Future Shop podcast Archives - WSL Strategic Retail

How America Shops® in Chaos. What’s Worth It Now? with Rich Kaminski | EP100

In this episode: In this milestone episode, Wendy Liebmann celebrates 100 episodes of Future Shop with WSL’s newest Director of Research & Insights, Rich Kaminski. Together, they unpack the latest How America Shops® in Chaos study — revealing how shoppers are navigating a world defined by constant disruption, rising prices, and shifting trust in retailers. ... Read more

The Future of Category Management with Gina Zilleox, Glanbia Performance Nutrition | EP99

In this episode: Wendy Liebmann talks to Gina Zilleox, Senior Director Category Management, Glanbia Performance Nutrition about the need to make dramatic assumptions about the competitive landscape in order to thrive in the future. Episode Highlights: Whether or not category management, as we know it, is dead. How essential it is to broaden the perspective ... Read more

AI, Pricing, Supply Chain, Loyalty and First Thoughts on 2026 with Justin Honaman, AWS | EP98

In this episode: In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to regular guest Justin Honaman, Global Head, Restaurants, Retail & Consumer Goods Business Development at Amazon Web Services, about what’s now – and next – as technology transforms retail and consumer goods businesses. Episode Highlights: Retail sales and the tension between inflation, tariffs and spending Managing ... Read more

Beauty Everywhere: Connecting Brands, Retail and Consumers with Liza Rapay | EP96

In this episode: Wendy Liebmann talks to Liza Rapay, Vice President, Head of Cosmoprof North America, and Founder of Beauty New York, about the importance of bringing industry, innovators and consumers together to grow the beauty business in chaotic times. Episode Highlights: The importance of connecting the industry in-person to build relationships, and drive innovation, ... Read more

Driving Retail Innovation — Retail Safari®-ing with NielsenIQ | EP95

In this episode: Wendy Liebmann talks to Anna Mayo, NielsenIQ VP Beauty Vertical, and WSL Strategic Retail’s Elia Auchane and Katie Hornsby about the importance of collaboration to drive innovation at retail. Episode Highlights: In challenging retail times, how critical it is to inspire new thinking The power of bringing different companies and different disciplines ... Read more

Generative AI, Tariffs, and Flexible Leadership with Justin Honaman, AWS | EP93

In this episode: In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Justin Honaman, Head of Worldwide Retail & Consumer Goods Business Development at Amazon Web Services, about the impact of the latest technologies transforming business. Episode Highlights: How generative AI is the next big thing – at least for a moment. How the issues are around ... Read more

How Retail Can Bring Accessible Health Care to Communities Everyday with Kevin Host | EP92

In this episode: Wendy Liebmann talks to Kevin Host, SVP Health & Wellness Pharmacy at Walmart about how the retailer brings accessible health care to communities across the US, every day and in times of crisis. They discuss: The ongoing challenges to delivering easy to access pharmacy and medical care in the US How Walmart ... Read more

Investing in the Future of Retail – Where, Why, How with Diana Melencio | EP89

In this episode: Wendy Liebmann talks to Diana Melencio, partner at XRC Ventures, an investor in the early-stage intersection of consumer behavior and technology, and its investment approach in the health, beauty, and technology sectors. They discuss: How XRC finds opportunities (one way: scraping the web) The touchpoints of the consumer journey that have become ... Read more