As the path to purchase continues to splinter over multiplying channels, brands need to be everywhere their customers are. Suzy Davidkhanian, Vice President of Retail Insights at eMarketer, sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss why long-term retail success depends on a multichannel model and durable partnerships, despite the rise of generative AI. Inside the Episode: - The Omnichannel Business Model: Why the direct-to-consumer approach is no longer sustainable as a standalone business model - Creating Strong Partnerships: Why brands should evaluate partners based on shared values and audience alignment, focusing on building long-term equity rather than short-term sales spikes - Practical Impact of AI Shopping: How AI and predictive technology will automate routine reorders, shifting where ad dollars are spent rather than destroying them - Clean Data as the Foundation: Why true personalization and relevance are impossible without a solid data foundation AI is a powerful tool, but without a clean, focused retail operation, technology alone cannot salvage a broken strategy. 🎧 Listen to the full episode.

Are basic chatbots hurting your customer experience? In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, guest host Christine Russo sits down with Antanas Bakšys, CEO and Co-Founder of Ace Waves, to discuss the massive transformation happening in retail CX. Antanas shares insights from his 15 years in ecommerce, explaining how retail customer support is shifting from rigid software into an elite autonomous workforce. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Beyond Chatbots: Why legacy retail automation fails and how to transition to true AI teammates. - Customer Service Debt: How to identify this hidden burden in your organization and clear it out. - Risk Management: How autonomous AI agents safely handle sensitive tasks like refunds and cancellations. - Future of Retail CX: A contrarian 12-month prediction on where retail automation is heading. Meet Ace Waves at Shoptalk Europe! > Heading to Barcelona this June 9th through 11th? Meet Antanas and the team in person at the Ace Waves booth.

As retail leaders prepare for Shoptalk Europe 2026, the conversation is no longer centered on what AI could do. It’s shifting toward what AI in retail is already doing, where it is creating measurable value, and what it takes to move from pilots to profit. In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Jeremy Goldman, VP of Insights at RETHINK Retail, sits down with Joe Laszlo, Head of Content at Shoptalk, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Shoptalk Europe agenda is built, and why this year’s program reflects a more execution-focused moment for retail. The conversation explores: → Why the Shoptalk Europe 2026 agenda moves beyond theory and into real-world retail AI application → How European retail leaders are navigating AI, customer connection, and physical retail reinvention → Why agentic commerce is being approached with both excitement and scrutiny → What makes the European retail conversation distinct across markets, regulations, and consumer behaviors → Which sessions and speakers are set to shape the biggest retail conversations in Barcelona With leaders from Vestiaire Collective, Arc’teryx, Christian Louboutin, Zalando, Estée Lauder, Sephora, L’Oréal, Google, and more taking the stage, Shoptalk Europe is bringing together the people defining what retail execution looks like next. 🎧 Listen to the full episode for a preview of the themes, speakers, and conversations shaping Shoptalk Europe 2026, taking place June 9–11 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.

The conversation continues! In the conclusion of our special two-part coverage from eTail Toronto 2026, host Jeremy Goldman sits down with four more industry experts to explore the shifting dynamics of modern retail and what it takes to stay ahead in an increasingly automated landscape. Featured in this episode: - Janet Ihm (Vice President, Channel Strategy & Digital Experience, Ontario Cannabis Store): Using retail data programs to level the playing field for mom and pop shops and the importance of intentional, cautious AI strategy. - Thomas Hamilton (VP of Sales & Marketing): Why he’s teaching his team philosophy and critical thinking to act as tastemakers who audit the machine. - Mario Lemieux (Partner, DAC): The collapse of the traditional marketing funnel and the rebirth of the physical store as a billboard for the brand. - Roger Emeka (Director of Customer Experience, Browns Shoes Inc.): Why Customer Experience is a profit center and the immediate fallback rule that keeps humans at the center of the journey. Listen now to hear the full conclusion of our eTail Toronto series!

Stanley 1913 has moved far beyond a single blockbuster product. Graham Nearn, Chief Product and Sustainability Officer, PMI WW Brands, LLC (Stanley 1913), sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss how a brand with a century of history stays absolutely relevant in a trend-driven market. Inside the Episode: - The Credibility Ladder: Why every expansion must pass the four filters of quality, originality, invention, and mission to avoid overextending the brand. - Lifestyle Evolution: How the Vitalize collection and the new Clutch Bottle move the company beyond hydration and into everyday essentials. - Universal Truths: Adapting a global strategy to meet hyper-local needs, from car culture in the US to commute culture in Asia. - Circular Success: A look at the award-winning Take Back program that reclaims 96 percent of materials for the supply chain. - Predictive Learning: Using real-time social dialogue and data to inform the next move before the market catches up. Stop managing a blockbuster product. Start fueling the human experience.

Retailers have spent 25 years trying to make in-store picking profitable. Most are still struggling because fulfillment is managed as an afterthought. In this episode, Top Retail Expert Vinny O'Brien sits down with Xavier Pym, Partnerships Development Manager at Vusion and Kristofer Browall, Head of Solution Sales at StrongPoint, to bridge the gap between digital strategy and operational reality. Discussion Highlights: - The Design Conflict - Direction Over Data - The Human Factor - The Connected Advantage Stop managing the store as a side project. Start building a real-time fulfillment engine.

B2B commerce is built on a foundation of extreme complexity. When a part fails in a 100 million dollar machine, the customer needs a solution, not just a search result. Carl Holt, Director of Digital Product and Transformation at RS Group plc, sits down with Howe Gu, Group SVP, Customers and Partners at Rezolve AI, and Evan Burgess, Global Sales Director at Rezolve AI. They discuss the leap from legacy search engines to agentic commerce. Inside the Episode: - 99 Percent Rule Reduction: The automation strategy that allowed RS Group to replace 30,000 manual rules with an AI product platform. - Natural Language Moats: Why engineers are moving toward "plain English" problem solving to bypass technical jargon. - Predictive Fulfillment: A look at the future of IoT sensors and AI agents that order spare parts before a machine actually breaks. - Agent-to-Agent Commerce: How to build digital experiences for the AI agents that will soon be shopping on behalf of global organizations. Value is not found in the catalog size. It is found in the speed of the solution.

We’re live from the floor of eTail Toronto 2026! In the first half of our special two-part coverage, we’re digging past the buzzwords to find out what is actually driving retail innovation in 2026. Host Jeremy Goldman sits down with three industry leaders to discuss everything from boardroom AI mandates to the digital rebellion of the next generation of consumers. Featured in this episode: - Dave Stevens (CTO, Groupe Dynamite): How to achieve "10x the CX" by stripping away AI noise and focusing on exposure therapy for internal teams. - Stacey DeSantis (Content Marketing Manager, Home Hardware): Solving the "Chicken Parm problem" by prioritizing authenticity and getting to the point fast for AI search. - Paul Briggs (Principal Analyst, EMARKETER): The data behind the Canadian market, from last mile delivery hurdles to the future of automated grocery replenishment. Whether you’re a CTO drafting a tech strategy or a marketer fighting for authenticity, this episode is packed with real-world takeaways you can use today. Listen now and keep an ear out for Part 2 coming soon!

Automation and Openness: Lessons from the Australian Frontline Australia has a 20-year head start on the self-service revolution. Kristie Longhurst from Diebold Nixdorf and Top Retail Expert Nick Harbaugh discuss why automation is the only viable answer to the global labor crisis and rising operational costs. Inside the Episode: - The Demographic Surprise: Why the elderly are embracing self-checkout while millennial men remain the most hesitant group. - Gentle Loss Prevention: Using AI for suggestive shrink reduction that preserves the customer relationship instead of creating friction. - The Economic Catalyst: How Australia’s unique cash-handling model is forcing a massive shift toward 30-lane self-service footprints. - The Death of Lock-in: Why an open, API-driven foundation is now the primary requirement for retail scalability. Stop fighting for labor. Start building a flexible, open-tech foundation.

Shrinking margins, labor shortages, and the complexity of omni-channel fulfillment are putting unprecedented pressure on grocery and convenience retailers. On the latest RETHINK Retail Podcast, recorded live at EuroShop, Renee Hartmann, Top Retail Expert, sits down with Zsuzsa Hordai of SPAR International and Aidan Mittra of OrderGrid to unpack these operational pressures, and what they demand from retailers next. KEY TAKEAWAYS - Margins and workforce are the defining pressures: Declining profits and difficulty retaining staff at every level of the organization remain the industry's most urgent challenges. - Technology should amplify people, not replace them: The best implementations automate low-value tasks so associates can focus on customer engagement and high-value work. - Real-time data drives better decisions: Moving beyond lagging back-office systems gives retailers the visibility to act on out-of-stocks, expiring inventory, and margin risks before they escalate. - Out-of-stocks damage more than revenue: In an omni-channel world, stockouts erode customer trust and long-term loyalty. - Practical automation is already here: Computer vision, RFID, and human-in-the-loop systems are being deployed today to improve shelf availability and operational efficiency. This episode explores how a real-time data foundation can reduce friction for shoppers and staff alike, and position the physical store as a driver of lasting growth.

Beyond Vanilla AI: The Era of Agentic Commerce The retail industry has moved past experimentation. We are now in the realization phase where AI agents deliver frictionless, store-like expertise to digital channels. Vic Miles from Microsoft and Crispin Lowery of Rezolve AI join Jeremy Goldman to discuss why the early adopter advantage is now a requirement for brand survival. Key Discussion Points: - The Expertise Bridge: How agents bring the nuance of an in-store associate to the digital checkout. - The Tesla Analogy: Why retail tech is shifting from rigid engineering to fluid, software-first experiences. - Personalization as a Killer App: Using AI to move from broad demographics to solving singular problems for individual shoppers. - Choosing the Right Foundation: Why no-hallucination platforms and transparent brand voice control are the new vendor table stakes. Stop managing metrics. Start mastering the human experience.