<description>As retail leaders prepare for Shoptalk Europe 2026, the conversation is no longer centered on what AI could do. It’s shifting toward what AI in retail is already doing, where it is creating measurable value, and what it takes to move from pilots to profit.

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Jeremy Goldman, VP of Insights at RETHINK Retail, sits down with Joe Laszlo, Head of Content at Shoptalk, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Shoptalk Europe agenda is built, and why this year’s program reflects a more execution-focused moment for retail.

The conversation explores:

→ Why the Shoptalk Europe 2026 agenda moves beyond theory and into real-world retail AI application
→ How European retail leaders are navigating AI, customer connection, and physical retail reinvention
→ Why agentic commerce is being approached with both excitement and scrutiny
→ What makes the European retail conversation distinct across markets, regulations, and consumer behaviors
→ Which sessions and speakers are set to shape the biggest retail conversations in Barcelona

With leaders from Vestiaire Collective, Arc’teryx, Christian Louboutin, Zalando, Estée Lauder, Sephora, L’Oréal, Google, and more taking the stage, Shoptalk Europe is bringing together the people defining what retail execution looks like next.

🎧 Listen to the full episode for a preview of the themes, speakers, and conversations shaping Shoptalk Europe 2026, taking place June 9–11 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.</description>

As retail leaders prepare for Shoptalk Europe 202…

As retail leaders prepare for Shoptalk Europe 2026, the conversation is no longer centered on what AI could do. It’s shifting toward what AI in retail is already doing, where it is creating measurable value, and what it takes to move from pilots to profit.

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, Jeremy Goldman, VP of Insights at RETHINK Retail, sits down with Joe Laszlo, Head of Content at Shoptalk, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Shoptalk Europe agenda is built, and why this year’s program reflects a more execution-focused moment for retail.

The conversation explores:

→ Why the Shoptalk Europe 2026 agenda moves beyond theory and into real-world retail AI application
→ How European retail leaders are navigating AI, customer connection, and physical retail reinvention
→ Why agentic commerce is being approached with both excitement and scrutiny
→ What makes the European retail conversation distinct across markets, regulations, and consumer behaviors
→ Which sessions and speakers are set to shape the biggest retail conversations in Barcelona

With leaders from Vestiaire Collective, Arc’teryx, Christian Louboutin, Zalando, Estée Lauder, Sephora, L’Oréal, Google, and more taking the stage, Shoptalk Europe is bringing together the people defining what retail execution looks like next.

🎧 Listen to the full episode for a preview of the themes, speakers, and conversations shaping Shoptalk Europe 2026, taking place June 9–11 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona.

Shoptalk Europe 2026: Moving from AI Theory to Execution

<description>The conversation continues! In the conclusion of our special two-part coverage from eTail Toronto 2026, host Jeremy Goldman sits down with four more industry experts to explore the shifting dynamics of modern retail and what it takes to stay ahead in an increasingly automated landscape.

Featured in this episode:

- Janet Ihm (Vice President, Channel Strategy &amp; Digital Experience, Ontario Cannabis Store): Using retail data programs to level the playing field for mom and pop shops and the importance of intentional, cautious AI strategy.

- Thomas Hamilton (VP of Sales &amp; Marketing): Why he’s teaching his team philosophy and critical thinking to act as tastemakers who audit the machine.

- Mario Lemieux (Partner, DAC): The collapse of the traditional marketing funnel and the rebirth of the physical store as a billboard for the brand.

- Roger Emeka (Director of Customer Experience, Browns Shoes Inc.): Why Customer Experience is a profit center and the immediate fallback rule that keeps humans at the center of the journey.

Listen now to hear the full conclusion of our eTail Toronto series!</description>

The conversation continues! In the conclusion of …

The conversation continues! In the conclusion of our special two-part coverage from eTail Toronto 2026, host Jeremy Goldman sits down with four more industry experts to explore the shifting dynamics of modern retail and what it takes to stay ahead in an increasingly automated landscape.

Featured in this episode:

- Janet Ihm (Vice President, Channel Strategy & Digital Experience, Ontario Cannabis Store): Using retail data programs to level the playing field for mom and pop shops and the importance of intentional, cautious AI strategy.

- Thomas Hamilton (VP of Sales & Marketing): Why he’s teaching his team philosophy and critical thinking to act as tastemakers who audit the machine.

- Mario Lemieux (Partner, DAC): The collapse of the traditional marketing funnel and the rebirth of the physical store as a billboard for the brand.

- Roger Emeka (Director of Customer Experience, Browns Shoes Inc.): Why Customer Experience is a profit center and the immediate fallback rule that keeps humans at the center of the journey.

Listen now to hear the full conclusion of our eTail Toronto series!

Insights from eTail Toronto 2026 (Part 2)

<description>Stanley 1913 has moved far beyond a single blockbuster product.

Graham Nearn, Chief Product and Sustainability Officer, PMI WW Brands, LLC (Stanley 1913), sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss how a brand with a century of history stays absolutely relevant in a trend-driven market.

Inside the Episode:

- The Credibility Ladder: Why every expansion must pass the four filters of quality, originality, invention, and mission to avoid overextending the brand.

- Lifestyle Evolution: How the Vitalize collection and the new Clutch Bottle move the company beyond hydration and into everyday essentials.

- Universal Truths: Adapting a global strategy to meet hyper-local needs, from car culture in the US to commute culture in Asia.

- Circular Success: A look at the award-winning Take Back program that reclaims 96 percent of materials for the supply chain.

- Predictive Learning: Using real-time social dialogue and data to inform the next move before the market catches up.

Stop managing a blockbuster product. Start fueling the human experience.</description>

Stanley 1913 has moved far beyond a single blockb…

Stanley 1913 has moved far beyond a single blockbuster product.

Graham Nearn, Chief Product and Sustainability Officer, PMI WW Brands, LLC (Stanley 1913), sits down with Jeremy Goldman to discuss how a brand with a century of history stays absolutely relevant in a trend-driven market.

Inside the Episode:

- The Credibility Ladder: Why every expansion must pass the four filters of quality, originality, invention, and mission to avoid overextending the brand.

- Lifestyle Evolution: How the Vitalize collection and the new Clutch Bottle move the company beyond hydration and into everyday essentials.

- Universal Truths: Adapting a global strategy to meet hyper-local needs, from car culture in the US to commute culture in Asia.

- Circular Success: A look at the award-winning Take Back program that reclaims 96 percent of materials for the supply chain.

- Predictive Learning: Using real-time social dialogue and data to inform the next move before the market catches up.

Stop managing a blockbuster product. Start fueling the human experience.

Beyond Viral Trends: Stanley 1913’s Strategy for Lasting Relevancy

<description>Retailers have spent 25 years trying to make in-store picking profitable. Most are still struggling because fulfillment is managed as an afterthought.

In this episode, Top Retail Expert Vinny O'Brien sits down with Xavier Pym, Partnerships Development Manager at Vusion and Kristofer Browall, Head of Solution Sales at StrongPoint, to bridge the gap between digital strategy and operational reality.

Discussion Highlights:

- The Design Conflict

- Direction Over Data

- The Human Factor

- The Connected Advantage

Stop managing the store as a side project. Start building a real-time fulfillment engine.</description>

Retailers have spent 25 years trying to make in-s…

Retailers have spent 25 years trying to make in-store picking profitable. Most are still struggling because fulfillment is managed as an afterthought.

In this episode, Top Retail Expert Vinny O'Brien sits down with Xavier Pym, Partnerships Development Manager at Vusion and Kristofer Browall, Head of Solution Sales at StrongPoint, to bridge the gap between digital strategy and operational reality.

Discussion Highlights:

- The Design Conflict

- Direction Over Data

- The Human Factor

- The Connected Advantage

Stop managing the store as a side project. Start building a real-time fulfillment engine.

Store to Door: Making E-commerce Operationally Viable

<description>B2B commerce is built on a foundation of extreme complexity. When a part fails in a 100 million dollar machine, the customer needs a solution, not just a search result.

Carl Holt, Director of Digital Product and Transformation at RS Group plc, sits down with Howe Gu, Group SVP, Customers and Partners at Rezolve AI, and Evan Burgess, Global Sales Director at Rezolve AI.

They discuss the leap from legacy search engines to agentic commerce.

Inside the Episode:

- 99 Percent Rule Reduction: The automation strategy that allowed RS Group to replace 30,000 manual rules with an AI product platform.

- Natural Language Moats: Why engineers are moving toward "plain English" problem solving to bypass technical jargon.

- Predictive Fulfillment: A look at the future of IoT sensors and AI agents that order spare parts before a machine actually breaks.

- Agent-to-Agent Commerce: How to build digital experiences for the AI agents that will soon be shopping on behalf of global organizations.

Value is not found in the catalog size. It is found in the speed of the solution.</description>

B2B commerce is built on a foundation of extreme …

B2B commerce is built on a foundation of extreme complexity. When a part fails in a 100 million dollar machine, the customer needs a solution, not just a search result.

Carl Holt, Director of Digital Product and Transformation at RS Group plc, sits down with Howe Gu, Group SVP, Customers and Partners at Rezolve AI, and Evan Burgess, Global Sales Director at Rezolve AI.

They discuss the leap from legacy search engines to agentic commerce.

Inside the Episode:

- 99 Percent Rule Reduction: The automation strategy that allowed RS Group to replace 30,000 manual rules with an AI product platform.

- Natural Language Moats: Why engineers are moving toward "plain English" problem solving to bypass technical jargon.

- Predictive Fulfillment: A look at the future of IoT sensors and AI agents that order spare parts before a machine actually breaks.

- Agent-to-Agent Commerce: How to build digital experiences for the AI agents that will soon be shopping on behalf of global organizations.

Value is not found in the catalog size. It is found in the speed of the solution.

B2B AI Secrets: How RS Group and Rezolve Ai Scale

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