Rethink Retail's Top Influencers (Part 2): The Outlook for Retail in 2022.

This episode we welcome our fellow "Rethink Retail Top Influencers" Cate Trotter, Hitha Herzog, and Rob Garf. Julia Raymond Hare and Gabriella Bock also join us to explain what the Rethink Retail's list is all about.

But first we take on the news of the week, including what to make of Nike's earnings announcement, their plans to open "Jordan" concept stores and the progress of their Consumer Direct Offense. Then we shift to the somewhat shocking news that Amazon looks to be by far the biggest retailer of apparel in the US, while finishing up with a quick take on retailer's continuing curbside enthusiasm and BOPIS.

Then we welcome our panel of experts and delve into what they as see the key drivers of what it will take to "comp the comp" after an incredibly strong 2021. We go deep on the evolving stores, how digital and physical need to work together, and what the playbook looks like to fight through supply chain issues and growing inflation. We also try to sort out which pandemic shopping behaviors are likely to persist and which might "revert to the mean.' Lastly our panelists share their "hot takes" on retailers to watch the balance of the year.

Rethink Retail's Top Influencers List.

About Cate

Insider Trends delivers omnichannel strategy and innovation that actually makes clients money. We separate the hype from what actually matters, and provide no-nonsense guidance, data-driven insights and advice. Taking the lead and boosting profits is simpler than you might think!

I've helped some of the world's best brands with their retail strategies and have been named one of the world's top retail influencers for the past 5 years.

If you’d like to chat through your plans or use me as a sounding board, I’d be delighted! Feel free to call on +44 (0) 207 183 3785 or email contact [at] insider-trends [dot] com to book an introductory chat.

Feel free to enquire about retail keynotes and trend presentations, webinars and workshops here, too.

www.insider-trends.com


Are you a senior professional at a well-known retailer looking to:

• Navigate an accelerating and increasingly complex retail landscape

• Optimise your retail strategies, plans and spend

• Innovate and upgrade with confidence, knowing it will be an investment rather than a cost

• Separate the hype from the initiatives that will actually make you money


I can help. I've been helping brands like Nike, Levi's, Metro AG, Marks and Spencer, Chanel, Carrefour, Unilever, L'Oreal, Absolut Vodka, Galeries Lafayette, Samsung, Clarks, Credit Agricole, DeLonghi, Philips, BNP Paribas and Lego innovate and upgrade their retail strategies since 2008.

About Hitah

As the go-to authority for retail & consumer spending information, I leverage my journalism and financial services background—and combine it with a passion for all things retail—to help consumers, investors, and businesses make better decisions.

📌 RETAIL ANALYST:
As Chief Research Officer at H Squared Research, LLC., I specialize in providing retail and consumer information and reports (including ghost writing) for registered investment advisors. Span includes all market caps in the following consumer sectors (manufacturing and retail):
✔Apparel ✔Children/Teen ✔Consumer Electronics and Video Games ✔Cosmetics ✔Crafts ✔Department Stores ✔Discounters ✔Farm Supply ✔Footwear ✔Gaming and Gaming Equipment ✔Lodging ✔Home Furnishings ✔Home Improvement ✔Luxury Goods ✔Office Supply ✔Off-Price ✔Online Trip Advisors ✔Party Supply ✔Restaurants (fast-casual, quick service, casual dining) ✔Specialty Apparel ✔Sporting Goods / Athletic ✔Supermarkets

📌KEYNOTE SPEAKER | SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:
Rakuten Marketing Experience | Fashion Culture Design (FCD) | M&A Advisor Summit | Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) | Internet Week | Pandora | Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) | NY InfraGard Alliance | IACC | LAPD’s LAORCCA | Mid-Atlantic Anti-Money Laundering Conference | many others

📌 ON AIR CONTRIBUTOR | HOST:
Dr. Oz (regular guest as investigative retail expert) | “Divided States of Women” podcast & video series | BloombergTV | CNBC | Fox Business Network

📌 FINANCIAL WRITER & STYLE WRITER:
US News and World Report | CNBC.com | MSNBC.com | People | Time | TodayShow.com | Elle India | Forbes | Forbes.com | Gotham | Ink'd Magazine | Mashable | Metro Newspapers | New York Magazine | Parade

📌 EDUCATOR:
Associate Professor at Parsons, teaching Social Commerce

Visit WWW.HITHAHERZOG.COM if you are interested in discussing my services.

About Rob

I've sat on all sides of the retail table -- as practitioner (Lids, Marshalls, Hit or Miss), industry analyst (AMR Research), strategy consultant (IBM), and software leader (Demandware | Salesforce).

I'm currently VP and GM of Retail at Salesforce where I lead Industry Strategy, Product, and Insights. I work with execs at leading brands and upstarts from around the world to accelerate digital transformation.

Love writing, speaking, and participating on retail boards.

About Julia Raymond Hare

I ask a lot of questions - it's one of the most exciting parts of my career! I’m a podcast host, marketing professional and data nerd all in one.

After spending 4 years in global marketing roles for the digital agency Valtech, I co-founded its media brand RETHINK Retail. By interviewing retail executives, academics and thought leaders, I deliver retail insights for leaders, from leaders.

My "formal" 3rd-person description:

Julia Raymond is passionate about marketing management, building connections with others, analytics and research, with a core focus on the retail industry. She earned her BSBA with honors from the University of Florida while she was a teenager. Her post-graduate degree is a Master of Science in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University.

Julia is knowledgeable about international markets from her experience in global roles reporting directly to the Chief Marketing Officer at Valtech where she led creative and marketing teams; she is the Editor in Chief and co-founder of its media brand RETHINK Retail, curating the latest content around the evolution of retail in today’s connected world through mediums such as podcasts, research and periodicals.

About Gabriella Bock

RETHINK Retail's Managing Editor + Writer/Producer of the Retail Rundown, an award-winning retail podcast featuring news, insights and interviews with the world's most influential retail thinkers. What does the future of retail look like to you? Pitch me at gabriella@rethink.industries.

About Us

Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his website. The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel here.

Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global E-Commerce Tech Talks , The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and now in its second season, Conversations with CommerceNext! You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

Join us at the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York June 23rd and 24th with this exclusive discount code for 10% off general admission tickets and FREE retail tickets: Your code is "REMARKABLE" . See you in the Big Apple!

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 author 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 a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.