Listen Now

SPECIAL GUEST: Yann Mathias, Director of Innovation and Impact at MTArt Agency Placemaking is an art, and maybe a bit science. In retail, it’s critical. We dive into placemaking with our special guest, Yann Mathias, Director of Innovation and Impact at MTArt Agency. We discuss the intangible parts of retail that are critical including the state of retail design today, the evolution to experience design, being authentic to your brand and creating memories.   

The pandemic has impacted commercial as well as retail real estate, which, in many instances, are connected. Our sense of self is tied to our sense of place. We explore current retail, workplace and urban planning trends with an expert, Paul Bate of Paul Bate Consultancy.

Retail is a driver of our economy. We are joined by a recognized retail pundit and industry expert who is also a contributor to Forbes.com, a professor at Fashion Institute of Technology and Syracuse University, and currently Chief Strategist at The Robin Report, Shelley E. Kohan, for a wide ranging discussion about current retail performance, trends and insights. We recommend you read more of Shelley's analysis here.

Special Guest: Linda Choong The merchant is a critical part of retail. Determining what products you are presenting and selling to your customer is fundamental to who you are as a retailer. Our special guest, Linda Choong, knows all about this. As the former Chief Merchandising Officer at Design Within Reach and currently a retail and business advisor heading up her own practice, LLC Left+Right LLC. This wide -ranging conversation shares insights into approach, listening to your customer and the importance of balance.  

Jeff Fisher and Cristene Gonzelz-Wertz are joined by William Thomas to discuss five things retailers need to do to move out of pandemic, panic, and towards forward momentum. While we have some fun with this, the discussion covers some important topics. 

A retailer seeks to be a cornerstone of the local community even as it fights a legal battle to reduce its tax burden. An online menu is tied to a kitchen without a restaurant.  @Jeff Fisher and @Cristine Gonzalez Wertz go a little dark this week with the help of @Wiliam Thomas. 

Part of our occasional series on favorite devices, digital thinkers Sue Hallen and Leonard Lee share the wonder and "cool" of the Moto brick and wood paneled HiFi. 

In this episode, Jeff Fisher, Cristene Gonzalez Wertz, and Neliana Fuenmayor speak about how consumers are citizens in the "glocal" economy in fashion. Neliana Fuenmayor gave up a passion for design to redesign supply chains. As the Founder and Chief Executive of A Transparent Company, she now helps fashion businesses shift from linear thinking to an open, transparent mindset in support of making the transition to sustainable innovation and circular economy.    It's clear that when we act as consumers, we vote in some way, acting as citizens. As a result, Brands need to be leaders. And we need to "vote" responsibly.    http://www.atransparentcompany.com/about

Part of our occasional series on favorite devices, Naoshi Yamauchi reflects on the Sony Discman and the feeling of freedom arising from digital music on the go. There's a purity to this feeling in comparison to the love / hate relationship we have with our iPhones.  

Our habits have definitely changed, but we're still going to the store together in an odd sort of way. At least in part we go shopping for the human experience.  People are vital to the retail experience, and our two guests have some deep thoughts about how and why. Along the way we explore the usefulness of sales per square foot to measure performance in the age of the customer channel.  Join us!   @Jackie Culp, EVP Next Performance Horizon and form Zone VP for Luxottica @Lou Chestmen, EVP Next Performance Horizon and form Zone VP for Luxottica

Part of our occasional series on favorite devices, we find that it's difficult to select a favorite device without reflection on what a "device" is.  But that's what we're here to talk about with Erik Didriksen  

Digging deeper into customer channel like a shopper at Nordstrom Rack, this episode explores the impact technology is currently having on physical retail. The changes rippling through shopping habits as well as retailer knowledge and capabilities.  

For weeks Clubhouse has remained front of mind (and top of headlines). Empathetic Machines pulls together several opinions about Clubhouse and how people get into it.  What's it all about, why it's important (or is it?), and the risks that have come about of it. And of course, who makes money in the Clubhouse? 

We are swiftly moving into a new age of retail. Normal is no more. Stores remain important, but now they play a different role. We have moved beyond omni-channel or even a unified shopping experience. This is the age of the customer channel

The people, the organization, the infrastructure at the border are tasked with implementing policies from the elected leaders of the US. This border group intends to balance mission, human experience, threat management, mercy, empathy, safety. We consider how this operates in an age being changed by digital tech. While many technologies are entering the mainstream, it’s a little different on the border.

One of our guests is a changemaker and graduate of the first Communitas Americas cohort. While his business is enabled by a mobile app, the value arises from an incisive understanding of how people solve a local problem. His business is Freespot a service that connects users to free stuff. And gives useful stuff a second (and third) chance to be valuable. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/FreeSpotco/ and see if it fits into your community. The discussion moves to what makes Bronx innovation and positive social change special. Part of the secret: Communitas creates a virtuous cycle in which each changemaker is empowered to inspire others. Communitas started and is largely sponsors out of South Korea. There’s a compelling thread running from Seoul through Las Vegas to the Bronx. It should come as no surprise to Empathetic Machines listeners that we dwell a bit on the name, Communitas. This Latin term has a very specific and revealing meaning.

Planning the Post-Covid Supply Chain: COVID has increased the pressure to digitize. Or digitalize. Or digitally "transform." But what’s the shelf life of a strategy? Exploring these questions requires a dive into supply chain, the network of organizations, vehicles, materials that all come together when a product arrives— or better yet, when an experience is delivered. This is the first of a two-episode series. In it we set the groundwork for discussions of supply chain ethics.

When the tech Titans were in Washington a few weeks ago they were grilled on predatory pricing and other anti competitive behaviors. A second bundle of issues received less attention, though it’s arguably even more important. What, if anything, is to be done about the content on these platforms that divides us? This may be the next great censorship debate.

Episode 15: Signs of life before the iPod.

Microsoft in the house!