Professional Development

In episode 514 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Lorenzo De Plano, co-founder and CEO of ALP, the leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) nicotine pouch brand, valued at over $1 billion. Listen in as De Plano discusses the genesis and growth of the company (2:15), why launching DTC first provided a sandbox to test and…

The future of retail won't just be shaped by artificial intelligence. It will be shaped by the perspectives building it. That matters because retail serves one of the most diverse customer bases in the world, yet the people shaping AI don't always reflect the customers or employees they'll ultimately serve. Women are responsible for 85…

Target on Tuesday announced it has appointed its first ever chief artificial intelligence officer in its latest bet to capitalize on the AI boom, reports CNBC. The company named Chandhu Nair as its chief AI officer and senior vice president and also announced Purvi Shah as the company’s senior vice president of user experience. Nair…

Retailers that add dozens of seasonal associates in the runup to the holiday season are compressing months of onboarding risk into days. I-9s have to be promptly collected, minors lawfully scheduled, and local regulations respected across all store and warehouse locations during a time when managers are stretched to the breaking point. The mistakes that…

Best Buy has announced new leaders appointed to its executive team. As a part of its CEO transition, this appointments position the consumer electronics retailer to accelerate its strategic priorities to 1.) advance as a retail, media and advertising, and technology company, 2.) expand and grow its reach, 3.) elevate the customer experience and 4.) be…

Bombas built its business by redefining an everyday essential (socks) and pairing it with a compelling social mission. Now, as the company sets its sights on becoming a $1 billion business, it’s expanding beyond its direct-to-consumer (DTC) roots. During a keynote session at the CommerceNext Growth Show last month in New York City, Jason LaRose,…

Halfway through 2026, retail organizations are facing a familiar but intensified reality: customer expectations continue to rise while frontline employees are being asked to do more with less certainty, tighter labor models, and constant operational change. Hiring challenges, retention concerns, and manager burnout have pressured retail organizations for years. However, leading organizations are responding differently.…

There is a scene that plays out inside retail organizations every day, across every format and price point. A leader stands in front of her team speaking about the importance of the customer experience (CX). She has the data. The PowerPoint presentation. The customer satisfaction scores, Net Promoter benchmarks, and mystery shop results. The team…

In episode 509 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Zaven "Zee" Ghanimian, CEO, and Brooke Brinkman Ghanimian, chief operating officer of Simon G. Fine Jewelry, a leading fine jewelry brand known for innovation, craftsmanship, and timeless design. Listen in as they share the origin story of the family-owned-and-operated business (0:55), why maintaining quality…

Macy's posted its strongest fiscal first-quarter comparable sales performance in four years on Wednesday, as the legacy department store’s turnaround continues to show progress. Led by the 200 so-called reimagined stores Macy’s has upgraded, comparable sales grew 3 percent overall during the quarter and 1.6 percent at its namesake banner. At Bloomingdale’s, comparable sales grew…