S5E13 Future of AI-Powered Consumer Insights with Trevor Sumner & Stan Sthanunathan



In Season 5, Episode 13 of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden tackle one of retail’s biggest blind spots in consumer insights: the consumer sentiment gap. For decades, brands relied on surveys to understand shoppers. But what people say doesn’t always match what they do.



Enter AI-powered shopper insights!



Joining the conversation are Trevor Sumner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorsumner/] (CEO of i-Genie AI [http://i-genie.ai/]) and Stan Sthanunathan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-sthanunathan-1ab4035/] (Executive Chairman of i-Genie AI [http://i-genie.ai/], former EVP at Unilever and VP at Coca-Cola). Together, they reveal how billions of unfiltered signals — from searches, reviews, and social posts — can be transformed into real-time, actionable consumer insights that reshape retail decision-making.



What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

 * Why traditional consumer surveys are breaking down
 * How AI and natural language processing uncover real customer behavior
 * The role of empathy vs sympathy in understanding consumers
 * How disruptor brands are reshaping competitive landscapes
 * Why augmented intelligence (AI + human insight) is the future of retail strategy and consumer insights



Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/



Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



About our Guests

Trevor Sumner, CEO, i-Genie.AI [http://i-genie.ai/] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorsumner/

Trevor is a NYC-based entrepreneur, product and marketing executive and recognized startup advisor and angel. Trevor is the CEO at i-Genie.ai [http://i-genie.ai/], the leading AI platform for consumer insights, revolutionizing an industry that had been dominated with antiquated survey methodologies by synthesizing tens of billions of searches, social and video posts, ratings and reviews and market data for industry leaders like Kenvue, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Bayer, Clorox and more.



Previously, Mr. Sumner was Head of AI and Data Platform products for Raydiant, a leading VC-backed digital experience platform that is transforming over 250,000 digital touch points across 4,500 clients with AI, computer vision and data.



Mr. Sumner came to Raydiant when it acquired Perch, a recognized leader in in-store Product Engagement Marketing, interactive retail displays and augmented reality, where Mr. SUmner served as CEO. Perch was named a Top Tech Company to Watch by Forbes, a Top 10 Retail Technology company by CIO Review and has won numerous Clio, Fast Company, Edison, Bloomberg and Digi awards.



Stan Sthanunathan, Executive Chairman, i-Genie.AI [http://i-genie.ai/] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-sthanunathan-1ab4035/

Stan Sthanunathan joined Unilever in July 2013 as Executive Vice President of Consumer & Market Insights. As chief provoc

Consumer Insights - Can AI Reveal What Shoppers Really Want?

S5E12 The Future of AI in Merchandising & Buying with Noah Herschman and Jeff Fish



In Season 5, Episode 12 of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Noah Herschman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-herschman/] and Jeff Fish [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyfish/] of Intelo.ai [https://www.intelo.ai/] to explore how agentic AI is revolutionizing retail merchandising and buying. From the art and science of retail merchandising to the persistent challenges of planning and allocation, this episode dives deep into how collaborative intelligence empowers merchandisers, planners, and buyers to make smarter, faster, and more creative decisions.



What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

 * Why merchandising is the “hub of the wheel” in retail success
 * The balance between creativity and analytics in buying decisions
 * How agentic AI enhances human judgment without replacing it
 * Real-world examples of AI improving in-season planning and merchandising financial plans
 * Why spreadsheets aren’t going away, but AI agents make them smarter
 * The future of retail technology and how Agentic AI delivers superpowers to retail merchandisers



Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/



Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



About our Guests

Noah Herschman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-herschman/]. Senior Industry Advisor, Intelo.ai [https://www.intelo.ai/]

Noah is an ecommerce strategist who’s been shaping online retail since the 1990s. He’s held leadership roles at Amazon, eBay, and Groupon. As a Microsoft Senior Retail Industry Architect, he has worked with more than 150 global retail & CPG clients. Noah has lived in China for 15 years and fluent in Mandarin, Noah operates out of Hong Kong. He is currently a Senior Industry Advisor for Intelo.ai

Jeffrey Fish [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyfish/], Co-CEO, Intelo.ai [https://www.intelo.ai/]

Jeffrey Fish Co-Founded the Chatly platform serving global retail & hospitality brands targeting the China market (exited to Salesforce in 2020). He then led Salesforce China in partnership with Alibaba Cloud. Now he's scaling up Intelo's Collaborative Intelligence Agentic Merchandising & Planning Platform.



Chapters:

00:00 Previews 

01:39 Show Intro 

04:13 Welcome Noah Herschman & Jeff Fish 

04:37 Guest Backgrounds and Expertise 

07:33 The Importance of Retail Merchandising 

11:41 Challenges and Solutions in Modern Merchandising 

16:25 The Role of Agentic AI in Merchandising 

23:09 Future of Agentic AI and Merchandising 

40:04 Practical Steps for Retailers 

41:36 How to Reach Out And Contact 

42:10 Show Close



Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:



Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top]

Agentic AI for Retail Merchandising: Transforming Buying & Planning

S5E11 ThredUp’s Resale Revolution: Holiday Shopping & Gift Giving Trends 2025



The holidays are here and resale is at the center of this year’s shopping story! In this timely episode of The Retail Razor Show, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Alon Rotem [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alonrotem/], Chief Strategy Officer at ThredUp [https://www.thredup.com/], to unpack the company’s 2025 Holiday Shopping Report [https://newsroom.thredup.com/news/thredup-2025-holiday-report]. From surprising insights on resale gift giving to how shoppers are embracing sustainable fashion and circular economy models, this conversation reveals why resale is becoming a mainstream holiday shopping strategy.



We also explore ThredUp’s evolution from a secondhand marketplace to a Resale as a Service [https://www.raas.thredup.com/] (RaaS) leader, powering branded resale programs for fashion retailers. Alon shares how ThredUp’s AI-powered innovations — including image search, natural language search, and personalized curation — are transforming the secondhand shopping experience and driving conversion.



If you want to understand how resale, sustainability, and AI are reshaping holiday shopping in 2025, this episode delivers insights every retailer, brand, and shopper needs.



Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/



Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



About our Guest

Alon Rotem [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alonrotem/], Chief Strategy Officer & General Counsel, ThredUp [https://www.thredup.com/]

Alon Rotem has served as ThredUp’s Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel since September 2024. Alon has also served as Chief Legal Officer since February 2021 and Secretary since March 2017 and previously served as General Counsel from January 2017 to February 2021. From September 2013 to November 2016, Alon served as the General Counsel of Rocket Lawyer Inc., an online legal technology company. From June 2010 to August 2013, he was an associate at Goodwin Procter LLP, a global law firm. Alon holds a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics from the University of California, Davis.

ThredUp 2025 Holiday Report - https://newsroom.thredup.com/news/thredup-2025-holiday-report

ThredUp Resale-as-a-Service - https://www.raas.thredup.com [https://www.raas.thredup.com/]



Chapters

00:00 Previews 

01:13 Show Intro 

04:51 Welcome, Alon Rotem - Chief Strategy Officer, ThredUp 

08:38 ThredUp's Evolution and Resale as a Service 

15:51 Implementing Resale Programs with ThredUp 

21:31 Challenges and Successes of Going Public 

25:36 AI Innovations in ThredUp's Shopping Experience 

33:06 Insights from the Holiday Report 

35:25 Consumer Behavior and Secondhand Gifts 

36:24 Top Gifting Trends in Resale 

39:49 The Role of Data in Resale 

41:32 Consumer Funding for Holiday S

Circular Fashion & Holiday Shopping: ThredUp’s 2025 Holiday Report with Alon Rotem

BONUS - The Retail Razor: Data Blades Season 2 Trailer

Data Blades Returns: AI, CX, and Retail Media for Executive Leaders

 

Welcome to a special cross-release of the Season 2 trailer for The Retail Razor: Data Blades—the podcast that slices through complex retail research to deliver sharp, actionable insights and retail strategies for executive leaders in the AI era. 

 

In Season 1, we cut through the clutter with data-backed insights to identify strategies for:

 * Inflation’s uneven impact across age groups—where seniors felt the pinch more than younger shoppers.
 * Shifting shopping habits—like 74% of consumers using lists to control spending.
 * The power of values in loyalty—with 77% of consumers saying brand values matter more than discounts.
 * Self-checkout and employee experience—where well-informed store teams drove a 27% increase in average spend.

 

Now in Season 2, we’re going deeper. Hosts Ricardo Belmar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbelmar/], RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert & NRF 2025 Retail Voice, and Casey Golden [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgoldenone/], RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert, preview what’s ahead:

 * Exclusive insights from TruRating and top retail analysts to hone your data-driven retail strategies.
 * A focus on three pillars: Customer Experience, Retail Media, and Employee Experience.
 * How AI is reshaping retail strategy—from predictive personalization to AI-powered workforce tools.
 * Revisiting themes of trust, transparency, and loyalty with fresh data and new perspectives.

 

If you're a VP, CMO, COO, or CEO in retail looking to make smarter, data-driven decisions for AI-first retail strategies, this is your podcast. Subscribe now in your favorite podcast player and stay ahead of the curve with insights that drive conversion, loyalty, and operational excellence.

New episodes drop starting tomorrow!

👉 Stay Sharp. Be Data-Driven. Harness AI.



Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube



About your hosts::

Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Retail & AGI, a Top 50 Management, Transformation, & Careers, and a Top 100 Digital Transformation & Agentic AI Thought Leader. Plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He was most recently the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.

Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/], a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2023 - 2025, and a R [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community]

BONUS Sharpening Retail Strategies | AI, Customer Experience, Retail Media, and Employee Impact

BONUS - The Retail Razor: Blade to Greatness Season 2 Trailer

Retail Executive Leadership & Coaching Insights for the AI Era

Welcome to a special cross-release of the Season 2 trailer for The Retail Razor: Blade to Greatness — the podcast where retail leaders sharpen their edge. Hosted by Ricardo Belmar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbelmar/] & Casey Golden [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgoldenone/], this series explores the essential skills & qualities every retail executive needs to lead boldly, stay sharp, & stay human in the AI era.



In Season 1, we uncovered the fundamentals of great leadership:

 * how intrinsic motivation and autonomy unlock innovation
 * why positivity is fuel, not fluff
 * rethinking hiring, career development, & investing in people



Season 2 takes it further with new retail executives & coaching experts—to share actionable insights on:

 * Building resilient & adaptable leadership cultures
 * Leading through disruption & transformation in the AI era
 * Practical coaching strategies for executives & C-suite leaders



If you’re a retail leader, this season will help you sharpen your leadership blade & lead with clarity. Subscribe to The Retail Razor: Blade to Greatness show in your favorite podcast player!

New episodes drop starting tomorrow!

👉 Stay Sharp. Lead Boldly. Stay Human.



Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utube



About your hosts::

Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427] has named him a Top 10 Retail & AGI, a Top 50 Management, Transformation, & Careers, and a Top 100 Digital Transformation & Agentic AI Thought Leader. Plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He was most recently the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.

Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey], is CEO of Luxlock [https://www.luxlock.com/], a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2023 - 2025, and a Retail Cloud Alliance [https://www.retailcloudalliance.com/our-community]advisory council member. Currently, Casey is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T.

Includes music provided by imunobeats.com [http://imunobeats.com/], featuring Swag, Tag and Brag from the album Beat Hype, written by Hestron Mimms, published by Imuno.

BONUS Sharpen Your Leadership Blade | Insights for the AI Era

S5E10 From Task Overload to Customer Focus: AI Solutions for Retail Associates



Retailers are asking store associates to do more with less—shorter staffing, longer task lists, and higher customer expectations. In this episode of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] and Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey] explore how AI is reshaping frontline retail teams from overwhelmed to empowered.



Joining the conversation are:



•  Jeff Strasser [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffstrasser/], General Manager of AI Business Solutions for Retail & Consumer Goods at Microsoft

•  Nolan Wheeler [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolanwheeler/], CEO & Founder of SYNQ Technologies



Together, they dive into:



•  The biggest challenges facing frontline store associates today: task overload, reduced staffing, and customer service trade-offs

•  How AI can automate and simplify corporate task lists, freeing up time for customer engagement

•  Why voice-first, hands-free AI is a breakthrough for associates, with SYNQ’s solution connecting two-way radios to Azure OpenAI for instant answers in the aisle

•  The importance of integration and governance when deploying AI at scale in retail operations

•  Real-world examples of AI reducing friction, improving training, and accelerating onboarding

•  How to measure success with the right KPIs: time-to-answer, customer satisfaction, and associate productivity

•  What’s next for AI in retail over the next 24 months—and how retailers can prepare their teams today



This isn’t about replacing people—it’s about augmenting store teams with AI-powered tools that make their jobs easier, improve morale, and elevate the customer experience.



If you’re a retail leader, innovator, or operator, this episode is packed with insights on how to start small, scale fast, and empower your frontline workforce with AI.



Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/



Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



About our Guests

Nolan Wheeler [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolanwheeler/] – CEO & Founder, SYNQ Technologies [http://www.synqtech.com/]

Nolan Wheeler founded SYNQ in 2015 after a successful multi-decade career in retail. With experience in asset protection, store operations, and store transformation, Nolan founded SYNQ with a vision for transforming how retailers think about operations and merchandizing. Nolan lives in Victoria, BC with his young family, spending as much of his time on the water as possible.

Retail Clinic on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@RetailClinic

SYNQ Technologies - www.synqtech.com [http://www.synqtech.com/]



Jeff Strasser [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffstrasser/]

AI-Powered Store Teams: How Microsoft & SYNQ Are Transforming Retail Frontlines

S5E9 Retail's Best Kept Secret: Discover How RetailROI Transforms Children's Futures



In this special replay episode of The Retail Razor Show, we shine a spotlight on the incredible work of the Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI [https://www.retailroi.org/])—a nonprofit transforming lives of orphans and foster children through the power of the retail industry. With a fresh introduction for 2025, hosts Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] and Casey Golden [https://bit.ly/twCasey] revisit a heartfelt conversation with Greg Buzek [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbuzek/], President of RetailROI, Vicki Cantrell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickicantrell/], board member and retail legend, and Jeff Roster [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-roster-8828b8257/], former Gartner & IHL analyst and top retail expert, as they share the origin story, mission, and global impact of this powerful retail charity.



Learn how RetailROI’s Super Saturday event at NRF [https://www.retailroi.org/supersaturday] has become the most meaningful gathering of the year, where retailers, tech vendors, and solution providers come together to help fund clean water, education, and life skills training for thousands of children worldwide. Hear inspiring stories of transformation, including previous keynote speaker Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC, and discover how just showing up at Super Saturday can help change lives.



Whether you're a retailer planning for NRF, a technology supplier and potential sponsor, or simply passionate about retail’s role in social responsibility, this episode will move you to action. Join us in celebrating RetailROI’s rich history and accomplishments and learn how you too can become a RetailROI Champion.



👉 Learn more and register for Super Saturday at NRF 2026 at http://retailroi.org/super-saturday [https://retailroi.org/super-saturday]



🎧 Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts [https://go.retailrazor.com/TRRSapple], Spotify [https://go.retailrazor.com/TRRSspotify], or Goodpods [https://go.retailrazor.com/TRRSgpods] to help us amplify this message of hope and impact!



Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



About our Guests

Greg Buzek, President, IHL Group & President, RetailROI https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbuzek/

Vicki Cantrell, CEO, Vendors in Partnership https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickicantrell/

Jeff Roster, Former Gartner & IHL analyst, top retail expert

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-roster-8828b8257/



Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI), https://www.retailroi.org [https://www.retailroi.org/]

The Purpose of the Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) is to raise awareness and provide real solutions for the more than 400 million vulnerable children worldwide.

RetailROI has 3 primary goals:

Bring Awa

We Are RetailROI Champions: Celebrating Retail’s Impact on Children in Need

S5:E8 Prime Day Unveiled: Trends, Sales, and What Lies Ahead for Retail



Amazon Prime Day 2025 may be over, but its ripple effects are just beginning. In this episode, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Meghan Barden [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barden/], Director of Global Retail Media at Rithum [https://www.rithum.com/], to unpack the surprising data and shopper behaviors that emerged — and what they mean for retail and ecommerce leaders heading into the holiday shopping season.



You’ll discover:



•  📊 Prime Day outcomes that matter — from sales spikes to category standouts, and how they compare to past years

•  🛍 Why the timing right after July 4th may have shifted discretionary spending patterns

•  💡 Meghan’s expert take on how retailers can turn Prime Day insights into Q4 wins

•  🔮 The strategic moves brands should make now to capture Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and beyond



Whether you’re a retail strategist, ecommerce operator, or simply fascinated by the biggest shopping events of the year, this conversation delivers actionable insights to help you outpace the competition.



Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



About our Guest

Meghan Barden [https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barden/] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barden/

Rithum [https://www.rithum.com/] - https://www.rithum.com [https://www.rithum.com/]

Meghan Barden is an accomplished retail media strategist with over 20 years of experience in marketing and client services in both retailer, brand and agency environments. Currently serving as the Director of Global Retail Media at Rithum, she leads the company's efforts in helping brands and retailers leverage first-party data to create personalized and impactful retail media campaigns. Her expertise spans various facets of retail media, including strategy development, media planning, and campaign optimization.



For more Amazon Prime Day analysis by Rithum, access the full report [https://explore.rithum.com/prime-day-guide-cont/prime-day-lessons-for-peak-shopping-season?personalization=&utm_campaign=brands&utm_content=retail+razor+podcast+description+link&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=retail+razor&utm_term=offer-gatedasset] → https://explore.rithum.com/prime-day-guide-cont/prime-day-lessons-for-peak-shopping-season



00:00 Previews 

01:01 Show Intro 

10:09 Welcome Meghan Barden 

10:17 Overview of Prime Day and Rithum's Role 

12:20 Prime Day Anomalies and Trends 

16:15 Generational Shopping Behaviors 

19:20 Impact of Gen Z on Retail Strategies 

24:54 AI and Authenticity in Retail 

31:51 Preparing for Future Retail Events 

37:59 Final Thoughts 

39:11 Show Close



Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:



Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top]

Decoding the Hidden Truths Behind Amazon Prime Day with Meghan Barden

S5:E7 Unplugged and Unscripted: Retail Club's AI-First Event Revolution w/ Krystina Gustafson



What happens when you blend cutting-edge innovation, authentic community, and the brightest minds in retail? You get RetailClub—the AI-first retail event redefining how industry leaders connect, collaborate, and shape the future.



In this episode of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Krystina Gustafson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystina-gustafson-908a5a14/], co-founder and Chief Content Officer at Retail Club [https://www.retailclub.com/] and one of the visionary forces behind RetailClub. Krystina shares the inspiration behind this exclusive retail conference, how it fosters meaningful connections among AI changemakers, and why RetailClub is more than just another event—it’s a movement.



💡 What You’ll Learn:

 * Why RetailClub is unlike any other retail event you’ve attended
 * How the power of retail community is driving innovation and collaboration
 * The role of AI in retail and how it’s shaping the conversations at RetailClub
 * Behind-the-scenes insights from Krystina on curating impactful content and experiences



Whether you’re a retail executive, tech innovator, or curious observer of industry trends, this episode delivers a front-row seat to the future of AI in retail!



Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



About our Guest

Krystina Gustafson, co-founder & Chief Content Officer, RetailClub - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystina-gustafson-908a5a14/

Register for RetailClub’s AI Deep Dive Retreat - https://www.retailclub.com [https://www.retailclub.com/]

 

Krystina is a co-founder and the chief content officer at RetailClub, a new retreats business from the founders of Shoptalk. RetailClub is building retail’s first AI-native community, bringing together 500 AI champions and changemakers for their inaugural AI Deepdive Retreat, taking place Sept 14-17, 2025 in Huntington Beach, CA.



Prior to RetailClub, she was the senior vice president of content at Shoptalk and Groceryshop, the leading conferences in the retail, grocery and consumer packaged goods industries. She led the team that shaped the retail and ecommerce industry narratives across its four annual events – Shoptalk, Shoptalk Europe, Shoptalk Fall and Groceryshop – including agenda development and speaker selection.



Krystina joined Shoptalk in 2017, after spending four years as a retail reporter and content editor at CNBC.com [http://cnbc.com/]. Prior to CNBC, Krystina was a web editor at Women's Wear Daily, the trade publication for the fashion industry.She has interviewed prominent business figures from retail and beyond, including the CEOs of Target, Sam’s Club, The Honest Company and Warby Parker, Dreamworks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, and “Shark Tank” shark Kevin O’Leary.



00:00 Previews

01:04 Show Intro

08:44 Welcome Krystina and the Importance of AI!

09:56 Introducing Retail Club and AI Deep Dive Retreat

12:03 Event Structure and Unique Approach

14:07 Challenges and Opportunities in

Inside RetailClub: Building the AI-First Future of Retail Community w/Krystina Gustafson

S5:E6 SHEIN’s Marketplace Evolution - A Conversation with George Chang, GM & Head of SHEIN Marketplace



In this episode, we explore how SHEIN is reengineering what marketplace success looks like in the U.S., how loyalty is evolving post-2020, and why SHEIN’s unique approach to seller partnerships and social commerce is creating a new kind of ecosystem—one built for discovery, agility, and growth. From leadership roles at Rakuten, Mirakl, and Newegg to his current post as GM of SHEIN Marketplace [https://seller-us.shein.com/homepage], George Chang’s [https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-chang-usc/] career reads like a playbook for scaling commerce in the digital age. Now a key member of the senior leadership team at SHEIN, George joins Ricardo and Casey to talk about building a curated, invitation-only marketplace tailored for Gen Z and Millennial consumers—where fashion, beauty, and lifestyle collide.



Tune in for a conversation that spans everything from globalization to the next frontier in customer acquisition. Learn how George’s energetic & visionary leadership style is driving change at SHEIN while reshaping U.S. retail one bold move at a time. Whether you’re a seller, a strategist, or just marketplace-curious, this one’s got something for you!



Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.com [https://retailrazor.substack.com/]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



About our Guest

George Chang, GM & Head of SHEIN Marketplace. https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-chang-usc/

SHEIN Marketplace: https://seller-us.shein.com/homepage

Prospective Sellers: https://seller-us.shein.com/get-started-shein-marketplace

To learn more about SHEIN: https://www.sheingroup.com/

George is an Ecommerce and Marketplace veteran with Senior leadership roles at Rakuten, Newegg, Sears, Mirakl, VTEX, Spreetail, and Cymax Group. He is currently part of the leadership team at SHEIN U.S. and is leading the 3rd Party Marketplace business at SHEIN. He has a unique 360 degree perspective on Ecommerce Marketplaces having operated, licensed, consulted and sold on multiple marketplaces.



00:00 Preview 

01:10 Show Intro 

05:40 Welcome George Chang, GM SHEIN Marketplace 

06:59 What Sets Shein Apart 

08:55 Shein's Marketplace Strategy 

11:50 Customer and Seller Experience 

16:58 Expanding Beyond Fashion 

20:16 Evolving with the Customer 

22:06 Diverse Seller Community 

24:03 Understanding Gen Z and Millennials in E-commerce 

26:49 The Rise of Social Commerce and Live Shopping 

30:08 Driving Customer Loyalty through Engagement 

33:06 Sustainability Initiatives and Mindful Purchasing 

35:15 Future of Marketplaces and Hyper-Personalization 

38:08 Final Thoughts 

39:36 Show Close



Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:



Ricardo Belmar [https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar] is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 [https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/retail-voices] & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert [https://rethink.industries/top-retail-experts-2024/#%23top] from 2021 – 2025. Thinker [https://www.thinkers360.com/tl/profiles/view/3427]

Beyond the Cart: How SHEIN is Rewriting Retail’s Marketplace Rulebook, with George Chang

Retail is transforming faster than ever before. But there's a lot of noise out there today, especially with retail technology! If you're in retail, which trends really matter? How will you leverage #AI? Which #startups should you engage? Do you need a #DTC strategy? How should you evolve your #ecommerce and #marketplace strategy? Who are the experts you should trust for guidance? And who are the people truly transforming the industry in these areas? The Retail Razor Show cuts through the clutter in #retail and #retailtech so you'll know where to focus your resources and energy in the world of #commerce!



I'm your host, Ricardo Belmar, and I've been helping retailers maximize business value from their technology investments for the last two decades. I've advised retail tech startups on their go-to-market, and am a contributor to numerous industry blogs, publications, and podcasts. I serve on the advisory council to George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformation, have been named a Top Retail Influencer for 2021, 2022, & 2023, Top Retail Mover and Shaker for 2021, and currently lead partner marketing strategy for retail and consumer goods in the US at Microsoft.



And I'm your co-host, Casey Golden, CEO of Luxlock and named a Top Retail Influencer for 2023. I've dedicated my career to moving fashion brands forward from in-store to e-commerce and beyond. I've had nearly every job in a fashion house until I saw the writing on the wall and moved to the tech side of the business. I am obsessed with the relationship between a brand and consumer and determined to slay retail franken-stacks!



Together, we're your guides on this retail commerce journey. From online ecommerce to mobile, to brick & mortar stores, we'll help you cut through the clutter! 



We’re currently ranked #18 in the Feedspot Top 60 Best Retail podcasts [https://blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/] list, so if you like our show, please give us a 5-star review in Apple Podcasts. With your help, we’ll be on our way to a top spot! https://blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/



Join us!



Follow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/TwRRazor

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LI-RRazor

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTube



Host → Ricardo Belmar,

Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twRBelmar

Connect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LIRBelmar

Read my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWRBelmar



Co-host → Casey Golden,

Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twCasey

Connect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LICasey

Read my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWCasey

Ricardo Belmar

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