The Retail Focus Podcast

Retail Focus 7/10/22 – Retailers’ Use of Location Data; Costco’s June Sales; Mall Traffic Ticks Up in Late June

Our interview guest is Matt Montgomery, managing director with Kalibrate, who joins the show as part of our ICSC interview series to discuss the current state of location-based analytics and other data retailers are using to make informed decisions regarding opening stores, closing or remodeling locations, and more. In news, Costco’s comp sales were as robust as ever in June, mall traffic heads upward in late June, and we look ahead to Amazon’s Prime Day.

Our podcast is presented by BAMS. Visit bams.com/paywell for a limited time and get a $50 Visa gift card after completing your rate analysis to see how much you can save in your payment processing.

Retail Focus 7/4/22 – Approaching Mixed-Use Redevelopments; July 4th Sales; Mark Tritton Departs

Our interview guest is Whitney Livingston, President & Chief Operating Officer with Centennial. She details the process behind identifying mixed-use redevelopment potential and working with communities to property execute on the redevelopments. In news, we peer at early July 4^th sales returns, Walgreens’ latest financials, and Mark Tritton leaving his post at Bed Bath & Beyond after a rough quarter.

Our podcast is presented by BAMS. Visit bams.com/paywell for a limited time and get a $50 Visa gift card after completing your rate analysis to see how much you can save in your payment processing.

Retail Focus 6/26/22 – Technology Investments in Retail; Grocers Continue to See Growth in Fresh

Our interview guest is Brandon Isner, Americas Head of Retail Research at CBRE. He joins the show as part of our ICSC interview series to discuss CBRE’s latest research regarding technology investments in retail; we also discuss general retail trends at the midway point of 2022. In news, we look at Supermarket News’ annual fresh foods grocer survey results and dive into how retailers are allocating space and where they see the most future growth potential.

Our podcast is presented by BAMS. Visit bams.com/paywell for a limited time and get a $50 Visa gift card after completing your rate analysis to see how much you can save in your payment processing.

Retail Focus 6/19/22 – Retail Lease Negotiations; Kroger Watches Fresh & Private Label Sales Grow

Our interview guest is Edward Coury, managing director at RCS Real Estate Advisors. He discusses the various dynamics behind lease negotiations in the current climate, including considerations for insurance and maintenance payment, demands for percentage rent, and the process behind a retailer moving into or out of a market. In news, Kroger’s comp sales increase as a result of a boost in fresh and private label product sales, and Grocery Outlet moves into their eighth state as a result of eastern expansion.

Our podcast is presented by BAMS. Visit bams.com/paywell for a limited time and get a $50 Visa gift card after completing your rate analysis to see how much you can save in your payment processing.

Retail Focus 6/6/22 – EV Charging Stations in Retail Shopping Centers; Conn’s & Belk Forge Partnership

Our interview guest is Rick Baker, senior vice president of Charging Solutions sales at Volta. He joins the show to discuss the increasing presence of EV charging stations in retail shopping centers, why retailers and centers are finding it valuable to include the stations in their lots, ways in which they can drive additional revenue, and considerations that must be undertaken when installing. In news, Conn’s reveals a better-than-expected first quarter and announces a partnership with fellow southern U.S. staple Belk, and Circle K aspires to include more smart checkouts in their North American stores.

Retail Focus 5/30/22 – Revitalizing Downtown Retail in Tertiary Markets; Big Lots Changes Plans (Again)

Our interview guest is Elliott Cook, Director of Real Estate for Downtown Strategies. We spoke with him at ICSC about what makes for a vibrant downtown area in small- to mid-sized markets, how these markets can attract retailers to the area, and which types of retailers might be a fit for such business districts. In news, Big Lots reacts to a rough quarter by scaling back growth plans, Ulta Beauty continues to excel, and Bon-Ton may be getting (another) new lease on life.

Retail Focus 5/23/22 – Trends in Rural Retail; Advance Auto Parts Back to Expansion

Our interview guest—the first in our ICSC interview series—is Lacy Beasley, President of Retail Strategies; she joins the show to discuss current trends in small- and mid-sized market retail. Topics include the importance of retail to rural markets, what retailers are doing to adjust based on market size when entering a rural market for the first time, and which retailers and restaurants are seeing the most demand from the markets themselves. In news, Advance Auto Parts sees a dip in DIY sales during their first quarter, but that doesn’t dampen their expansion plans; also, Albertsons trials an AI-based scan-and-go shopping cart.

Retail Focus 5/2/22 – ICSC & 2022 Themes in Retail Real Estate; BJ’s Opens Smaller Concept Store

Our interview guest is Tom McGee, President and CEO of ICSC, who joins us to discuss the upcoming ICSC event in Las Vegas and themes surrounding retail real estate in 2022. In news, BJ’s Wholesale opens a new store with a smaller footprint, Family Dollar faces down a legal matter, and Hy-Vee issues a perplexing advertorial as they seek to move associates from their corporate office into individual stores.

Retail Focus 4/25/22 – Update on Retail Security & Loss Prevention; Tractor Supply Attracts Millennials

Our interview guest is Topher Cramm, national account manager at STANLEY Security, who joins us to discuss developments in retail loss prevention over the past year. Main topics of discussion include how new technology is shaping retailers’ approach to loss prevention, how in-store security varies by region, and the question of organized crime. In news, Tractor Supply attracts a younger shopper due to various macro factors and internal initiatives, and we look forward to potential card processing fee increases on the horizon.

Retail Focus 4/18/22 – Retail & Adoption of Cloud-Based Tech; Albertsons Seeks Further Fresh Growth

Our interview guest is Deviprasad Rambhatla, senior vice president and sector head of retail, services, and transportation at Wipro, who joins us to discuss the findings in their recent report, “The Big Shift.” We dive into retail leaders’ thoughts surrounding cloud-based technologies and best practices of leading companies. In news, Albertsons’ fourth quarter is buoyed by fresh, and they make plans for further development in that category in 2022. And we look ahead to what could be a tumultuous year for Bed Bath & Beyond, who continues to run in place (or even backwards) despite turnaround efforts.

Retail Focus 4/3/22 – Developing a Subscription-Based Retail Program; Academy & lululemon Holiday Sales Up

Our interview guest is Joe Fisch, CEO of Wine Access, who discusses their development of a subscription-based retail program to complement their existing retail sales. He talks about their thought process behind the platform, things they’ve learned along the way, and the importance of customer education in their retail segment. In news, Academy and lululemon both unveil amazing holiday sales numbers, with one planning major revenue growth in 2022. Also, we look ahead to Five Below’s new “Triple-Double” growth roadmap.

You can listen to our partner podcast, Inside the Mind, at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mind/id1504554183

Retail Focus 3/27/22 – Ollie’s Bargain Outlet to Launch Remodel Program; Recent Retail Book Releases

In news, we discuss Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and their plans for 2022, which include the first remodeling program in their company’s history. We look ahead to a lawsuit involving Sam’s Club (Walmart) and BJ’s, as well as Macy’s endeavor to grow their Backstage store-within-a-store concept by over 10% in the next two months. Additionally, we look back to profound retail books released within the last two years and our conversations with their respective authors.

Our partner for this week’s show is #paid; visit go.hashtagpaid.com/retail to receive $500 off your first creator marketing campaign.

You can listen to our partner podcast, Inside the Mind, at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mind/id1504554183

Retail Focus 3/20/22 – Approaching the Customer Hijacking Issue; Dollar General Seeking More Cooler Doors

Our interview guest this week is Tal Rotman, VP of Alliances and Partnerships at Namogoo, who joins us to discuss the increasingly pervasive issue of customer hijacking, costs to retailers, and how retailers can work with certain apps or add-ons to ensure better margins and conversion rates. In news, Dollar General releases their 2022 plans, which call for more cooler doors and renovating nearly 10% of their store base. Additionally, we look at the recently released Fresh Trends 2022 guide from The Packer.

Our partner for this week’s show is #paid; visit go.hashtagpaid.com/retail to receive $500 off your first creator marketing campaign.

You can listen to our partner podcast, Inside the Mind, at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mind/id1504554183

Retail Focus 3/13/22 – Revisiting the Role of Brick-and-Mortar; Ulta Beauty Planning for a Big 2022

Our interview guest this week is Nikki Baird, VP of Strategy at Aptos, who discusses (among other things) the role of the brick-and-mortar store in 2022, how retailers are leveraging their footprint to remove friction for the customer, and trends we may see in brick-and-mortar retail over the next two years. In news, Ulta Beauty not only releases stellar Q4 numbers, but they chart a path toward another year of growth in 2022, and REI expands their member program to include a number of new benefits (including a resale platform).

Our partner for this week’s show is #paid; visit go.hashtagpaid.com/retail to receive $500 off your first creator marketing campaign.

Retail Focus 3/6/22 – Meeting the Demands of Today’s Consumer; Kroger Sees Shifts in Customer Behavior in 2022

Our interview guest this week is Joel Bines, global co-leader of the retail practice at AlixPartners. He joins the show to discuss his new book, The Metail Economy, and how retailers can leverage the “Six Cs” in differing amounts to ensure they are meeting the needs of today’s consumer. In news, Kroger provides an earnings update, but more importantly, they provide insight on shifts in customer behavior as grocery inflation continues in 2022, and we look ahead to staffing (and stocking) issues at Dollar Tree/Family Dollar, despite positive comps from their most recent quarter.

Retail Focus 2/28/22 – TJX Hopeful for the Spring Season; Foot Locker Forced to Diversify Brand Mix

On this week’s show, Layton rejoins the podcast to discuss updates from TJX, which come with company hopes that their supply chain is smoothed out in time for the spring season and their store opening plans for 2022. In addition, Foot Locker is forced towards brand diversification after a major supplier pulls back the reins somewhat on merchandise flow, and we look ahead to Wayfair’s unending and elusive search for profitability and the handful of Kmart stores remaining in the U.S.

Our partner for this week’s show is #paid; visit go.hashtagpaid.com/retail to receive $500 off your first creator marketing campaign.

Retail Focus 2/20/22 – How Retailers Use Predictive Health Analytics; Walmart’s 2022 Outlook

Our interview guest is Brad Pope, VP of customer success at Kinsa Insights, who discusses ways in which retailers are using predictive health analytics to get a leg up in terms of staffing, inventory, and supply chain management. In news, we look at the fourth quarter that was for Walmart, but more importantly, dive into their forecast for 2022 and how inventory levels and inflation might impact customer flow according to leadership. Additionally, we look ahead to 2022 private label brand sales after the Private Label Manufacturers Association released their yearly report.

Retail Focus 2/13/22 – A View of the Retail Consumer in 2022; A-Class Mall Retail Sees Sales Uptick

Our interview guest is Jeremy King, CEO and founder of Attest, who joins the show to discuss Attest’s annual U.S. Consumer Trends Report (available here: https://bit.ly/3JvXBHk). In news, we discuss Simon’s latest update, in which retailers in their properties report a substantial sales increase for the 2021 holiday season. We also look ahead to pricing pressure on two major produce items in grocery stores and briefly touch on a digital grocery preference survey.

Our partner for this week’s show is #paid; visit go.hashtagpaid.com/retail to receive $500 off your first creator marketing campaign.

Retail Focus 2/6/22 – The Current Retail Hiring Landscape; Natural Grocers Sees Sales Uptick

Our interview guest is Thad Price, CEO of Talroo; he joins us to discuss the current retail hiring landscape, ways retailers are making themselves more attractive to potential future employees, and how hiring events have changed during the pandemic. In news, Natural Grocers showcases an increase in sales and reveals their plans for expansion during calendar 2022 and we look ahead to beauty retail in 2022 after Sally Beauty posted positive sales for their holiday season.

Retail Focus 2/2/22 – The EY Future Consumer Index; the Year in Review for Retail Real Estate

Our interview guest is Kristina Rogers, EY’s Global Consumer Industries Leader, who joins the show to discuss their Future Consumer Index; topics include what is driving consumer purchasing decisions in 2022, where customers are finding friction in the retail process, and 2022 trends to watch. In news, we look at CBRE’s recent year-in-review report for retail real estate and what the numbers might mean for retailers and shopping centers both. Additionally, we look ahead to Home Depot’s plans to hire more spring seasonal help than in the recent past.

Our partner for this week’s show is #paid; visit go.hashtagpaid.com/retail to receive $500 off your first creator marketing campaign.