The inaugural Shoptalk Fall in Chicago has come to an end, leaving us energized and equipped with invaluable insights from the top minds in retail. This year’s event delivered a wealth of knowledge and fresh perspectives that have us feeling more confident than ever that the months ahead are shaping up to be “Mission Possible.”
January Digital had the privilege of taking the main stage, attending key sessions, and engaging in meaningful conversations with industry leaders, partners, and peers throughout the conference. From impactful advice to forward-thinking innovations, we’ve come away with plenty to reflect on – and even more to act on.
Here’s a breakdown of what we discussed and who inspired us along the way:
Mastering Unified Commerce – Optimizing the Sales Channel Mix
With a seemingly endless array of sales channels available, retailers and brands face the challenge of determining which ones are most effective and have the highest revenue potential.
During this session, Michael McGoohan, President & Chief Growth Officer at Solo Stove Brands, shared his approach: focusing on the channels where their customers spend the most time. Solo Stove Brands, which spans fire pits, fashion (with Chubbies shorts), and outdoor gear (like Oru Kayak and ISLE paddle boards), unites these categories by supporting a customer’s outdoor lifestyle. McGoohan emphasized the importance of choosing channel partners that amplify all of their brands’ potential. He cited DICK’s Sporting Goods as a strong partner, offering an experiential shopping experience that showcases products in an engaging and disruptive way.
McGoohan also noted the ceiling to performance marketing, highlighting Solo Brands’ expansion of brand marketing efforts. Last year Snoop Dogg posted an ominous tweet that he was giving up smoke, resulting in a viral moment for Solo Stove. Following this, the Solo Stove x Snoop Dogg partnership was announced, revealing that the “smoke” Snoop Dogg was giving was in relation to fire pits. Overnight, Solo Stove’s former millennial-heavy TikTik following shifted to Gen Z.
The discussion also touched on major distribution partners like Amazon and Walmart, with Sarah Zurell, CMO of Chinese Laundry, and Ryan Close, Founder & CEO of Bartesian, weighing in. All three speakers underscored the importance of having a robust Amazon strategy. As McGoohan, Zurell, and Close agreed, brands can scale effectively on Amazon with the right product assortment, content, and supply chain understanding.
Zurell added that Chinese Laundry’s approach involves balancing retail partnerships without diluting the brand. They sell current collections on their site while offering previous collections on Amazon, allowing for product discovery across channels without cannibalizing sales. Meanwhile, McGoohan and Close shared their initial hesitations about selling in Walmart, which were alleviated once they saw the broad reach and potential of the retail giant. Both emphasized that Walmart’s sheer scale can provide luxury brands with access to a large customer base, even if they’re targeting a niche segment.
Mastering Unified Commerce – Tools and Tactics to Enhance Product Discovery Across Channels
A customer’s shopping journey starts with product discovery, and it is essential for brands and retailers to meet consumers in their search with the right product, at the right time. During this session, Amber Turley, VP Omni Convenience & Commerce Partnerships at Sephora, shared Sephora’s strategy to create seamless, mindlessly easy shopping experience both within or outside their stores.
Turley emphasized Sephora’s commitment to connecting their physical stores with digital properties, as well as third-party platforms, to enhance the customer experience. Online, Sephora optimizes product discovery by streamlining search and making the process as simple as possible. Same-day delivery is a cornerstone of this strategy, with product listing ads and on-site creative highlighting this option. Sephora leverages “urgency moments” – like Valentine’s Day, special occasions, or popular product launches likely to sell out – to further drive the appeal of same-day delivery. By focusing on these time-sensitive opportunities, Sephora ensures their message carries through from product consideration to purchase, offering customers fast and convenient solutions to meet their needs.
Beyond Sephora’s owned and operated (O&O) channels, Turley discussed how strategic partnerships with Instacart and DoorDash have driven incremental sales and new customer acquisition. These platforms allow Sephora to meet customers wherever they are, offering on-demand access to products outside traditional retail channels. What’s more, Sephora has integrated its loyalty program into these third-party services, ensuring that even when shopping through partners, customers can still earn rewards and benefit from Sephora’s loyalty offerings. Sephora also recently began a partnership with Hearst Magazines serving as their preferred beauty partner for fully shoppable articles, allowing consumers to discover and purchase products directly through editorial content to enhance product discovery in an entirely new way.
Leading Successful Teams and Organizations – Managing Change During Disrupted Times
Our President Sarah Engel led two insightful fireside chats with James Reinhart, Co-Founder and CEO of ThredUp, and Suze Dowling, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of Pattern Brands. Both conversations focused on how both leaders navigate their organizations through challenging times while keeping innovation and adaptability at the forefront. Reinhart and Dowling shared their unique approaches to driving growth, even during periods of disruption, by constantly reassessing their businesses. A key question they both regularly ask is: If we were starting this company today, what would we do differently?
In ThredUp’s journey from its early days to becoming a multi-channel platform, Reinhart has embraced a “burning the boats” strategy to drive organizational change. By staying true to ThredUp’s roots as a technology company, he led the realignment of teams around AI, fundamentally rebuilding the business to stay competitive. On the B2C side, AI innovations like image search and the AI stylist in ThredUp’s app have streamlined the customer experience, making resale shopping more personalized and efficient.
On the B2B front, ThredUp’s decision to offer Resale-as-a-Service (RaaS) reinforces its tech-first approach. Their competitive advantage lies in the technology they provide to other companies. While it’s challenging to separate the ThredUp brand from how partners implement the technology, Reinhart emphasized that brands’ ownership over its use enables ThredUp to expand its capabilities while empowering partners to adapt the platform to their needs.
Suze Dowling from Pattern Brands emphasizes the importance of tapping into global talent and building diverse, international teams to foster innovation and drive better solutions. As Pattern has transitioned from incubating to acquiring brands, they’ve established a culture centered on change and transformation. Dowling highlights the challenge of integrating each new acquisition into the existing company culture while unifying the brands to operate cohesively. Resilient companies, she asserts, don’t wait for change; they drive it, adopting the mantra that while change is scary, it is growth – choose growth. Dowling shared that effective leaders articulate a clear vision and purpose, ensuring that the company’s core mission remains central to every decision, and prioritize strategic opportunities that align with their goals.
Mastering Unified Commerce – Building Best-in-Class Unified Customer Experiences
Our President Sarah Engel took the stage again with Danielle Schmelkin, CIO of J.Crew and Adam Goldenberg, Co-Founder & CEO of Fabletics to explore how unified commerce is reshaping customer experiences as well as their business success.
Schmelkin kicked off the session with a demonstration of how J.Crew is creating interactive retail experiences using technology like the Apple Vision Pro. Initiatives like this serve as a connection point where J.Crew is able to create authentic customer experiences that keep the brand top-of-mind. The brand wants to connect with their customers in a seamless way – being available to them online, in-store and even in print with the relaunch of their catalog. J.Crew leverages data to create a personalized and consistent omnichannel experience for all their customers.
Goldenberg shared how data is at the center of everything Fabletics does, enabling the brand to stay agile with content and customer preferences while maintaining a seamless connection between in-store and online experiences. Video content is a key focus for Fabletics, from short-form strategies on TikTok and Reels to product pages and even in-store dressing rooms. The brand continuously builds a feedback loop, integrating insights on sizing, fit, and design into its merchandising strategy. Fabletics even hosts “Meet the Member” events to gather direct, in-person feedback from customers.
Shoptalk Fall may be over, but the insights and innovations we gathered are just beginning to shape our strategies. From unified commerce to team leadership during disruption, we’re walking away with actionable ideas that will drive real change in the months ahead. See you next time in Vegas for Shoptalk in the spring!
