Talk Retail to Me

NRF 2026: Key Shifts That Will Decide the Agentic Future

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 20:51:40 -0500

From the floor at NRF 2026, Dan Wittner sits down with Freddy Guard from Snowflake to unpack what retail leaders are really talking about this year.

It’s not just about AI—it’s about making AI real.

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, they cover:

Why “agentic commerce” has become the word of the show
What retailers are learning about turning AI into real business impact
Why data readiness is still the non-negotiable starting point
How knowledge graphs and business context unlock smarter decisions
What leading tech companies are signaling about the future of commerce

Recorded live at NRF 2026, this conversation cuts through the buzzwords and focuses on what matters for retail executives trying to move from experimentation to results.

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7beK6sx6KpLOBvKI59JMSO?si=UjP2SCwPSWaPrqSiuHlvAw
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nrf-2026-key-shifts-that-will-decide-the-agentic-future/id1517831626?i=1000745227526
Listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/51d97767-74ba-487d-8c6b-5442e1855d2d/episodes/87f581cd-daee-48f7-b01e-5c3175233bd6/talk-retail-to-me-nrf-2026-key-shifts-that-will-decide-the-agentic-future
Listen on Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/talk-retail-to-me/nrf-2026-key-shifts-that-will-decide-the-agentic-future/PE:1321427396?part=ug-desktop&corr=196351888147364396
Listen or watch all Parker Avery "Talk Retail to Me" podcast episodes: https://parkeravery.com/retail-podcast/

What Wowed Us at NRF 2026 (with Helzberg and Zipline)

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:27:23 -0500

From holograms and go-karts to voice tech and virtual reality, Day 2 at NRF 2026 offered no shortage of surprises—and even more insight into what truly matters in retail innovation.

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, we bring together three perspectives—a consultant (Dan Wittner from The Parker Avery Group), a retailer (Ryan Holm from Helzberg), and a solution provider (Dustin Sundy from Zipline)—to share what truly stood out on the show floor.

We talk about why “don’t lead with AI” became the smartest message at NRF, how retailers are using voice and transcription as a new demand signal, and which innovations felt more like “must-have” than “nice-to-have.”

You’ll hear highlights including:

Why problem-first storytelling beats AI-first marketing

The coolest activations on the floor (yes, including holograms and go-karts)

How voice, transcription, and feedback loops are changing store operations

Virtual and augmented reality experiences that delivered value

Giveaways, food trucks, and the fun side of NRF

If you want a fast, honest recap of what mattered most at NRF 2026 (and what you can safely ignore), this episode has you covered.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lANEaSsDJGE
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4zcXy3zsovfbBZnM3QeZ1K?si=mEKq9uUxRwyB62EyuXsSFw
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-wowed-us-at-nrf-2026-with-helzberg-and-zipline/id1517831626?i=1000745139756
Listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/51d97767-74ba-487d-8c6b-5442e1855d2d/episodes/87f581cd-daee-48f7-b01e-5c3175233bd6/talk-retail-to-me-nrf-2026-key-shifts-that-will-decide-the-agentic-future
Listen on Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/talk-retail-to-me/what-wowed-us-at-nrf-2026-with-helzberg-and-zipline/PE:1321417884?part=ug-desktop&corr=196351888147364396
Listen or watch all Parker Avery "Talk Retail to Me" podcast episodes: https://parkeravery.com/retail-podcast/

Retail’s AI Reality Check: Why Data and Adoption Drive Success

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:24:30 -0500

Episode Overview

In this episode of Talk Retail To Me, Parker Avery’s chief revenue officer, Dan Wittner, and Blue Yonder's head of global retail strategy, Jim Hull, discuss the evolving landscape of retail, focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence, the importance of data quality, and the transformation of store models into fulfillment centers.

They explore the challenges retailers face with labor and the need for dynamic data models to adapt to changing consumer demands. The conversation also highlights the upcoming NRF 2026 Big Show and the excitement surrounding innovations in the retail sector.

Key Takeaways

AI is now a core part of retail strategy and must be tied to business outcomes. The most successful initiatives focus on measurable impact, such as cost reduction, revenue growth, or operational efficiency.
Human adoption is critical to AI success. AI works best when it augments teams and is embraced by users, rather than positioned as a replacement for people.
Data quality and dynamic data models are foundational to modern retail. Clean, consistent data and continuously evolving models are essential for accurate forecasting and decision-making.
Stores are evolving into hybrid fulfillment hubs. Retailers are hyper-focused on redesigning store models to support fulfillment alongside shopping, improving speed, cost, and customer experience.
Labor models must adapt to support fulfillment-enabled stores. New operating models require updated labor standards, expanded skill sets, and more flexible workforce planning.
NRF 2026 will showcase retail innovation moving from concept to reality. The event is expected to highlight proven, market-ready solutions delivering real value at scale.

Episode Highlights

Why most AI projects succeed or fail in retail
How retailers are rethinking demand signals and forecasting
The growing importance of data quality and dynamic data models
The evolution of stores into fulfillment and service hubs
What to expect at NRF 2026 (& meet Parker Avery at booth #2703)

Retail’s Data Reckoning: Your First Move in Transformation

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:03:21 -0400

Episode Overview

Retailers recognize the need to transform, but most are missing the crucial first step. In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, Parker Avery’s Dan Wittner joins Snowflake’s Freddy Guard for a candid discussion about one of the most underestimated barriers to retail innovation: disconnected, messy, and misgoverned retail data.

Whether it’s launching AI initiatives, reshaping supply chains, or reimagining omnichannel experiences, true retail transformation begins with a solid data foundation. But legacy systems, siloed functions, and a lack of clear governance continue to block progress, even for Fortune 500 retailers.

Dan and Freddy break down why transformation fails without clean, connected data and outline how progressive retailers are finally getting it right. From AI-enabled data cleanup to demand planning and inventory visibility, they share actionable steps for retailers ready to transform and realize meaningful, sustainable business results.

Featuring

Dan Wittner – Chief Revenue Officer, The Parker Avery Group
Freddy Guard – Industry Principal, Retail & Consumer Goods, Snowflake

Key Takeaways

Transformation begins with data. No technology can deliver ROI without a clean, unified data foundation.
Retail is at an inflection point. Channel complexity, evolving shopper behavior, and economic volatility demand better data visibility and governance.
Data strategy must be a business strategy. Aligning IT and business objectives is crucial for driving meaningful change.
Start small to scale fast. Break inertia by focusing on a high-impact use case, then use that momentum to drive enterprise-wide transformation.
AI is no longer the barrier. With modern tools, data cleanup and governance are now finally scalable, enabling faster decision-making and smarter planning.
Organizational change management is critical to successful transformation. Technology alone doesn’t transform a business; people and culture do.
Success requires vision and leadership. Winning retailers are pairing strategic roadmaps with empowered business champions to drive sustainable change.

Episode Highlights

Why retailers must rethink data as a transformation enabler, not just a technical asset
The disconnect between AI hype and data reality
How legacy thinking is holding back progress
What meaningful change looks like, from inventory chaos to demand-driven agility
Real-world case study: how a global grocer unlocked enterprise-wide transformation by modernizing data
Why transformation efforts fail without business alignment and culture change
How to build the right capabilities roadmap: assessment, strategy, and execution

Retail’s Tariff Tension: What’s Next for Inventory, Pricing, and Supply Chain?

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:23:34 -0400

As retailers gear up for the critical back-to-school and holiday seasons, new tariffs on Chinese imports—some as high as 145%—are causing significant disruptions in global supply chains. In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, Parker Avery’s CEO, Clay Parnell, is joined by the firm’s Chief Consulting Officer, Amanda Astrologo, and industry thought leader Walt Holbrook to discuss the current chaos driven by tariffs and how retailers can respond effectively.

While recent reports indicate a sharp decline in shipments from China and soaring freight costs, the true challenge runs deeper: retail organizations must move from reactive tactics to integrated, end-to-end strategic thinking.

Key Takeaways 1. There’s no single fix—retailers need a coordinated, cross-functional response

Amanda emphasizes the importance of aligning demand forecasting, pricing, allocation, and inventory strategies. “It’s not just about pulling inventory forward,” she notes. “Retailers need to be thinking holistically—how product flows, where it lands, and how pricing strategies evolve with consumer sentiment.”

2. Agility isn't just a buzzword—it’s a necessity.

Walt shares how flexible retailers are renegotiating with vendors and adapting plans in real-time. “We can’t rely on playbooks anymore,” he warns. “This is mission impossible without strong leadership and fast decision-making.”

3. Foundational capabilities matter now more than ever.

The trio discusses how inadequate tools and reliance on manual planning are slowing down responses. Amanda highlights a renewed focus on core capabilities like merchandise financial planning and data visibility. “You can’t execute pricing strategies or pivot on inventory if your teams are stuck in Excel spreadsheets,” she says.

4. This isn't just another short-term disruption.

Comparisons to COVID are valid, but this time, consumer demand hasn’t evaporated. “People want to shop,” Amanda notes. “But they don’t want to pay 145% more.” That distinction changes the game and requires nuanced planning, inventory, and pricing strategies to protect both margin and customer loyalty.

5. Culture and creativity are competitive advantages.

Both guests emphasize the need for a cultural shift inside retail organizations. Store teams must be empowered, and merchants encouraged to explore new sourcing strategies, domestic partnerships, and flexible assortments. “This is also a moment of opportunity,” Walt reminds us.

Final Thoughts

This episode of Talk Retail to Me presents a candid, practical discussion on how retailers can move beyond reactive tactics and build long-term resilience. Whether it’s scenario planning, realigning supply chain operations, or investing in foundational tools, the message is clear: speed, creativity, and flexibility are no longer optional—they’re crucial for survival and future growth.

Host and Guests

Clay Parnell, CEO, The Parker Avery Group

https://parkeravery.com/clay-parnell/

Amanda Astrologo, Chief Consulting Officer, The Parker Avery Group

https://parkeravery.com/amanda-astrologo/

Walt Holbrook, YODA Retail Consulting

https://www.linkedin.com/in/waltholbrook/

When Every Store Is Unique: Winning with Data and Hyper-Localized Assortments

Tue, 13 May 2025 10:25:42 -0400

In this episode of The Parker Avery Group's "Talk Retail to Me" podcast, retail experts Marty Anderson and Mike Johnson delve into how our firm collaborated with a major theme park retailer to untangle the complexities of managing over 300 unique stores. From hyper-localized assortments to razor-thin inventory margins, these consultants detail how data, analytics, and a clear roadmap contributed to balancing customer satisfaction with operational efficiency.

Episode Highlights

Managing inventory across 300+ hyper-localized stores requires a fundamentally different approach than traditional retail models.
Balancing customer satisfaction with inventory efficiency is possible—but it demands data-backed insights and operational precision.
On-site visits, cross-functional interviews, and customized analytics were critical to uncovering actionable opportunities.
Even highly successful retailers benefit from an external perspective to challenge the status quo and fine-tune strategies.
Robust data availability and high client engagement dramatically accelerate the path to impactful recommendations.

Resources

Read the project case study: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/retail-inventory-management-assessment/
Learn more about Parker Avery's consulting services: https://parkeravery.com/retail-consulting/
Meet Marty Anderson: https://parkeravery.com/marty-anderson/
Meet Mike Johnson: https://parkeravery.com/mike-johnson/
Meet Tricia Gustin: https://parkeravery.com/tricia-gustin/
Listen to more Talk Retail To Me podcast episodes: https://parkeravery.com/retail-podcast/

The New Rules of Retail Pricing: Navigating Market Volatility, Real-Time Data, and AI

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:24:48 -0400

Episode Overview

In this dynamic roundtable, host Sam Iosevich monitors a panel of pricing experts as they discuss how to tackle the complexities of modern retail pricing. From inflation and AI to organizational alignment and price wars, this episode delivers sharp insights and practical guidance.

Guests

Robert McGuire, Retail Pricing Leader
Jeffrey Kittell, VP, Pricing & Strategy, SpartanNash
Eddy Salas, SVP Retail Strategy, DataWeave

Key Takeaways

How agility in pricing starts with organizational clarity and cross-functional alignment
You cannot be agile if your teams are not aligned. A well-defined pricing strategy, clear decision rights, and tight collaboration between merchandising, digital, supply chain, and pricing are foundational.
Using AI as a strategic “intern” to streamline pricing ops
AI is not a replacement for pricing teams—it’s a force multiplier. When treated as an "intern," AI can handle tedious tasks like competitive matching and execution rules, freeing experts to focus on strategy.
The danger of racing to the bottom—and how to hold the line on value
Price wars destroy long-term value. Winning retailers focus on their game—not the competition’s—by reinforcing brand value, leveraging data, and resisting unnecessary discounting.
The metrics retailers should be watching beyond gross margin
Profit matters—but so do frequency, basket size, and customer lifetime value. Broader, customer-centric metrics give a better read on how pricing impacts both the short and long term.
Real-time pricing: aspirational buzzword or operational reality?
Real-time adjustments are only possible with integrated systems and data flow. But even without full automation, having playbooks, streamlined approvals, and analyst autonomy can deliver agility.

Whether you're rethinking your pricing strategy or trying to avoid the next margin hit, this conversation offers a forward-looking playbook for today’s retail leaders.

The AI-Driven Demand Signal: Unifying Retailers for Seamless Success

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:58:20 -0500

In this episode, Tricia Gustin is joined by Sam Iosevich from Parker Avery and Dilip Popat from Novulis Consulting to discuss how AI-driven demand signals transform retail and CPG industries.

The conversation explores the power of the Enterprise Intelligence Hypercube, an advanced platform that integrates data across all organizational functions to provide real-time, actionable insights. Sam and Dilip share how AI enables retailers to address inventory productivity, revenue variability, and margin pressure while emphasizing the importance of clean data for successful AI implementations.

Key Takeaways:

What is an AI-driven Demand Signal? An AI-driven demand signal unifies data from multiple business functions (finance, supply chain, pricing, etc.) into a single, real-time signal. The Hypercube platform makes this possible by centralizing and structuring data for AI-powered insights across the organization.
The Importance of Data Quality: High-quality data is crucial for effective AI-driven demand signals. Sam Iosevich explains how the Hypercube addresses data challenges and prepares it for AI algorithms by cleaning and structuring data across different functions.
Real-Time Agility: AI allows retailers to make quicker, more informed decisions using real-time insights. This agility helps avoid stockouts, optimize pricing, and enhance supply chain efficiency.
Cross-Functional Insights: The Hypercube enables all teams within a retail organization to access data and projections, helping them comprehend how their actions impact demand and work together more effectively across departments.
Integration with Existing Systems: Despite many retailers' complex and fragmented technology landscapes, the EI Hypercube integrates seamlessly with legacy systems, ensuring that existing applications can easily access data.
The Continuous Journey: Implementing AI-driven demand signals is merely the start. Retailers must persist in refining data, adjusting to new trends, and expanding AI applications throughout the organization.

Tune in to learn how AI and data integration can elevate your retail operations and drive meaningful business outcomes!

The RACI Revolution: How Process Became a Retailer’s Bridge to Trust

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 08:00:07 -0500

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, we dive into a transformation at one of America's largest family-owned luxury retailers. What started as a straightforward client project to clarify roles became a journey of rebuilding trust, transforming leadership behaviors, and healing a deeply fractured organization. Join Parker Avery CEO Robert Kaufman, Principal Kathi Toll, and host Tricia Gustin as the team unpacks how authentic leadership, structured processes, and a willingness to admit mistakes turn an organizational crisis into a story of redemption.

Key Takeaways

What started as a simple process improvement project revealed deep organizational trust issues stemming from a poorly executed reorganization
Leadership's informal decision-making and inconsistent communication created widespread confusion and frustration
Rebuilding trust required authentic leadership acknowledgment of mistakes and sustained behavioral changes
A successful RACI (responsibility assignment matrix) implementation helped provide clarity and structure
Organizational change requires consistent, repeated communication and a clear explanation of the "why" behind changes

Client Background and Challenge

A family-owned luxury retailer initially engaged The Parker Avery Group to help with what seemed to be a straightforward process improvement project in their product development area. However, within hours of arriving, the consultants discovered much deeper organizational issues:

A recent reorganization had been implemented poorly, with employees being moved to new roles without proper training or explanation
Leadership made informal decisions without proper communication or documentation
Different leaders were giving conflicting directions to their teams
Employee surveys revealed significant dissatisfaction and loss of trust
HR had been sidelined during the reorganization process

Project Evolution

The scope expanded from process improvement to addressing fundamental trust and organizational issues
The consulting team worked closely with HR and, eventually, the CEO to address leadership behaviors
One senior leader's transformation after attending a leadership academy helped shift team dynamics

Outcomes

While trust wasn't fully rebuilt in three months, significant progress was made, and the client achieved a stronger overall team environment
Teams became highly engaged in implementing the RACI matrix
New structures provided clarity around roles and advancement opportunities
The project left the organization with tools for sustained improvement, though ongoing leadership commitment would be crucial

The project highlighted the importance of clear communication, proper organizational change management, and authentic leadership during organizational changes.

Learn more about Parker Avery's consulting services: https://parkeravery.com/retail-consulting/

Read the case study: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/better-merchandising-processes-and-new-roles-drive-fine-jewelers-future/

Meet Robert Kaufman: https://parkeravery.com/robert-kaufman/

Meet Kathi Toll: https://parkeravery.com/kathi-toll/

Meet Tricia Gustin: https://parkeravery.com/tricia-gustin/

Listen to more Talk Retail To Me podcast episodes: https://parkeravery.com/retail-podcast/

Harmonizing and Modernizing Retail Merchandising: Insights from a Major Jewelry Retailer Project

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 16:53:48 -0400

In this episode of Parker Avery's "Talk Retail to Me" podcast, Clay Parnell (president and managing partner) and Marty Anderson (principal) discuss a recently completed project for a $7 billion jewelry retailer. The two retail experts share valuable insights from the project which entailed developing a comprehensive, actionable roadmap to address business and technology challenges resulting from significant growth and acquisitions.

Read the case study: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/global-jewelers-new-retail-process-and-technology-roadmap-energize-growth/

Learn about Parker Avery's consulting services: https://parkeravery.com/retail-consulting/

Start solving your most important merchandising challenges: https://parkeravery.com/contact-us/

You may also like this content:

Global Jeweler’s New Retail Process and Technology Roadmap Energize Growth: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/global-jewelers-new-retail-process-and-technology-roadmap-energize-growth/

Let’s Talk About Your Capabilities Roadmap: https://parkeravery.com/lets-talk-about-your-capabilities-roadmap/

Merchandising Capability Roadmap Paves the Way for Strategic Growth: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/merchandising-capability-roadmap-paves-the-way-for-strategic-growth/

Behind the Scenes of a Remarkable Store Operations Improvement Project

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 15:53:13 -0400

In this episode of the 'Talk Retail to Me' podcast by The Parker Avery Group, Tricia Gustin, senior director Carrie Habel, and senior manager Dustin Wright discuss a recent store operations improvement project. They detail their innovative approach, including a capsized train-the-trainer strategy and deep store collaboration, to identify inefficiencies such as laborious administrative tasks and ineffective training practices. The project resulted in significant labor savings, improved processes, and enhanced backroom organization, illustrating the value of cross-functional collaboration and retailer engagement.

Start solving your most important store operations challenges: https://parkeravery.com/contact-us/

Learn about our retail consulting services: https://parkeravery.com/retail-consulting/

Read the episode summary: https://parkeravery.com/behind-the-scenes-of-a-remarkable-store-operations-improvement-project/

Check out the case study: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/retailers-new-store-processes-and-training-boost-profit-and-efficiency/

Visit more Talk Retail to Me episodes: https://parkeravery.com/retail-podcast/

You may also like this content:

Essential Disruption: Store Level Omnichannel Capabilities for Retail’s New World: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/essential-disruption-store-level-omnichannel-capabilities-for-retails-new-world/

Store Operations Assessment Unlocks Hidden Potential for Discount Retailer: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/store-operations-assessment-unlocks-hidden-potential-for-discount-retailer/

Strategic Advice and a New Roadmap Boost Store Operations Success: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/strategic-advice-and-a-new-roadmap-boost-store-operations-success/

Expert Q&A | The New Role of Retail’s Chief Supply Chain Officer

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 07:27:14 -0500

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, Parker Avery’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kaufman shares his insights about the changing role of the retail chief supply chain officer.

Answering questions from a recent interview with media outlet, Modern Retail, Robert discusses how changes in consumer shopping behaviors, combined with global macroeconomic events and disturbances have added great complexity, challenges, and risks to the retail supply chain. These issues continue to prevent a reliable and consistent flow of goods for even the largest and most sophisticated retailers and have dramatically altered the chief supply chain officer’s role and impact on the company’s success.

Robert outlines new characteristics the executive-level supply chain and operations roles must possess to be successful as he addresses questions such as:

What is pushing apparel brands into hiring new supply chain leaders or COOs?
How have retail inventory planning and supply chain planning changed in recent years?
What type of qualities are apparel brands looking for in their new chief supply chain officers?
What are some of the major challenges that supply chain officers will face in the coming months?

Meet CEO Robert Kaufman:
https://parkeravery.com/robert-kaufman/

Read the blog version:
https://parkeravery.com/podcast-expert-qa-new-role-of-retails-chief-supply-chain-officer/

Read the article in Modern Retail:
https://www.modernretail.co/operations/as-supply-chain-disruption-eases-apparel-brands-are-tapping-new-leaders-to-manage-operations/

Learn about Parker Avery’s supply chain consulting services:
https://parkeravery.com/retail-consumer-goods-consulting/supply-chain-services/

Listen to more Talk Retail to Me podcasts:
https://parkeravery.com/retail-podcast/

Meet The Parker Avery Group:
https://parkeravery.com/about-us/

You may also like this content:

Strategic Sourcing Considerations for a Disrupted Supply Chain: https://parkeravery.com/strategic-sourcing-in-a-disrupted-supply-chain/

Industry Experts Agree that Artificial Intelligence is the Answer to Retail Supply Chain Challenges: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experts-agree-that-artificial-intelligence-is-the-answer-to-retail-supply-chain-challenges/

Setting the Foundation for Retail Supply Chain Sustainability: https://parkeravery.com/setting-the-foundation-for-retail-supply-chain-sustainability/

Expert Q&A | In-Store Omnichannel Fulfillment

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:15:41 -0400

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, Senior Director and omnichannel expert Rob Oglesby shares his insights into how big box retailers are handling the in-store fulfillment of omnichannel orders. Answering questions from a recent interview with media outlet Modern Retail, Rob outlines the implications, challenges, and risks, even as this capability becomes critical to many retailers’ success.

Rob answers the following questions about in-store omnichannel fulfillment:

What is the basic idea behind using stores as fulfillment centers?
What is pushing this strategy to become popular among big box stores?
What are some of the major benefits of in-store omnichannel fulfillment?
Why is this strategy particularly popular with big box stores like Walmart, Ulta, and others?
Do employees have dual identities as store associates and fulfillment center workers?
How can retailers benefit from this type of fulfillment method?
What are some of the risks or challenges of this type of strategy?
How do you see this trend impacting the retail industry?

Read Parker Avery's expert guide to omnichannel order management and fulfillment:
https://parkeravery.com/omnichannel-order-management-and-fulfillment/

Meet Rob Oglesby:
https://parkeravery.com/rob-oglesby/

Listen to more Talk Retail to Me podcasts:
https://parkeravery.com/retail-podcast/

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group:
https://parkeravery.com/about-us/

You may also like this content:

The Expert Guide to Omnichannel Order Management and Fulfillment: https://parkeravery.com/omnichannel-order-management-and-fulfillment/

Designing a New Order Management System to Double Sales: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/designing-a-new-order-management-system-to-double-sales/

Successful Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) Solution Implementation: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/successful-buy-online-pick-up-in-store-bopis-solution-implementation/

Transformation Happy Hour | Integrated Business Planning

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:49:39 -0400

Hosted by retail demand planning experts, Sam Iosevich, Marty Anderson, and Steve Gordon, Parker Avery's recent Talk Retail to Me Transformation Happy Hour covered integrated business planning as a key strategic focus area for leading retailers and consumer brands. The trio outlined key enablers around technology, business process, and organization that help companies unleash collaboration and efficiencies with integrated business planning to help realize meaningful business improvements.

During this interactive happy hour, Sam, Marty, and Steve introduced Parker Avery's retail and CPG planning maturity model and answered participants' most pressing questions regarding integrated business planning.

Show resources:

Insights | The Expert Guide to Integrated Business Planning
Download | Retail and CPG Planning Maturity Model
Download | Integrated Business Planning Resources
Parker Avery Blog | Transform Your Retail Enterprise with Advanced Analytics
Parker Avery Blog | How to Overcome the AI Hype and Drive Retail Collaboration
Case Study | Unified Demand Signal Drives Global Retailer’s Enterprise Agility
Case Study | Integrated Merchandise Planning Design and Roadmap

To learn how Parker Avery helps clients achieve better planning capabilities, please visit our Enterprise Intelligence page or contact us to set up a time to discuss your specific needs. You may also like this content: The Expert Guide to Integrated Business Planning: https://parkeravery.com/integrated-business-planning/ Pet Retailer Strengthens Its Integrated Merchandise Planning Capabilities: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/pet-retailer-strengthens-its-integrated-merchandise-planning-capabilities/ One Demand Signal, Endless Growth: EI Hypercube Redefines Retail Success: https://parkeravery.com/ei-hypercube-redefines-retail-success/

Business Process Transformation Deep Dive

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:06:49 -0400

This episode of Parker Avery's Talk Retail to Me podcast focuses on business process transformation. Featuring two of our retail leaders, Clay Parnell and Deanna Emsley, we take a deep dive into what it means to transform business processes. We cover what areas are focus points for our clients, how Parker Avery helps retailers and consumer brands prioritize and navigate these process transformations, and what success looks like.

Moderated by Senior Director, Tricia Gustin, Clay and Deanna discussed the following questions

What does business process transformation mean? What might it include?
Is every change in the way things are done a “business process transformation”?
What is the most common trigger for a process transformation within a business?
What processes or functional areas do we see the most opportunities for transformation today?
Should retailers think about business process transformation as a short or long-term effort?
Is business transformation usually tied to new system implementation or can it be a stand-alone activity?
What are the biggest challenges our clients face when transforming their business processes?
What are some key success factors when launching a business transformation effort?

For more information about Parker Avery's business transformation and retail consulting services, please visit:

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New Packaging Process Supports Retail Efficiencies and Assortment Growth: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/new-packaging-process-supports-retail-efficiencies-and-assortment-growth/

How to Stop Managing Change and Start Leading Successful Retail Transformation: https://parkeravery.com/start-leading-successful-retail-transformation/

Hidden Afflictions: How Much Are Clunky Old Processes Costing You?: https://parkeravery.com/hidden-afflictions-how-much-are-clunky-old-processes-costing-you/

Transformation Happy Hour | Data Governance and Retail Master Data Management

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:06:41 -0400

With technology moving at lightning speed, proper management of master data is critical to fully take advantage of new tech innovations. Yet, many retailers struggle with master data management and data governance. Hosted by Parker Avery retail consultants and master data experts, our June 29 Talk Retail to Me Transformation Happy Hour explored the most pressing master data challenges Parker Avery's clients and other retailers are facing. Our happy hour hosts provided a brief overview of master data challenges and the implications of not having a planful approach and data governance in place. Most of the happy hour was spent answering questions and having an open dialog with participants. Show resources:

Download | Data governance scope and definitions infographic
Download | Data governance and master data management resources
Parker Avery Blog | Optimizing Data Readiness for AI in Retail: A Complete Guide
Parker Avery Blog | Make No Mistake: Avoiding Data Governance Issues
Case Study | New Strategy for Master Data Supports Core Merchandising Transformation
Case Study | Retailer’s Master Data Management Improvements Drive Omnichannel Growth

Case Study | Retailer’s New PIM System Boosts Efficiency and Data Accuracy

To learn how Parker Avery helps clients through transformations by ensuring a strategic approach to managing data, please see our consulting services: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/. You may also like: Core Merchandising vs. PIM: Which Solution is Right for Your Item Data?: https://parkeravery.com/core-merchandising-vs-pim-which-solution-is-right-for-your-item-data/ The Expert Guide to Data Governance in Retail: https://parkeravery.com/data-governance-in-retail/ New Strategy for Master Data Supports Core Merchandising Transformation: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/new-strategy-for-master-data-supports-core-merchandising-transformation/

Transformation Happy Hour | More On Transformational Leadership

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:26:41 -0400

Back by popular demand! Due to so much interest in our earlier podcast discussion on Transformational Leadership, we hosted an online happy hour focused on the same topic so we could answer your questions in a live format. This fun, interactive event was hosted by Parker Avery OCM experts and retail veterans, Kathi Toll, Marty Anderson, and Carrie Habel who refocused the traditional paradigm of change management to a mindset that instills stronger elements of transformational leadership. Joining from three different states, three timezones, two airports, and one home office, Kathi, Carrie, and Marty discussed how retail leaders can assess and improve their ability to engage their teams to become ambassadors of meaningful transformative change. Materials and links discussed during the show:

To learn how Parker Avery helps clients through transformations and navigate change, please see our change management services: https://parkeravery.com/change-management-services/ You may also like: The Expert Guide to Transformational Leadership in Retail: https://parkeravery.com/transformational-leadership-in-retail/ Empower Your People with Meaningful Retail Business Transformation: https://parkeravery.com/empower-your-people-with-meaningful-business-transformation/ Wine Giant Benefits from New Organizational Change Expertise and Focus: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/wine-giant-benefits-from-new-organizational-change-expertise-and-focus/

Retail Hierarchies Deep Dive

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 09:56:32 -0400

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, Parker Avery consultants and retail veterans Marty Anderson, Deanna Emsley, and Mike Johnson take a deep dive into the world of retail hierarchies. Senior Director of Marketing, Tricia Gustin, hosts the discussion, during which the experts discuss:

What are retail hierarchies and what roles are involved?
Why they are so often mismanaged or poorly executed?
What are best practices when it comes to developing and maintaining retail hierarchies?
Where does data governance factor in with hierarchies?
What systems support hierarchies and which integrations are important?

To learn more about Parker Avery's retail consulting services and our areas of expertise, please visit: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/

You may also like:

New Merchandise Hierarchy Helps Improve Retail Planning and Allocation: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/new-merchandise-hierarchy-helps-improve-retail-planning-and-allocation/

The Expert Guide to Data Governance in Retail: https://parkeravery.com/data-governance-in-retail/

Core Merchandising vs. PIM: Which Solution is Right for Your Item Data?: https://parkeravery.com/core-merchandising-vs-pim-which-solution-is-right-for-your-item-data/

Allocation and Replenishment Deep Dive

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 13:03:52 -0400

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, Parker Avery consultants take a deep dive into allocation and replenishment. Coming off the heels of Shoptalk 2023, where so many people are still reaching for the shiny tech, we are focused on ensuring the basics of retail are securely and optimally in place so those customer-facing innovations work well and deliver a great customer experience.

Allocation and replenishment is one area with its share of innovations like integration to AI-driven demand forecasting, but also brings lots of opportunities to increase internal and external efficiencies and result in better inventory management and visibility.

Senior Director of Marketing, Tricia Gustin, hosts Parker Avery retail experts Nia McDonald, Mike Johnson, and Dave Seeley. All are senior managers with Parker Avery and have been deep in client work focused on allocation and replenishment.

To learn more about Parker Avery's retail consulting services and our areas of expertise, please visit: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/

You may also like this content:

The Expert Guide to Retail Allocation and Replenishment: https://parkeravery.com/retail-allocation-and-replenishment/

Retailer Selects Science-Driven Forecasting and Replenishment System: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/retailer-selects-science-driven-forecasting-replenishment-system/

Rethinking Allocation and Replenishment to Drive Better Inventory Outcomes: https://parkeravery.com/rethinking-allocation-and-replenishment-to-drive-better-inventory-outcomes/

Transformational Leadership

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 19:01:06 -0500

Organizational change management and retail experts Kathi Toll and Carrie Habel discuss transformational leadership and why this competency is critically important. They outline how it differs from change management and specific tactics retailers and brands must take to evolve their organizations and people into transformational leaders.

Meet Kathi Toll: https://parkeravery.com/kathi-toll/
Meet Carrie Habel: https://parkeravery.com/carrie-habel/

To learn more about The Parker Avery Group and our range of consulting services for retailers and CPG companies, please visit https://parkeravery.com.

For the video version of this episode, visit: https://youtu.be/XibEpX3uuvc

You may also like this content:

The Expert Guide to Transformational Leadership in Retail: https://parkeravery.com/transformational-leadership-in-retail/

Empower Your People with Meaningful Retail Business Transformation: https://parkeravery.com/empower-your-people-with-meaningful-business-transformation/

Wine Giant Benefits from New Organizational Change Expertise and Focus: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/wine-giant-benefits-from-new-organizational-change-expertise-and-focus/

Next-Generation Integrated Business Planning

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 08:34:04 -0500

In this episode of our Talk Retail to Me podcast, we discuss integrated business planning (IBP) and how Parker Avery approaches this strategic capability that many retailers and consumer brands struggle to effectively grasp because of the traditionally highly siloed nature of planning.

This episode features Sam Iosevich, Parker Avery’s Chief Analytics Officer, and Steve Gordon, our Chief Customer Officer. Both Sam and Steve have deep experience with aligning organizations’ planning processes around a unified demand signal.

Also joining the conversation is retail veteran and Principal Marty Anderson, who lends an industry-backed perspective from his experience implementing integrated business planning at Belk.

The trio of experts outlines changes and challenges companies experience as they attempt to migrate towards more collaborative IBP, and how Parker Avery’s Enterprise Intelligence solution not only easily integrates into our clients’ existing planning systems, but provides data at levels and measurements appropriate to be used by each functional area.

To learn more about Parker Avery's retail and demand planning experience, clients, and consulting services, please visit https://parkeravery.com

You may also like this content:

One Demand Signal, Endless Growth: EI Hypercube Redefines Retail Success: https://parkeravery.com/ei-hypercube-redefines-retail-success/

Five Keys to Reaching Success with Retail Integrated Business Planning: https://parkeravery.com/five-keys-to-reaching-success-with-retail-integrated-business-planning/

The Expert Guide to Integrated Business Planning: https://parkeravery.com/integrated-business-planning/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay.

Product Development Deep Dive

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 12:15:44 -0400

Tricia Gustin, Senior Director of Marketing for The Parker Avery Group is joined by Parker Avery’s CEO, Robert Kaufman, along with Senior Manager John Lawing. The trio takes a deep dive into the product development process and supporting PLM systems. Based on their decades of experience helping Parker Avery clients enhance this key functional area, they also highlight best practices and innovations that retailers and brands should be considering, as well as common pitfalls to avoid. Questions covered include:

What is product development and what roles are involved?
What key capabilities are the most important?
What are the best practices for product development and PLM system implementations?
Alternatively, what common mistakes or biggest challenges do you see today?
What innovations can improve a company’s product development capabilities?

To learn more about Parker Avery's retail and product development experience, clients, and consulting services, please visit https://parkeravery.com

You may also like this content:

The Expert Guide to Product Development: https://parkeravery.com/product-development/

Retailer Sees More Effective Results With New Product Development Process: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/retailer-sees-more-effective-results-with-new-product-development-process/

Apparel Retailer’s New Product Development Capabilities Roadmap Drives Efficiencies: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/apparel-retailers-new-product-development-capabilities-roadmap-drives-efficiencies/

Mathematics Students Gain Retail Analytics Experience Through Parker Avery Partnership

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:21:00 -0400

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, Tricia Gustin is joined by Parker Avery's Chief Analytics Officer Sam Iosevich, along with Senior Analytics Consultant Scott Kirila and Professor Alex Iosevich from the University of Rochester mathematics department. This episode provides an insider’s view of the university’s STEM Tripods 2022 summer research program. The group discusses the "real world" retail industry experience the participating students received, Parker Avery's hands-on involvement, as well as how the program continues to expand.

STEM for All is a month-long summer program during which participants from the university and other local colleges, as well as some high schools, work on intensive research projects outlined by billion-dollar, global companies. The Parker Avery Group’s analytics team has been deeply involved in these STEM programs for several years, and the team will continue its partnership with UR in future research programs.

To learn more and get involved in this growing program, please use the following links:

Parker Avery press release

You may also like this content:

Ask the Hypercube: Democratizing Predictive Analytics with Generative AI: https://parkeravery.com/ask-the-hypercube-democratizing-predictive-analytics-with-generative-ai/

Enterprise-wide Planning Solution Drives Global Retailer’s Agility: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enterprise-wide-planning-solution-drives-global-retailers-agility/

A Game-Changing Advanced Analytics Solution: https://parkeravery.com/retail-cpg-advanced-analytics-game-changer/

2022 version of the STEM For All program:
https://people.math.rochester.edu/faculty/iosevich/stemforall2022.html

Ongoing undergraduate research program:
https://people.math.rochester.edu/faculty/iosevich/Fall2021DataScienceUndergradResearch.html

Research paper resulting from Tripods/StemForAll2022 (Alex and Scott are co-authors):

https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.12079

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay.

Critical Retail Pricing Capabilities for Inflationary Times

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 16:45:28 -0400

This episode of Talk Retail to Me features Principal Marty Anderson and Senior Manager Dmitry Magas, who are both retail pricing and advanced analytics experts. A few weeks ago, Maria Monteros from Modern Retail interviewed Marty and Dmitry for an article she wrote titled, “Not raising prices is the hot new inflation marketing tactic.” We invite you to sit in on their conversation, where the two experts discuss how different pricing strategies, along with deeply understanding price elasticities of your products, and the use of advanced analytics tools like Parker Avery's are capabilities that set retail leaders far ahead of their competition.

You may also like this content:

Apparel Retailer Expects Robust Results from Pricing and Promotions Roadmap: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/apparel-retailer-expects-robust-results-from-pricing-and-promotions-roadmap/

The Expert Guide to Retail Pricing: https://parkeravery.com/retail-pricing/

Retail Pricing and Promotions Deep Dive: https://parkeravery.com/podcast-retail-pricing-and-promotions-deep-dive/

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Achieving Sustainability Maturity in the Retail Supply Chain

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:21:03 -0400

This week, we welcome Mark Burstein who is the EVP, Industry & Market Development for Logility. Logility is a supply-chain-focused solution vendor that is accelerating the digital sustainable supply chain by helping retailers seize new opportunities, sense and respond to changing market dynamics, and more profitably manage their complex global businesses. Mark is also a Contributing Member of the Forbes Technology Council.

Joining Mark is Parker Avery Partner Randi Nolan. The two industry experts recently attended the American Apparel and Footwear Association’s Traceability and Sustainability Conference held in beautiful downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In this episode, we discuss their key takeaways from the AAFA conference, as well as why retailers need to start now with a clear roadmap that includes sustainability in the supply chain. They also touch on where other retailers are in their sustainability efforts, as well as critical first steps retailers must take to achieve sustainable supply chain maturity.

Learn more about Logility: https://www.logility.com/

Learn more about the AAFA: https://www.aafaglobal.org/

You may also like:

The Expert Guide to Sustainability in Retail: https://parkeravery.com/sustainability-in-retail/

New Supply Chain Processes and Better Technology Drive Manufacturer’s Transformation: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/new-supply-chain-processes-and-technology-drive-manufacturers-transformation/

Ask the Experts: The New Role of Retail’s Chief Supply Chain Officer: https://parkeravery.com/ask-the-experts-the-new-role-of-retails-chief-supply-chain-officer/

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Retail Pricing and Promotions Deep Dive

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 09:16:19 -0400

This week, Parker Avery Principal Marty Anderson along with Senior Managers Heidi Csencsits and Dmitry Magas discuss retail pricing and promotions. The three industry experts expand on their recent core merchandising conversation and take a deep dive into another key retail capability area. Along with host Tricia Gustin, the team covers:

What is involved in the effective management of pricing and promotions?
What key capabilities are the most important?
What common mistakes or challenges do you see?
What innovations can improve a company’s capabilities in this area?

To learn more about Parker Avery's retail experience, clients, and services, please visit https://parkeravery.com

You may also like:

Annual Profit Improved Through AI-Driven Retail Warranty Price Optimization: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/annual-profit-improved-through-ai-driven-retail-warranty-price-optimization/

Price Optimization: Margin Rate vs. Margin Dollars: https://parkeravery.com/price-optimization-margin-rate-vs-margin-dollars/

The Expert Guide to Retail Pricing: https://parkeravery.com/retail-pricing/

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Merchandise Financial Planning Deep Dive

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 12:58:54 -0400

In this episode, The Parker Avery Group continues our focus on core retail functions, and we cover merchandise financial planning (MFP). Senior Director of Marketing Tricia Gustin is joined by Senior Managers LouAnn Villasor and Russ Smith, both of whom have deep experience in merchandise financial planning business processes and system implementation across a wide variety of retailers. In this discussion, we focus on MFP challenges, innovations, and key capabilities.

To learn more about Parker Avery's retail experience, clients, and services, please visit https://parkeravery.com

You may also like:

The Expert Guide to Merchandise Financial Planning: https://parkeravery.com/retail-merchandise-financial-planning/

Specialty Retailer Expects Strong Margin Growth with New Planning System: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/specialty-retailer-expects-strong-margin-growth-with-new-planning-system/

Pet Retailer Strengthens Its Integrated Merchandise Planning Capabilities: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/pet-retailer-strengthens-its-integrated-merchandise-planning-capabilities/

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Welcome to The Parker Avery Group Steve Gordon

Wed, 11 May 2022 09:26:49 -0400

This week, Parker Avery’s Chief Analytics Officer and Managing Partner, Sam Iosevich, and Senior Director of Marketing, Tricia Gustin, welcome Steve Gordon into the firm. Steve is an apparel, grocery, and CPG industry veteran with over three decades of experience as a retail industry insider, business development professional, and consultant. He joins The Parker Avery Group as the firm's Chief Customer Officer. Learn about Steve and Sam's long career history together and the key tenets they share about company culture, clients, and teams.

Read Steve's press release: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/the-parker-avery-group-expands-firms-executive-team/
Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's consulting and analytics services: https://parkeravery.com/services/

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Organizational Change Management and DEI Converge

Thu, 05 May 2022 09:37:57 -0400

In this episode, guest Michelle Bogan joins our discussion. Michelle's firm, Equity at Work, provides consulting to companies focused on developing DEI strategies to align business objectives, employee experiences, and company values. Equity at Work also supports company leaders in driving the appropriate changes. This episode also features Kathi Toll and Carrie Habel, who both lead Parker Avery’s Organizational Change Management Academy and OCM projects for the firm's clients, as well as Tricia Gustin, the firm's marketing leader. The discussion focuses on:

Michelle's extensive retail background
How and why she started her firm Equity at Work
The parallels between omnichannel retail and DEI efforts
How organizational change management can support DEI efforts

Michelle also provides her advice for companies embarking on or struggling with navigating diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Learn more about Parker Avery's change management services: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/organizational-change-services-retail/
Learn more about Equity at Work: https://equity-at-work.com/
Meet Michelle Bogan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleebogan/
Meet Kathi Toll: https://parkeravery.com/kathi-toll/
Meet Carrie Habel: https://parkeravery.com/carrie-habel/
Meet Tricia Gustin: https://parkeravery.com/tricia-gustin/

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The Expert Guide to Organizational Change Management for Retail: https://parkeravery.com/organizational-change-management/

Delivering Success: A Best-of-Breed Approach to Change Management: https://parkeravery.com/delivering-success-a-best-of-breed-approach-to-change-management/

Global Organizational Change Focus Energizes New ERP Solution Implementation: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/global-organizational-change-focus-energizes-new-erp-solution-implementation/

----more----Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Core Merchandising Deep Dive

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:00:50 -0400

In this episode of Talk Retail to Me, we kick off a series that will focus on specific business areas across retail and CPG. Over the next few months, we’re going to take a deep dive into all areas of merchandising, planning, supply chain, forecasting, omnichannel, and more.

For each of these business areas, Parker Avery's team of experts gets into basics and details, covering questions like:

What does this area encompass?
What key capabilities are the most important?
What retailers or consumer brand companies excel at it?
What common mistakes or challenges do you see?
What innovations can improve a company’s capabilities in this area?

This week we focus on core merchandising, featuring:

Marty Anderson, Principal
Heidi Csencsits, Senior Manager
Tricia Gustin, Senior Director of Marketing (and host)

To learn more about Parker Avery's retail and CPG experience and our array of consulting services, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/.

You may also like this content:

Wholesaler Sees Success With System Upgrades and New Acquisition Integrations: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/wholesaler-sees-success-with-system-upgrades-and-new-acquisition-integrations/

The Expert Guide to Core Merchandising: https://parkeravery.com/core-merchandising/

Core Merchandising vs. PIM: Which Solution is Right for Your Item Data?: https://parkeravery.com/core-merchandising-vs-pim-which-solution-is-right-for-your-item-data/

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Welcome to The Parker Avery Group Randi Nolan

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:52:15 -0400

This week, Clay Parnell, Parker Avery’s President and Managing Partner, and Tricia Gustin, Senior Director of Marketing, welcome retail industry leader Randi Nolan into the firm. Randi has an extensive list of executive titles across global retail and apparel brands—and her accomplishments are widely recognized throughout the industry. The trio discusses Randi's extensive career in retail, as well as their perspectives on key focus areas for retailers as they navigate 2022 and beyond.

To learn more about Parker Avery's team, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/pag-team/.

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Changing the Paradigm of Retail Inventory Management

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 09:30:16 -0400

This episode of Talk Retail to Me features Les McNeill, the Chief Technology Officer and founder of Impulselogic, Inc., along with Parker Avery store operations experts, Senior Director Rob Oglesby, and Tricia Gustin, Senior Director of Marketing. The trio of experts talks about the causes of in-store inventory management issues as well how changes to the overall store inventory paradigm and business processes, along with strategic use of new technologies, can help drive better results not just in stores, but throughout the supply chain and even upstream into merchandising and assortment planning decisions.

To support this paradigm change, Impulselogic provides advanced predictive analytics powered by artificial intelligence to create the optimal product flow through the store. The system, along with business process alignment and execution consistency, helps to ensure product availability for both in-store and online customers, reduce waste, improve labor efficiency, and increase profits.

To learn more about Parker Avery's array of retail consulting services and expertise, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/services/.

To learn more about Impulselogic, Inc., please visit: https://www.impulselogic.com/

You may also like this content:

The Expert Guide to Omnichannel Order Management and Fulfillment: https://parkeravery.com/omnichannel-order-management-and-fulfillment/

Rethinking the Retail Store Paradigm: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/five-expert-steps-to-finally-solve-omnichannel-execution/

Solving Today's Retail Inventory Challenges with Strategy and Process: https://parkeravery.com/solving-todays-retail-inventory-challenges-with-strategy-and-process/

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Introducing Dave Seeley and the Principle of Simple Retail Execution

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 14:56:44 -0500

This week, Tricia Gustin is joined by Parker Avery's President and Managing Partner, Clay Parnell, along with Dave Seeley, who recently joined The Parker Avery Group as a Senior Manager. Dave brings a tremendous amount of retail industry experience, across operations, merchandising, and IT. In this episode, we discuss Dave's extensive retail industry background, his continued interest in integrating AI and advanced analytics with the business of retail, and why his principle of keeping retail execution simple is paramount for success in any initiative. The trio of experts also provides an insider's view of The Parker Avery Group's culture, how it strengthened during the pandemic, and why the firm is busier now more than ever.

To learn more about Parker Avery's array of retail consulting services and expertise, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/services/.

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One Demand Signal, Endless Growth: EI Hypercube Redefines Retail Success: https://parkeravery.com/ei-hypercube-redefines-retail-success/

How to Transform Your Retail Enterprise with Advanced Analytics: https://parkeravery.com/how-to-transform-your-retail-enterprise-with-advanced-analytics/

A Demand Analytics Time Machine: https://parkeravery.com/podcast-a-demand-analytics-time-machine/

Featured on the Best 60 Retail Podcasts

Giving Back and Moving Forward: The JEDI Challenge

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 13:05:11 -0500

This week, we took a departure from our usual industry focus and talked about an initiative that’s near and dear to The Parker Avery Group's culture—our partnership with RetailROI and the JEDI Challenge. We began this relationship early in 2021 with a sponsorship of RetailROI’s SuperFriday event, which led to another sponsorship of their March Gladness event. Those two events began a series of conversations among Parker Avery’s team about what more could we could do to help, beyond sponsorships, ultimately leading us to create an entrepreneur program for young Jamaicans.

In this episode, we discuss the JEDI Challenge with Greg Buzek, President and Secretary of RetailROI, along with key principals from the Fergus Simpson Foundation, Janeth Brown, Carol and Lawrence Madden. We dive into what our young entrepreneurs have been up to since the JEDI Challenge ended late last year, as well as our plans going forward.

For more information about RetailROI: https://www.retailroi.org/

To participate in March Gladness: https://www.retailroi.org/march

For more information about the Fergus Simpson Foundation: https://fergussimpsonfoundation.org/

To learn more about the JEDI Challenge: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/the-parker-avery-group-develops-entrepreneur-program-in-jamaica/

To get involved in JEDI 2.0 (slated for summer 2022): contact tricia.gustin@parkeravery.com

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The Parker Avery Group Develops Entrepreneur Program in Jamaica: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/the-parker-avery-group-develops-entrepreneur-program-in-jamaica/

Unimaginable Gratitude: The JEDI Challenge: https://parkeravery.com/unimaginable-gratitude-the-jedi-challenge/

The JEDI Journey Continues: Three Days That Changed Our World: https://parkeravery.com/the-jedi-journey-continues-three-days-that-changed-our-world/

A Demand Analytics Time Machine

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 12:40:01 -0500

This week, Tricia Gustin sat down with The Parker Avery Group's Chief Analytics Officer, Sam Iosevich, along with Senior Manager Dmitry Magas, who joined the firm almost exactly a year ago. The trio talked about Dmitry's analytics background and history with Sam, as well as some highlights of past client projects focused on forecasting and demand analytics. They also discussed some recent Parker Avery pricing and analytics projects including a recently completed price optimization project for a global grocery retailer. Learn about Dmitry's development of what Parker Avery's analytics team calls their "time machine," as well as why analytics is just one part of the overall forecasting and demand planning solution.

To learn more about Parker Avery's advanced analytics services and expertise, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/enterprise-intelligence/

You may also like this content:

One Demand Signal, Endless Growth: EI Hypercube Redefines Retail Success: https://parkeravery.com/ei-hypercube-redefines-retail-success/

Enterprise-wide Planning Solution Drives Global Retailer’s Agility: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enterprise-wide-planning-solution-drives-global-retailers-agility/

How to Transform Your Retail Enterprise with Advanced Analytics:

https://parkeravery.com/how-to-transform-your-retail-enterprise-with-advanced-analytics/

Implications and Perspectives of Homegoods‘ E-Commerce Launch

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:11:10 -0500

Just in time for the holiday shopping frenzy, retail experts Kathi Toll, Heidi Csencsits, Carrie Habel, and Tricia Gustin discuss the recent launch of Homegoods' e-commerce platform, and the implications of this strategy on store operations, roles and responsibilities, merchandising, customer perception, inventory management, and more. Enjoy this entertaining and casual conversation that not only veers off into other retail segments, but also highlights the deep industry expertise and the consumer perspectives of these professionals.

To learn more about Parker Avery's retail and consumer goods consulting services and expertise, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/

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The Expert Guide to Omnichannel Order Management and Fulfillment: https://parkeravery.com/omnichannel-order-management-and-fulfillment/

Outdoor Retailer Drives Omnichannel Transformation with New Planning Solution: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/outdoor-retailer-drives-omnichannel-transformation-with-new-planning-solution/

Leading Analytics in India: Meet Dinesh Helwade

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 09:53:28 -0500

This week, Chief Analytics Officer, Sam Iosevich, and Director of Analytics, Dinesh Helwade, discuss their decades-long working relationship as well as Dinesh's plans for the firm's analytics team in India. Learn how their deep analytics expertise, combined with a strong organizational culture, create compelling analytics solutions for Parker Avery clients.

To learn more about Parker Avery's analytics services and expertise, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/enterprise-intelligence/

You may also like this content:

Enterprise-wide Planning Solution Drives Global Retailer’s Agility: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enterprise-wide-planning-solution-drives-global-retailers-agility/

One Demand Signal, Endless Growth: EI Hypercube Redefines Retail Success: https://parkeravery.com/ei-hypercube-redefines-retail-success/

A Demand Analytics Time Machine: https://parkeravery.com/podcast-a-demand-analytics-time-machine/

A Refreshing Change: Why Traditional Change Management Methods Fail

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 10:20:47 -0500

In this episode, Parker Avery’s change management leader Kathi Toll, along with experts Carrie Habel and Heidi Csencsits talk about the firm’s best-of-breed approach to change management and why it raises the bar above more traditional methods.

In this lively discussion, the team touches on:

Why a more tailored approach to change is needed in every client environment and project
Situations where we’ve seen clients “wing it” or use outdated tools/philosophies—and expect success (but are usually disappointed)
At what point in a project change management activities should start
Key tenets for success in helping clients navigate change

To learn more about Parker Avery's change management services and expertise, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/organizational-change-services-retail/

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The Expert Guide to Organizational Change Management for Retail: https://parkeravery.com/organizational-change-management/

Stakeholder Analysis Drives Success for Retailer’s New Order Management System: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/stakeholder-analysis-drives-success-for-retailers-new-order-management-system/

How to Stop Managing Change and Start Leading Successful Retail Transformation: https://parkeravery.com/start-leading-successful-retail-transformation/

Thriving Through Constant Change

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 08:11:09 -0500

After recently completing an in-depth change management initiative with popular retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, Parker Avery's change management leader, Kathi Toll, sat down with Dru Dominici, Director of Wholesale, and Tony Bradley, VP of Corporate Development, to discuss the need for more agile and adaptable organizations. During this lively chat, the three experts also discuss John Kotter's “Thrive versus Survive” response, as outlined in a recent HBR article, as well as the criticality of understanding that the most effective change activities specifically address these innate human responses. With the world's increasing volatility and complexity, and rapid change increasingly accepted as the “new normal,” these tenets are key to developing successful change competencies.

To learn more about Parker Avery's change management services and expertise, we invite you to visit: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/organizational-change-services-retail/

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The Expert Guide to Organizational Change Management for Retail: https://parkeravery.com/organizational-change-management/

New Change Management Capabilities Bolster Retailer’s Resilience and Success: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/new-change-management-capabilities-bolster-retailers-resilience-and-success/

Enhancing System Implementation Value with Executive Change Leadership: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enhancing-system-implementation-value-with-executive-change-leadership/

The Demand Intelligence Difference

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 05:58:59 -0400

This week we're talking about Demand Intelligence, Parker Avery’s software-as-a-service demand planning platform. Demand Intelligence is not only powered by the latest in advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, but it’s also driven by deep retail and CPG industry expertise. One of the unique things about Demand Intelligence is that its development was informed with input from several global retail and CPG executives. The guiding light was to solve real retail and consumer goods business challenges and incorporate industry best practices bolstered with advanced analytics.
Outside of the deep science and math, Demand Intelligence is a workflow-guided solution with a very intuitive and user-friendly interface. What’s more, it can be implemented in a matter of weeks, not months.

In this episode, we give you a first-hand encounter of why Demand Intelligence is different from so many advanced analytics platforms on the market. Joining the discussion is our Chief Analytics Officer, Sam Iosevich, along with Partner Amanda Astrologo, and Principal Marty Anderson.

To learn more about Demand Intelligence, we invite you to read our latest press release:
Parker Avery Solves Demand Planning Challenges with Groundbreaking AI Enabled Solution

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A Demand Analytics Time Machine: https://parkeravery.com/podcast-a-demand-analytics-time-machine/

Enterprise-wide Planning Solution Drives Global Retailer’s Agility: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enterprise-wide-planning-solution-drives-global-retailers-agility/

One Demand Signal, Endless Growth: EI Hypercube Redefines Retail Success: https://parkeravery.com/ei-hypercube-redefines-retail-success/

Assortment Planning: Expert Perspectives and Insights

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 11:27:59 -0400

In this episode, assortment planning experts, Senior Manager Heidi Csencsits, hosts Principal Marty Anderson and Senior Manager Louann Villasor to discuss assortment planning. The Parker Avery Group has seen tremendous interest in our clients for improving their assortment planning capabilities, not only bringing in new technology but also revamping business processes and organization to ensure these retailers are providing compelling assortments that drive both customer traffic and bottom-line profit. Louann and Marty recently completed a major assortment planning system selection and implementation for a large home décor retailer, and the three experts provide their perspectives on the subject. The team discusses:

Insights, unique requirements, and some "ah ha" moments experienced during the recent assortment planning implementation
Why attribution and data quality are so critical for assortment planning
Where assortment planning fits into the overall strategy, demand forecasting, planning, and buying processes
Measures of successful assortment planning and retail store clustering methodologies
The key tenet of simplicity as retailers desire to expand their assortment planning capabilities and expertise
Where advanced assortment planning and retail clustering strategies should be headed to go beyond sales and margin

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/services/

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The Expert Guide to Retail Assortment Planning: https://parkeravery.com/assortment-planning/

Global Retailer Anticipates Strong Results With New Assortment Planning Solution: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/global-retailer-anticipates-strong-results-with-new-assortment-planning-solution/

Retailer’s Planning System Implementation Expected to Drive Growth and Success: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/retailers-planning-system-implementation-expected-to-drive-growth-and-success/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Success as a Retail Consultant: Introducing Nia McDonald

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 13:06:21 -0400

In this episode, Partner Amanda Astrologo introduces one of the newest members of The Parker Avery Group, Senior Consultant Nia McDonald. With over a decade of experience across a wide variety of retailers, retail segments, and CPG companies, Nia focuses on merchandise and sales planning, forecasting, and replenishment, as well as pricing and promotional strategies.

Amanda and Nia discuss her journey into retail consulting, the key skills and characteristics that successful consultants share, what it's like to be on the "consulting side," as well as being part of The Parker Avery Group's unique culture.

Meet the other members of The Parker Avery Group: https://parkeravery.com/pag-team/

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Promotional Capabilities Assessment Reveals Significant Bottom Line Improvements: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/promotional-capabilities-assessment-reveals-significant-bottom-line-improvements/

Retail Pricing and Promotions Deep Dive: https://parkeravery.com/podcast-retail-pricing-and-promotions-deep-dive/

The Expert Guide to Retail Pricing: https://parkeravery.com/retail-pricing/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

New Muscles for Effective Retailers

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 12:07:31 -0400

Organizational change management experts Kathi Toll, Deanna Emsley, and Marty Anderson talk about the new muscles retail and consumer brand companies must develop to be effective and competitive. In this episode of Parker Avery's "Talk Retail to Me" podcast, the team discusses:

Tenets that must be true for an organization to be effective
Their experiences of going "back" into the office and traveling
How communication within an organization needs to change with such a different work environment
What associates in the corporate buildings can learn from the retail staff "on the front lines"
Why higher priority must be placed on empathy in a professional setting
The importance of hind-sighting on a more frequent basis

We invite you to learn more about The Parker Avery Group's consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/

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The Expert Guide to Organizational Change Management for Retail: https://parkeravery.com/organizational-change-management/

Global Organizational Change Focus Energizes New ERP Solution Implementation: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/global-organizational-change-focus-energizes-new-erp-solution-implementation/

How to Stop Managing Change and Start Leading Successful Retail Transformation: https://parkeravery.com/start-leading-successful-retail-transformation/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Retail Inventory Management: Post-Pandemic Focus Areas

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 20:56:29 -0400

This week President and Managing Partner Clay Parnell, along with Partner Amanda Astrologo and Senior Director Rob Oglesby discuss key areas retailers are focusing on now and where they must focus in the near future for effective retail inventory management. This may come as a surprise, but it's less about technology and much more about core capabilities driven by business processes and a sizable shift in traditional organizational roles and responsibilities across the retail enterprise. Further, it's about a focus on foundational elements to ensure resiliency and agility throughout the supply chain to ensure retailers meet customer demand and expectations.

We invite you to learn more about The Parker Avery Group's consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/services/

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The Expert Guide to Omnichannel Order Management and Fulfillment: https://parkeravery.com/omnichannel-order-management-and-fulfillment/

Retail Store Inventory Assessment Exposes $65 Per Square Foot in Hidden Profit: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/retail-store-inventory-assessment-exposes-65-per-square-foot-in-hidden-profit/

Getting to Global: Managing Inventory in a Unified Commerce World: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/getting-to-global-managing-inventory-in-a-unified-commerce-world/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Master Data Management: The Backbone of Omnichannel Retail

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:13:17 -0400

This week, Senior Managers Heidi Csencsits and Mike Johnson talk about a recent client project, where The Parker Avery Group helped a home décor retailer define and standardize product attributes across 50,000 items to improve the omnichannel customer experience and merchandising effectiveness. The two retail experts also outline the importance of strong master data management and governance as the backbone of all retail omnichannel initiatives, as well as best practices and tips on getting started.

We invite you to learn more about The Parker Avery Group's consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/services/

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Retailer’s Master Data Management Improvements Drive Omnichannel Growth: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/retailers-master-data-management-improvements-drive-omnichannel-growth/

The Expert Guide to Data Governance in Retail: https://parkeravery.com/data-governance-in-retail/

Project Planning: Four Considerations for Data Readiness: https://parkeravery.com/four-considerations-for-data-readiness/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

What You Need to Know About Retail Software Selection Projects

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 13:31:02 -0400

On this episode of the Talk Retail to Me podcast, Parker Avery Senior Partner Amanda Astrologo and Tricia Gustin interview retail expert Julie Cheney. Julie has over 25 years of experience as an executive and consultant in the retail and wholesale industries. She has held leadership positions in buying, merchandise planning & allocation, and program management within specialty apparel, footwear, outdoor equipment, and general merchandise retailers.

In addition to Julie's perspectives on consulting from within and outside the corporate halls, the trio of retail experts discusses how retail system selection projects have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as what elements necessitate more focus in a remote or hybrid environment.

We invite you to learn more about The Parker Avery Group's consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/services/

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The Expert Guide to Retail System Selection: https://parkeravery.com/retail-system-selection/

Five Key Tenets to Successful Retail Software Selection: https://parkeravery.com/five-key-tenets-to-successful-retail-software-selection/

Core Merchandising and Finance System Selection to Drive Visibility and Results: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/core-merchandising-and-finance-system-selection-to-drive-visibility-and-results/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Bridging the Gap Between Humans & Artificial Intelligence

Fri, 21 May 2021 06:51:39 -0400

The Parker Avery Group's analytics team gives their perspectives on finding the balance between artificial and emotional (human) intelligence. Led by Chief Analytics Officer, Sam Iosevich, this team of mathematics PhDs has been continuously enhancing the firm's advanced analytics offerings for Parker Avery's clients. In this episode, Scott Kirila, Evan Witz, and Luke Vaicunas discuss how intimately understanding each client's situation is key to providing the best solution--as well as the importance of helping the business understand and embrace artificial intelligence. They also provide insights into the differences and learnings of bringing deep science from academia into the retail and consumer goods business world.

We invite you to learn more about The Parker Avery Group's analytics consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/enterprise-intelligence/

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Annual Profit Improved Through AI-Driven Retail Warranty Price Optimization: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/annual-profit-improved-through-ai-driven-retail-warranty-price-optimization/

How to Transform Your Retail Enterprise with Advanced Analytics: https://parkeravery.com/how-to-transform-your-retail-enterprise-with-advanced-analytics/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Key Considerations of Remote System Implementations

Tue, 04 May 2021 08:24:47 -0400

Retail experts Marty Anderson and Russ Smith discuss how system implementation projects have fundamentally changed during the pandemic. Based on their experience of halting solution implementation projects mid-stream when the pandemic first hit and then ramping back up months later, Marty and Russ highlight key considerations for implementation success, including:

How the overall structure of implementation teams changed.
What activities are better conducted in person vs. remotely.
How communication, change management, and engagement tactics need to adapt to accommodate a remote environment.

We invite you to learn more about The Parker Avery Group's implementation consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/solution-evaluation-selection-implementation/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Chasing Challenges: Parker Avery's Analytics SWAT Team Leaders

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 09:04:10 -0400

In this episode, Parker Avery's Chief Analytics Officer and Managing Partner Sam Iosevich sits down with Senior Director of Analytics, George Arutyunyants to talk about George's lifelong journey into and through analytics, his development philosophies, and his passion for chasing challenges in his eternal pursuit of gaining more knowledge. Discover how the saying, "We are born with two ears and one mouth" and partnerships with academia, coupled with deep analytical, retail, and consumer goods expertise translate to better solutions for Parker Avery's clients.

We invite you to learn more about The Parker Avery Group's analytics services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/enterprise-intelligence/

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One Demand Signal, Endless Growth: EI Hypercube Redefines Retail Success: https://parkeravery.com/ei-hypercube-redefines-retail-success/

Enterprise-wide Planning Solution Drives Global Retailer’s Agility: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enterprise-wide-planning-solution-drives-global-retailers-agility/

A Demand Analytics Time Machine: https://parkeravery.com/podcast-a-demand-analytics-time-machine/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

How to Approach Merchandise Financial Planning for 2021

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 08:36:33 -0500

Parker Avery retail planning experts, LouAnn Villasor and Lee Whitaker, discuss how merchandise financial planning (MFP) has changed over the course of 2020. Based on their deep experience implementing MFP solutions, you will get their perspectives on how retailers need to think differently in approaching MFP going forward into 2021 and beyond.

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/services/

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The Expert Guide to Merchandise Financial Planning: https://parkeravery.com/retail-merchandise-financial-planning/

New Merchandise Financial Planning Solution Drives Retail Results: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/new-merchandise-financial-planning-solution-drives-retail-results/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Training Strategies and Tactics for a Virtual World

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 09:29:35 -0500

This week, retail expert Heidi Csencsits and Parker Avery's change management and training experts, Kathi Toll, LouAnn Villasor, and Carrie Habel discuss training training strategies and tactics for a virtual world. As with many corporate initiatives, training needs have fundamentally changed. These four retail experts provide insights about how companies must adopt new remote training strategies and tactics to ensure sustainable learning and better adoption of new business processes, roles, and supporting technologies.

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's change management and training services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/consulting-services/organizational-change-services-retail/

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The Expert Guide to Organizational Change Management for Retail: https://parkeravery.com/organizational-change-management/

Empowering Brand Excellence With a New Merchandising Academy: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/empowering-brand-excellence-with-a-new-merchandising-academy/

Advancing Proficiency Through Sustainable Learning: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/advancing-proficiency-through-sustainable-learning/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Meet Parker Avery Change Management Expert Carrie Habel

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 07:30:16 -0500

This week, Parker Avery's Change Management leaders, Kathi Toll and Carrie Habel talk about Carrie's incredible career-long experience helping retailers navigate and manage change. Discover how and why Carrie made the decision to join The Parker Avery Group. Also, Kathi and Carrie provide their insights into how leaders should recognize their own feelings as well as their teams' to make sure they're working together to bring about positive, effective change, despite the entire world facing continual "FFT's."

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's change management services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/change-management-leadership/

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The Expert Guide to Organizational Change Management for Retail: https://parkeravery.com/organizational-change-management/

Organizational Change Strategy Brings Efficiency and Growth to Mattress Manufacturer: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/organizational-change-strategy-brings-efficiency-and-growth-to-mattress-manufacturer/

Enhancing System Implementation Value with Executive Change Leadership: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enhancing-system-implementation-value-with-executive-change-leadership/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Diving Deep into Demand Analytics: Meet Leo Greyz

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:17:17 -0500

Parker Avery's Chief Analytics Officer, Sam Iosevich, sits down with demand planning expert Leo Greyz to discuss the firm's latest developments in demand analytics for retail and consumer goods companies. Hear about the key drivers pushing advanced demand analytics capabilities far deeper and faster than the industry had ever imagined. Also, get realistic advice from Parker Avery's retail experts that will help your company achieve strong analytics capabilities to quickly realize meaningful results.

Check out the highlights of Sam and Leo's conversation, including Leo’s recommendations for retailers and CPGs who are moving forward with their advanced analytics initiatives: https://parkeravery.com/retail-cpg-advanced-analytics-game-changer/

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's advanced analytics services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/enterprise-intelligence/

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Ask the Hypercube: Democratizing Predictive Analytics with Generative AI: https://parkeravery.com/ask-the-hypercube-democratizing-predictive-analytics-with-generative-ai/

Enterprise-wide Planning Solution Drives Global Retailer’s Agility: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enterprise-wide-planning-solution-drives-global-retailers-agility/

A Demand Analytics Time Machine: https://parkeravery.com/podcast-a-demand-analytics-time-machine/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Advanced Pricing Success Story

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 15:47:00 -0500

You don't want to miss the story behind the unbelievable ROI achieved in a mere 8 weeks--to the tune of $8 million. Parker Avery's pricing leader Josh Pollack and retail expert Heidi Csencsits discuss what made this particular advanced pricing implementation so successful, why pricing solutions can achieve such meaningful results, and several approaches retailers can take to move far beyond their beloved spreadsheets into real solutions driven by advanced analytics.

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group by visiting: https://www.parkeravery.com/

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Markdown Optimization Solution Vastly Improves Retailer’s Sell-Through and Margin: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/markdown-optimization-solution-vastly-improves-retailers-sell-through-and-margin/

Strong Profit Results from International Grocer’s Price Optimization Solution: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/strong-profit-results-from-international-grocers-price-optimization-solution/

Boost Your Bottom Line with Smarter Price Optimization: https://parkeravery.com/boost-your-bottom-line-with-smarter-price-optimization/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Key Takeaways from CSCMP's 31st Annual State of Logistics Report

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 15:56:56 -0500

In this episode, retail supply chain and logistics experts Lee Whitaker and Rob Oglesby discuss their key takeaways and some surprising findings from the 31st Annual State of Logistics Report®, produced by The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). Click here for the full report. Lee and Rob give their perspectives on:

The growing importance of 5-G networks on logistics.
Key actions that will contribute to a faster recovery for retail and consumer goods companies.
Carrier and shipper behaviors and initiatives that warrant focus in the coming months.
The importance of looking beyond the technology and incorporating process and change management.

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group by visiting: https://www.parkeravery.com/

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Strategic Sourcing Considerations for a Disrupted Supply Chain: https://parkeravery.com/strategic-sourcing-in-a-disrupted-supply-chain/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Why I Chose The Parker Avery Group (During a Pandemic): Introducing Rob Gentry

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:25:12 -0400

Making a career move and joining a new firm in the middle of a pandemic is truly a bold move. In this episode Senior Manager Deanna Emsley interviews the newest member of The Parker Avery Group's team: Rob Gentry. Learn about Rob's interesting path into retail, why he chose to work for Parker Avery (after many years in much larger companies), and what his "super power" is.

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group by visiting: https://www.parkeravery.com/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Strategic Sourcing in a Disrupted Supply Chain

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 12:22:38 -0400

In this episode, I interviewed Parker Avery's CEO, Robert Kaufman, along with inventory and supply chain expert Rob Oglesby to discuss sourcing strategies and actions retailers and consumer brands need to consider as we continue to face highly disruptive supply chains. We explore considerations such as:

How do retailers and consumer brands need to change how they think about and manage their sourcing strategies during such tensions and unknowns?
There is also a fair amount of consumer unease about products made overseas, in countries who aren't America-friendly, and increasing desire for “Made in the USA” and even local products. How do consumer brands and retailers handle this, realizing the cost and price points may not be competitive with foreign-made counterparts?
A few years ago, there was a focus on visibility deeper into the supply chain and transparency in sourcing raw materials. How much of a factor is this today?
What technologies do retailers and consumer brands need to be investigating to remain viable and competitive?

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group by visiting: https://www.parkeravery.com/

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Ask the Experts: The New Role of Retail’s Chief Supply Chain Officer: https://parkeravery.com/ask-the-experts-the-new-role-of-retails-chief-supply-chain-officer/

New Integrated Retail Supply Chain System Drives Global Expansion: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/new-integrated-retail-supply-chain-system-drives-global-expansion/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Deep Analytics: Why Retailers Need it Now More Than Ever

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 16:51:15 -0400

In this episode, we focus on deep analytics. Parker Avery experts Clay Parnell and Sam Iosevich discuss how retailers and consumer brands can embrace analytics into their business models to enable cross-functional collaboration and deliver meaningful financial results. We explore questions like:

While the recent disruptions have put an even stronger focus on integrating digital and physical channels and deeply understanding customer behavior, it certainly makes sense to involve analytics to some extent, but are these the most important areas right now?
What are other top key areas or business challenges on which retail & consumer goods companies should focus their analytics investments and efforts?
How can an analytics system integrate into a company’s existing operating model without a major disruption?
What prerequisites—besides data cleanliness and governance—are needed for a company to begin embarking on its analytics journey?
What skills or resources are critical to ensuring successful outcomes?
What benefits have been realized by retailers and consumer goods companies who’ve successfully adopted an analytics-driven mindset?

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's retail consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/

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How to Overcome AI Hype and Drive Retail Collaboration: https://parkeravery.com/how-to-overcome-ai-hype-and-drive-retail-collaboration/

Enterprise-Wide Planning Solution Drives Global Retailer's Agility: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/enterprise-wide-planning-solution-drives-global-retailers-agility/

Transform Your Retail Enterprise with Advanced Analytics: https://parkeravery.com/how-to-transform-your-retail-enterprise-with-advanced-analytics/

Ask the Hypercube: Democratizing Predictive Analytics with Generative AI: https://parkeravery.com/ask-the-hypercube-democratizing-predictive-analytics-with-generative-ai/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Solving Both Sides of the Inventory Problem

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:16:55 -0400

Parker Avery experts Clay Parnell, Amanda Astrologo, and Rob Oglesby, talk about lessons learned and best practices that have emerged over the past few months in how retailers are handling the huge swings in consumer demand and inventory movements that we have witnessed across all segments of retail due to recent disruptions.

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's retail consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/

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The Expert Guide to Omnichannel Order Management: https://parkeravery.com/omnichannel-order-management-and-fulfillment/

Five Expert Steps to Finally Solve Omnichannel Execution: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/five-expert-steps-to-finally-solve-omnichannel-execution/

Solving Today's Retail Inventory Challenges with Strategy and Process: https://parkeravery.com/solving-todays-retail-inventory-challenges-with-strategy-and-process/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

What to Do When You're Expecting…Customers: Part 2

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 16:38:11 -0400

In this episode, The Parker Avery Group's Change Management Lead Kathi Toll, along with retail experts Tricia Gustin and Heidi Csencsits discuss ways retailers can handle customers and associates coming back into their stores after a major disruption like the COVID-19 pandemic--this week focusing on handling tense or challenging situations.

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's retail consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/

Beginning the Journey: Emerge from COVID-19

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 08:44:53 -0400

For those retailers that are most impacted by COVID-19 and are either completely shut down or only operating with limited direct to consumer fulfillment, we can’t predict exactly when current conditions will allow re-opening of stores and operations. But it is coming, and it’s imperative to prepare now. How do you effectively re-start your business in a controlled manner, with stores re-opening based on regional conditions, and consumers finally venturing out from behind their computers and mobile devices? Many retailers were working hard or struggling to be competitive before the pandemic. The focus now is to quickly reset at least to where you were before the retail lockdown started, but perhaps there’s an opportunity to go further. How quickly your team can respond and rise to the challenge will determine your place in the future pecking order, if not survival itself.

In the podcast version of the 3rd webinar in Parker Avery's Reconstructing Retail series, Robert Kaufman and Clay Parnell are joined by industry expert Joe Skorupa in helping you::

Understand what your leadership team should be thinking about now and how to prepare for Day 1
Learn how to consider a roadmap for the first week, first month, and the initial 1-2 seasons back after being closed
Hear survey results from other retailers on their experiences, concerns, and plans
Consider how important accurate and timely data and related analytics will be to ensuring effective decision-making

Watch the video replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ccB2xMas4Y

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's retail consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/

You may also like this content:

The Expert Guide to Organizational Change in Retail: https://parkeravery.com/organizational-change-management/

Retailer's Change Management and Communication Strategy Drive Sustainable Results: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/retailers-change-management-and-communication-strategy-drive-sustainable-results/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Triaging Your Inventory: Decisions for Stability

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 16:24:27 -0400

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Parker Avery Group conducted a four-part webinar series, Reconstructing Retail. This series covered some important topics and focused on helping our clients and friends in the industry. Throughout this series, we shared our firm's pragmatic thoughts and perspectives, with the understanding that for most of us, the pandemic and its aftermath represented the transformation of a generation or even our lifetime. With so much on hold for many retailers and brands, our webinar series allowed us to look forward and at least help retailers catch back up to where they were before or perhaps even get ahead. We all witnessed abundant innovation opportunities that continue today.

Our Triaging Your Inventory webinar focused on inventory and the supply chain. We all recognize the continued distortion in our industry in different ways. Retailers are still trying to keep up with highly fluctuating demand and precarious supply chains. While many of the topics or suggestions may apply to all retail sectors, our emphasis in the webinar was focused on those retailers deemed ‘non-essential’ that were closed and needed to plan to restart.

When introducing the webinar, there was a lot of talk about when shelter-in-place orders would be lifted and when the economy would reopen. At that moment, we did not try to guess the timeframe, nor were we able to ensure when ‘Day 1’ would be. But we did know we would leave our homes again. We would come out from behind our screens and webcams. We would shop again. Consumers would be back. And we, as an industry, needed to be prepared.

Why was focus on inventory so important, especially for retailers that were shut down? We’d venture to say that in February, even early March of 2020, few of us would have forecasted what happened so suddenly by mid-March. We had plans for the season, we were hopeful for a strong 2020, and we had no idea of the coming pandemic and its impact on the world. Post-March, many retailers’ only focus was ecommerce fulfillment and any omnichannel shopping options they may have had. Otherwise, stores were dark, inventory was aging quickly – and unlike fine wine, aged inventory does not get better with age.

For our Reconstructing Retail inventory focus, we introduced the “triage” concept with 3 stages:

Level 1: Critical – what do absolutely need to address right now
Level 2: Urgent – what are the next things that will need to be managed
Level 3: Recovery – what’s next, and how can we balance further stabilization with future opportunities

The webinar featured Amanda Astrologo and Rob Oglesby from Parker Avery, joined by Joe Skorupa, long-time RIS News editor and industry-recognized subject matter expert on all things retail and CPG.

In this Talk Retail to Me episode, our retail experts discussed:

How to evaluate potential inventory options – risk vs. reward
How to think about your assortments moving forward
How to consider future demand, by channel, based on likely store opening and ramp-up scenarios
What systems and tools will be most useful as you manage through the immediate season and simultaneously plan for the next

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/

You may also like this content:

Five Expert Steps to Finally Solve Omnichannel Execution: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/five-expert-steps-to-finally-solve-omnichannel-execution/

Ask the Experts: In-Store Omnichannel Fulfillment of Omnichannel Orders: https://parkeravery.com/ask-the-experts-in-store-fulfillment-of-omnichannel-orders/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Predicting the Future: Retail’s New World

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 14:54:22 -0400

Even as we work to ramp back up, re-open stores, and improve our view of current inventory positions, we need to start developing perspectives of future sales and inventory demand. The ability to predict and react quickly to customer demand is critical, along with having a common demand signal that can help support various functions across retail planning, pricing, and fulfillment. Retailers can view this near-term period as an opportunity to significantly enhance their ability to quickly and dynamically drive business insights for improved decision-making. In this audio session of our Reconstructing Retail webinar series, Parker Avery experts Sam Iosevich and Amanda Astrologo are joined by industry analyst Joe Skorupa to help you understand:

The challenges and options for considering future demand as the COVID-19 crisis lessens and our retail economy begins to re-open
How AI/ML tools can be used to provide dynamic demand signals and quickly produce multiple scenarios
Options for addressing short-term inventory, allocation, and replenishment challenges while planning for future demand

Watch the video replay: https://youtu.be/j-pZtLd-Rzw

Learn about The Parker Avery Group's retail consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/

Learn more about a unified demand signal by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/enterprise-intelligence/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

Mobilizing & Sustaining a Resilient Organization

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 17:29:49 -0400

Have you considered what type of leadership and support your team will need following a major disruption? Do the traditional leadership and change management models feel outdated to you? Parker Avery's industry experts share tools and frameworks that surpass typical approaches and are more relevant in today's environment so you can confidently guide teams through transformational periods. We provide real-world examples you and your teams can use as you tease out the business practices and behaviors that will carry you into the future.

In this podcast version of our Reconstructing Retail webinar series, Parker Avery experts Kathi Toll, Deanna Emsley, and Marty Anderson are joined by industry analyst Joe Skorupa to help you understand:

Understand how to prepare yourself to lead in a post-COVID-19 world
Gather skills, tools, and frameworks to prepare your team to build resiliency
Understand the stages of personal change and learn how to assist your team members during the early weeks of return
Learn how to collectively assess “lessons learned” and determine which elements your team wants to continue into the new world

Read the recap: https://parkeravery.com/mobilizing-and-sustaining-a-resilient-organization/

Watch the webinar replay: https://youtu.be/j-pZtLd-Rzw

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group's retail consulting services by visiting: https://parkeravery.com/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay

What to Do When You're Expecting: Customers: Part 1

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 10:30:44 -0400

You may also like this content:

What to Do When You're Expecting ... Customers: Part 2: https://parkeravery.com/podcast-what-to-do-when-youre-expecting-customers-part-2/

Store Operations Assessment Unlocks Hidden Potential for Discount Retailer: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/store-operations-assessment-unlocks-hidden-potential-for-discount-retailer/

Store-Level Omnichannel Capabilities for Retail's New World: https://parkeravery.com/industry-experience/essential-disruption-store-level-omnichannel-capabilities-for-retails-new-world/

Learn more about The Parker Avery Group by visiting: https://www.parkeravery.com/

Introduction music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover image by Jorge Guillen from Pixabay