Kristina Stidham

Kristina Stidham

Kristina Stidham is the digital content director at Total Retail and sister brands Women in Retail Leadership Circle and Women Leading Travel & Hospitality at NAPCO Media. She is passionate about digital media and handles video, podcast and virtual event production for all brands. You can often find her at WIRLC, TR, WLT&H or industry events with her camera and podcasting equipment⁠—or at home on Zoom⁠—recording interviews with thought leaders and business executives.

Kristina holds a B.A. in Media Studies and Production from the Temple University Klein College of Media and Communication in Philadelphia. Go Owls! When she’s not in the office, she loves to go on long walks, sing around the house, hangout with her family and two pet guinea pigs, and travel to new places.

Amazon Taps Whole Foods CEO to Oversee Grocery Business

Amazon.com has tapped Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel to oversee its sprawling grocery business, the company announced Monday. Buechel became CEO of Whole Foods in 2022 after co-founder John Mackey retired from the company. In his expanded role leading Amazon’s grocery business, Buechel will succeed Tony Hoggett, who left Amazon last October to join Wonder,…

Key Themes to Emerge From the NRF Big Show

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Kristina Stidham discuss trends and insights from the 2025 National Retail Federation Big Show, held in New York City from Jan. 12-14. Keenan shares the key themes discussed during the event; the growing implementation of artificial intelligence in retail; concerns over potential new…

PwC Global Retail Lead Kelly Pedersen Shares His 2025 Retail Industry Outlook

While at the 2025 National Retail Federation Big Show, held in New York City from Jan. 12-14, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan sat down with Kelly Pedersen, partner and global retail lead at PwC. In this video interview, Pedersen shares his analysis of the key themes and trends that emerged during the 2024 holiday shopping…

Costco's Union Workers Authorize Nationwide Strike

A union representing thousands of Costco employees voted to authorize a strike, paving the way for a work stoppage if the labor group and retailer do not reach an agreement, reports CNBC. Costco Teamsters, the union with 18,000 employees for the retailer nationwide, said 85 percent of members voted to approve the action. The current…

3 Key Insights From Total Retail's Top 50 Tips of 2024 Report

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Marie Albiges and Joe Keenan discuss Total Retail’s recently released Top 50 Tips of 2024 report. This annual report is a curation of the top insights and best practices published across Total Retail’s various content channels in the previous year. This resource offers actionable tips that focus upon…

Big Lots Closes Strategic Deal With Gordon Brothers, Saving 200 to 400 Stores

Big Lots has concluded its sale agreement with investment firm Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, securing the brand's future and several jobs, reports Yahoo Finance. The two parties entered into agreement for the deal late in 2024. This strategic move allows privately owned retailer Variety Wholesalers to take over numerous store outlets, ranging from 200 to…

Women in Retail and Total Retail Virtual Exchange, January 2025

The January 2025 Women in Retail and Total Retail Virtual Exchange features engaging and informative interviews with Jeff Yurcisin, CEO of Grove Collaborative, and Katherine Finder, Chief Merchandising Officer of Anthropologie Home, URBN. Sponsored by Box and Searchspring.

Retail Sales Rise in November, Aligning With NRF's Holiday Sales Forecast

November retail sales grew at a faster pace than Wall Street analysts had expected, reflecting continued resilience in the American consumer and indicating that the holiday shopping season in the U.S. is off to a strong start, reports Yahoo Finance. Retail sales rose 0.7 percent in November. Economists had expected a 0.6 percent rise in…

Reebok Lays Off Employees Amid Footwear Restructure

The company behind Reebok‘s operations is laying off employees in the brand’s footwear business as it reworks the licensing strategy for the brand, reports FootwearNews. SPARC Group, the joint venture between Authentic, Simon Property Group, and Shein that runs Reebok’s U.S. operations, has reorganized the athletic brand's footwear business as it looks to transfer licenses…

Josh Shabtai, Senior Director, Ecosystem, Lowe's Innovation Labs | Total Retail Tech 2024

This video features a keynote from Josh Shabtai, senior director of ecosystem at Lowe's Innovation Labs, titled "Building a Culture of Innovation at Lowe's" from Total Retail Tech 2024 in Charlotte, NC. The recent release of Lowe’s Style Studio, an immersive design tool for Apple Vision Pro, is just the latest example of how Lowe’s…

How Lowe's Has Prioritized its Tech and Innovation Strategy

Lowe's Innovation Labs imagines, explores and accelerates the future of home improvement through the lens of emerging technology. Josh Shabtai, senior director of ecosystem at Lowe's Innovation Labs, spoke at Total Retail Tech 2024 earlier this fall to detail the work he and his team are doing to build innovative technologies that improve the experiences…

Walmart Makes Sweeping Cuts to DEI Initiatives

Walmart on Monday confirmed that it’s ending some of its diversity initiatives, removing some LGBTQ-related merchandise from its website, and winding down a nonprofit that funded programs for minorities, reports CNBC. The nation’s largest employer, which has about 1.6 million U.S. workers, joined a growing list of companies that have stepped back from diversity, equity…

How 3 Leading Retailers Are Integrating Digital Experiences In-Store

The rapid growth of digital commerce coupled with increasing consumer expectations for omnichannel shopping experiences has forced traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to re-evaluate the role of their physical storefronts in their business models going forward. In this clip from a panel discussion at Total Retail Tech 2024, three technology executives at leading retailers shared their approach…

Panel: The Role of Brick-and-Mortar Retail in a Digital World | Total Retail Tech 2024

This video features a panel discussing how three leading retailers are maximizing store performance, including supporting digital channels, in today’s omnichannel retail landscape from Total Retail Tech 2024 in Charlotte, NC. Speakers include Scott Devlin, chief information officer, The Vitamin Shoppe; Matthew Matorin, vice president, store digital products and field training, Signet Jewelers; Jim Forester,…

AI Use Cases: Dara Meath, SVP, Chief Technology Officer, Build-A-Bear Workshop | Total Retail Tech 2024

This video features a fireside chat with Dara Meath, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Ron Offir, managing director of retail and consumer products at Deloitte Consulting, from Total Retail Tech 2024 in Charlotte, NC. Artificial intelligence (AI) is seemingly disrupting everything in today’s world, including retail businesses. The technology is helping…