a...2021-12-0640 min
The Retail Perch55. Interview with John Readman of BOSCO™ powered by Modo25This week Shekar and Gary delve into digital marketing with John Readman, Founder & CEO BOSCO™ powered by Modo25, an AI machine learning tool that suggests where retailers should be investing their marketing spend. Throughout his journey in technology marketing, John realized people wanted to understand their digital marketing rather than just paying an agency to do it for them. BOSCO™ allows retailers to look at their market presence across different channels and help them understand where their focus should be and arms them with the knowledge to build their marketing roadmap. Meet John at NRF (booth #1259) and ask any ques...2021-11-2946 min
The Retail Perch54. Harold Lloyd Presents Share GroupIn this special episode, Shekar Raman and Gary Hawkins participate in another Harold Lloyd Presents share group. They explain the danger and the opportunity presented by strategic personalization in the grocery industry. A valuable Q&A from the retailers sheds light on where grocers feel the most friction around new technology. Moderated by Doug Madenberg of The Feedback Group 2021-11-1824 min
The Retail Perch52. Interview with Jeremy Neren of GrocerKeyThis week Shekar and Gary speak with Jeremy Neren, co-founder and CEO of GorcerKey, a comprehensive e-commerce platform for independent and regional grocers. Jeremy explains how he went from a high school teacher to the CEO of a grocery technology company. The three delve into topics including the evolution of e-commerce, ways to make it profitable, and of course Instacart!2021-11-0133 min
The Retail Perch50. Gary and Shekar review The NGA Show and GroceryShopThis week, Gary and Shekar review the most recent in-person events in Las Vegas. They discuss precautions taken around Covid, attendance, the possibility of hybrid events, and how lockdown may have affected attendance at in-person events. 2021-10-1126 min
The Retail Perch49. Interview with Victor Penev of Edamam LLCIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar delve even deeper into the world nutrition data with Victor Penev, CEO of Edamam. Edamam offers affordable value-added nutrition data to businesses in the food and health and wellness sectors. Victor explains how he went from investment banking to combining his two passions, food and tech, to do something meaningful in the world. The three discuss; use cases for the data and what needs to come together for people to start living long, healthy lives free of chronic illness, from smart toilets to making healthy food convenient and affordable. 2021-10-0440 min
The Retail Perch48. Interview with Marcus Sredzinski of ScriptSaveIn an effort to stay healthy during the Covid Pandemic, many shoppers started to examine how the food they eat affects their health and well-being. Marcus Sredzinski, COO/EVP ScriptSave is the perfect candidate to speak on this issue. Marcus, Gary, and Shekar discuss the link between groceries and staving off disease, health insurance companies incentivizing healthy eating just as car insurance does for safe driving, how digital can help create a link between individuals, their health care, and their grocery shopping, and much more.2021-09-2737 min
The Retail Perch46. Interview with Greg Ferrara of National Grocers AssociationJust in time for the NGA Show, Gary and Shekar welcome Greg Ferrara, President, and CEO of the National Grocers Association. Greg shares his observations of how independent grocery has faired in the last year and how the association has helped retailers navigate the new technologies available. They also delve into; how retailers are developing wellness strategies in response to Covid, innovative ways retailers are creating community with the grocery store at the center, the labor shortage, and of course...THE NGA SHOW an opportunity for retailers to take a break from working in the business to work ON...2021-09-1340 minThe Retail Perch44. Interview with Steve Dennis author of Remarkable RetailThis week Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking with Steve Dennis, author, strategic advisor, senior Forbes contributor, and podcast host. The three discuss the difference between buying and selling, the pitfalls of being a little something for everybody but not particularly important to anybody, the importance of understanding your target market and delivering what they are looking for, why it’s more challenging for grocery to do e-commerce than other retail verticals and so much more!2021-08-3042 min
The Retail Perch43. Richard Kestenbaum of Triangle Capital LLCDo not miss this fascinating episode with Richard Kestenbaum, Partner at Triangle Capital LLC and contributor at Forbes.com. Gary, Shekar, and Richard discuss the impact the growth of online has had on physical store economics, why testing and failure are a part of the road to success, how subscription is an opportunity for grocery to make e-commerce profitable, and so much more.2021-08-2338 min
The Retail Perch42. Interview with Sandra Duff of JackmanThis week Gary and Shekar interview Sandra Duff, President of Jackman, a customer engagement firm, whose clients include Lululemon, KAY Jewelers, and Staples. The three discuss the categories that will need to work harder to bring back in-store traffic, the importance of brands connecting with communities, the types of brands that are best positioned for success and much more.2021-08-1634 min
The Retail Perch41. Interview with ShiSh Shridhar of Microsoft StartupsIn this episode, Gary and Shekar take a brief departure from grocery retail and speak with ShiSh Shridhar, Global Retail Lead for Microsoft Startups. ShiSh shares his insights into how the culture of innovation can be implemented in retail. The three also discuss an example of successful innovations and what made them successful, additive manufacturing as a supply chain disrupter, digital twin models, autonomous grocery, and much more!2021-08-0940 min
The Retail Perch40. Retail Roundup!It's high time for another Retail Round up where Gary and Shekar delve into some of the latest retail tech news. In this episode, they cover the latest FMI Shopper Trends Report, hybrid stores, Instacart's partnership with Fabric, scan and ship technology at Sams club, C&S wholesalers acquiring Piggly Wiggly, and Coborn’s switch to AWG as their primary wholesale provider. 2021-07-2635 min
The Retail Perch39. Interview with Joe Lampertius of ChaseDesignToday Gary and Shekar switch focus from AI-driven retail technology to merchandising and retail design. They interview Joe Lampertius President at ChaseDesign. Joe shares many stories from his years of experience including: how they convinced Amazon to change its wireframes for the household cleaning department and why, how the behavioral design approach changed the shape of the Head and Shoulders bottles, and how digital is influencing in-store environments.2021-07-1249 minThe Retail Perch38. Interview with Olga Yurovski, Inventor & CEO of ShopperationsThis week Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking with Olga Yurovski, inventor and CEO of Shopperations, a cloud based planning software for CPGs and retail marketers. Shopperations goal is to help shopper marketers become more agile and data driven. Olga shares her latest creation Vendorstan, a platform where CPG marketer can discover and evaluate new capabilities and easily reach out to the vendors' sales teams for more information. 2021-07-0634 min
The Retail Perch36. Interview with Orlee Tal of Stor.aiThis week Gary and Shekar are joined by Orlee Tal, CEO of Stor.ai, an end-to-end, digital e-commerce solution that is very tightly integrated into the retailers' internal systems. Stor.ai allows the retailer to take what they know about the customers through e-commerce interactions and apply it to the in-store experience. The three discuss D2C opportunities for brands, the fate of online shopping as the world opens up again, the role e-commerce plays in the survival of grocery, and why retailers should be cautious when it comes to their relationship with Instacart. 2021-06-1440 min
The Retail Perch35. Interview with RefinitionThis week, Shekar and Gary interview Roger Heaston co-founder and CTO of Refinition, and Elise Wood, managing partner of Refinition. Refinition empowers retailers and brands by allowing them to control their destinies through data. Elise and Roger discuss data issues including Google's recent 3rd party cookie ban, the common occurrence of brands overpaying to talk to the same people, and how Refinition can help put the power back into the hands of brands and retailers. If you want to own the relationship between you and your customers using ethical clean data, reach out to Refinition at https://www.refinition...2021-06-0743 min
The Retail Perch34. Michael Haase of Plant JammerThis week, Shekar and Gary interview Michael HaaseCEO and Founder of Plant Jammer. Plant Jammer is a product that not only makes food preparation more fun and creative, but also drastically reduces food waste. This is more than just recipes; the solution does not contain a database of recipes, instead, it is an AI Chef. The user enters the ingredients they have on hand then the solution creates a recipe based on taught food pairings, basic rules, and user preferences. Offered in an app for consumers and also an API for brands to encourage true user...2021-06-0141 min
The Retail Perch33. Interview with Manil Uppal of Delivery SolutionsIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking with Manil Uppal, co-founder of Delivery Solutions, a solution that lets retailers consume and harness the power of all of the delivery providers. Manil explains how his solution takes the friction out of same-day delivery, last-mile delivery, and delivery orchestration and management, for retailers. 2021-05-2439 minThe Retail Perch32. Interview with Jon Kramer of JMK SolutionsIn this episode, Gary and Shekar have the opportunity to pick the brain of Jon Kramer, Managing Director at JMK Solutions, a strategic advisory group that helps drive business growth through strategy integration. Previously, Jon spent 15 years as the Enterprise Sales Marketing lead at WestRock. Based on his extensive experience, Jon offers up some tough love to retailers. Some of the topics he covers are: why the traditional grocery business model is broken and the radical changes that are necessary to fix it, why shopper conversion is the most important metric and retail, and how a lack of urgency...2021-05-1740 min
The Retail Perch31. Interview with Marcus Startzel of Whitebox Inc.This week Gary and Shekar interview Marcus Stratzel, CEO of Whitebox Inc. Marcus shares his journey from qualified nuclear engineer to e-commerce technology. Whitebox is an e-commerce solution that helps brands get their products into the hands of customers. Marcus explains how Whitebox helps brands, often challenger brands, navigate modern commerce by offering e-commerce marketplace and fulfillment technology and expertise. Anyone who wants to get their product out to the customer, but is unsure how to compete with the "big guys" should give this one a listen.2021-05-1040 min
The Retail Perch30. Interview with Diana Fryc of Retail VoodooThis week on The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar interview Diana Fryc, partner, and chief sales and marketing officer of Retail Voodoo. Diana and her team are dedicated to building, growing and developing wellness brands and naturals. She shares her passion for naturals as well as her insights into how this category has developed and changed over the years. Diana is also a champion of the women and minorities who were responsible for nurturing natural products in their infancy, but who are now being displaced in some cases.2021-05-0341 min
The Retail Perch29. Interview with Jeff Ketner and Catherine Seeds of Ketner Group CommunicationsThis week, Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Ketner, CEO and Catherine Seeds, President of Ketner Group Communications. The focus of this week's discussion is the important role PR plays in a startups overall business plan. They cover how it fits in with marketing and sales, how to budget for it, the importance of consistency, and how to assess ROI. If you have been considering adding public relations to your growth plan, this episode has the insights you need to make an informed decision. 2021-04-2644 min
The Retail Perch28. Interview with Jon Stine of Open Voice NetworkIn this fascinating episode, Shekar and Gary interview Jon Stine, Executive Director of Open Voice Network, an industry association dedicated to developing standards in the world of voice assistance. As voice technologies develop, where will they be used? What types of data can be gleaned from voice interactions? Who owns the data? These are all questions the Open Voice Network is working to answer. The three also discuss what the implications are for retail and the role voice plays in a frictionless customer journey. 2021-04-1946 min
The Retail Perch27. Interview with Doug Baker of FMIThis is a must-listen episode for anyone working in the grocery retail industry. This week Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of interviewing an industry veteran, Doug Baker. Doug's years of experience in grocery retail have culminated in his present role as VP of Industry Relations at FMI. Doug outlines the four main focuses of retailers: shopper experience, operational efficiency, supply chain, and data analytics. He also discusses what role technology plays or should play in all of it.Learn more at theretailperch.com or Birdzi.com2021-04-1245 minThe Retail Perch26. Conversation with Mary Scimone: Actionable Customer metricsIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome back Mary Scimone. The trio discusses why grocers need to go beyond the "look back" approach of RFM. AI is necessary to project forward and give a picture of what is to come. Retailers need to partner with solution providers that alleviate the burden of having to figure out what all the data means. With the right technology and service provider, the individual composites now available will allow retailers to know time in store, coverage of store, interactions with private label products, the time between transactions, etc., to...2021-03-2937 min
The Retail Perch24. Interview with Spencer Price and Gabriel Nipote of HallaIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary interview Spencer Price, CEO and Gabriel Nipote, COO of Halla, the taste intelligence company. These co-founders explain how the challenge of finding a restaurant for different people with different dietary requirements and preferences inspired the creation of Halla. Their goal is to help shoppers sort through the noise and expand their basket size through relevant recommendations based on individual tastes. Also in this episode, the hosts and guests discuss the changing retail landscape and the tools available to help grocers compete. 2021-03-1534 min
The Retail Perch22. Retail RoundupIt’s time again for a Retail Roundup. This week Gary and Shekar discuss some of retail's big news items including the Tops and Price Chopper merger, the rise in seafood sales, the future of Instacart, and an introduction to the new social media platform, Clubhouse…are you on it?2021-02-1626 min
The Retail Perch21. Customer Intelligence PlatformIn this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar discuss the concept of a Customer Intelligence Platform (CIP). They describe how the latest trend in grocery retail unifies information, insights and action in one place, and how retailers can elevate to this next level.2021-02-0818 min
The Retail Perch20. Interview with Nir Pilo: Part 2In Part 2 of this episode, Gary and Shekar learn more about Nir's role at Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the program manager for AWS Jam (https://jam.awsevents.com). Nir lays out the 4 principles of AWS: Mechanism, Architecture, Culture and Organization, unlocking the mystery of how Amazon remains the most relevant and nimble company out there. 2021-02-0128 min
The Retail Perch19. Interview with Nir Pilo: Part 1In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Gary and Shekar get the opportunity to speak with Nir Pilo, one of retail loyalty's pioneering architects. He was the owner of a Retalix loyalty product that was awarded Gartner's "#1 Product in the Market." Nir gives a unique look into what the backend of retail systems look like and details the differences between tier 1, tier 2, and smaller independents when it comes to loyalty and promotion. Peppered throughout, Nir offers sage advice based on his years of experience in the industry, "Innovation is a game of numbers. The more you do, the more you...2021-01-2527 min
The Retail Perch18. Interview with David Ganoung, Harps Food StoresThe Retail Perch is back! Join Gary and Shekar as they interview the VP of Marketing at Harps Food Stores, Inc., David Ganoung. David is a grocery lifer, starting at the young age of 16. He offers an enlightening perspective on how grocery retail and marketing has evolved over the years.In this interview, the trio discusses the imperatives of grocery retail. David offers his advice to others who hope to up their digital engagement game. He also outlines his approach to market research when it comes to adopting new technology. You won't want to...2021-01-1826 min
The Retail Perch17. Loyalty and Personalization...They're Not the Same ThingLoyalty and personalization are often used interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing. In this episode Gary and Shekar explore the differences as well as the relationship between the two. Gary also outlines the roadmap for retailers to take from one to the other on the road to true customer engagement. 2020-12-2125 min
The Retail Perch15. Welcoming back The Retail Feedback GroupThis week Gary and Shekar welcome back Brian Numainville and Doug Madenberg of The Retail Feedback Group to discuss their recent findings around e-commerce, shopper behavior, and the future of retail. With consumers making fewer trips to the grocery store, retailers must take meaningful steps to make those experiences feel safe and satisfying. This episode can help by answering the questions: Do shoppers feel that their primary grocery store is providing good value? Has disruption in the supply chain affected consumer use of add flyers? What is the main determinant of satisfaction of a shopping trip even prior to...2020-11-3035 minThe Retail Perch14. Interview with Mary ScimoneShe is a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) Retail Technology & Insights expert. Mary works between technology companies, brands, and the retailer to translate needs from product management to business consulting. In this interview, Gary, Shekar, and Mary discuss the role and responsibility of retailers in their shoppers' health and wellness. Where are the opportunities to create loyalty by putting the customer first? How can retailers leverage data to give their shoppers a customized and personalized experience that meets their health needs? At a time when we are facing another season of quarantine people need ways t...2020-11-1739 min
The Retail Perch12. Interview with David Matthews of RevTech VenturesEntrepreneurs and start-ups, this episode is for you. This week, Gary and Shekar get to pick the brain of venture capitalist, David Matthews from RevTech Ventures. David shares his ideas of what makes a successful start-up, what he looks for in start-ups, and what makes him run in the other direction. David explains the importance of automation and authenticity and how companies like Birdzi, Accel Robotics, The Citizenry, and Pensa Systems are doing it right.2020-11-0229 minThe Retail Perch11. Interview with Gary Hawkins on Retail 4.0Are you ready for the future of retail? This week on The Retail Perch, our host Gary Hawkins turns guest. Gary, in addition to being podcast host extraordinaire, is also the Founder and CEO of CART (Center for Advancing Retail & Technology). In this interview, Shekar asks Gary to walk listeners through his latest white paper, Retail 4.0: The Age of Metamorphosis. Among other insights from the paper, Gary outlines the three steps retailers have to take not just to be best in class today, but in years to come. Gary cautions retailers to innovate BEFORE they have to because by...2020-10-2628 min
The Retail Perch10. Retail RoundupIn this episode, Shekar and Gary discuss the latest news in retail technology. They offer their speculations regarding the Amazon/Spartan Nash relationship, and offer insights into biometric payment, delivery robots at Save Mart, Loblaws' health and wellness app, in cart scanning/self check out, and much more. Listen and enjoy!2020-10-1919 min
The Retail Perch9. Interview with Weis MarketsIn this episode, Shekar and Gary interview Ron Bonacci, VP of marketing and advertising at Weis Markets. Ron has day-to-day oversight of the company’s advertising, marketing and public relations activities.The three discuss many trending topics and answer the question: how do you take the 'Nice to know' data and make it actionable? They also cover measuring churn, customer segmentation, lessons from Covid and why owning fresh is the key to retailer survival in the age of Amazon.2020-10-1235 min
The Retail Perch8. Interview with Coborn's, Inc.In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar interview two of their favorite retailers from Coborn's Inc., Diana Barr, Director of Loyalty and Dennis Host, VP of Marketing. Coborn's began in 1921 and now boasts 120+ grocery, convenience, and liquor stores throughout the Midwest. Diana and Dennis walks us through the digital engagement powerhouse that Coborn's is today. They highlight the effects COVID-19 has had not only on their marketing and customer engagement, but also on the behaviors of their shoppers. This is a valuable interview for anyone in the grocery sector. Listen and enjoy!2020-10-0539 minThe Retail Perch7. Interview with The Retail Feedback GroupShekar and Gary interview Brian Numainville and Doug Madenberg, Principals of The Retail Feedback Group. Brian and Doug Share their insights on how surveys can help retailers engage their customers, the right and wrong ways to use survey data, what the future of surveys looks like in the COVID 19 era, and much, much more.2020-09-2841 min
The Retail Perch6. Retail RoundupOnce a month, Shekar and Gary will discuss current events in retails. In this month's Retail Roundup, they delve into Kroger's Q2 results, Amazon throwing its hat into grocery retail, drones, TikTok and so much more. Tune in to get their take on retail's latest news.2020-09-1820 min
The Retail Perch5. Digital EngagementToday, Gary and Shekar dive into digital engagement and the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had in regards to it and the retail industry overall. The laid-back approach to digital engagement in previous years will not be enough to currently help retailers. Digital engagement is no longer an option, it's an imperative.Are retailers staying relevant and personal with their communication strategies? If not, how do they do so? How do their websites, mobile apps, and social media come into play? Gary and Shekar offer advice on how retailers can not only keep up...2020-09-0725 min
The Retail Perch4. Technology TrendsJoin Gary and Shekar as they discuss technology trends in Grocery Retail. They delve into the continued growth of e-commerce, digital engagement, the substantial presence of automation, and what role AI plays in it all. How will retailers remain profitable while investing in the technology necessary to remain relevant? Will adding technology to the traditional retail model be enough or do retailers have to deconstruct and build something new? Tune in to find out.2020-08-3122 min
The Retail Perch2. A Look Back Into Retail & Loyalty MarketingToday’s theme: a history lesson. Shekar and Gary dive into the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) retail marketing industry, its inception, and how retail has been built on mass marketing, along with how trade promotion has driven it. They show you how customer marketing, data, and personalization go hand in hand. Are you aware of how your weekly ad affects the industry? The shopper experience has transformed entirely, and it all starts with understanding how and why.2020-08-1926 min
The Retail Perch1. Welcome To The Retail PerchWelcome to The Retail Perch! In the first episode, we get to meet our two hosts, Shekar and Gary, as they dive into their backstories and experiences, including their perception of the current state of retail.Shekar describes Birdzi's origin, and Gary lets us in on how he transitioned from growing up bagging groceries to launching one of the first loyalty programs in the supermarket sector. They also answer questions like "what challenges do retailers face in adopting and implementing the latest technologies?" and "wh...2020-08-1926 min