In episode 274 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ron Thurston, vice president of stores at INTERMIX, a collection of specialty boutiques and division of Gap, Inc. Listen in as Thurston discusses his 25-plus year career in retail, what he enjoys most about working the industry, and the inspiration behind his new book, "Retail Pride: The Guide to Celebrating Your Accidental Career."

Thurston shares how the book encourages store associates to grow their retail careers, the lessons retail executives can learn from the book, and his thoughts on the role of brick-and-mortar retail in the future. In addition, he discusses what physical retailers need to be communicating to get customers back into stores during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; why he sees omnichannel programs like buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) as increasing in importance to retailers going forward; and why employees should be proud to work in the retail industry.

Ron Thurston is an experienced vice president of stores, board member, and author, with a demonstrated history of delivering exceptional results and building culture. Ron is skilled in trend analysis, retail, client development, and growing/collapsing store fleet count. Ron currently leads the retail organization for INTERMIX, a division of Gap, Inc., and sits on the board of directors for GOODWILL NY/NJ. He published a book in fall 2020 called "RETAIL PRIDE: The Guide to Celebrating Your Accidental Career."