A Must-Read Guide to Shoptalk 2023: How To Maximize Your Time and Create Opportunities Across Five Retail Themes

Introduction

Coresight Research is a research partner of Shoptalk 2023, which will take place during March 26–29 in Las Vegas. Shoptalk is an annual retail conference focusing on retail innovation and the trends, business models and technologies that are shaping the future of retail.

In this report, we offer a guide of notable sessions for attendees across five major themes identified by the Shoptalk team: shopper engagement, emerging channels, store experience, technology and organizational changes. We also highlight the “Shark Reef” startup pitch competition (which will take place on the first day of Shoptalk) as well as the sessions in which Coresight Research will participate.

To ensure you don’t miss out on critical insights, we will provide regular coverage of Shoptalk 2023 on coresight.com. Closing the event, Ben Miller, Director of Original Content at Shoptalk, will host the “Shoptalk Recap: Key Takeaways for 2023” session in the Lyceum Theatre at 11.05 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29. Coresight Research will also publish a wrap-up of everything you need to know from Shoptalk 2023 after the event.

Guide to Shoptalk 2023: Coresight Research Insights

Notable Sessions Across Five Major Themes

Shopper Engagement

With more brands, products and marketing noise than ever before, retailers need to provide unique and immersive shopping experiences to capture consumers’ attention and wallets.

What does best-in-class shopper engagement look like? Highlighted sessions explore how retailers can engage shoppers through immersive technologies and channels, such as livestreaming and personalized experiences powered by AI (artificial intelligence) and data. Sessions will also cover how retailers can improve the customer experience to increase product discovery and drive conversion across channels.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Monday, March 27	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Palace Theatre	The Forefront of Livestreaming and Shoppable Video	Kendra Braken-Ferguson, Founder & CEO, BrainTrust	NEST New York Qurate Retail Group
Monday, March 27	4.05– 4.25 p.m.	Lyceum Theatre	Track Keynote: Innovative Approaches to Customer Loyalty Innovative Approaches to Customer Loyalty: A Conversation	Linh Peters, SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Walgreens (Speaker) Lokesh Ohri, Partner, EY (Interviewer)	Casey’s Petco Walgreens
Monday, March 27	4.55– 5.35 p.m.	Beacon Theatre	Customer Care, Loyalty, and The Post-Purchase Experience	Tony Ward, Retail Leader, Ernst & Young	Co:Create EON Forethought
Tuesday, March 28	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Apollo Theatre	Facilitating Product Discovery Online and In Stores	Anne Mezzenga, Co-CEO, Omnitalk	Meta Savage X Fenty Wayfair
Tuesday, March 28	4.05– 4.45 p.m.	Apollo Theatre	Achieving Personalization at Scale	Veronika Sonsev, Co-Founder, CommerceNext	The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Kate Spade Shipt
Tuesday, March 28	4.05– 4.45 p.m.	Fox Theatre	Deep Dive: Catering to Today’s Beauty Consumer	Alexa Tietjen, Content Director, Shoptalk	Bubble Skincare The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. WinkyLux
Tuesday, March 28	4.55– 5.35 p.m.	Fox Theatre	Deep Dive: New Challenges and Opportunities in Luxury	Marie Driscoll, Managing Director, Beauty and Luxury, Coresight Research	Coach Saks Vestiaire Collective
Wednesday, March 29	9.55– 10.55 a.m.	Apollo Theatre	The Rise of the Creator Economy	Jasmine Enberg, Principal Analyst, Social Media, Insider Intelligence	Overstock TikTok UTA Ventures
Wednesday, March 29	11.05 a.m.– 12.05 p.m.	Apollo Theatre	The Latest Omnichannel Marketing Tactics	Beth Wade, Global Chief Marketing Officer, VMLY&R	Georgia-Pacific HARMAN International On

Related Coresight Research reports:

• All our coverage of livestreaming e-commerce
• Think Tank: US Retail Loyalty Programs—Redefining Customer Engagement
• Five Strategies for Success in US Grocery Retail: Leveraging First-Party Data To Offer a Connected Shopping Experience

 

Emerging Channels

In the current uncertain macroeconomic environment, retailers can turn to new and emerging channels to drive alternative revenue streams.

What emerging channels will deliver business growth? At Shoptalk 2023, sessions under this theme will cover established channels such as DTC (direct to consumer), wholesale and marketplaces, as well as new developments in Web 3.0 and retail media networks.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Sunday, March 26	2.50– 3.30 p.m.	Lyceum Theatre	Track Keynote: Building an Omnichannel Organization Building an Omnichannel Organization: A Conversation	Seemantini Godbole, EVP, Chief Digital & Information Officer Lowes (Presenter) and Brendan Witcher, VP & Principal Analyst, Forrester (Interviewer)	Boardriders Lowe’s Navy Exchange Service Command
Monday, March 27	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Globe Theatre	New Insights on Global Retail Trends	Joe Laszlo, VP Content, Shoptalk	McKinsey & Company
Tuesday, March 28	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Palace Theatre	Web3 in Retail: Virtual Goods and Immersive Consumer Experiences	Hilary Milnes, Executive Americas Editor, Vogue Business	American Eagle PacSun Snap
Tuesday, March 28	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Lyceum Theatre	Optimizing Between DTC and Wholesale Strategies	Sonya Brown, General Partner & Co-Head of Growth Equity, Norwest Venture Partners (Interviewer) and Daniela Sirtori-Cortina, Reporter, Bloomberg News (Interviewer)	Grove Collaborative Kohler Co. Randa Apparel & Accessories
Tuesday, March 28	9.20– 10.00 a.m.	Apollo Theatre	Track Keynote: Building Unified Retail Experiences	Krystina Gustafson, SVP Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer) and Hilary Milnes, Executive Americas Editor, Vogue (Interviewer)	Best Buy Signet
Tuesday, March 28	9.20– 10.00 a.m.	Lyceum Theatre	Brand Executives’ Perspectives on the Evolution of Marketplaces	Jamie Dooley, Partner, The Partnering Group	Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health Otrium The Vitamin Shoppe
Tuesday, March 28	4.55– 5.35 p.m.	Apollo Theatre	Next-Generation Retail Media Offerings	Stephen Mewborn, Partner, Bain & Company	Church & Dwight Mondelēz International Walmart
Wednesday, March 29	9.55– 10.55 a.m.	Globe Theatre	Pursuing New Revenue Streams and Adjacent Industries	Jare’ Buckley-Cox, VP, Walmart Fulfillment Services, Walmart Jessica Ringena, President, Vivid Clear Rx, SVP, Hy-Vee	Hy-Vee Walmart

Related Coresight Research reports:

• Retail Media—New Opportunities for US Specialty Retailers
• Metaverse Pioneers: Learnings for Fashion Brands from the Web 3.0 Strategies of Adidas and NIKE
• US Apparel and Footwear Brands Adopt Hybrid Wholesale-DTC Models

 

Store Experience

After experiencing the convenience and benefits of online shopping over the past couple of years, consumers’ expectations around the in-store shopping experience are more demanding.

How can retailers deliver an outstanding store experience? The reimagining of the physical store will be key for retailers to meet consumers’ evolving needs and will have impacts across the business, from store operations to merchandising.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Sunday, March 26	2.00– 2.40 p.m.	Apollo Theatre	Using Customer Data to Surprise and Delight	Kelly Pedersen, Partner, US Retail Leader, PwC	McDonald’s Rebag Stitch Fix
Monday, March 27	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Apollo Theatre	Track Keynote: Transforming the Store Workforce with New Roles and Capabilities	Melissa Repko, Retail & Consumer Reporter, CNBC	COS Macy’s
Monday, March 27	9.20– 10.00 a.m.	Apollo Theatre	Providing Inspiration and Ease: Balancing Store Design Imperatives	Melissa Gonzalez, Founder, The Lionesque Group, Principal, MG2	Studs WHP Global and Toys “R” Us YourStudio
Monday, March 27	4.05– 4.45 p.m.	Globe Theatre	A Global Perspective on the Evolving Role of Stores	Joe Laszlo, VP Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer) Hilary Milnes, Executive Americas Editor, Vogue Business (Interviewer)	Canada Goose Ingka Group (IKEA Retail)

Related Coresight Research reports:

• Coresight Research has identified physical retail renewal as a key theme in retail this year under our RESET framework: Global Retail in 2023: Five Forces, Five Trends
• How US Malls Can Embrace Digital Trends in Retail
• Copley Place and Prudential Center—Demonstrating the Potential of Urban Mixed-Use Malls

 

Technology

In the face of brisk headwinds, strong technology investment plans will be crucial in reducing inefficiencies and driving growth.

Which tech investments will boost retailers’ revenue and profitability? Retailers and industry experts will share how next-generation technologies, such as AI, blockchain and digital twins, are transforming operations with positive impacts on the bottom line.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Monday, March 27	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Lyceum Theatre	The Efficient Retailer: Case Studies on Successful Tech Deployments	Poonam Goyal, Sector Head & Equity Analyst, Bloomberg	GNC Kroger Lowe’s
Monday, March 27	9.20– 10.00 a.m.	Beacon Theatre	Data and Personalization Technologies	Adam Pressman, Partner & Managing Director, AlixPartners	Google Cloud Netomi Persado Tandym
Monday, March 27	4.05– 4.45 p.m.	Palace Theatre	New Applications of AI and Machine Learning	Lauren Wiener, Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group	Peapod Digital (Ahold Delhaize) Poshmark Under Armour
Monday, March 27	4.55– 5.35 p.m.	Palace Theatre	Track Keynote: Leveraging Data Effectively Throughout the Organization	Brendan Witcher, VP & Principal Analyst, Forrester	H&M
Tuesday, March 28	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Fox Theatre	Leveraging Zero-Party Data	Sam Tomlinson, EVP of Strategy & Analytics, Warschawski	Mars Wrigley
Tuesday, March 28	9.20– 10.00 a.m.	Lyceum Theatre	Pricing and Merchandising Technologies	Amanda Astrologo, Partner, The Parker Avery Group	Competera Nextail NuORDER by Lightspeed SKYPAD
Tuesday, March 28	4.55– 5.35 p.m.	Globe Theatre	Web 3 and the Supply Chain: Blockchain, Digital Twins and More	Deborah Weinswig, Founder & CEO, Coresight Research (Speaker) Ben Miller, Director of Original Content, Shoptalk (Emcee)	Coresight Research
Tuesday, March 28	4.55– 5.35 p.m.	Palace Theatre	Rapid Fire: Debating Nine Trending Retail Technologies	Chris Walton, Co-CEO, Omni Talk (Interviewer)	CB Insights Patagonia Ulta Beauty

Related Coresight Research reports:

• Retail Challenges Drive Edge Technology Investment
• Motivating Customer Action and Driving Business Growth with AI-Generated, Personalized Digital Marketing
• The Future of AI in Retail: What Technology Could Make Possible by 2030
• All Coresight Research coverage of emerging technology

 

Organizational Changes

Making structural and organizational changes is crucial for retailers to remain competitive in an uncertain and challenging macroeconomic environment.

What organizational changes will help retailers win? Retail leaders will share how they leverage data and technology to better equip their workforce and access and share insights in order to maintain business agility.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Sunday, March 26	2.00– 2.40 p.m.	Lyceum Theatre	Creating and Maintaining a Culture of Excellence	Sarah Engel, President, January Digital	Abercrombie & Fitch Co. PepsiCo Under Armour
Sunday, March 26	3.40– 4.20 p.m.	Fox Theatre	Track Keynote: The C-Suite on Thriving in Today’s Retail Environment	Krystina Gustafson, SVP Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer) Joe Laszlo, VP Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer)	OLAPLEX Target
Monday, March 27	9.20– 10.00 a.m.	Lyceum Theatre	Leveraging Automation in a Tight Labor Market	Gerry Hough, Partner, McKinsey & Company	Nordstrom
Tuesday, March 28	8.30– 9.10 a.m.	Globe Theatre	Making the Supply Chain a Strategic Differentiator	Lindsey Mazza, Global Retail Lead, Capgemini	Gap Inc. SHEIN
Tuesday, March 28	4.05– 4.45 p.m.	Palace Theatre	Track Keynote: Perspectives on the Future of the Industry	Joe Laszlo, VP Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer)	Google Macy’s
Wednesday, March 29	8.45– 9.45 a.m.	Globe Theatre	Attracting Top Tech Talent to Shape the Future of Retail	David Welch, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group	Advance Auto Parts L’Occitane Group MC Sonae
Wednesday, March 29	11.05 a.m.– 12.05 p.m.	Globe Theatre	Innovation Strategies to Thrive in Retail’s Next Decade	Steve Dennis, Founder & President, SageBerry Consulting (Presenter and Interviewer)	maude Tractor Supply Company UGG

Related Coresight Research reports:

• 2023 Retail and Technology Outlook: Facing into the Headwinds
• The C-Suite’s Evolution: Embracing Technology and Adapting to Hybrid Working in Retail
• RetailTech: Collaboration Tools for Retailers—Increasing Workplace Productivity

Don’t Miss the “Shark Reef” Startup Pitch Competition!

In addition to the aforementioned sessions, we strongly urge attendees to join the “Shark Reef” startup pitch competition, which will take place on Sunday, March 26, at the Beacon Theatre.

The event will comprise two rounds across three sessions through the day. In the first round, 12 startups will present on their innovative technologies that are solving key retail challenges. A panel of expert judges will lead a short Q&A following each presentation, before selecting six companies to progress to the next round. During the second round, the finalists will participate in a more in-depth Q&A session. The judges will then reveal the Judges’ Choice winner, and the audience will have the opportunity to cast their votes for the Audience Choice winner.

Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder of Coresight Research, will emcee the competition, in addition to participating as one of the judging panel.

Participating startups in the Shark Reef Startup Pitch include Drop, Factored Quality, Frate, Gander, Hark, IN BOLD PRINT., Reflekt Me, Seer, Syrup Tech, Tolstoy and Wink.

• Look out for our separate coverage of the Shark Reef Startup Pitch, including an Innovator Profile on each of the participating startups, which we will publish in the lead-up to the event.

 

Coresight Research at Shoptalk 2023

In addition to the “Shark Tank” startup pitch competition (see above), the Coresight Research team will participate in two panels and a workshop during the conference, the details of which we provide below.

Web 3 and the Supply Chain: Blockchain, Digital Twins and More: 4.55–5.35 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Weinswig will deliver a Shoptalk Original Content presentation featuring a proprietary model from Coresight Research to help retailers leverage Web 3.0 technologies, such as blockchain, computer vision and augmented reality, to create “digital twins,” improving visibility and operational efficiency in their supply chains.

• Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder of Coresight Research
• Ben Miller, Director of Original Shoptalk Content at Shoptalk

Deep Dive: New Challenges and Opportunities in Luxury: 4.55–5.35 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Marie Driscoll, Managing Director of Beauty and Luxury at Coresight Research, will present insights on the luxury market, including new trends and opportunities across technology, gaming, the metaverse and more. Following the presentation, Driscoll will interview two brand leaders to understand how they are addressing evolving consumer needs and expectations.

• Marie Driscoll, Managing Director of Beauty and Luxury at Coresight Research
• Emily Essner, Chief Marketing Officer at Saks
• Samina Virk, CEO North America at Vestiaire Collective
• Sandeep Seth, Global Chief Marketing Officer and President of North America at Coach

Women in Retail Pavilion Leadership Chat: 10.05-10.25 a.m. on Monday, March 27, 2023

Driscoll will speak with leading female retail executive JuE Wong, CEO of Olaplex, to discuss Wong’s career journey and the secrets to success that have enabled her to become a leading woman in beauty retail.

• Marie Driscoll, Managing Director, Beauty and Luxury at Coresight Research
• JuE Wong, CEO of Olaplex