What's Next for Consumers with Kristina Roger's, EY's Global Consumer Lead

Remarkable Retail

Joining us this week is Kristina Rogers, EY's Global Consumer Lead. We leverage Kristina's vast experience working with retailers and consumer brands around the world to get her perspectives on which consumer behaviors are most critical to understand and respond to. We discuss which Covid behaviors are persisting, how current economic forces are driving the growth of private label, and the evolving nature of convenience, both online and in-store. In particular, we delve into some of the key recent and soon to be released findings from EY's Future Consumer Index.

But first we dissect the most important retail news starting with the National Retail Federation's annual holiday sales forecast. We then take on a robust week of macro-economic news, Amazon's decision to end its apparel brick-and-mortar experiment, Walmart's anteing up big time as it commits to $9 billion in physical store investments, and Shein's acquisition of Missguided. Then it's on to quarterly earnings from Starbucks, Shopify, elf Cosmetics, and Wayfair. We wrap up with news that Eataly, one of our favorite remarkable retailers, plans to grow to three locations in Toronto.

About Kristina

As EY Global Consumer Leader, Kristina is responsible for defining and implementing the EY strategy for consumer products companies, retailers, and in agribusiness. She ensures that EY’s global clients are well served across geographies, leading over 30,000 EY professionals worldwide. Kristina works directly with clients on the strategic issues they face as they pursue profitable and sustainable growth. Kristina is also the architect of EY’s seminal Future Consumer programs including FutureConsumer.Now, FutureConsumerIndex, and FutureConsumerExperience. These programs help clients meet the future now in order to make better decisions to win later.

Prior to her current role, Kristina served as Emerging Markets Leader for Consumer Products & Retail. Before joining EY, she was a Senior Partner at a global strategy consulting firm. Kristina has lived and worked in more than 20 countries. Over the course of her career, she has built long-term client relationships with some of the world’s largest global consumer products companies, helping them solve some of their most complex strategic marketing issues across geographies.

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the all new Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , now available for purchase in the U.S. and available for pre-order at book retailers elsewhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..

Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. He has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Secure conference with leaders from The Gap and Kroger talking about violence in retail stores, keynotes on the state & future of retail in Orlando and Halifax, and at the 2023 Canadian GroceryConnex conference, hosting the CEOs of Walmart Canada, Longo's and Save-On-Foods Canada. Michael brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael also produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in North America, Remarkable Retail,

Canada's top retail industry podcast; the Voice of Retail; Canada's top food industry and the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail influencers for the fourth year in a row, Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer, and you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state of the retail industry in Canada and the U.S., and the future of retail.