editor’s note: Welcome to Total Retail
The new world of retail has arrived, and so has Total Retail!
As I mentioned in the Spring 2015 issue of Retail Online Integration (ROI), we've undergone a rebranding (as I'm sure you've noticed from our website and e-newsletter, Total Retail Report) to explain exactly who we are as a brand. No longer is our focus just on the integration of retail channels; it’s about that and so much more — e.g., retail strategy, retail superstars and disrupters, retail technology and innovation, and much more.
Our new name also reflects what you've become as retailers today. Most likely, you're no longer dedicated to to just one job function at your company. Rather, you're involved in all facets of the business, from marketing to merchandising to IT to fulfillment and more. Hence, the name Total Retail.
Like ROI, Total Retail will publish four issues per ear (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall). In addition, we’re keeping some of our most-loved content, including popular features such as “Top Women in Omnichannel Retail,” “The 100 Fastest-Growing Retailers,” “Retailer of the Year” and “50 Best Tips.”
However, as you’ll see as you flip through the pages of this issue, we’re doing it with a new style and some serious swag. Our new design is edgy, colorful and bold (special thanks goes to our designer, Dave Tomko). We’re also featuring fresh new content such as this issue’s cover story, Game Changers, starting on page 16, which focuses on the founders of five successful retail startups shaking up the industry. We also have new departments that will appear in each issue, such as The Buzz, Retail by the Numbers, and Heard on MyTotalRetail.com.
Helping to lead us on this new journey is a great new editorial advisory board, featuring a cross-section of the retail indusry. Members include:
- Ryan Bonifacino, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President, Digital,Alex and Ani
- Peter Cobb, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, eBags
- Henry Coleman, Director of Marketing, Hammacher Schlemmer
- Jenn McClain-De Jong, Senior Vice President, E-Commerce and Alternate Channels, The Limited
- Lauren Freedman, President, the e-tailing group
- Jim Garlow, Director of Marketing Operations, CDW
- TJ Gentle, President and CEO, Smart Furniture
- Charlie Larkin, Senior Director, GameStop Technology Institute
- Richard E. Last, Chairman Emeritus, Shop.org
- Aubrie Pagano, Founder, CEO and Creative Director, Bow & Drape
- Kristin Smith, Vice President, Digital, Stride Rite
- Kathy Doyle Thomas, Executive Vice President, Half Price Books
- Lisa Zoellner, Chief Marketing Officer, Golfsmith
Finally, we’d love to hear from you! Please let us know what you think of our new content, design, concept — whatever — by emailing me at mcampanelli@napco.com. Enjoy!
