Alchemy is the theme of this year’s Shoptalk Fall conference, taking place in Chicago, Illinois, from September 17-19.
Alchemy, as Shoptalk’s global head of insights Joe Laszlo defined the term, is “the combination of technology and human connection to create joy”, and it’s essential to staying ahead in today’s hectic retail environment.
The conference brought together big-name retail leaders, including Camp’s president and CEO Jenica Myszkowski, AliExpress’s US head of marketing Christopher Carl, REI’s deputy vice president of global supply chain Jennifer Kobus, ThredUp’s head of social commerce Danielle Vermeer and Jonathan Adler’s founder and chief creative officer Jonathan Adler, to speak about the power of alchemy.
From integrating new technologies, such as AI-powered programs, to properly tracking inventory needs, to keeping pace with the speed of social media by leveraging emerging platforms, this year’s speakers emphasized the importance of having multiple concurrent strategies to not only keep pace but speed ahead of competitors.
Pods, pop-ups and more: Agile approaches to experiential retail
Camp’s president and CEO Jenica Myszkowski and AliExpress’s US head of marketing Christopher Carl, alongside fellow panelist Rivian’s VP of marketing and brand experience Denise Cherry, discussed the importance of pop-up and other short-term shopping events to connect with customers.
Carl explained that pop-ups allow retailers, especially those with a primarily digital presence such as AliExpress, to interact with customers in a way that feels engaging and inspires long-term results.
Similarly, Myszkowski explained that pop-ups not only help bring a brand to life in the mind of the consumer, but they also provide a great area of opportunity to collect customer feedback in real time that can be later used to optimize operations.
“Pop-ups deliver the best opportunity for brand connection,” Myszkowski commented.
Carl shared four pillars for building a successful pop-up, including:
- Building trust through physical touchpoints
- Amplifying the brand through user-generated content and influencers
- Driving earned media, with cultural buzz moments and or celebrity influence
- Blending digital tools with real-world fun, which in turn helps make a digitally-focused brand feel more present to consumers.
Supply chain agility in the age of disruption
While innovation is vital when it comes to creating new store experiences, it means nothing if a brand is unable to deliver product, whether that’s in-store or online, due to insufficient supply chain practices.
Jennifer Kobus, REI’s deputy vice president of supply chain, alongside Derek Geiss, Nutrabolt’s supply chain officer and executive vice president, and Ninaad Acharya, the co-host of the eCom Logistics podcast and co-founder and CEO of Fulfillment IQ, discussed strategies for ensuring supply chain agility in the age of disruption.
As Geiss told the room of retail experts and veterans, “When you think about agility, it is really more focused on a continuous improvement mindset.”
He explained that it is important to stay ahead of any potential setbacks with backup materials and potential replacement suppliers whenever needed. This means being open to change and continually seeking out partnerships that share interests and offer data transparency from both parties involved.
Geiss added that it is essential to stay ahead by looking beyond historical data, which is where AI-prediction tools may come into play.
Similarly, Acharya commented that the retailers that aren’t already using AI or planning to use AI, have already fallen behind.
Instead of worrying about AI coming for their jobs, retailers should be more concerned about the consequences of not tapping into this technology, he said; otherwise, they may not have a job for long.
Finally, Geiss noted that it is essential that retailers be honest about the current capabilities of the business, both strengths and weaknesses, and figure out where the areas of growth are from there.
Blending glamour and wonder: Mastering the art and craft of modern retail
One of the final speakers of the day was none other than Jonathan Adler, the founder and chief creative officer of Jonathan Adler, which was acquired by Consortium Brand Partners in late 2024.
In conversation with Charli Penn, the editor-in-chief of Apartment Therapy, Adler spoke about the importance of integrating glamour and wonder into the everyday retail experience.
“You’re selling a fantasy in retail,” Adler explained. “The truth is that most people don’t need a lot of the stuff people in this room are selling, but that’s sort of what retail is. Convincing somebody that the environment they’re in and the products that you’re selling are going to make them happy and change their lives in a positive way.”
Adler pointed to one of his brand’s own products, an acrylic mushroom that retails for $695 to $1595, depending on the size, as an example of product that is completely unessential but provides joy.
“Great product and a great retail experience can give you a kind of buzz and take you on a mini-vacay,” he said.
However, a great product alone is nothing if the execution of the customer experience isn’t seamless from start to finish.
“Now, more than ever, you have to have your logistics game on point, because you can sell something beautiful, but if it doesn’t show up when people want it, then it won’t work,” Adler said.
“It’s a difficult time to be a retailer, and it’s not as easy as it used to be. Which just means that we, as retailers, need to continue to improve to hit every note,” he concluded.
