Calling an Audible: Podcasts Worth a Listen

Some recent retail-focused podcasts are tackling issues facing lighting showrooms today. Give a listen to learn what unsold product is really telling you, what to expect in retail rents, how to combat AI search that favors big retailers, and more.

By Julie A. Palm

As a fan of strategic multitasking, I love a good podcast — and the idea of learning or being entertained whether I’m driving around town, traveling to a market or cleaning the kitchen. And there are some great podcasts for retailers. I’ve pulled together some recent episodes that address issues facing lighting showrooms today, from evaluating slow-moving product and making sure shoppers can find you online to what may happen to retail rents and available store locations in coming years.

You can find these wherever you get your podcasts.

1. “Why the Products That You Regret Buying Are More Important Than You Think” from the Bringing Business to Retail podcast hosted by Salena Knight. In this episode of a podcast focused on implementable strategies for brick-and-mortar and e-commerce stores, Knight notes that it’s easy to focus on bestsellers and push slow sellers to the back of the store – and the back of your mind – until it’s time for a clearance sale. But Knight urges retailers to dive into the buying decisions that led to slow sales. Did you buy too much? Did you price the item too high? Was it the wrong style? The wrong finish? Delving into the initial purchase can help you avoid making similar mistakes in the future. (Podcast length: about 15 minutes)

2. “Prompt Local: How One Word Changes Who Gets Found with Dax Dasilva from Lightspeed.” This episode of the Retail in America podcast hosted by Ron Thurston is part of a special “Road to NFR” limited series. A lot of independent retailers have counted on Google search to help shoppers find their stores, but artificial intelligence is changing how people search for information. Research commissioned by Lightspeed found that AI-based search recommends large retailers over local businesses nine out of 10 times. Ouch! And the problem is likely to get worse as consumers turn to AI agents to shop for them. Lightspeed’s Dax Dasilva offers ways independent retailers and smaller chains can respond, including by using AI to take drudgery out of some of their own marketing efforts. (Podcast length: about 40 minutes)  

3. “Store Traffic & Conversion Rates: Why In-Store Converts Up to 70%” from The Retail Razor show podcast hosted by Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden. Mark Ryski, author of the book “Store Traffic Is a Gift,” says brick-and-mortar retailers have conversion rates that e-commerce sites can only dream of reaching. Unfortunately, stores sometimes focus too much on foot traffic and too little on converting browsers into buyers. What’s causing your shoppers to leave without purchasing? (Podcast length: about 50 minutes)

4. “The Trust Crash: Why Consumers Don’t Believe Brands Anymore” from the Retail Disrupted podcast hosted by Natalie Berg. Retail and consumer behavior expert Amna Khan says consumers’ trust in brands and retailers is quickly eroding (along with people’s trust in many institutions). Khan says that today only about 30% of consumers trust businesses. And if you think consumers trust yours, you’re joining 90% of business owners who believe that. But clearly there’s a disconnect, and artificial intelligence has the potential to erode trust even further. Khan suggests ways retailers can build connections and strengthen trust. (Podcast length: about 30 minutes)

4.5 “AI in Retail Won’t Be Your Edge, Trust Will” from The Retail Podcast hosted by Alex Rezvan. In this good companion to “The Trust Crash” podcast episode I mentioned above, Doug Stephens, founder of The Retail Prophet, says consumer trust in businesses is even lower, just 15%. One countermeasure, Stephens argues, is for retailers to look at every decision through a lens of fairness. (Podcast length: about 35 minutes)

5. “Why Retail Rents Are Rising and New Supply Is Still Years Away” from the Retail Retold podcast hosted by Chris Ressa. CBRE’s Karly Iacono and host Chris Ressa discuss how limited new retail development and other factors are driving up store rents at a time when the physical store is even more valuable as a way to reach and serve customers. They dive deep into the current real estate market, its variables and what it will look like in the next five years. (Podcast length: about 30 minutes)