WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.919 Welcome back to the deep dive. So if you're a 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:05.080 retail executive and you're getting ready for 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:09.140 NRF 2026, or maybe you're just, you know, trying 00:00:09.140 --> 00:00:11.439 to get a real handle on the major shifts happening 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:14.179 right now on the store floor. Well, this deep 00:00:14.179 --> 00:00:16.899 dive is definitely for you. Our mission today 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:19.920 is to unpack what's really going on, focusing 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:23.920 on where true innovation is happening. And what 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:26.160 the key difference is between abstract technology 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:28.600 and the tools that actually functionally work 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:31.420 on the front line. Exactly. Now, anyone who follows 00:00:31.420 --> 00:00:33.420 us knows we often look at companies that are 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:36.479 driving real world change. And if you're a retail 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:38.460 leader, you're almost certainly familiar with 00:00:38.460 --> 00:00:41.479 Multimedia Plus and their INCITE platform. We're 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:43.240 going to use their recent work as a bit of a 00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:45.000 roadmap here to understand how the industry is 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:47.299 solving some of its biggest headaches. And we 00:00:47.299 --> 00:00:48.659 should probably just cut straight to the chase. 00:00:48.899 --> 00:00:50.820 The core conclusion from every single report 00:00:50.820 --> 00:00:53.100 we looked at is this. For years, we heard this 00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:55.079 narrative. The death of the store. The death 00:00:55.079 --> 00:00:58.780 of the store, exactly. But that whole era of 00:00:58.780 --> 00:01:02.200 gloomy predictions, it's over. Physical retail 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:05.099 isn't just surviving. It's at a huge inflection 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:08.099 point. It's reasserting itself as the absolute 00:01:08.099 --> 00:01:11.290 center of the customer experience. OK, let's 00:01:11.290 --> 00:01:15.230 unpack that because that is a massive pivot from 00:01:15.230 --> 00:01:16.730 what we've been hearing for the last decade. 00:01:16.849 --> 00:01:18.510 I mean, it wasn't long ago that futurists were 00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:20.829 telling us malls would be ghost towns. Right. 00:01:20.829 --> 00:01:23.030 And that everything meaningful would move online. 00:01:23.129 --> 00:01:26.530 Yeah. Well, the data shows that shoppers frankly 00:01:26.530 --> 00:01:29.709 just did not get that memo. Digital transformation 00:01:29.709 --> 00:01:31.709 happened, of course, but the physical store has 00:01:31.709 --> 00:01:33.530 evolved. It's reinvesting in itself and it's 00:01:33.530 --> 00:01:35.810 proving its value. The sources are really clear 00:01:35.810 --> 00:01:38.750 on the data here. In -person shopping drives 00:01:38.750 --> 00:01:41.620 higher conversion rates. Consistently. OK, that's 00:01:41.620 --> 00:01:44.219 the transactional piece. But what about the strategic 00:01:44.219 --> 00:01:46.700 side? How is it becoming the heart of the experience 00:01:46.700 --> 00:01:49.340 again? It really comes down to two things that 00:01:49.340 --> 00:01:52.120 digital still can't quite replicate. OK. Emotional 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.200 connection and brand immersion. The store is 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:57.760 where a customer builds loyalty. It's where they 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:00.739 can touch the product, get real help. And where 00:02:00.739 --> 00:02:03.640 the brand story is actually told in a physical 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:07.189 space. Exactly. But. And this is critical. This 00:02:07.189 --> 00:02:10.330 success is totally contingent. The research confirms 00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:13.129 that all those financial benefits, that higher 00:02:13.129 --> 00:02:15.590 conversion, the loyalty, the lifetime value, 00:02:15.930 --> 00:02:18.150 they only show up when the store is running optimally. 00:02:18.370 --> 00:02:21.169 And that optimization, it all hinges on associates 00:02:21.169 --> 00:02:25.310 who are confident and engaged. Hmm. So if the 00:02:25.310 --> 00:02:28.629 human element is weak, then the store loses its 00:02:28.629 --> 00:02:31.000 unique advantage completely. So the store never 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:33.800 lost its importance. It needed better tools, 00:02:33.979 --> 00:02:35.900 better training. That's it. The problem wasn't 00:02:35.900 --> 00:02:38.419 the store itself. It was the decades old, really 00:02:38.419 --> 00:02:40.580 abstract ways we were trying to support the people 00:02:40.580 --> 00:02:43.060 in it. Right. Now, let's widen the lens a bit. 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:45.340 This is all happening while the macroeconomic 00:02:45.340 --> 00:02:47.500 climate is shifting. The sources say it's actually 00:02:47.500 --> 00:02:50.280 a lighter landscape for retail execs. This is 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:52.780 such a crucial point. It lets you, the executive, 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:55.740 shift your focus. For so long, all the strategic 00:02:55.740 --> 00:02:57.819 energy was just sucked up by external pressure. 00:02:57.939 --> 00:03:01.539 Trade wars, supply chain chaos. All of it. Now 00:03:01.539 --> 00:03:03.599 those headwinds are starting to feel more like 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:07.120 tailwinds. First, the big tariff uncertainty 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.120 that dominated planning is... Well, it's largely 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:12.180 behind us. And what does that clarity actually 00:03:12.180 --> 00:03:14.620 do for a retailer? It hits the capital budget 00:03:14.620 --> 00:03:17.120 directly. When you're not constantly reacting 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:20.139 to surprise costs, you can actually commit to 00:03:20.139 --> 00:03:22.719 big internal improvement projects. It frees up 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.479 resources. OK. Second, interest rates are finally 00:03:25.479 --> 00:03:27.759 trending lower. This helps consumer spending, 00:03:27.780 --> 00:03:30.860 which is great, but it also eases the cost of 00:03:30.860 --> 00:03:33.500 capital for the retailer. So those big tech investments 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:35.219 that might have been on hold for a few years. 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:37.280 Are suddenly much easier to greenlight. Exactly. 00:03:37.539 --> 00:03:39.770 We're seeing a shift from just capital conservation 00:03:39.770 --> 00:03:43.770 to strategic deployment for growth. And the third 00:03:43.770 --> 00:03:46.729 thing is huge. Office attendance is climbing 00:03:46.729 --> 00:03:49.449 again. We're finally seeing foot traffic patterns 00:03:49.449 --> 00:03:52.669 in urban centers start to normalize. Which restores 00:03:52.669 --> 00:03:55.409 a level of predictability. A huge level. It brings 00:03:55.409 --> 00:03:57.849 energy back to those flagship locations. That's 00:03:57.849 --> 00:04:00.189 a powerful mix. So you're removing all this external 00:04:00.189 --> 00:04:03.069 economic friction, which lets executives focus 00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:06.550 on the one thing they can actually control. Internal 00:04:06.550 --> 00:04:09.219 execution. And that, of course, brings us to 00:04:09.219 --> 00:04:11.919 the topic that is dominating every single conversation 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.139 at NRF. AI. AI. It's the single most talked about 00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:17.860 thing. You walk the floor, it's AI for task management, 00:04:18.100 --> 00:04:20.879 AI for content, AI for inventory. AI for everything. 00:04:21.060 --> 00:04:23.680 It is genuinely table stakes now. But this is 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:24.980 where it gets really interesting, right? Because 00:04:24.980 --> 00:04:28.180 AI is being used so broadly. Yeah. It's almost 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:30.759 becoming meaningless. It is. We all know the 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:33.699 goals automation efficiency. Yeah. But if every 00:04:33.699 --> 00:04:37.600 single vendor has AI? What's the actual differentiator? 00:04:37.740 --> 00:04:40.100 That is the critical question. The real issue 00:04:40.100 --> 00:04:43.139 isn't who has AI. It's who is using it in a way 00:04:43.139 --> 00:04:45.759 that actually works in the stores. OK, clarify 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:49.500 that. What does a generic, non -context -aware 00:04:49.500 --> 00:04:53.579 AI look like, and why does it fail for the frontline 00:04:53.579 --> 00:04:56.060 team? It fails because it treats retail like 00:04:56.060 --> 00:04:58.160 a back office spreadsheet. It might be great 00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:01.139 at analyzing sales data, but when it tries to 00:05:01.139 --> 00:05:03.240 create training for the store floor, it just 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:06.819 falls flat. It uses generic stock photos, abstract 00:05:06.819 --> 00:05:10.319 language. It just doesn't reflect the daily reality 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:12.980 of an associate. The chaotic reality. The chaotic 00:05:12.980 --> 00:05:16.639 visual situational reality. Exactly. Retail is 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:18.540 human. If the solution doesn't understand the 00:05:18.540 --> 00:05:21.740 context, the brand, the uniform, the store layout, 00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:24.779 it won't get adopted. It just becomes more corporate 00:05:24.779 --> 00:05:27.889 noise to ignore. That distinction context over 00:05:27.889 --> 00:05:30.689 command is so important. And it brings us right 00:05:30.689 --> 00:05:33.269 to these specific advancements on the INCITE 00:05:33.269 --> 00:05:36.009 platform that really get this. Let's start with 00:05:36.009 --> 00:05:38.790 the INCITE brand aware AI image generation. 00:05:39.310 --> 00:05:41.250 That sounds like it tackles that visual disconnect 00:05:41.250 --> 00:05:42.949 head on. It really does. I mean, think about 00:05:42.949 --> 00:05:45.009 the challenge of creating visuals for training. 00:05:45.410 --> 00:05:47.550 You're either using generic stock photos that 00:05:47.550 --> 00:05:50.029 nobody relates to. Or you're spending a fortune 00:05:50.029 --> 00:05:51.750 on photo shoots that are outdated the minute 00:05:51.750 --> 00:05:54.569 they're done. Precisely. This new tech is AI 00:05:54.569 --> 00:05:56.759 image generation. that's uniquely trained on 00:05:56.759 --> 00:05:59.680 the brand's own specific assets, their guidelines, 00:05:59.939 --> 00:06:02.040 their store designs. It means the images are 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:04.439 generated inside that brand's world. So if I 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:06.680 need a visual for merchandising a new display, 00:06:07.060 --> 00:06:10.860 the image shows associates in our actual uniform 00:06:10.860 --> 00:06:13.399 with our fixtures in a background that looks 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.199 like our store. Exactly, even down to the lighting 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:19.019 on the flooring. And the difference is profound. 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:21.819 When the content feels that relevant, engagement 00:06:21.819 --> 00:06:25.060 just soars. Training stops being some abstract 00:06:25.060 --> 00:06:27.060 theory and becomes practical knowledge you can 00:06:27.060 --> 00:06:29.779 use right now. That's huge for relevance. But 00:06:29.779 --> 00:06:32.319 what about speed and connection? The second big 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:35.350 thing is INCITE posts with video. Yeah, this 00:06:35.350 --> 00:06:37.949 solves a pain point every retail executive knows. 00:06:38.490 --> 00:06:40.529 That communication gap between corporate and 00:06:40.529 --> 00:06:43.149 the store. The long email chain that gets lost 00:06:43.149 --> 00:06:45.050 and misinterpreted a hundred different ways. 00:06:45.310 --> 00:06:48.550 Exactly. It lacks tone. It lacks urgency. So 00:06:48.550 --> 00:06:51.389 picture this instead. A VP of stores is on the 00:06:51.389 --> 00:06:53.389 floor, sees something great or something that 00:06:53.389 --> 00:06:55.389 needs fixing. Instead of long email, they pull 00:06:55.389 --> 00:06:57.029 out their phone and record a quick, you know, 00:06:57.189 --> 00:07:00.819 two minute video. Real store, real energy. That 00:07:00.819 --> 00:07:03.040 video gets shared instantly through INCITE posts 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:05.720 to every single store. The associates hear the 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:07.660 message directly from leadership. They see what 00:07:07.660 --> 00:07:10.480 good looks like. It feels like a direct connection, 00:07:10.819 --> 00:07:13.579 not a top -down mandate. It's faster, it's clearer, 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:17.439 and it's just more human. And this idea of accelerating 00:07:17.439 --> 00:07:20.420 visual content seems to scale up even further 00:07:20.420 --> 00:07:23.019 with what the Designed by MMP creative team is 00:07:23.019 --> 00:07:26.600 doing with AI video. Yes, this is for the more 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:29.540 high -quality, long -form stuff. Product knowledge 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:31.920 modules, compliance training, that kind of thing. 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:34.079 Which historically meant film crews, shutting 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:37.139 down stores, weeks of editing. A total nightmare. 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:39.079 And if something changes, you have to do it all 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:41.540 over again. Right, a costly reshoot. Exactly. 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:44.639 The innovation here is using AI tools in the 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:47.879 creative workflow to produce video that is, well, 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:50.160 it's virtually indistinguishable from a traditional 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:53.180 shoot. Realistic scenarios, lifelike talent, 00:07:53.379 --> 00:07:55.579 great storytelling. Oh wait, is this just like 00:07:55.579 --> 00:07:58.100 stitched together stock clips or stiff avatars? 00:07:58.220 --> 00:08:00.560 Because for a luxury brand, quality is everything. 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:02.279 That's where the human creative direction is 00:08:02.279 --> 00:08:04.920 key. No, these are not stiff avatars. The quality 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:07.639 check is paramount. The real advantage is speed 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:10.379 and flexibility. Brands can launch polished, 00:08:10.660 --> 00:08:13.019 complex video content in days, sometimes just 00:08:13.019 --> 00:08:15.779 48 hours instead of weeks. So you can be incredibly 00:08:15.779 --> 00:08:18.459 responsive without the old production headaches. 00:08:18.899 --> 00:08:21.810 Monumental speed with high brand integrity. But 00:08:21.810 --> 00:08:24.470 as you said, innovation has to be grounded in 00:08:24.470 --> 00:08:27.910 reality. Which brings us to the growth of the 00:08:27.910 --> 00:08:31.310 MMP advisory bench. That seems like a big move 00:08:31.310 --> 00:08:33.909 to keep the tech practical. It's critical. If 00:08:33.909 --> 00:08:36.169 you're the executive making a big tech decision, 00:08:36.490 --> 00:08:38.450 you need to know the tool wasn't just built in 00:08:38.450 --> 00:08:42.159 a vacuum. Bringing in these seasoned retail leaders 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:45.419 ensures every feature is solving a real -world 00:08:45.419 --> 00:08:47.639 problem. So who are some of these people? What 00:08:47.639 --> 00:08:50.059 lens are they bringing? Well, you've got three 00:08:50.059 --> 00:08:53.120 really crucial profiles. First... Vince DeLosa. 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:55.720 He was the president of Ralph Lauren Retail North 00:08:55.720 --> 00:08:58.259 America. Four decades of experience. OK, so he 00:08:58.259 --> 00:09:00.259 understands scale. He understands operating at 00:09:00.259 --> 00:09:02.080 massive scale while protecting the integrity 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:04.360 of a premium brand, which is incredibly difficult. 00:09:04.820 --> 00:09:07.279 His focus is ensuring the tech simplifies that 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:09.559 without compromise. And who else? Then there's 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:13.399 Missy Poole. Over 25 years. at places like Apple 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:16.340 and Ralph Lauren. Her focus is so important. 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:19.340 How does technology support culture? How does 00:09:19.340 --> 00:09:21.539 it drive performance and customer connection? 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:24.200 She connects the tech to the human outcomes. 00:09:24.360 --> 00:09:26.419 Right. It's not just about tasks. Not at all. 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:29.850 And finally, Maureen Smith. Her expertise is 00:09:29.850 --> 00:09:32.730 deep in luxury retail training and brand storytelling. 00:09:33.009 --> 00:09:35.429 She makes sure the content, AI -generated or 00:09:35.429 --> 00:09:38.169 not, is emotionally resonant, that it helps associates 00:09:38.169 --> 00:09:41.110 build real relationships. So you have this foundation 00:09:41.110 --> 00:09:44.409 of expertise, scale, culture, and emotional connection. 00:09:44.509 --> 00:09:46.990 That ensures the innovation is viable, not just 00:09:46.990 --> 00:09:49.350 theoretical. Okay, so let's synthesize all this. 00:09:49.629 --> 00:09:51.690 We have the store reemerging, a better macro 00:09:51.690 --> 00:09:54.970 landscape, and this need for context -aware AI. 00:09:55.090 --> 00:09:56.690 What's the ultimate takeaway for the listener? 00:09:56.870 --> 00:09:58.769 The takeaway is this. We're at an inflection 00:09:58.769 --> 00:10:01.070 point. Stores are no longer competing against 00:10:01.070 --> 00:10:03.490 digital. They're complementing it. They're the 00:10:03.490 --> 00:10:05.750 emotional anchor. The brands that win over the 00:10:05.750 --> 00:10:07.690 next few years will be the ones who equip their 00:10:07.690 --> 00:10:10.409 frontline teams with tools that are fast, visual, 00:10:10.830 --> 00:10:13.450 relevant, and above all, human -centric. It's 00:10:13.450 --> 00:10:15.370 not about replacing people. It's about making 00:10:15.370 --> 00:10:18.009 people better at their jobs, moving from just 00:10:18.009 --> 00:10:21.029 digital transformation to genuine human transformation 00:10:21.029 --> 00:10:23.289 on the sales floor. Precisely. Technology should 00:10:23.289 --> 00:10:26.190 be an accelerator for human capability. It shouldn't 00:10:26.190 --> 00:10:28.730 ask people to adapt to clunky tools that were 00:10:28.620 --> 00:10:31.059 never designed for their world. That's a powerful 00:10:31.059 --> 00:10:33.500 way to frame it. The future isn't some theoretical 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:36.179 thing. It's happening right now on your floor. 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:38.799 And for you, the retail executive heading to 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:42.500 NRF 2026, here's a final thought. You know the 00:10:42.500 --> 00:10:45.200 limits of traditional content creation, the cost, 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:48.360 the delays, all that friction. Now imagine how 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:50.340 much faster you could execute your strategy when 00:10:50.340 --> 00:10:52.559 your creative direction is combined with the 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.360 acceleration of true context -aware AI. Imagine 00:10:56.360 --> 00:10:58.860 removing those production limits entirely. This 00:10:58.860 --> 00:11:01.299 NRF is a unique chance to meet the team building 00:11:01.299 --> 00:11:04.059 these exact solutions. If you want to see brand 00:11:04.059 --> 00:11:06.960 aware AI image generation, INCITE posts with 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.539 video, the speed of AI powered video, you really 00:11:09.539 --> 00:11:11.179 need to meet them in person. You can kick the 00:11:11.179 --> 00:11:13.399 tires, ask the tough questions and see how they 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:15.360 ground all this in practical execution. Just 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:19.259 visit booth5450 at NRF 2026. Thank you for taking 00:11:19.259 --> 00:11:20.179 this deep dive with us.