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- 35:43 min

Interview

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You Don’t Need an AI Strategy, You Need a Business Strategy That Uses AI

In today’s fast-moving retail landscape, technology alone doesn’t drive innovation; people do. That’s why building high-performing IT teams starts with mastering the fundamentals. Drawing inspiration from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, truly effective tech teams must first ensure operational stability: systems must run smoothly, websites stay live, and data flows without friction. Only after that foundation is solid can teams evolve to execute value-driving projects and ultimately, innovate. Innovation, in this model, isn’t a buzzword—it’s something that’s earned.

Retailers like The Vitamin Shoppe, a leading health and wellness brand with over 650 stores across the U.S., exemplify this approach by embedding innovation deeply into their culture. From leveraging AI for warehouse automation and customer insights to using robotic process automation (RPA) to eliminate repetitive tasks, the brand isn’t chasing technology for its own sake. Instead, it uses these tools to free up employees—known internally as “health enthusiasts”—to focus on what they do best: delivering expertise and personalized care to customers navigating their own wellness journeys.

The rise of AI also calls for a shift in mindset. Leaders shouldn’t be asking, “What’s our AI strategy?” Instead, they should ask, “How can AI help us achieve our business goals faster and smarter?” At The Vitamin Shoppe, AI is being used not just for productivity gains but also for inclusivity, like real-time transcriptions for deaf employees and multilingual communication tools. Tech is treated as a toolset, not a strategy in itself, with the flexibility to swap in or out vendors through a modular, composable architecture that ensures agility and adaptability in the years ahead.

Perhaps most importantly, the future of IT leadership depends on hiring for traits that don’t show up on résumés: curiosity, adaptability, and a genuine desire to learn. In a world where technology evolves weekly, those who stay curious—and humble—will be best equipped to lead. Whether it’s navigating the ethical boundaries of AI or finding smarter ways to serve customers, tomorrow’s innovators will be those who blend technical fluency with human empathy.

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Retail Intelligence in Action

Beyond the hype: How AI fuels speed, insight, and story-doing

AI is becoming a catalyst for speed, sharper insight, and what they call story doing. The focus is not on more dashboards or bigger decks, it is on momentum, creative confidence, and choices that move the numbers.

AI is becoming a catalyst for speed, sharper insight, and what they call story doing. The focus is not on more dashboards or bigger decks, it is on momentum, creative confidence, and choices that move the numbers.

Retail Intelligence in Action

AI is becoming a catalyst for speed, sharper insight, and what they call story doing. The focus is not on more dashboards or bigger decks, it is on momentum, creative confidence, and choices that move the numbers.

Beyond the hype: How AI fuels speed, insight, and story-doing

AI is becoming a catalyst for speed, sharper insight, and what they call story doing. The focus is not on more dashboards or bigger decks, it is on momentum, creative confidence, and choices that move the numbers.

Trends

Build-A-Bear’s 1,900% Run: Experience and Digital That Convert

The secret is not a single product or promotion. It is an experience-first model where guests co-create a plush friend, name it, dress it, and leave with a memory that feels personal and worth sharing.

The secret is not a single product or promotion. It is an experience-first model where guests co-create a plush friend, name it, dress it, and leave with a memory that feels personal and worth sharing.

Trends

The secret is not a single product or promotion. It is an experience-first model where guests co-create a plush friend, name it, dress it, and leave with a memory that feels personal and worth sharing.

Build-A-Bear’s 1,900% Run: Experience and Digital That Convert

The secret is not a single product or promotion. It is an experience-first model where guests co-create a plush friend, name it, dress it, and leave with a memory that feels personal and worth sharing.

Retail Intelligence in Action

Trust, ethics, and identity: How to stay authentic in the age of AI

Campaigns win when the story is ownable by the brand and relevant to culture. The loop is simple but difficult to execute: authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Campaigns win when the story is ownable by the brand and relevant to culture. The loop is simple but difficult to execute: authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Retail Intelligence in Action

Campaigns win when the story is ownable by the brand and relevant to culture. The loop is simple but difficult to execute: authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Trust, ethics, and identity: How to stay authentic in the age of AI

Campaigns win when the story is ownable by the brand and relevant to culture. The loop is simple but difficult to execute: authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Interview

The Power of Premium Positioning: Illy Caffè’s Formula for Growth

Under the leadership of Cristian Arcangeli, Vice President of Marketing, Commercial Strategy and Digital, Illy has managed to stay true to its heritage while achieving remarkable growth in new markets.

Under the leadership of Cristian Arcangeli, Vice President of Marketing, Commercial Strategy and Digital, Illy has managed to stay true to its heritage while achieving remarkable growth in new markets.

Interview

Under the leadership of Cristian Arcangeli, Vice President of Marketing, Commercial Strategy and Digital, Illy has managed to stay true to its heritage while achieving remarkable growth in new markets.

The Power of Premium Positioning: Illy Caffè’s Formula for Growth

Under the leadership of Cristian Arcangeli, Vice President of Marketing, Commercial Strategy and Digital, Illy has managed to stay true to its heritage while achieving remarkable growth in new markets.

Retail Intelligence in Action

Unchartered territory: Finding your direction in implementing AI

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from theory to practice in retail, yet many brands are still navigating how to integrate it in ways that deliver true value.

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from theory to practice in retail, yet many brands are still navigating how to integrate it in ways that deliver true value.

Retail Intelligence in Action

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from theory to practice in retail, yet many brands are still navigating how to integrate it in ways that deliver true value.

Unchartered territory: Finding your direction in implementing AI

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from theory to practice in retail, yet many brands are still navigating how to integrate it in ways that deliver true value.

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