You've heard the weekly podcast to start your week. Now listen to the best video pod to finish your week - the Watson Weekend -- your irreverent take on the eCommerce landscape.
In this episode of The Watson Weekend, Rick Watson and Jessica Lessisky welcome Donna Felix, VP of Product & E-commerce at Vivrelle, the innovative luxury fashion membership club that's changing how we access designer handbags and accessories.
In this episode of The Watson Weekend, Rick Watson and Jessica Lessisky welcome Donna Felix, VP of Product & E-commerce at Vivrelle, the innovative luxury fashion membership club that's changing how we access designer handbags and accessories. Donna shares Vivrelle's origin story (written on a napkin during the founders' honeymoon!), explains how they track thousands of luxury items, and reveals their exciting new partnership with Revolve Group.
Plus, Nick Kaplan returns with tactical advice for navigating the current tariff situation in his "Kaplan's Corner" segment. From Chanel to Hermes, discover how Vivrelle's "borrow don't buy" model is flipping luxury on its head while maintaining exceptional customer service.
The Watson Weekend is sponsored by Elastic Path.
#LuxuryFashion #DesignerHandbags #MembershipClub #RetailInnovation #Ecommerce #Vivrelle
In this episode of The Watson Weekend, Rick Watson and Nick Kaplan dive into the evolving world of marketplaces with special guest Jordan Sielaff, co-founder and CEO of Gierd. They discuss Amazon's potential TikTok acquisition, the Shein IPO's challenges amid tariff concerns, and the wave of eye-opening Chinese manufacturing content flooding TikTok.
In this episode of The Watson Weekend, Rick Watson and Nick Kaplan dive into the evolving world of marketplaces with special guest Jordan Sielaff, co-founder and CEO of Gierd. They discuss Amazon's potential TikTok acquisition, the Shein IPO's challenges amid tariff concerns, and the wave of eye-opening Chinese manufacturing content flooding TikTok.
Jordan shares his journey from marketplace seller to Amazon executive to entrepreneur, offering invaluable insights on marketplace strategy for brands, the true nature of marketplace competition, and how Amazon's massive investments in AI tools like Rufus are shaping the future of e-commerce.
Nick Kaplan closes with tactical advice for navigating the current tariff situation, describing it as a "hostage crisis" that requires decisive action from brands and retailers.
00:00 Introduction
02:34 Headline Hangover: Sponsored by Passport
15:18 Jordan Sielaff Introduction
26:26 Is Marketplace Creative or Cannibalistic?
37:17 Amazon's Leadership Through Investment and Innovation
50:08 Kaplan's Corner: Navigating the Tariff "Hostage Crisis"
#ecommerce #marketplace #amazon #retail #tariffs #supplychainmanagement #brandstrategy #amazonstrategy #aigeneration
In this episode of The Watson Weekend, hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky navigate the turbulent economic landscape with special guest Sid Jatia, VP of Digital Commerce and Service at General Motors. They discuss the week's top stories including suspended IPOs, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order rollercoaster, the Prada-Versace acquisition, and the impact of tariffs on retail forecasts and customs operations.
In this episode of The Watson Weekend, hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky navigate the turbulent economic landscape with special guest Sid Jatia, VP of Digital Commerce and Service at General Motors. They discuss the week's top stories including suspended IPOs, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order rollercoaster, the Prada-Versace acquisition, and the impact of tariffs on retail forecasts and customs operations.
Sid shares invaluable leadership insights on driving team execution, creating cross-functional alignment, and building customer loyalty in uncertain times. The conversation explores the "high-low strategy" for balancing vision with action, practical applications of AI in product visualization, and Nick Kaplan joins to discuss the evolving role of CMOs in the age of efficiency.
00:00 Introduction
03:15 Headline Hangover: Sponsored by Passport
05:25 Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-orders
11:58 Walmart Withdraws Q1 Profit Forecast
17:47 Sid Jatia Interview: Leadership Philosophy
37:58 Kaplan's Corner: The Evolving CMO
The Watson Weekend is sponsored by Mirakl.
#watsonweekend #leadership #retail #ecommerce #supplychain #tariffs #digitaltransformation #GM #TeamAlignment
In this episode of The Watson Weekend sponsored by Elastic Path, hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky explore the latest developments in e-commerce and retail with special guest John Shea from Momentum Commerce. They discuss Target's employee bonus cuts, the Kate Spade x Target collaboration, PetSmart's ship-from-store strategy, NRF's optimistic sales forecasts, and Amazon's potential bid for TikTok.
In this episode of The Watson Weekend sponsored by Elastic Path, hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky explore the latest developments in e-commerce and retail with special guest John Shea from Momentum Commerce. They discuss Target's employee bonus cuts, the Kate Spade x Target collaboration, PetSmart's ship-from-store strategy, NRF's optimistic sales forecasts, and Amazon's potential bid for TikTok.
John Shea shares expert insights on Amazon's evolution into a trillion-dollar platform, the strategic value of Amazon Marketing Cloud, and how brands can successfully navigate the marketplace. The conversation covers brand building on Amazon, the economics of first-party versus third-party selling, and data-driven strategies for success in an increasingly competitive landscape.
00:00 Introduction
02:25 Headline Hangover Sponsored by Passport
10:37 Amazon's Potential TikTok Acquisition
15:08 Introducing John Shea
16:21 Amazon's Trillion Dollar Marketplace
18:21 Amazon as Platform vs Channel
24:05 Amazon Marketing Cloud Explained
32:46 First-Party vs Third-Party Strategy
41:37 Amazon Compliance Challenges
45:54 Economic Outlook and Category Performance
#ecommerce #retail #amazon #digitalmarketing #retailmedia #amazonmarketplace #tiktok #brandstrategy #watsonweekend
In this episode of Watson Weekend, hosts Rick Watson and Nick Kaplan dive into the latest updates in retail technology and e-commerce. They share their experiences from the ShopTalk conference, discuss the latest in tariffs and inventory management, and explore the impact of generative AI and digital agents in the industry.
In this episode of Watson Weekend, hosts Rick Watson and Nick Kaplan dive into the latest updates in retail technology and e-commerce. They share their experiences from the ShopTalk conference, discuss the latest in tariffs and inventory management, and explore the impact of generative AI and digital agents in the industry.
The duo also highlights the best and worst aspects of ShopTalk, including the importance of relationships, the evolution of influencer marketing, and the frustrations with badge policies. Don't miss their take on current trends and the future of e-commerce!
00:00 Welcome to Watson Weekend
02:17 Headline Hangover sponsored by Passport
09:40 Debate on Headless Commerce
16:23 ShopTalk Highlights
25:06 Meetups and Networking Success
29:47 The Overuse of Buzzwords
38:51 Final Thoughts and Future Events
The Watson Weekend is sponsored by Mirakl.
#watsonweekend #shoptalk #ai #agentic #thedebate #headlesscommerce #tariffs
In this episode of The Watson Weekend, hosts Rick Watson and Jess Lesetsky welcome Hawke Media founder & CEO Erik Huberman to discuss digital marketing strategies during economic uncertainty.
In this episode of The Watson Weekend, hosts Rick Watson and Jess Lesetsky welcome Hawke Media founder & CEO Erik Huberman to discuss digital marketing strategies during economic uncertainty. Erik shares why cutting your marketing budget during challenging times is almost always a mistake, why a good product remains marketing's foundation, and how brands can become effective media companies. Plus, Nick Kaplan returns with week three of "Kaplan's Corner: Held Hostage" offering tactical advice on managing your workforce during turbulent times.
This episode is sponsored by Mirakl. Because "Traditional eCommerce" Is Just Code for "Not Growing" It's time to do better than the status quo. Join 450+ retailers who are scaling 6X faster with AI, automation, and a platform built for what's next. Marketplace, dropship, and retail media at enterprise-grade scale. It's time to accelerate with Mirakl.
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:04:00 - Headline Hangover
00:11:41 - ChatGPT's New Shopping Features
00:19:00 - Erik Huberman on the Current Marketing Landscape
00:25:28 - Why Cutting Marketing is Always a Bad Move
00:34:00 - The Future of Social Media Marketing
00:47:27 - Kaplan's Corner: People Strategy in Uncertain Times
#watsonweekend #DigitalMarketing #BrandStrategy #EcommerceMarketing #MarketingAgency #hawkemedia #BusinessStrategy #SocialMediaMarketing