Remarkable Retail

• Warby Parker's Remarkable Vision with Neil Blumenthal, co-CEO and Co-Founder (E)

  Joining us for a fascinating interview is Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, one of the most successful and innovative "disruptor brands" to emerge in the past two decades. Neil shares the brand's origin story, what makes Warby Parker remarkable, why they've aggressively invested in brick-and-mortar locations, the critical interplay between digital and physical, and a whole lot more.As usual for our encore episodes, we open with Steve giving us an update on the progress Warby Parker is making on their business. About NeilNeil Blumenthal is a co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, a transformative lifestyle brand that offers designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. In 2015, Fast Company named Warby Parker the most innovative company in the world.Prior to launching Warby Parker in 2010, Neil served as director of VisionSpring, a nonprofit social enterprise that trains low-income women to start their own businesses selling affordable eyeglasses to individuals living on less than $4 per day in developing countries. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. He serves on the board of RxArt and on the United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneurs Council. A native of New York City, Neil received his BA from Tufts University and his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Neil lives in Greenwich Village with his wife, Rachel, the founder and CEO of Rockets of Awesome, and their two children. Here is a 10% off code for the CommerceNext Growth Show exclusive to Remarkable Retail listeners: REMARKABLE. About UsSteve 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.

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• The Evolution of Outlet Centers: Stephen Yalof, Tanger's CEO, on Value Retail's Transformation

  In this episode of the Remarkable Retail podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis begin with a news segment covering recent market developments, notably the "tariff turmoil" between the US and China. They discuss how the US has partially de-escalated its stance, with tariffs dropping from a proposed 145% to 30%, creating a 90-day window for retailers to import products. However, they emphasize that smaller retailers remain disproportionately affected due to limited resources compared to giants like Home Depot.The hosts also cover recent retail earnings reports, including Walmart's strong comp store sales growth despite withdrawing Q2 guidance, and their strategic pricing approach to tariff impacts. Other earnings news included On Running's impressive 40% sales growth, while American Eagle, JC Penney, and Burberry reported significant losses. Additional news touched on refinancing challenges at Kohl's, potential bankruptcy concerns at Saks, and Dick's Sporting Goods' surprising acquisition of Foot Locker.The featured interview with Stephen Yalof, CEO and President of Tanger, explores his extensive career spanning retail real estate, including roles at New Plan Realty Trust, Gap, Ralph Lauren, and Simon before joining Tanger in 2020 – humorously noting he arrived when "every one of their 3,000 stores was closed" due to COVID.Yalof provides a fascinating historical perspective on outlet centers, explaining how they evolved from manufacturers' sales of returned items and factory seconds to a strategic retail channel. He details how the Tanger family themselves were shirt manufacturers who realized they were "selling more stuff out the back door than out the front door" before creating the first outlet center in Burlington, North Carolina.The conversation explores how vertical retailers like Gap transformed the model, creating consolidation stores for excess inventory before establishing dedicated outlet locations. This evolution progressed from pure excess inventory management to serving aspirational customers who understand brands but can't afford full price – what Yalof describes as bringing customers "into your ecosystem."In response to competition from online and fast-fashion retailers, Yalof explains Tanger's strategy shift from purely "power shopping" to full-service experiences with improved food, entertainment, and amenities. He compares this to how stadiums have evolved despite at-home viewing advances, stating, "We're the general merchandise managers of our shopping centers... it's about picking the right uses, right experiences, the right amenities."The interview concludes with insights into Tanger's digital engagement strategies, including how they leverage customer data to create targeted marketing campaigns and provide stackable discounts through retailer partnerships, guided by their vision of "using customer insight to inform the future of shopping." Here is a 10% off code for the CommerceNext Growth Show exclusive to Remarkable Retail listeners: REMARKABLE. About UsSteve 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.

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• The Beauty of Relevance: Getting Personal with Josh Friedman, Ulta's SVP Digital & eCommerce

  In this episode of the Remarkable Retail podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis begin by dissecting the week's most important retail news, highlighting the Trump administration's UK trade deal. They discuss the more consequential negotiations with China befor examining how Chinese e-commerce giants Temu and Shein are experiencing sales drops of 17% and 23% respectively after implementing pricing changes.April's surprising 7% jump in US core retail sales indicates consumers are pulling forward purchases ahead of expected tariff impacts. The hosts discusss positive earnings news from Tapestry (Coach's parent company), which increased profit guidance despite economic uncertainty, and Warby Parker, which delivered its first profitable quarter in its history. They conclude the news segment with Skechers' unexpected $9 billion acquisition by private equity firm 3G Capital, noting that the footwear giant operates in 180 countries with 5,300 stores.The interview segment features Josh Friedman, Senior Vice President of Digital and E-commerce at Ulta Beauty. Friedman brings extensive experience from previous roles at Dell, JCPenney, and Neiman Marcus. He discusses Ulta's 35-year journey and upcoming expansion into Mexico and the Middle East, emphasizing their mission to be "all things beauty, all in one place."When asked about Ulta's success factors, Friedman points to three key elements: comprehensive brand assortment, their powerful loyalty program with 44 million members, and Ulta's collaborative company culture. Personalization is a major focus for Ulta, built on their loyalty program foundation. Friedman explains how Ulta leverages search and virtual try-on technology to help deliver relevant customer experiences. Under new CEO Kecia Steelman Ulta is recalibrating its structure and focus. Friedman shares details about their upcoming curated marketplace launch, emphasizing it will be invitation-only and focused on carefully selected beauty and wellness brands that complement their existing offerings. The marketplace will allow Ulta to test new products and extend into additional categories while maintaining quality control.  Here is a 10% off code for the CommerceNext Growth Show exclusive to Remarkable Retail listeners: REMARKABLE. About UsSteve 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.

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• Navigating Retail Media's Future Part 2 with Andrew Lipsman: Predictions and Growth Strategies

  In the latest episode of the Remarkable Retail podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis continue their conversation with retail media expert Andrew Lipsman, founder and chief analyst at Media, Ads and Commerce, exploring the evolution and future of retail media networks.The episode kicks off with an in-depth news segment covering significant economic developments. The hosts discuss the recent GDP drop in the US, which they note is primarily driven by increased imports and inventory buildup as retailers front-loaded inventory ahead of tariff implementations. They analyze the recent disconnect between poor consumer confidence numbers and actual retail spending patterns. The hosts also examine tech company earnings, with most reporting strong results except for Apple, which is facing challenges related to tariffs and China exposure. Apple's response to tariffs—shifting manufacturing to India and Vietnam rather than the US—highlights unintended consequences of the trade policies. The news segment concludes with a discussion of Amazon's earnings and the surprising termination of Kohl's CEO Ashley Buchanan over an improper vendor relationship.In the interview segment with Andrew Lipsman, the conversation centers on the mechanics of successful retail media networks and future trends. Lipsman explains his concept of the "retail media flywheel," noting that when this flywheel takes off, it produces exponential rather than linear growth. He emphasizes that while Amazon pioneered this approach, other retailers can build their own flywheels tailored to their specific assets.A significant portion of the discussion addresses concerns about whether retail media might compromise customer experience. Lipsman acknowledges this concern but believes it can be managed with thoughtful execution and relevant advertising. He points to Trader Joe's as an interesting counterexample—a retailer explicitly rejecting retail media to focus on merchandising excellence.For retailers considering or developing retail media networks, Lipsman advises realistic expectations, particularly for mid-size and smaller players who may benefit more from joining aggregated networks rather than building walled gardens. He cautions that many retailers overvalue their first-party data and underestimate what's needed to monetize it effectively.Looking to the future, Lipsman predicts that while on-site search advertising will continue to drive significant revenue, the big growth opportunities lie in streaming TV advertising and in-store media. He estimates in-store advertising represents a potential $20-40 billion opportunity, noting that physical stores account for about 5% of all media time spent but currently capture only 0.1% of ad spending. While acknowledging implementation challenges, he points to successful examples outside the US, particularly in the UK and Asia, as evidence of the model's viability. YouTube episode Photo by Nathan Cima on Unsplash Here is a 10% off code for the CommerceNext Growth Show exclusive to Remarkable Retail listeners: REMARKABLE. About UsSteve 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.

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• Taking the Loyalty LEAP: Tractor Supply's Neil Tenzer, VP Customer Loyalty, Insights, & Engagement Unpacks Customer-Centric Innovation

  In Season 10, Episode 16 of the Remarkable Retail Podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis open with a deep dive into the latest turbulence in the retail world. They tackle the U.S. administration’s wobbly trade policies, slowing home sale, and rising inventory risks stemming from ongoing tariffs. They also dissect challenges facing the luxury sector, with Kering posting disappointing numbers and growing concerns around the Saks/Neiman Marcus deal amid financial instability. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble bucks the trend, announcing 60 new stores in 2025, reinforcing that physical retail remains far from dead.The second half of the episode features a compelling live interview from Shoptalk in Las Vegas with Neil Tenzer, Vice President, Customer Loyalty, Insights and Engagement at Tractor Supply Company (TSC). Neil provides a masterclass in building a robust loyalty program with real impact. He shares his unique journey—from a Nordstrom associate to a strategy consultant to a senior executive at TSC—and how these experiences shape his approach to customer engagement.Neil walks through the evolution of Tractor Supply’s Neighbors Club, which now boasts over 39 million members and accounts for 80% of company revenue. He highlights how spending time on customers' properties—understanding their lives firsthand—informs everything from reward program design to personalization strategy. Neil also discusses how TSC thinks differently about loyalty economics: rather than banking on reward breakage, they aim for full reward utilization to deepen customer engagement.Listeners get a firsthand look at TSC’s approach to micro-segmentation, omnichannel loyalty, and personalization efforts that bridge online and in-store experiences. Neil offers insights into experimental tactics, the application of agentic AI for personalization, and the cultural commitment at TSC to putting the customer first—literally in every loyalty and personalization decision. The episode closes with Neil’s advice to fellow retailers. About NeilNeil Tenzer is Vice President of Customer Loyalty, Insights & Engagement at Tractor Supply Co. where he is privileged to lead the Neighbor’s Club - one of the largest and fastest growing loyalty programs in retail! With 38+ M members and $12+ B in sales, the program leverages robust analytics and data science to connect each customer with the most compelling marketing and uniquely relevant offers. Neil has 20 years of experience employing data and analytics to lead multinational organizations through growth and turnaround strategy across the healthcare, consumer, and retail spaces. Neil holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics from Indiana University and an MBA from the University of Oxford. Here is a 10% off code for the CommerceNext Growth Show exclusive to Remarkable Retail listeners: REMARKABLE. About UsSteve 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.

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