Digital Front Door
The Digital Front Door explores how technology is reshaping the retail industry and redefining the in-store customer experience. Each episode features conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and solution providers who are driving change at the intersection of digital tools and brick-and-mortar retail. From AI-powered shopping carts to retail media, personalization, and operational efficiency, the show dives into the strategies and solutions that help retailers improve shopper engagement, increase loyalty, and grow revenue. Listeners can expect practical insights, forward-looking ideas, and real-world examples of how the “digital front door” is opening new opportunities in retail.
Episodes
54 episodes
Ep. 7 - How Creator Commerce Works
What if the real “digital shelf” lives inside your social feed? We sat down with Jessica Thorpe, CEO of PartnrUp, to unpack how creators, user-generated video, and smart automation now drive verifiable lift at retailers like Amazon and Walmart,...
•
37:11
Stores Aren’t Dead. They’re Evolving
Bold predictions say online will swallow retail whole, but the numbers and human behavior tell a more compelling story. We dig into fresh data and lived shopper habits to show why digital is winning the journey while stores still win the moment...
•
4:56
The End of Easy Amazon Money
The ground has shifted under Amazon sellers, and the data proves it. We dive into Marketplace Pulse’s Amazon Marketplace Trends Report for 2026 and surface a clear picture: GMV is soaring while the number of active sellers falls, million‑dollar...
•
8:03
Ep. 6 - Shrink Is More Than Theft
Shrink isn’t just a shoplifting problem, it’s a systems problem. We sit down with Brand Elverston, former Walmart asset protection leader and now principal at Elverston Consulting, to unpack why losses start at the purchase order and ripple thr...
•
46:43
AI + People = Retail’s Real Future
Retail is racing ahead, but the smartest move right now isn’t a new platform or a shiny pilot. It’s building the people who can turn technology into results. Scott Benedict unpacks why AI, connected supply chains, and blended physical-digital e...
•
4:03
Bundle the Feast, Own the Shopper
Holiday stress meets smart retail strategy. We dive into the rise of holiday meal bundles and show how a simple promise, feed the whole table for one low price, has become a powerful engine for value, convenience, and loyalty. Using Aldi’s $40 ...
•
6:04
Ep. 5 - Your Tech Stack Isn’t Broken, Your Org Chart Might Be
If your retail transformation feels like a tool parade with little traction, this conversation will change your roadmap. We sit down with Barbara Wittmann, founder and CEO of the Digital Wisdom Collective, to unpack why technology isn’t the bot...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 5
•
45:01
Store-First Thinking Is Holding Retail Back
The hardest truth in retail right now: shoppers don’t live in your org chart. They search on phones, compare in aisles, split baskets across channels, and expect you to keep up without friction. We unpack why a store‑first mindset misses where ...
•
4:58
Bakery’s RFID Pivot: Faster Counts, Fresher Shelves, Less Waste
Walk past the warm glow of a grocery bakery and you’re not just smelling bread—you’re sensing the store’s promise of freshness. We dig into why that promise is so hard to keep with manual counts, perishable windows, and production guesswork tha...
•
4:37
Ep. 4 - How To Organize Around The Consumer
Stop treating e‑commerce like an add‑on. We unpack how to rebuild your organization around the way people actually shop—across search, social, marketplace, curbside, and aisle—so strategy, incentives, and execution line up behind one number and...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 4
•
36:18
Retail’s Next Operating System
Retail is quietly undergoing a structural reset, and the numbers finally make the picture snap into focus. We break down Walmart’s latest results alongside Target, Costco, Kroger, Ahold, and leading players across Europe and Asia to reveal the ...
•
8:47
How AI Agents Rewire Retail and CPG
The ground under retail and CPG is shifting from automation to true agency—and the difference is night and day. We unpack how AI agents don’t just summarize dashboards or send alerts; they connect scattered systems, make sense of messy signals,...
•
4:28
Ep. 3 – Your Store Is the Strategy
The biggest threat to retail growth isn’t a new competitor or a shiny app. It’s the hidden friction inside stores that quietly drains baskets, shortens dwell time, and erodes loyalty without ever showing up on a dashboard. We sit down with reta...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 3
•
41:20
Retail Media in Grocery: From Side Hustle to Growth Engine
Grocery retail media just graduated from side hustle to strategy, and the shift is reshaping how value gets created across the entire store. We dive into why ad spend is racing from roughly $52B to $98B, how Amazon and Walmart set the pace, and...
•
4:46
Inside the Digital Shift of Wholesale Clubs
The warehouse treasure hunt didn’t disappear—it went digital. We unpack how Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s are extending the classic club model with omnichannel tools that make membership more valuable, suppliers more effective, and shopping far ...
•
6:39
Ep. 2 - Turn Store Data Into Revenue
Want a smarter way to sort real retail change from the noise? We sit down with Ricardo Belmar, host of The Retail Razor, global retail influencer, and advisor, to unpack how leaders can pair timeless fundamentals with timely tech to drive measu...
•
Episode 2
•
42:50
Rethinking Retail Media for Small Brands
The numbers tell a different story than our habits. We unpack new analysis from Bird Dog and Keen—built on real spend and performance data from 400+ brands and roughly $16B in annual investment—to show how small to medium brands can get more ou...
•
6:30
Reclaiming the Merchant’s Role in a Tech-Obsessed Retail World
Algorithms can rank, bid, and predict, but can they choose with taste? We open the door to a candid look at the merchant’s role in a retail world obsessed with technology, marketplaces, and media networks. From assortment strategy and pricing j...
•
6:15
Ep. 1 - Connecting Retail’s Sharpest Minds
The fastest way to clarity in retail isn’t a louder megaphone, it’s a smarter network. Scott sits down with Paul Lewis, managing director of RETHINK Retail, to unpack how a global community of 500+ vetted experts, executives, and solution leade...
•
37:13
Physical AND Digital: Rethinking Modern Retail Strategies
The false narrative of "physical versus digital" retail continues to frustrate industry experts who recognize that success lies in integration, not separation. Today's retail landscape shows a normalization where e-commerce growth follows predi...
•
5:28
AI Training for All: Walmart’s Bold Workforce Move
Walmart has just made a game-changing announcement that signals a fundamental shift in retail strategy. Rather than simply investing in the latest technology, they're making an unprecedented commitment to their people by bringing AI training th...
•
4:30
Walmart's Bold Move into Live Commerce: Redefining the Collector Experience
Ready for a glimpse into the future of retail? Walmart just might be showing us the way with their bold new venture into live commerce. Their weekly show "Collector's Night" isn't just another shopping channel—it's a fascinating reinvention of ...
•
4:56
How Texas A&M's Core Values Transform Modern Retail Excellence
What happens when you apply university values to the retail world? Drawing from my experience teaching at Texas A&M University's Center for Retailing Studies, I've discovered that the six core Aggie values—respect, excellence, leadership, l...
•
6:46