In episode 480 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jessica Thompson, global brand president of Halara, women's activewear-inspired everyday apparel. Listen in as Thompson provides an overview of the athleisure brand (1:40), its direct-to-consumer e-commerce distribution channels (2:25), and shares her career journey that lead to her current role (3:10). She discusses the factors that have contributed to Halara's rapid growth (5:00), its innovative near-zero inventory production model (7:20), and its extensive customer feedback loop (11:45).

In addition, Thompson discusses Halara's broad customer base (14:16), how it's expanding beyond its online channels to drive community offline (15:50), and its current pop-up shop strategy to test physical retail (17:35). Lastly, she details Halara's commitment to sustainability (19:15) and the growth opportunities she's targeting for the athleisure brand (21:20).

Jessica Thompson is the global brand president of Halara, a leading athleisure brand. With a career rooted in retail and fashion, she began working in the early 2000s within the denim industry at Diesel. Thompson spent those early years working in various roles within the retail industry, gaining expertise across visual merchandising, buying, and creative direction. She founded and ran a creative services agency for over a decade, working with small- to large-scale lifestyle brands before shifting her focus to mass-market activewear. After working with Halara as a client, she transitioned in-house in May 2024, and now leads brand and creative teams for the viral, top-selling brand.