PROFILE
Brandon Rael
Retail Excellence Leader, Tulip Retail
An accomplished strategy and operations executive, thought leader, trusted advisor and partner with significant experience in both the retail and consulting industries, who has led global digital supply chain transformations with Fortune 500 retailers including, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Saks Fifth Avenue. Extensive experience in leading and delivering complex innovation focused, digital merchandising programs, to meet strategic business objectives, in a very dynamic retail industry. Throughout his career, he has performed as the essential business liaison at the intersection of the business, operations, marketing, creative, digital and consulting teams.
He is passionate about driving retail thought leadership, developing global teams, defining best practices and innovations to meet the challenges of a very dynamic retail industry. Most recently, he has joined the prestigious RetailWire Braintrust community of thought leaders.
His core areas of expertise include:
• Trusted advisor, partner, and cultivating executive level partnerships
• Digital innovations and transformations
• Retail merchandising, assortment planning, & inventory optimization
• Strategic planning and operational improvements
• Operational and business transformations
• Customer experience strategies
• Global cross functional delivery leadership
• Business development, revenue acceleration, organic business growth, P&L management
• Unified commerce, omni channel digital business & technology transformations
• Consumer insights and predictive analytics
• Complex Program and Project Management/PMO expertise
• Organizational Change Management
• Business solution planning and delivery
He is passionate about driving retail thought leadership, developing global teams, defining best practices and innovations to meet the challenges of a very dynamic retail industry. Most recently, he has joined the prestigious RetailWire Braintrust community of thought leaders.
His core areas of expertise include:
• Trusted advisor, partner, and cultivating executive level partnerships
• Digital innovations and transformations
• Retail merchandising, assortment planning, & inventory optimization
• Strategic planning and operational improvements
• Operational and business transformations
• Customer experience strategies
• Global cross functional delivery leadership
• Business development, revenue acceleration, organic business growth, P&L management
• Unified commerce, omni channel digital business & technology transformations
• Consumer insights and predictive analytics
• Complex Program and Project Management/PMO expertise
• Organizational Change Management
• Business solution planning and delivery
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- Posted on: 04/09/2018
Is Walmart building a tower of power with its expanding in-store pickup network?
This is omnichannel magic at its best, with Walmart taking full advantage of their main competitive asset, their omnipresent stores, which could be leveraged as BOPIS fulfillment centers. The last-mile challenges could be mitigated as well, as an automated system would eliminate the need for human interaction, or additional store resources who would be dedicated to these services. As Walmart builds their scale, the question centers around what compelling strategies Walmart could employ to attract the Millennial sector, which is already loyal to their Bonobos, Jet.com, Modcloth, etc. portfolio of digital-first, innovative brands. Perhaps these brands could be tied in via store-within-a-store pop-ups, special events, etc., to transform several of the strategically positioned Walmarts into destinations for younger and affluent customers. Currently, Walmart has three distinct customer groups. The loyal Walmart big box shopper, the online digital-first Walmart shopper and now the associated Walmart fashion-first brands. It will be very interesting to see how Walmart weaves these all together beyond this BOPIS strategy. - Posted on: 04/09/2018
Retailers face criticism for failure to protect customer data
As the lines blur between online and in-store shopping, it's absolutely imperative for retailers to double down on their data privacy standards. Regardless of whatever channel consumers ultimately shop, their data is flowing through the retailers' systems. Personal data, particularly credit card history, has to be the most protected information between the retailer and their loyal consumers. This is all a critical part of the trusted consumer and retailer relationship. Retailers are now faced with the need to be open, fully transparent about their data privacy policies, and to seek ways to eliminate future data breaches. With the onset of chip technologies, credit card encryption and mobile payment devices that do not share your credit card numbers, one would hope that these mechanisms, combined with a locked down and secure retailer ERP transaction system, will mitigate these issues in the future. - Posted on: 04/06/2018
Thrive Market wants to change the world with new organic meat and seafood line
Subscription models are the rage these days and every retailer, service provider and now organic meat and seafood companies are looking to capitalize on this opportunity. But there may be a niche in which Thrive Market can thrive, as the organic meat and seafood market offerings are at premium price levels. Health consciousness aside, there is also a degree of price consciousness that we have to consider. Thrive may have the magic sauce with their curated offerings and discounted pricing. However, with all subscription models, keeping everything fresh, new and interesting is the most significant challenge. Being prescriptive and ahead of the curve will be key for Thrive Market, as the experience may wear thin after a few months and the customer may choose other options. - Posted on: 04/06/2018
Will micro-designers disrupt fast-fashion giants?
We all see the power of micro-influencers on retail and fashion in general, however of equal importance is the emergence of the micro-designers. In our digital-first, agile, social media-driven fashion market, micro-designers are closer to the changing market landscape, trends, shifts and can respond far more aggressively as compared to traditional retailers. Fast fashion has the mechanisms, agile supply chain and the infrastructure necessary to leverage the micro-designer influencer's reach and social media presence. The micro designer approach could work extremely well with retail pop-up formats, special events and exclusive VIP offerings. Instagram is also a digital commerce playground where these micro-designers will have a more level playing field with the micro-influencers. It will be very interesting to see how everything plays out in the coming months. - Posted on: 04/03/2018
Why are there so many employees in a cashier-less store?
Cashier-less mobile-first plays have their place, and the Amazon Go model will be at the forefront of this paradigm shift. With the convenience model, the grab and go technique will become the best practice. However, as you migrate to the fashion, luxury and specialty sides of retail, the store associates or brand ambassadors will continue to play a significant role in the overall customer experience. The combination of art, science and personal aspects of the retail experience will be essential, as the shopping experiences and expectations continue to evolve. Outside of pure technology strategies, it's the investments made with your people that will make a substantial impact. - Posted on: 04/03/2018
Walmart is focused on expanding its digital brand portfolio
It's become a real portfolio play for Walmart, as they continue to build their digital native footprint in the already competitive e-commerce space. With a coherent digital-first strategy led by the jet.com and Bonobos leadership teams, Walmart can continue to make the strategic strides necessary to shift to a more agile, scalable, consumer-first and digital-first approach. The key is to combine all of the best practices and unique qualities of each of the digital-first brands into a combined strategy. Another critical component for Walmart, as they undergo this evolution, is to leverage their brick-and-mortar stores as a natural extension of their digital platforms. From the customers' perspective, they are engaging with Walmart or one of their associated online brands. There should be a seamless experience across all platforms. - Posted on: 03/23/2018
In this digital revolution, stores are media
All brands, retailers and stores are tied to their public images, thus all stores are essentially media products in the digital age. We are entering into a unifying age where it is essential for retailers and brands to have an online digital presence, as well as a multi-sensory physical presence. The emergence of the superior in-store showrooms like the model spearheaded by companies such as Frank and Oak, Bonobos, Warby Parker and other digital-first companies demonstrates that this is clearly the future of retail. Traditional retailers and department stores have observed how successful this model is. Walmart, in particular, has made the shift and built an impressive digital-first portfolio through their acquisitions of Jet.com, Bonobos, Modcloth and others. Consumers are seeking a wonderful and frictionless experience across all channels. They are engaging with a brand that will bring value into their lives and provide a physical experience that a purely online e-commerce retailer is unable to provide. The challenge for these companies is to find the right balance of personalized, customized services, which is a blend of online and in-person engagements. - Posted on: 03/22/2018
Luxury brands are racing to embrace ecommerce
With the onset of the Instagram and influencer-driven retail revolution, image is everything these days, and luxury brands are more than ready to capitalize on extending their presence online and especially on mobile. Farfetch and Net-a-Porter have provided a channel for luxury brands to connect with digitally-savvy consumers. With both digital and mobile, the seemingly out of reach luxury brands now have a method to connect with the Millennial consumers. Even the smallest purchase or experience could lead to a long-term relationship. - Posted on: 03/22/2018
Segmentation is central to Nike’s success
Retailers already have the necessary data, via the transaction history, to drive proper customer segmentation profiles. In the case of Nike and other specialty retailers, it's critical to get this segmentation right to offer the personalized and customized experience each customer group is seeking. Timely, customized and personal recommendations linked to your transaction and health data could ultimately make the difference between remaining loyal to Nike or other specialty athletic companies. It has been proven that if retailers are able to offer a transporting experience, consumers are more than willing to opt for offers, personalized emails, etc., however, the days of sending out surveys are over, since companies have more than enough data to get the customer segments correct. - Posted on: 03/20/2018
Will it always be about price for Gen Z?
Financial responsibility is not the main defining characteristic for Generation Z. From my perspective, and having two young children that are part of the segment, the defining trait of this generation is their consciousness and awareness of the world. It's not simply about money or budgeting, but what is most interesting is their overall concern about the state of the world, the environment, and larger social issues. Although the world is literally at their fingertips, Generation Z is overall passionate about experiences, time shared, and the value of relationships. Getting this mix right will be key for retailers, as they shift to an experience first showroom hybrid retail model. The store and in-person interactions will always be relevant for this generation, so it's not simply about the financial aspects that are the motivating factors. - Posted on: 03/20/2018
Macy’s CEO discusses mobile checkouts and other planned changes
Although Macy's evolution and transformation to a digital-first retailer are underway, it will take some time for the customer first culture to permeate throughout the organization. There will be a balance of consolidating/closing underperforming stores, and creating new smaller scale, experienced focused, entertainment like showrooms, that are strategically laser-focused on the customer. Macy's is showing very positive signs and continues to evolve with their digital, mobile first strategies, which will help to remove some of the friction shoppers face in department stores. The iconic retailer is intent on not resting on their laurels. To quote the Macy's CEO, Jeff Gennette, "Macy's heritage isn't going to be enough to guarantee success. Yesterday's playbook isn't going to work for tomorrow." Mobility is critical for Macy's as they drive their personalization strategies, and enable mobile checkout capabilities. However, the phone is only part of the equation. Integrating VR and other technologies will help drive an improved experience, but Macy's will have to continually evolve as a company going forward. - Posted on: 03/19/2018
Partnership gives a free Lyft to pharmacy customers
For Walgreens and CVS, the main objectives of offering a free Lyft ride are to not only offer prescription services, but also having you customers physically in your stores, where there are clear upsell and impulse shopping advantages to be achieved. For the pharmacy, this is a mitigating last mile strategy, and well worth the investments. While it may lead to incremental business opportunities for Lyft and Uber, this is a clear value added service, which could sway consumer loyalties to either CVS or Walgreens. - Posted on: 03/19/2018
West Elm sees opportunity to sell local experiences outside its stores
The LOCAL West Elm strategy sounds outstanding. There are nothing but positive outcomes for retailers that focus on their local communities, build partnerships with local makers, and offer a transporting experience that consumers enjoy beyond simply the retail transaction. This platform also enables local makers to have a presence in a national chain. What more compelling reasons do consumers need to go to a physical store than a chance to have a wonderful experience, learn a new skill and potentially network with other like minded consumers? This will be a win-win for West Elm and their consumers, as the LOCAL approach will help establish and reinforce a trusting relationship between the brand and their followers. - Posted on: 03/15/2018
No more playing around – Toys ‘R’ Us is out of the retail game
The brand name has some value and is synonymous with our imagination, and childhoods. Perhaps Toys "R" Us will come back, same as FAO Schwarz is planning a comeback this year. Shep, I do agree that not competing with pricing was a significant issue, however, the value-added services and customer experience simply was not up to the level it needed to be. - Posted on: 03/15/2018
No more playing around – Toys ‘R’ Us is out of the retail game
Great points Bob! The key word is indeed relevance. Retailers have to continuously reinvent themselves to survive and thrive. The Toys "R" Us model worked very successfully for years but didn't change and adapt to the changing consumer preferences.
