Jason Goldberger

Today, live shopping makes up over 75% of sales across stores & marketplaces using District. It turns out when you pack obsessed buyers into one space and offer them ephemeral deals, stuff sells fast. Brands don’t measure profit per sku anymore. They measure profit per hour.

46

4 Comments

Albertsons has reported steady Q3 gains, showing resilience in a value-driven retail environment. Consumers across income levels are becoming more price-conscious, shifting their focus toward essentials and promotions. Despite pricing pressures and changes in drug reimbursement, Albertsons continues to grow in digital and loyalty programs. The company has narrowed its full-year outlook but remains confident in long-term growth through technology and private brands. 📊 Key highlights: Net sales $19.1B (+1.9%) Same-store sales +2.4% Digital sales +21% Loyalty members 49.8M (+12%) Adjusted EBITDA $1.04B What stands out most is the digital growth and loyalty expansion. Nearly 50 million members now engage with Albertsons, showing that personalized promotions and private brands are resonating with customers. Even as households across income levels become more price-conscious, Albertsons is leaning into AI-powered tools like “Ask AI,” which boosted basket size by 10%. This is a clear signal that technology + value = stronger customer relationships. Yes, challenges remain with drug reimbursement changes and pricing pressures. But the company’s focus on cost control, private brands, and e-commerce profitability by year-end shows resilience and long-term vision. 💡 Consumers want value, convenience, and trust. Retailers who combine digital innovation with everyday affordability will continue to thrive. Albertsons’ performance reflects a company adapting with agility—steady growth, strong digital momentum, and a clear path to long-term value creation. #Retail #Ecommerce #DigitalTransformation #CustomerValue #Albertsons

1

HELPING BRANDS UNLOCK PROFIT AND REDUCE EXCESS STOCK THROUGH SMARTER COMMERCIAL DECISIONS. Most brands don’t need another expensive consultant at arms-length. They need a heavy hitter who can jump into the engine room and drive. That’s why I’ve started The Exec Bench. We provide fractional expertise for brands that need senior leadership without the full-time overhead. Whether you’re scaling, restructuring, or in a total reset, we embed directly into your teams as: - Business Manager - Head of Product - Head of Merchandise - Head of Buying With 20+ years of experience leading Australia’s largest retailers through growth and turnarounds, I know how to reduce inventory stress and protect your margins. If that gap sounds familiar, let’s talk. 📧 vanessa@theexecbench.com.au #TheExecBench #FashionRetail #FractionalLeadership #RetailStrategy

136

77 Comments

"The Taste Economy"—and why it matters far beyond retail. My latest piece just published in Retail Merchandiser explores what I'm calling "The Taste Economy"—and why it matters far beyond retail. The fear around AI agents has been that they'll strip away the emotional, identity-driven aspects of commerce and replace them with cold optimization. But that fear is misplaced. What's actually emerging is something I call "Algorithmic Intimacy"—the ability to deliver personal relevance at scale. AI agents that don't just track purchases, but learn to read aspirations from behavioral cues. That understand the gift someone hesitated over last Christmas and recognize when the moment is finally right. Instead of endless scrolling through 500 nearly identical options, these agents surface three items that match aesthetic, climate needs, values, and style before consumers even articulate the criteria. We're already seeing it with Boots' AI-powered beauty diagnostics and Target bringing shopping into ChatGPT. But here's what retail leaders need to understand going into 2026: as AI handles more of the transaction, real competitive advantage shifts to taste, curation, and understanding what customers truly care about. The retailers focused only on driving purchases will lose to those who focus on aligning with customer identity. The same principle applies across every industry. As AI takes on more mechanical work, human judgment becomes more valuable, not less. The winners will be those who embrace what I've been calling the Master Orchestrator mindset—using AI to amplify human insight, not replace it. Full article in Retail Merchandiser. Would welcome your thoughts, especially from those seeing similar patterns in your sectors. Full article here https://lnkd.in/g6YTMUmm #AI #RetailInnovation #CustomerExperience #AIAgents #DigitalTransformation #TasteEconomy #AlgorithmicIntimacy #FutureOfRetail #EnterpriseAI

9

1 Comment

A few months ago, I was in a conversation with a leading retail luxury brand that had everything figured out: great product, slick website, and solid foot traffic. But they had one problem they couldn't crack. Their customers weren't coming back. Not because the experience was bad. But because once the transaction ended, the relationship ended. No touchpoint. No reason to return. The brand was present for exactly four minutes at checkout and then disappeared. That conversation stuck with me. It's why one of the things I've been most excited about at Fynd is not just helping brands sell, but helping them build relationships that outlast the transaction. We've spent over a decade building the rails of modern commerce. But infrastructure alone doesn't retain customers. Engagement does. So when Todd asked me to have a look at Litecard (Connected Commerce across Apple and Google Wallets) and when I first saw what Brian and the team were building, I knew we had to work together. Litecard does something deceptively simple but incredibly powerful. They put your brand inside your customer's Apple or Google Wallet, right next to their boarding passes and bank cards. A loyalty card. A membership. A personalised offer. Triggered by time, location, or a transaction. No app download. No friction. Just presence, at exactly the right moment. Combined with Fynd, the loop is now fully closed. A customer walks into a store, checks out on Fynd POS, and within seconds has a digital membership card in their wallet. Next time they're nearby, they get a push notification with a reason to come back in. The associate who sold to them remotely on WhatsApp? That sale also triggered a loyalty pass. Every touchpoint is connected. This is what I mean when I talk about connected commerce. Not just connecting systems, but connecting moments in a customer's life to a brand they trust. We're bringing this to all Fynd customers globally, right now. If you're a retail leader thinking about retention, loyalty, or just how to make your brand more present in your customers' daily lives, I'd love to chat. Drop a comment or DM me directly. Jake | Lee | Vivek | Farooq | Sreeraman | Dharmendra | Ragini

33

1 Comment

In the last decade or so, we have been closely monitoring the Grocery industry and how customers' perceptions and attitudes towards their preferred retailers have evolved. In this webinar, Erich Kahner will host Lorin Drake to discuss the lessons learned and how retailers like Publix are evolving their value proposition to attract and retain shoppers in a highly competitive landscape.

10

National Retail Federation survival tips - for the upcoming 3 day tradeshow blitz. Though, these also likely work for most trade shows ... 1. No one cares what your shoes look like. So wear comfortable shoes that will easily and happily get you miles and miles of coverage. This is not the time to test out your new heels / pumps. Yes, I've had to go looking for band-aids and towels for bloody feet (not mine). The Javits Center is 3.3 million square feet. That is 137 Sprouts Farmers Market stores. 2. Get a battery for your phone, and turn your phone into "Low Power Mode". I prefer the Anker Innovations LTD batteries, including their PowerCore 10K. Large buildings act as Faraday cages, and your phone will spend all day telling the nearest cell tower "I'm here" - while draining your battery to zero. You'll need that phone at the end of the show day, when you are trying to get to dinner and cocktails. 3. Do not use the first coat check you find. Find your favorite vendor, flash a smile, and ask to store your coat in their booth. I tend to gravitate towards Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions or Accuvia Software Group or Washburn Computer Group or Brink’s Inc , but you may enjoy the company of someone else! Alternatively, go downstairs, where the lines are shorter. 4. The seating for lunch is atrocious. It will not ever get better, nor cheaper. Yes, you would think an entire conference full of retail tech could figure out the lines and payments better. They haven't. Don't complain. Just grab your coat and head downstairs and outside to the food trucks. They will only be there during a short window, so walk briskly. Once you've picked your food, huddle up with some brand new friends and talk shop - or no shop. 5. Any opportunity that you have to stand on raised / padded carpet, do so. Your body is unlikely prepared to be walking / standing on concrete for days straight. When you get back to your hotel, put your feet in an ice bath, to reduce the swelling, or likelihood of swelling, for 10 minutes. ... Stealing a page from David Weinand and his #NRF Survival Tips.

64

23 Comments

We surveyed 1,053 U.S. consumers in February. One number stopped me: 33.9% said unfair or unpredictable pricing would make them stop shopping with a retailer entirely. That's the #1 loyalty killer, ranking above poor product quality and bad customer service. Retailers are navigating real cost pressures right now: tariffs, margin compression, sourcing pivots. Most of that story is legitimate. But consumers don't see the back end. They see the price tag. And when it feels unpredictable, they don't give you the benefit of the doubt. The implication isn't "never raise prices." It's that transparency and consistency have become competitive advantages in a way they simply weren't two or three years ago. The full 2026 Shopper Sentiment Report from RetailNext is linked below. Worth a read before you finalize your pricing strategy for the rest of the year. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eW2FSAMP

50

2 Comments

A Few Thoughts on Target’s Q3 Earnings I went through Target’s Q3 results and the headline is simple. Sales were soft, merchandising margins tightened, but retail media is taking off. Roundel, Target Circle 360, Marketplace, all up double digits. That is Target’s margin strategy in action. For brands, this is a moment to recalibrate. As merchandising pressure continues, Target leans harder into high margin revenue streams, which raises the bar on media performance, first party data, and loyalty activation. Digital comparable sales grew, same day fulfillment jumped more than 35 percent, and that lifts demand for onsite, offsite, and search placements in a meaningful way. Our latest recap breaks down: • Why Roundel now plays a central role in profitability • How digital growth boosts media efficiency • What this means for Q4 planning • How brands should prepare for 2026 If Target is part of your world, this is worth a look. Check out the recap, watch the on demand webinar, and let me know what trends you are seeing as we head into the final stretch of the year. https://zurl.co/wwTMi

13

At today's discussion on RetailWire, we delved into the balance between retail operations and information technology at national retail conferences. The conversation highlighted the dichotomy between the allure of new technological advancements like AI and the fundamental principles of successful retail operations. While tech innovations garner attention, the core of effective retail lies in simple yet crucial practices such as maintaining clean store environments, strategic merchandise planning, and efficient replenishment processes. The debate arises: should major retail conferences integrate all facets of the industry or remain segmented by business functions? And where do finance professionals fit into this equation? The prospect of offering a diverse range of topics to attendees, who invest significantly in attending these events, raises questions about the traditional structure of these conferences. How would sponsors, the lifeblood of such gatherings, respond to a more varied audience encompassing various business functions? Reflecting on the evolution of retail conferences, from the unified NRF Show to the current emphasis on technology at NRF's "Big Show," the industry has witnessed a shift towards specialized events catering to distinct interests. The history of these conferences, including the division into separate venues for different aspects of retail, underscores the ongoing transformation in the conference landscape. Engaging in this dialogue with fellow RetailWire Braintrust members was enlightening. What are your thoughts on this ongoing evolution in the realm of retail conferences

6

1 Comment

Retail AI Needs Scale Retail leaders don’t struggle with AI ambition. They struggle with scaling it fast enough to protect and expand margins. Across the industry, AI initiatives often show early promise—but extending them across pricing, inventory, promotions, demand planning, and store operations is where momentum slows. Not because the strategy is wrong. But because scaling AI requires persistent, specialized capability—not episodic effort. HQ leadership teams are rightly focused on: • Growth and revenue expansion • Customer experience and brand differentiation • Capital allocation and margin pressure AI at scale demands a different operating rhythm—continuous development, iteration, and optimization—often beyond what already stretched leadership teams can absorb. This is where operating models quietly make the difference. Many retailers are addressing this by building Global Capability Centers (GCCs)—not as cost centers, but as extensions of the core enterprise. These GCCs provide embedded, long-horizon talent focused on: • Data platforms and AI engineering • Model lifecycle ownership and reliability • Continuous improvement that lowers per-unit innovation cost The intent isn’t to shift leadership, decision-making, or accountability away from HQ. It’s to extend leadership capacity, so AI investments translate into measurable business impact while headquarters stays focused on growth and revenue creation. The cost of not solving this isn’t stalled innovation. It’s margin leakage. Retailers pulling ahead aren’t doing “more AI.” They’re building the scale behind it—profitably. I will be at National Retail Federation #NRF2026 for a chat. DM me for a conversation. Bhartiya Converge @arjun Dinesh Dhir Darcy Mackay Bob Moore Monica S Pirgal Sriram Chidambaram Hashtags #RetailAI #RetailLeadership #NRF2026 #FutureOfRetail #RetailMargins #RetailStrategy #AIAtScale #GlobalCapabilityCenters #RetailInnovation

31

1 Comment

CPG brands don’t need more impressions — they need measurable outcomes. This case study with Chomps is a strong example of what happens when offers are deployed at the moment of purchase vs. treated as a disconnected marketing lever. A few takeaways that stand out: • Performance-driven offers can materially increase sales velocity and incremental units — not just shift demand • Promotions aren’t just about discounting — they’re a lever to drive trial and steal share from competitors • The real unlock is closed-loop measurement: understanding exactly what behavior changed and why Across the Ibotta Performance Network, we consistently see this pattern — when offers are embedded natively into the shopping journey, they move from a cost center to a growth engine. The implication is bigger than one brand: Retail media, promotions, and loyalty are converging into a single system — one that connects impression → decision → transaction. That’s where the industry is heading.

21

📣 Amazon retiring Rufus and integrating AI shopping directly into Alexa is a much bigger deal than it seems. This is Amazon signaling that ecommerce is shifting from search-based shopping to AI-guided shopping. Consumers will increasingly ask Amazon what to buy instead of scrolling through search results themselves. That means AI will play a bigger role in which brands get surfaced, recommended, and purchased. For brands, this raises the bar: • Better PDP content • Stronger reviews • Clearer differentiation • Richer product data • Stronger brand authority Winning on Amazon is no longer just about ranking on page one. It is about becoming the brand the AI trusts to recommend. The shift toward agentic commerce is happening fast, and the brands that adapt early will have a major advantage. https://lnkd.in/gDWdPHY2

85

5 Comments

Walmart continues to provide lessons for how to operate in this economy, having just reported +4.6% comps. in the US, a 24% gain in ecommerce sales and a slight EPS beat for Q4. Of course value is the headline message, but Walmart has coupled that with an improved in-store experience, smart use of technology and elevated product offerings to get the customers who can afford to do so to trade up. Chili's used a similar playbook in the restaurant category (great headline value, focus on premium margaritas and add-ons to build check, investment in remodels and store training/personnel) to stunning results. Finding ways to give the customer attractive entry points along with opportunities to build check supported with fundamentally great ops is a tough trick to pull off but has enormous payoff if done well. Of course, you also need to stay true to who you are and not overcomplicate operations or confuse the customer, so that requires a very clear understanding of who your customer is. You also need to maintain the keys to your core customer proposition through any adjustments to mix or operational approach. Changes always should be grounded in your concept essence and not an off-target revenue reach. Despite the very solid sales results and earnings beat, Walmart is trading down this morning based on "disappointing" guidance. Another smart move by Walmart. John Furner is following a legend in Doug McMillon and a run of performance that will be very hard to replicate. He doesn't need the added pressure of aggressive guidance while he gets his sea legs under him. My money is on a comfortable beat of the guidance that helps establish his credibility. A short term stock decline is a small price to pay for that long-term benefit -- and is a price only paid if you're a seller. https://lnkd.in/gbiCXDAS https://lnkd.in/gbiCXDAS

13

Spoke to a publicly traded retail CEO this morning about latest BLS drop. He said he has "forecasting fatigue" ... "Customers are walking in the door right now but we don't have the visibility to hire full-time staff between tariffs, consumer confidence, and broader economic concerns. I can’t solve a temporary volatility problem with a permanent fixed cost." 👀👀👀

73

4 Comments

Walmart continues to show what retail adaptability looks like at scale. Their latest AI tools for associates don’t just make operations more efficient—they simplify, guide, and free up time for what matters most: the customer. By combining generative AI with AR and RFID, they’re showing how real-time intelligence can enhance decision-making from the shelf to the backroom. It’s a move that echoes the principles of The Agile Code—adaptability, experimentation, and team empowerment. 💡 What’s your “escape fire”? How are you redeploying time saved through technology? #TheAgileCode #RetailInnovation #AIinRetail #Walmart #AgilityInAction https://lnkd.in/eGQwTKsd

14

6 Comments

Interesting insights on the future of retail from Bain & Company: https://lnkd.in/gJtbm5BF These potential outcomes include a commoditization of core capabilities by automation, an erosion of shopper loyalty by AI agents, and a redefinition of value. Thoughts?

2

I had a great discussion with Sam Violette from Nordstrom at the Shoptalk conference in Las Vegas. Nordstrom’s partnership with Sierra set a new standard for speed and quality. Nordstrom went live with Sierra in just five weeks, and scaled from 1% to 100% of calls in just a week and a half. Nora, Nordstrom’s AI agent, is such a delightful experience. As Sam put it, “As we started to see CSAT scores and surveys come back, it was less of a question about the risk to roll this out more broadly, but instead why would we hold this back from our customers.”

390

8 Comments

Instacart just dropped strong Q2 results, stock is up. A few things that stand out to me:  📈 Ad revenue up 12% YoY. A Good signal for Q3.  🤝 40+ new retailers and they’re scaling off-platform with new/expanded partnerships (Pinterest and The Trade Desk). They're getting more retailers on board with same-as-in-store pricing  ✅ AI everywhere! Lots of investment, from advertiser tools to better personalization for shoppers. https://lnkd.in/gXiQerYt

40