One of the most anticipated episodes of The Remarkable Retail Podcast returns as Steve Dennis reviews and grades his annual retail predictions, offering a candid assessment of how the industry actually performed as 2025 unfolded. Known for balancing optimism with accountability, Dennis evaluates where macro forces, technology shifts, and retailer execution aligned—or diverged—from expectations.

The episode opens with its regular news of the week segment, highlighting economic crosscurrents shaping retail performance. Despite multiple interest-rate cuts, housing-linked categories such as home improvement remain under pressure, with Home Depot forecasting modest growth at best. Tariffs emerge as a recurring headwind, squeezing margins for retailers like AutoZone and casting a long shadow over sourcing, pricing, and inventory strategies heading into 2026.

Then its on to Part 1 of the predictions reckoning portion.

A central theme is the continued rise of retail’s “super-scalers.” Walmart, Amazon, Costco, and a small cohort of dominant players once again captured a disproportionate share of industry growth, reinforcing the idea that scale, price leadership, and operational excellence matter more than ever in a value-constrained consumer environment. Dennis argues that this concentration is not cyclical, but structural, driven by convenience, pricing power, and omnichannel capability.

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

We welcome Moody's Mark Zandi, Moody's Chief Economist and one of the most influential and trusted macroeconomic voices shaping markets, policy, and business strategy worldwide. Zandi begins by explaining how today’s consumer landscape is defined by a widening K-shaped economy—an income and wealth split decades in the making and now intensified by rising asset values and post-pandemic dynamics. Households at the top of the income spectrum are spending freely, while middle-class consumers remain pressured and those at the bottom struggle to keep up, borrowing to sustain purchases.

Zandi also connects the affordability crisis to structural issues like housing supply, wage pressures, labor shortages, and the unpredictable impact of tariffs—which are simultaneously slowing job creation, lifting inflation, and clouding retailers’ pricing strategies. He warns that delayed tariff pass-through may soon accelerate and that upcoming legal decisions could radically alter retail margins.

Perhaps most striking is Zandi’s analysis of AI’s fingerprints on the labor market. He highlights rapidly rising unemployment among younger workers and the risk that productivity gains arrive faster than hiring can adjust—potentially tipping the economy toward recession just as retail faces profit pressure, concentration of growth among a handful of giants, and shifts in category performance.

Before joined by Zandi, Steve and Michael dig into the retail headlines: strong BFCM e-commerce results , Buy Now Pay Later surging again, and evidence that AI-driven traffic is now materially influencing online demand. They examine the evolving performance of dollar stores, with Five Below delivering standout comps, the ongoing stampede to value, and whether the end of de minimis rules may reshape the bargain landscape.

They then break down Macy’s mixed but improving traction, tariff lawsuits led by Costco, and the broader retail question of whether top-line growth is increasingly profitless prosperity—a theme reinforced by margins squeezed across beauty, off-price, and specialty retail formats.

In a quick recap of the most remarkable stories of the week Steve is stunned that Meta still invests heavily in the metaverse—even while shrinking budgets Michael questions whether defunct brands like Bed Bath & Beyond can meaningfully return in the Canadian retail market dominated by TJX, HomeSense, and IKEA.

Expect the annual game of holiday discount chicken to intensify as promotions escalate, plus intriguing experiments like Netflix House in former department-store spaces—potentially hinting at new opportunities for mall real estate.

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

The latest edition of the retail industry's leading podcast features an in-depth conversation with Jason Buechel, CEO of Whole Foods Market and Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores, who shares Amazon’s rapidly expanding grocery ambitions. Already surpassing $100 billion in gross sales, Amazon is leaning into grocery as a strategic category driven by frequency, loyalty, Prime stickiness, and the potential to unite all household purchasing into a seamless digital and physical ecosystem.

Buechel explains how Amazon is transforming grocery shopping—a category in which consumers currently visit four to five retailers a month—into a single, unified experience. With more than 1,000 same-day grocery delivery locations today scaling to 2,300 cities, store-level innovations such as Whole Foods Daily Shop formats, and the integration of perishables directly into Amazon baskets alongside electronics or apparel, the company is erasing long-standing channel barriers. He also outlines the “one grocery” operational vision: unified supply chains, technology stacks, and customer journeys across banners, while preserving the brand trust and standards that Whole Foods customers demand.

The episode opens with co-hosts Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc breaking down early holiday results. This year’s hottest retail storyline, however, may be the sudden emergence of agentic AI. Tools such as Amazon’s Rufus and ChatGPT are now influencing search and conversion decisions, helping fuel what the hosts dub “the most agentic Christmas yet.” With traffic gains from AI agents multiplying, the shift from traditional search to intelligent assistants is poised to accelerate dramatically in 2026.

The discussion then turns to Kohl’s, and the decision to name interim CEO Michael Bender to the permanent position. The hosts frame this as symptomatic of a deeper issue: a retailer with declining relevance in a shrinking total addressable market.

On the heels of new quarterly earnings reports they also spotlight the theme of “profitless prosperity”—brands reporting modest sales improvements but sliding EBITDA as tariffs, promotions, and supply chain pressures erode margin—the overarching message: top-line growth is not victory unless gross profit dollars follow.

The episode concludes with the remarkable rise of Google's AI game, and Sears inexplicably still operating a handful of stores (though likely not for much longer).

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Steve and Michael open this week’s episode with a deep dive into the retail news of the week, marked by sharp contrasts in performance across the retail landscape. Walmart continues to separate itself from the pack, delivering another standout quarter, as omni-channel rival Target delivers another challenging quarter. 

The news segment analyses strong results from the off-price sector as TJX and Ross Stores both post impressive sales gains. The turnaround at Gap Inc. shows encouraging signs  under CEO Richard Dickson despite continued weakness at Athleta. In home improvement, both Home Depot and Lowe’s see essentially flat comps as rate-locked consumers and affordability issues continue to weigh on spending. Furniture and home categories face rising tariff exposure, with Williams-Sonoma projecting its blended tariff rate jumping from 6% to 35%—a margin headwind that underscores industry-wide challenges. All told, the week’s earnings reveal a retail landscape where the biggest players capture more share while many others struggle to keep pace.

Steve and Michael revisit their encore interview with Artemis Patrick, President & CEO of Sephora North America—one of the most inspiring and resonant conversations in the show’s archive. Artemis shares her extraordinary personal journey from immigrating from Iran and growing up in foster care to becoming one of the most influential leaders in global beauty.

She details Sephora’s global reach (34 markets, 3,000 stores), 700+ North American freestanding locations, a huge presence at Kohl's, and 40M+ Beauty Insider members, while unpacking the brand’s unique power in incubating indie brands, championing diverse founders, and uniting physical and digital experiences long before Omni became a buzzword. Artemis also previews two transformational initiatives: a next-generation e-commerce platform enabling deeper personalization and a five-year renovation of every Sephora store—the largest capital project in the brand’s history.

After the interview the hosts each share their choice for buzziest story of the week before concluding with what's on their radar screens for the weeks ahead.

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Season 11, Episode 12 opens with a whirlwind week in retail news. Steve and Michael begin with the long-awaited end of the historic 43-day U.S. government shutdown, exploring what it means for holiday spending, federal workers, SNAP benefits, and travel recovery. While uncertainty lingers—particularly around health-care subsidies—the hosts note that retail may still experience ripple effects, especially among lower-income consumers living paycheck to paycheck. Still, retail sales continue to surprise: year-over-year spending climbed 5%, with clothing, sporting goods, electronics, and general merchandise leading the pack. Ecommerce also surged, with October online sales up 8.2%

The hosts then unpack a series of strong earnings from standout brands. On continues its explosive growth with sales up over 30%, while Warby Parker posts a 15% sales jump and meaningful profitability improvement. The RealReal rebounds with 17% revenue growth, and Shopify reports a remarkable 32% increase, reflecting the strength of digitally enabled commerce. Another major storyline is the rapid rise of AI shopping: Adobe Analytics data now shows AI-driven traffic converting 16% higher than traditional channels, validating the momentum behind agentic commerce. In other tech news, Google announces an AI agent capable of calling stores, checking inventory, and completing purchases—a signal of seismic shifts underway in retail automation. And finally, the surprise timing behind the departure of Walmart CEO Doug McMillon prompts conversation about leadership transition, strategy continuity and the remarkable transformation he led. 

The second half of the episode features an in-depth interview with Julie Bornstein, Founder & CEO of Daydream—an AI-powered, chat-based shopping engine still in beta but already partnered with over 10,000 brands and 350 retailers that has already raised $50mm in capital. Julie shares her impressive career journey through Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Sephora, Stitch Fix, The Yes, and Pinterest. She then goes to explain how Daydream solves fashion’s most enduring problem: overwhelming choice. With generative AI enabling natural-language search, Daydream aims to deliver truly personalized recommendations by combining human stylist expertise with an ensemble of specialized models that understand fabric, fit, color, and aesthetic nuance. 

Julie also discusses the complexity of building a platform that merges taste-based shopping with machine learning, the importance of deep brand partnerships, and why major retailers see Daydream as both a customer-acquisition engine and an AI learning lab. She previews what's ahead: emerging social features, secondhand expansion, new iOS integrations, an upcoming app launch, and broader consumer rollout. 

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Hosts Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc welcome David Lafitte, President and CEO of Tecovas, the fast-growing Austin-based brand bringing cowboy culture to modern consumers. Lafitte’s career journey—from corporate attorney to Chief Operating Officer at Deckers Brands (home of UGG and Hoka) and now to retail leadership at Tecovas—is a masterclass in reinvention and focus.

Under Lafitte’s leadership, Tecovas has evolved from a digitally native boot maker to a fast growing premium lifestyle brand built on two pillars: crafted quality and radical hospitality. In this conversation, he explains how every store—now more than 50 across the U.S.—delivers a warm, elevated customer experience complete with in-store bars, personalization services, and knowledgable personalized service. The company’s blend of authenticity and approachability has earned it cult-brand status while driving remarkable growth.

Lafitte also shares insights into Tecovas’ expansion strategy, including its move into New York’s Soho district. He describes the flagship store as both a retail hub and a powerful brand ambassador that introduces western style to new audiences—without compromising the brand’s roots. The discussion dives into Tecovas’ measured foray into wholesale partnerships with Nordstrom and its expanding apparel lines, from denim to performance shirts, that extend the brand’s head-to-toe lifestyle appeal.

Lafitte reflects on the importance of leadership focus, empowering teams, and maintaining clarity amid growth. His advice for emerging retail leaders: prioritize what matters most, say no to distractions, and foster cultures of accountability and trust.

The hosts balance the conversation with this week’s retail headlines: the Supreme Court’s debate over Trump-era tariffs, Allbirds’ ongoing “Wobbly Unicorn Corner” status and strong results from luxury icons Ralph Lauren and Tapestry amid broader industry struggles. They close with insights on Amazon’s automation ambitions, Andy Jassy’s bold predictions for the future of eCommerce, and holiday retail forecasts signaling a slower but steady season.

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Guest co-host Ben Miller, Shoptalk's VP of Original Content and Strategy joins to provide expert analysis and we interview Lauren Sherman, the acclaimed fashion correspondent at Puck and author of Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon

The episode kicks off with a rich news segment, where the trio unpacks the latest forces shaping retail and the economy. Amazon’s strong Q3 earnings headline the week, with third-party marketplace growth and ad revenues surging 24%. The conversation then pivots to the consumer landscape, where CPG brands lean on pricing over volume, private-label growth accelerates, and Estee Lauder’s rebound in China might hint at green shoots in luxury demand.

From there, the hosts explore the AI revolution’s ripple through the workforce, with Ben outlining how global companies are reorganizing around “agentic transformation” as human and machine intelligence increasingly converge. He notes that the average IQ of today’s AI agents already exceeds 130—with future leaps that will reshape every operating model. The segment closes with Steve’s macro overview: U.S.–China tariff recalibrations, Fed policy shifts, and warning signs of consumer softening among younger cohorts.

In the feature interview, Lauren Sherman offers a masterclass on the shifting foundations of global fashion and luxury. From the post-pandemic boom to today’s demand reset, she dissects how the Chinese slowdown, pricing strategy saturation, and the direct-to-consumer explosion are redrawing the map for brands like LVMH, Hermès, and Prada. Lauren argues that “untouchable” luxury houses are now confronting the limits of endless growth, and that resale and rental markets have permanently altered consumer psychology—embedding secondhand luxury as a normalized part of the buying journey.

She also explores social media’s transformation under AI, Hollywood’s over-reliance on fashion partnerships, and why the luxury world’s obsession with celebrity campaigns may have reached saturation.

The episode also previews ShopTalk Luxe, the new Abu Dhabi-based event connecting the global luxury ecosystem. The hosts wrap by spotlighting the AI data-center boom, the rise of GLP-1-driven nutrition trends, and the surprising revival of British department stores.

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

The News Rundown

Steve leads off with the latest tariff turmoil, as trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada stall amid the Trump administration's response to an ad created and paid for by the Ontario government running in U.S. media whose key auto  sector is endangered by Trump trade policies. They also explore luxury corporate earnings, where Hermès continues to shine, while.  Gucci owner Kering struggles to regain footing. Meanwhile, Mattel falls short as retailers tighten orders ahead of the holidays.

The discussion then turns to job cuts at Target, Amazon, GM, and Nestlé, revealing how automation, AI, and tariff pressures are reshaping corporate structures, before turning to  Amazon's plan to replace up to 600,000 roles with robotics. They also cover ChatGPT's meteoric rise to No. 2 in product search, challenging Google and signaling a shift in how consumers discover products.

Throughout, they underscore the precariousness of retail confidence heading into the holiday season — from Tractor Supply's cautious guidance to Deckers' HOKA sales slowdown.

Blank Canvas Strategy: Finding Retail's 'New Earth'

In the second half, Steve introduces "Blank Canvas Strategy"— a methodology for retailers to reimagine their businesses from the ground up, free from legacy constraints. Unlike Blue Ocean Strategy, which focuses on discovering compltey untapped markets, this framework helps brands reinvent their core business models before disruption makes them irrelevant.

Steve urges leaders to recognize when their "planet" (current business model and market domain) becomes uninhabitable, and to begin building "Earth Two" — an alternative growth destination. Together, the hosts examine why incremental change doomed once-iconic retailers like Blockbuster, Sears, and Pier 1, and how others like Dick's Sporting Goods and RH (Restoration Hardware) succeeded by boldly innovating their business designs.

They close by discussing how executives can carve out time, treasure, and talent for R&D, overcome the fear of cannibalization, and lead with the courage to disrupt themselves before competitors do.

After the focused content discussion it's on to the most remarkable stories of the week, including Walmart's massive commitment to deploying 90 million supply-chain sensors to track pallets and fresh-food products.

The episode wraps with what needs to be on everyone's radar screens. One recommendation: keep your eyes on "GU" the first U.S. store fromUniqlo's parent company, Fast Retailing. Located in New York's Soho neighborhood, Gu is a bright, energetic space with "eye-poppingly good prices" and strong shopper buzz.

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

On the latest episode of the Remarkable Retail Podcast co-hosts Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc deliver another fast-moving episode at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and retail reinvention.

The episode opens with Steve leading the weekly news rundown, spotlighting Walmart’s groundbreaking partnership with OpenAI's ChatGPT — a move that could redefine how shoppers discover products and transact. 

They then turn to earnings where LVMH’s modest rebound hints at a possible luxury reset, contrasted sharply with Saks Global’s double-digit losses and ongoing integration pains. The co-hosts analyze Levi’s direct-to-consumer surge under CEO Michelle Gass, before diving into Aritzia’s remarkable 32% growth and aggressive US expansion.

From there Michaels Arts & Crafts CEO David Boone joins for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, transformation, and speed. Boone shares how Michaels’ “seize the moment” initiative emerged after the collapse of Party City and JoAnn’s — an opportunity to rapidly introduce new in-store and digital concepts like The Party Shop and Balloon Bar. Drawing on his leadership experience at Staples Canada, Boone contrasts private equity agility with public-company complexity and explains why, in today’s market, inaction is riskier than risk itself.

Boone also details Michaels’ journey toward a truly omnichannel creative ecosystem, where digital discovery enhances the tactile joy of physical stores. He discusses the integration of JoAnn’s beloved IP into the Michaels experience and how the company’s purpose — “fueling the joy of creativity and celebration” — guides everything from store design to marketing voice.

Steve and Michael close with their “what’s remarkable” segment, breaking down OpenAI’s new Sora social video app and the explosive pace of AI adoption and lifting up International artisanal brand MUDD and the creative retail energy they embody. Together they reflect on the balance of innovation, humanity, and retail momentum heading into the 2025 holiday season.

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

The Weekly News Rundown

The episode opens with a fast-moving retail update. New DataWeave analytics reveal that Nike has raised prices significantly — by 17 percent for footwear and 14 percent for apparel — as tariff cost mounts, potentially disrupting their turnaround plans. Steve and Michael then examine the continuing U.S. government shutdown and its potential economic ripple effects. Despite flagging consumer confidence, September retail sales surged 5.4% year-over-year, led by sporting goods and apparel, while big-ticket categories such as furniture and home improvement stalled. They turn next to Adobe's holiday sales forecast, calling for 5.3 percent online growth — the slowest in years. AI-driven shopping, meanwhile, is expected to grow fivefold, underscoring how rapidly technology can reshape consumer behaviour.

The Interview — Scot Wingo on Agentic Commerce

Returning guest Scot Wingo brings a veteran entrepreneur's perspective on the next leap in retail innovation. Leveraging his ChannelAdvisor roots to his latest venture, ReFiBuy.ai, Wingo describes how AI agents are poised to reshape the shopping journey — from research, to finding, and buying — through "agentic commerce." He details how ChatGPT's new checkout feature effectively turns it into a merchant-friendly marketplace and why this could challenge Google and Amazon's ad-tax models. Wingo explains how Google is evolving from a search engine to an "answer engine," already costing retailers organic traffic, and outlines the steps brands must take to prepare their catalogues for AI-driven visibility. He also explores how personal-shopping agents and vertical AI start-ups in fashion and re-commerce are creating hyper-custom experiences, while warning retailers not to block "good bots" in their fear of AI scraping.

Stories That Spread and A Peek Around the Corner

In their closing segment, Steve and Michael discuss some recent remarkable stories including the revival of brands like Bed Bath & Beyond, Toys "R" Us, and Forever 21, as well as Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's latest shot at his former company. They close by discuss what's on their mutual radar screens for the weeks ahead.

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

The episode begins with a deep dive into the latest retail and economic headlines that are shaping the landscape. Steve and Michael dissect the U.S. government shutdown, its ripple effects on employment, and how cost-cutting in Washington could further weaken an already fragile job market. They then examine new tariffs on furniture, cabinets, and agricultural exports, highlighting how the policies are squeezing retailers and farmers alike—particularly soybean producers, who have been hit hard by China’s retaliation.

The hosts also analyze the latest on TikTok’s uncertain U.S. future, as political maneuvering opens the door to a controversial joint venture involving major tech and media figures. In retail performance, Costco’s continued dominance and Nike’s early turnaround efforts take center stage, as both giants adapt to shifting consumer sentiment and inflationary pressure. The segment concludes with a discussion of AI’s growing impact on the workplace, holiday hiring trends, and how discretionary spending and de minimis trade rules could redefine retail economics on both sides of the border.

Then, in a wide-ranging interview, David Kahan, President & Managing Director, Birkenstock Americas delivers a masterclass in brand stewardship and retail strategy. He traces Birkenstock’s roots from a humble German cobbler to a global fashion phenomenon—revealing how the brand’s success rests on “never deviating from its DNA.” Every product begins with the footbed, he says, making comfort, health, and purpose inseparable from style.

Kahan credits Birkenstock’s ongoing cultural resonance—from the Barbie movie to red carpet collaborations—to disciplined brand management and “engineered distribution.” He explains how each Birkenstock store is a unique community experience, blending tactile engagement with hyper-local curation. The conversation also touches on leadership philosophy, emphasizing humility, trust, and an unwavering focus on brand equity over short-term sales.   

SPECIAL OFFER for our listeners! SAVE 20% on registration for the all new Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi January 27-29.

For more info go to https://luxe.shoptalk.com/page/get-ticket and then register using our special code : RRLUXE20

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.