The Retail Perch podcast is hosted by the powerful duo Shekar Raman, CEO of Birdzi and Gary Hawkins, CEO of Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART). We are happy to report that we have made the "Top 15 Grocery Industry Podcasts to Follow in 2021" by Feedspot. The list can be found here: https://blog.feedspot.com/grocery_industry_podcasts/ This podcast aims to provide a fresh perspective and framework for how you view your everyday grocery trips. Whether you're a retailer, entrepreneu ...
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CART is Advancing Retail by connecting the industry to innovation. Retailers, wholesalers and brands utilize CART to find, research and connect with solutions appropriate for their businesses. Solution providers use CART as go-to-market tool that connects them directly to their target retail audience, all the way into the brick and mortar store itself. CART has unparalleled insight into what’s next in retail and shares this information regularly through multiple channels.
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107. Interview with Gary Hawkins, Author of Bionic Retail
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On this special episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar hosts our very own Gary Hawkins, to tell us about his latest book! Bionic Retail: How to Thrive in an Exponential World explores the connection between evolving technology and supermarkets. They chat about Gary's childhood, farm life, and his family's grocery business, uncovering fascinating stori…
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106. Interview with Shiraz Ritwik of LatentView Analytics
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In this episode of "The Retail Perch," Gary hosts a solo discussion with Shiraz Ritwik, Head of CPG & Financial Services at LatentView Analytics. They dive into the five key stages of CPG, explore the various shifts occurring in retail-focused technology, and analyze consumer behavior. In addition, you’ll hear an interesting discussion on AI, Gary'…
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105. Interview with Jose Quijano of Rest of the World Agency
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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Jose "Jochi" Quijano, Chief Brand Officer at Rest of the World Agency. He discusses the multi-cultural focus of the agency and how his career has traveled from accounting to marketing and finally advertising. The three talk about the importance of culture within retail grocery aisles, his…
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104. Interview with Phil Lempert of Supermarket Guru
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This week on The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar sit down to chat with Phil Lempert. Phil is the Founder and CEO of Supermarket Guru, a leading online news source for consumers and retail professionals. The three discuss Phil’s lineage in the food & retail industry, his journalistic journey, the changes in consumer behavior that drive the grocery ind…
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103. Interview with Ross Finman of Augmodo
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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome a new guest and a topic closely related to Gary's upcoming book, “Bionic Retail.” Ross Finman is the CEO & Founder of Augmodo, a spatial computing company that works to improve the grocery industry. The three discuss Ross’s journey from living on Llama Farms to Silicon Valley, integrating…
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102. Interview with Suryaveer Singh of Emirates National Oil Company
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Do not miss this episode with Shekar, Gary and special guest, Suryaveer Singh! Suryaveer Singh is the head of loyalty at Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC). Suryaveer explains his background in banking and slowly making his way into the loyalty industry. The three discuss how fuel retail works, how loyalty cannot be bought and much more!…
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101. Interview with Brian Cohen of PureRed
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This week, on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary are thrilled to welcome Brian Cohen, the CEO of PureRed, a dynamic company at the forefront of marketing and technology innovation. In this engaging conversation, Shekar and Gary delve into Brian's diverse background, spanning from space science to cutting-edge machine learning technology. Together, t…
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This week on the Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar are in the festive spirit as they mark a momentous occasion - their 100th episode! To make it truly special, they're joined by a distinguished guest, Len Covello, the Chief Technology Officer of Engage People, a company dedicated to enhancing customer loyalty. Together, Gary, Shekar, and Len dive deep …
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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Scott Greenberg, an acclaimed keynote speaker, renowned for his insightful understanding of people dynamics, and an accomplished author. Scott's insights not only shed light on the intricacies of managerial roles within businesses but also offer actionable takeaways for those navigating t…
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On this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Linda Wakim, a very special guest and someone they know very well. Linda Wakim, VP of Pre-Sales and Client Success at Birdzi has vast knowledge in all things retail . The three discuss Linda’s pathway through the technology in the retail industry from Giant Eagle to Birdzi, her love of an…
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97. Interview with Chris Kocek of Gallant Branding
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In the latest installment of The Retail Perch, your hosts Gary and, filling in for Shekar, co host Stephanie, have the pleasure of welcoming a Chris Kocek. Chris, the author of "Any Insights Yet?" and the visionary Founder & CEO of Gallant Branding, takes us on an intriguing journey through his transition from the world of advertising to the realm …
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96. Interview with Tom Burgess of Snipp Interactive
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This week on the Retail Perch, Gary Hawkins and Shekar Raman are joined by the remarkable Tom Burgess, a true polymath who divides his time between pioneering new ventures and sailing the open seas. Tom boasts a distinguished track record as the founder of four companies, and he currently holds the esteemed position of President at Snipp Interactiv…
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On this very special episode, Gary and Shekar welcome Paul V. McEnroe, author of THE BARCODE: How a Team Created One of the World's Most Ubiquitous Technologies and a retail pioneer. The inventor of the barcode joins The Retail Perch for a riveting discussion. Paul explains his story in Ohio and his path to creating such an important part of our da…
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Do not miss this episode with Shekar, Gary, Andrew Duffy, and Jake Sky Levin, co-founders of SparkPlug. SparkPlug is a sales incentive software built for retailers and brands to engage frontline teams to hit sales goals while increasing employee engagement. Andrew and Jake explain their interesting career path from hedge funds to tea companies to t…
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This week, Gary and Shekar are joined by Raz Golan co-founder of Shopic, a company that has transformed the shopping experience to another level. Shopic seamlessly integrates online stores with physical retail stores, enabling businesses to manage inventory, sales, and customer interactions in one unified system. It offers a streamlined shopping ex…
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92. Interview with Max Koziolek of Spectrm
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On this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Max Koziolek who has come a long way from politics to making a marketing platform. Max Koziolek is the co-founder of Spectrm, a conversational marketing platform that powers chatbots for a wide range of companies. Max shares his run in a national election in Germany, his interest in journ…
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In this week’s episode, Shekar and Gary interview Justin Chen, co-founder of PickFu, a company that provides a self-service way to get in-depth consumer feedback be it for businesses, authors, game designers, and more. Their instant polling services allow you to get feedback on anything from logos to business ideas from your chosen target audience …
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On this week's The Retail Perch, Gary, and Shekar welcome a fascinating, virtual guest, that knows a lot about...well everything. The three of them discuss marketing personalization in retail, the podcast, and the future of AI in the retail industry.By Shekar Raman Gary Hawkins
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89. Interview with Chandan Mahajan of DotKonnekt
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In this episode, Shekar and Gary chat with Chandan Mahajan, one of the founders of DotKonnekt, a company that focuses on helping consumer brands scale their D2C channels organically. Chandan comes from a family of retailers and learned the ropes of retail in his earlier years from his father. The three discuss emotional engagement, a brand's relati…
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88. Interview with Galen Walters of Stor.ai
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Don't miss this episode where Shekar and Gary welcome Galen Walters. Galen is the CEO of Stor.ai, a Relationshop Company, a platform that empowers retailers by combining ecommerce, data analytics, and omni-channel engagement capabilities to increase transactions, enhance loyalty and grow sales. Galen shares his history in the grocery industry from …
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87. Interview with Valentin Radu of Omniconvert
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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar delve even deeper into the world of data and marketing with Valentin Radu, CEO of Omniconvert. Omniconvert focuses on Direct to Consumer businesses, and enriching their customer experiences. Valentin explains his journey in e-commerce, and how to retain customers. The three discuss the future for…
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86. Interview with Sean Snyder of Engagement Agents
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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Sean Snyder. Sean Snyder, a fellow retailer himself, is CEO of Engagement Agents. His company helps retailers optimize leases, drive traffic and sales, and prevent lost traffic and sales to competitors! Retailers can achieve up to 30% more traffic and sales by engaging the "hidden" market…
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85. Interview with Carol Leaman of Axonify
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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary returns to join Shekar in welcoming Carol Leaman. Carol is the CEO of Axonify Inc., a company that delivers fun training and communications to frontline employees. In this episode learn why companies like Kroger and Walmart have used Axonify to communicate with their frontline employees. The three discuss t…
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84. Interview with Randy Mercer of 1WorldSync
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In today’s episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar hosts his first episode solo and his first guest of 2023, Randy Mercer of 1WorldSync. Randy is the VP of Global Product Management at 1WorldSync, a leading tool for data synchronization. This episode is all about standardizing data, AI, and product content. Randy discusses the history of 1WorldSync, pa…
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83. Interview with Sharat Potharaju of Beaconstac
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This week on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary welcome their first guest from India, Sharat Potharaju. Sharat is the Co-Founder & CEO of Beaconstac. Beaconstac generates QR codes, makes templated landing pages, and facilitates engagement with QR codes. Sharat explains his steps in problem-solving for Beaconstac and connecting the physical and digit…
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82. Shekar and Gary's Predictions for 2023!
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In this special episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary discuss their top 10 predictions for 2023 surrounding supermarket retail. They both share five of their own predictions which include the growth of retail media networks , artificial intelligence, smart carts and much more!By Shekar Raman Gary Hawkins
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This is the perfect episode to kick off the season of giving! Gary and Shekar welcome Andrew Forman, Founder & CEO of Givz, a platform that provides customers with an alternative option to traditional discounts that give back to others. Andrew discusses the origin story of Givz, and what inspired him to combine his passion for charity with e-commer…
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80. Interview with Andrew and Thomas Parkinson of Sifter Solutions
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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary are excited to have brothers, Andrew and Thomas Parkinson, founders of Peapod, on The Retail Perch. Andrew and Thomas have more recently founded Sifter Solutions, which personalizes the shopping experience by matching complex diets with the right foods. They explain how their backgrounds led them…
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79. Interview with Todd Michaud of HuLoop Automation
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This week Shekar and Gary are thrilled to welcome Todd Michaud to The Retail Perch. Todd is the CEO of HuLoop Automation, a company that works with retailers and brands to provide them with digital assistants and digital workers to help them augment what their people do. The three discuss the benefits HuLoop Automation brings to retailers, what the…
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78. Groceryshop Recap with Gary and Shekar
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In this special episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary share their thoughts on the recent Groceryshop event in Las Vegas. It is evident from their enthusiasm that in-person events are almost back to their pre-covid glory. They discuss Instacart’s acquisition of Rosie, computer vision platforms, electronic shelf tags, dynamic pricing, and much…
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77. Interview with Shawn Tuckett of Webstop
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This week on The Retail Perch, Shekar, and Gary welcome Shawn Tuckett, CEO of Webstop, a company that helps retailers be more successful digitally. Shawn explains how Webstop levels the digital playing field for small to midsize retailers by providing powerful end-to-end solutions to create a complete digital grocery experience. The three discuss; …
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76. Interview with Russ Hawkins of Agilence
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This week Gary and Shekar welcome Russ Hawkins, President, and CEO of Agilence. Agilence is a leader in loss prevention analytics, helping retailers, restaurants, and grocery retailers reduce preventable loss. Russ describes his journey from New England Telephone to Agilence and all the stops along the way. The three delve into the areas where busi…
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75. Interview with Kevin Sterneckert of DemandTec
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This week Gary and Shekar welcome Kevin Sterneckert, Chief Strategy Officer at DemandTec an Acoustic Company. Kevin brings extensive experience in grocery retail, retail technology analysis, and identifying the possibilities of AI, IoT, big data technologies of the future that are creating excellence in the supply chain. The three discuss the keys …
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74. Interview with Doug Madenberg of The Feedback Group
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In this episode, Gary and Shekar welcome back Doug Madenberg Chief Listening Officer and Executive Director at The Feedback Group. Doug is on to share the findings from The Feedback Group's recent national research on food price inflation and shoppers' perception of grocer's profitability. Doug shares the strategies customers are using to cope, the…
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73. Interview with Stephen Statler of Wiliot
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This week Gary and Shekar get the opportunity to geek out with Stephen Statler, SVP at Amazon-backed Wiliot a company that has designed IoT Pixels to track the location and temperature of produce from farms to stores. Stephen explains how their postage stamp-sized technology is allowing retailers to minimize waste and maximize freshness for custome…
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72. Interview with Arsen Avakian of Cooler Screens
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This week, Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking Arsen Avakian CEO and Founder of Cooler Screens and Founder of Argo Tea. The focus of today's conversation is the sophisticated digital add platform known as Cooler Screens, but Arsen shares how building his challenger tea brand, Argo Tea, helped him to understand the consumer experience gap …
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71. Interview with Jay Jordan of Strella Biotechnology
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Sustainability seems to be a buzzword in grocery retail these days. Many retailers have gone so far as to sign sustainability pacts. In this episode, Gary and Shekar speak with Jay Jordan, co-founder, and COO of Strella Biotech, a startup that provides actionable data to optimize the fresh supply chain. Strella Biotech focuses on upstream supply to…
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This week Shekar, Gary, and guest host Stephanie have the privilege of speaking with Sterling Hawkins, keynote speaker, investor, entrepreneur, and author. Sterling is on the show to share his new book, "Hunting Discomfort." We discuss the #nomatterwhat movement, how fear and ego keep us stuck in business and life, and much more. This show is for a…
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69. Interview with Lucinda Wright of Cask & Kettle
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Gary and Shekar welcome Lucinda Wright, co-founder and CEO of Cask & Kettle, creators of boozy cocktail k-pods for home coffee brewing systems. That's right boozy k-pods! When one thinks of alcoholic beverages, technology probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but Lucinda’s story about their k-pods distilled spirits will make you think …
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68. Interview with Adam Zimmerman of DESIGN HOUSE
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This week Gary and Shekar welcome Adam Zimmerman, Partner at DESIGN HOUSE, an advanced digital circular platform. DESIGN HOUSE is redefining the weekly ad for retailers in more ways than one and of course, Gary and Shekar were excited to offer their .02 on the subject. Adam explains how his company has taken the weekly circular of the 1970s and mod…
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67. Interview with Alicia Esposito of Retail TouchPoints
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This week is a first for The Retail Perch! Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking with Alicia Esposito, VP of Content at Retail TouchPoints. Alicia offers the unique perspective of someone in retail media. The three discuss Retail TouchPoints' approach to delivering relevant content to retailers, the different retail verticals and what they …
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66. Interview with Tommy Yionoulis of OpsAnalitica
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This week, Gary and Shekar are joined by Tommy Yionoulis founder of OpsAnalitica, a SaaS platform that helps clients manage their daily operations and identify issues in their business so they can be addressed quickly and efficiently. Tommy tells the story of how he went from college grad to stand-up comedian to founder of OpsAnaliica. They discuss…
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65. The Path to Personalization: Part III
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In Part III of this series, Gary and Shekar discuss how to execute quickly on the copious data that retailers have to ensure they are providing the most relevant offers to their customers. They also talk about how marketing automation combined with a sophisticated understanding of each shopper helps retailers create strategies for 1 to 1 personaliz…
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In Part II of this series, Gary shares how he took his family stores from mailed out paper coupons targeting the top 30% of shoppers to an engine that supported personalization algorithms which allowed him to deliver coupons to specific customers via the web, email, or a kiosk. Shekar then explains the transition from pre-cloud data centers to the …
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In part one of a two-part series, Gary and Shekar discuss how personalization has evolved over the years. Gary shares his experience in the retail trenches and the lessons he learned from them. They discuss why grocers needed to develop loyalty programs and the new information they were able to learn from these programs. Next week they will discuss…
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62. Interview with Manolo Almagro of Q Division
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This week, Shekar and Gary welcome Manolo Almagro, Managing Partner at Q Division, a transformational tech consultancy. Manolo offers his perspective on retail tech and where it's going. He also weighs in on the MetaVerse and how it can be used in grocery, the limitations of the Amazon stores, his ideal e-commerce experience, why 5-year plans shoul…
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61. Interview with Michael Solomon Expert on Consumer Behavior
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The Retail Perch is back! And what a fantastic guest to return with. This week, Gary and Shekar have the opportunity to speak with Michael Solomon, prolific author and Professor of Marketing at Saint Joseph's University. "They want to be educated, they want to be stimulated, they want to be entertained, and there’s no reason not to do that,” says M…
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60. Interview with Jason Goldberg of Retailgeek
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This week Gary and Shekar welcome a fellow podcaster on the show. Jason Goldberg, co-host of the popular e-commerce Podcast, the Jason & Scot Show. He is also a 4th generation retailer who brings with him the perspective of someone who had a front-row seat to the digital disruption of retail. Jason explains his family journey from a fruit cart to B…
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59. Interview with Harold Lloyd of Harold Lloyd Presents
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This week Gary and Shekar have the pleasure of speaking with Harold Lloyd, vice president at Harold Lloyd Presents, Inc, where for the past 25 years he has been presenting ideas and solutions to the retail and supermarket industry to better enhance their productivity, team leadership, time management and more. To say this episode is entertaining wo…
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58. Interview with David Klavsons of King Juice Co./Calypso Lemonade
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The Retail Perch is back this week with a refreshingly new perspective from a CPG company. Gary and Shekar interview David Klavsons, Chief Executive Officer at King Juice/Calypso Lemonade. David explains his journey from big CPGs like PepsiCo, Nabisco, and Craft to convenience retail and now Calypso Lemonade. He highlights how his organization has …
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