Leadership

Artificial intelligence can identify your target audience in seconds, optimize campaigns in milliseconds, and generate hundreds of creative variations in minutes. Marketing automation has never been more powerful — or more tempting. Yet the marketers winning right now aren't the ones automating everything. They're the ones who know exactly what not to automate. Because while…

While retailers exited the holiday shopping season and planned for the year ahead, their finance leaders have been dealing with interest rate uncertainty, persistent inflation and currency volatility. Combined, these factors have created a variety of financial pressures making it harder to control costs and plan ahead. To combat these challenges, retail finance teams must…

Kroger named former Walmart executive Greg Foran as its chief executive officer on Monday, 11 months after the abrupt resignation of its previous CEO. Foran led Walmart's U.S. division for six years before departing in 2019. While there, he introduced online ordering and pickup, and accelerated Walmart's digital capabilities. Foran succeeds Ron Sargent, who has been…

We’re excited to share a major milestone for Total Retail Talks: the release of our 500th episode! Since launching the podcast in 2015, we’ve spent more than a decade speaking with hundreds of leading retail executives. We've uncovered insights into the strategies shaping the industry. To mark this moment, our 500th episode features curated clips…

Walmart announced a series of executive changes late last week as John Furner prepares to take over as CEO of the world's largest retailer on Feb. 1, replacing Doug McMillon. The moves aim to maintain the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer's growth momentum and bellwether position in the industry by promoting four longtime executives and expanding their…

In episode 499 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mike Natenshon, founder and CEO of apparel brand Marine Layer. Beginning from his desire to re-create a favorite worn-out college T-shirt to founding a successful brand known for high-quality, custom fabrics, Natenshon breaks down Marine Layer's milestones. From opening its first retail store (2:00)…

Bed Bath & Beyond on Monday named Executive Chairman Marcus Lemonis as its new chief executive, reports Fox Business. He stepped down as CEO of Camping World on Jan. 1, 2026, after more than two decades at the helm. Lemonis has been involved with Bed Bath & Beyond since 2023, serving as executive chairman after…

Just days after the The Wall Street Journal reported that Saks Global is preparing for bankruptcy, having missed a $100 million debt payment, it announced that CEO Marc Metrick is stepping down to pursue new opportunities. Executive chairman Richard Baker will assume the CEO role with the promise “to secure a strong and stable future” for…

Women control a significant share of the shopping power and decision-making within the household, so any retail organization that markets to them is marketing to the majority. While women leadership in retail is still a small percentage compared to men, it's growing in prominence and potential. By evaluating the ways that women bring diverse perspectives…

In episode 494 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kaitlyn Hebert, global chief marketing officer for the Ninja brand of SharkNinja, a leading global product design and technology company. The interview was recorded at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago. Hebert explains how Ninja’s organizational structure and innovation hub speed up product development (2:00). She…