Joe Keenan

Joe Keenan

Joe Keenan is the executive editor of Total Retail. Joe has more than 10 years experience covering the retail industry, and enjoys profiling innovative companies and people in the space.

How Unleashed Brands Connects With Families Across its Portfolio

In episode 444 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Michael Browning, co-founder and CEO of Unleashed Brands, a portfolio of innovative brands that help kids learn, play and grow, including Urban Air, Snapology, and The Little Gym. Listen in as Browning provides an overview of Unleashed Brands (0:55), discusses why he launched the…

Kevin Plank to Return as Under Armour's CEO

Kevin Plank, the founder of Under Armour, is returning to the helm of the Baltimore-based athletic wear maker, the company announced in a Wednesday afternoon press release. Plank is set to be president and CEO starting April 1. He will succeed Stephanie Linnartz, who had been in the position for little more than a year.…

The Body Shop Ceases its US Operations

The Body Shop has ceased its U.S. operations and is closing dozens of locations in Canada amid deepening financial struggles for the British beauty and cosmetics chain. The Body Shop's U.S. arm ceased operations on March 1, according to a company announcement from earlier this month. And the brand's Canadian subsidiary commenced liquidation of 33…

HSN Evolves Video Commerce Across Channels, From Cable to TikTok

In episode 443 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Rob Robillard, chief merchandising officer of HSN, a leading interactive and lifestyle retailer that is part of Qurate Retail Group. Listen in as Robillard provides an overview of HSN's history in enabling video commerce and live shopping (1:00), the retailer's increased focus on streaming…

3 Leading Brand Execs on Using CDPs to Boost Marketing Performance

Customer data platforms (CDPs) are technology solutions that combine data from multiple tools to create a single centralized customer database containing data on all touchpoints and interactions with your product or service. With that data in hand, marketers are able to create the personalized experiences that consumers have come to expect and in many cases…

How Celebrus Enables 'The Lifeblood of a Business': Accurate Digital Reporting

In episode 40 of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Maigari Jinkiri, vice president of business development at Celebrus, a customer data and fraud prevention solution. Listen in as Jinkiri provides an overview of the business and how it works with retailers (0:45), his professional background that led him to recently join Celebrus…

How Anthropologie is Marketing to the Next Generation of Consumers

In episode 442 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Elizabeth Preis, global chief marketing officer at Anthropologie, a unique, full-style lifestyle brand in the URBN brands portfolio. Listen in as Preis discusses the evolution of Anthropologie's marketing approach over the past few years (0:55), customer overlap between the brand's physical and digital channels…

Retail, Brand Leaders Share Influencer Marketing Tips

During a session at eTail West in Palm Springs, CA on Wednesday, a panel of retail leaders discussed strategies for building an influencer marketing program. Amber Reyes, senior manager, acquisition and media, Kopari Beauty; Jordan Roberson, director, digital marketing, Johnny Was; Catherine Seaton, vice president, marketing, Windsor Stores; and Meghan Shea, senior director, growth marketing,…

How Bloomingdale’s is Using AI to Bring Humanity to Shopping

At a session during the eTail West show on Tuesday, James Kim, vice president of digital and technology at Bloomingdale's, shared how the retailer is incorporating artificial intelligence into its business to bring more humanity to a very human activity: shopping. Kim outlined Bloomingdale's innovative approach to integrating AI to enhance customer experiences and drive…

How Alibaba is Powering Sustainable Supply Chains for B2B Sellers

In episode 441 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Yikun Shao, head of supply chain, North America at Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global B2B e-commerce. Listen in as Shao discusses his professional background and current role at Alibaba.com (0:55), leveraging the organization's supply chain capabilities to empower small businesses (3:45), the adoption…

Walmart Easing Delivery Requirements for Suppliers

Walmart said this week that it's planning on easing its requirements for in-full and on-time shipments from suppliers. According to The Wall Street Journal, Walmart said that it wants its suppliers to deliver shipments on-time 90 percent of the time and in-full 95 percent of the time, down from the 98 percent threshold the company…

Curacao's CMO on Brand Expansion Through Community Empowerment

In episode 440 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ariela Nerubay, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Curacao, a department store chain and retail lender that services underserved U.S. communities on the West Coast. Listen in as Nerubay provides an overview of the company (0:50), discusses the services and products provided…

Target is Reducing Self-Checkout Hours in Some Stores

Target has slashed the hours of operation for self-checkout lanes at some of its stores. Not all store locations have had self-checkout hours cut, but the retailer is considering store staffing levels and sales volumes in its decision. Workers told Business Insider that Target is trying to keep the percentage of overall store sales via…

American Freight Introduces New Store Concept Focused on Value

In episode 439 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Alissa Ahlman, chief merchandising officer, home segment at Franchise Group, Inc., a world-class franchising platform for a diverse collection of market-leading and emerging brands, including American Freight, a retail furniture chain. Listen in as Ahlman provides an overview of both companies (0:45), how the…

Neiman Marcus Ends Partnership With Farfetch

Neiman Marcus Group on Wednesday announced it has abandoned plans to use Farfetch’s e-commerce software to revamp the luxury department store’s online storefront and app. The luxury department store chain will also not join Farfetch’s marketplace. Neiman Marcus Group first entered an agreement with Farfetch in 2022, when the luxury e-tailer invested $200 million in…