Remarkable Retail Michael LeBlanc, Steve Dennis

In the second of our episodes recorded at Shoptalk Europe in the Bambuser remote podcast studio we mix up our format with two shorter interviews. First up is Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, Chairman of INGKA Holding B.V., the holding company that controls the majority of IKEA stores worldwide. He shares about how leading with purpose and kindness is essential to the IKEA culture and its decades long record of remarkable success. Then Sarah Engel, President of January Digital, joins us fresh off the stage interviewing LJ on Shoptalk Europe's main stage. She reflects on their conversation before giving us her thoughts on how the digital landscape continues to evolve and what's important globally as brands look to the future.

In the first of several episodes brought to you by Bambuser and recorded at Shoptalk Europe, we did our first full episode in front of a live audience. Our topic may at first seem counter-intuitive given the dramatic and continuing growth of e-commerce. But in a world where the role of brick-and-mortar locations has evolved significantly and shopping journeys are often split between jobs and joys, errands and experiences, it's never been more important to be sure that brands' physical store investments deliver great customer relevance and powerful differentiation.

Our special guest this week is James Reinhart the pioneering CEO of ThredUp, the fast-growing online consignment and thrift store. We learn about James' fascinating journey from teacher to entrepreneur and how his passion drives one of the most successful purpose-driven retail brands. We go deep on the drivers of the re-commerce market, how ThredUp differentiates itself, and the implications of a shift from hyper-growth to more sustainable profitability. We also unpack ThredUp's insight packed annual "Resale Report."

Azita Martin, Vice President and GM of AI for Retail, CPG and QSR at NVIDIA is our very special guest. She joins us to discuss the ways AI is beginning to transform the retail landscape, and how NVIDIA is helping accelerate retailers' journeys. We start off by discussing how NVIDIA has grown to become the third most valuable company in the world, before focusing in on how they leverage their hardware and software solutions to power retail innovation. We dig into where GenAI is gaining the greatest traction and where new use cases are emerging that save retailers money and drive great effectiveness. In particular, we explore how "digital twins" can unlock previously unimaginable value.

This week's guest is Chris Riccobono, CEO & Founder of disruptive retail brand UNTUCKit. UNTUCKit was one of the first digitally-native brands to embrace brick-and-mortar as critical to it's long-term success. Chris takes us through the trade-offs between online, wholesale, and own store strategies and how his brand successfully navigated the COVID crisis. He also shares the power of a big, simple idea well executed and outlines how he plans to take UNTUCKit to the next level through store expansion, partnerships, and international growth.

Our guest this week is Nancy King, until recently SVP, Product Engineering at Target whose interview from 2022 we are reprising. This episode provides a deep-dive, insider's perspective on how Target has embraced the blur of modern retail and put their stores at the center of the guest experience. We get a fascinating behind the scenes look at how the application of agile methodology, combined with digital technology and a willingness to experiment aggressively, has driven break-through results. We also explore how Target knew to invest in these areas ahead of the COVID crisis and what their plans are to stay in sync with ever escalating customer needs and wants.