The Remarkable House of Brands That Is LVMH with Anish Melwani, Chairman & CEO, North America

Our guest this week is Anish Melwani, Chairman and CEO of LVMH, North America. LVMH is the home to 75 distinguished Houses rooted in six different sectors and includes some of the most iconic global luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Tiffany, Bulgari, Sephora, and many more.

We explore the differences between LVMH's North American business and the rest of the world, along with understanding the connective tissue and values that run through all the brands. We dig into how heritage plays a key role in concert with creativity to ultimately makes each brand and the collective portfolio remarkable before exploring how the luxury market has evolved over the past decade, with a particular focus on the role of digital. We end by delving into the growing role of owned stores in the portfolio and how that intersects with the future of wholesale distribution.

As usual we kick things off with our analysis of the week in retail news, including the US retail monthly sales report, some key drivers of disparate performance, Best Buy's complaints about "fun-flation", and what it all portends for the future. Then we move on to what to make of somewhat conflicting data on reported reductions in work-from-home and Amazon's related releasing of the Kraken against those that don't conform to the company's new policy. We wrap up with whether we believe Victoria's Secret can successfully bring sexy back.

About Anish

Anish Melwani is the Chairman & CEO, LVMH for North America. In this role, he oversees and coordinates the activities of the LVMH Group across 75+ Maisons. He sits on the board of directors for Fresh, Marc Jacobs, Colgin Cellars, Starboard Cruise Services and Tiffany & Co.

Prior to joining LVMH in 2015, he was a Senior Partner in the New York Office of McKinsey and Company where he co-led the Global Strategy & Corporate Finance practice and supported clients across industries. At McKinsey since 1999, he counseled senior executives of leading global companies on issues related to corporate strategy, M&A, alliances, portfolio management and organization. He worked in McKinsey’s Singapore and Hong Kong offices and was then relocated to the New York office, where he advised leaders of public sector institutions in New York City.

Melwani is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Board of the United Way of New York City where he serves on the Marketing Committee, and the National Retail Federation’s Board of Directors. He holds a BA in Economics from Harvard University.

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of focused on growth, innovation, and the impact of digital disruption. He is widely considered one of the foremost and influential voices in the retail industry. You can learn more about Steve on his website. His #1 bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is 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 eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. 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!

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 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.