The Retail Perch podcast is hosted by the powerful duo Shekar Raman, CEO of Birdzi and Gary Hawkins, CEO of Center for Advancing Retail &amp; Technology (CART). We are happy to report that we have made the &#34;Top 15 Grocery Industry Podcasts to Follow in 2021&#34; by Feedspot. The list can be found here: https://blog.feedspot.com/grocery_industry_podcasts/ This podcast aims to provide a fresh perspective and framework for how you view your everyday grocery trips. Whether you&#39;re a retailer, entrepreneur, or a curious mind tuning in, there is something in store for everyone. Each Monday, your hosts will share supermarket analysis, personal stories about the industry, along with their views to provide you with further insight into everything retail grocery and AI. Don&#39;t forget to tune in!Lean more about Birdzi at Birdzi.com

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Are retailers and CPGs wasting trade dollars by measuring the wrong things? Courtney Adams, Kate McCormick, and Gary Hawkins explore how retailers and CPGs can move beyond traditional trade spend and focus on measurable customer growth. From customer lifetime value to AI and better measurement, they discuss what it takes to put the customer at the center of every investment.

132. Trade Funding’s Blind Spot: The Customer

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In this episode of Retail Perch, Birdzi&#39;s Joseph Dahari, VP of Sales, and Kate McCormick, Director of Solution Engineering, discuss their career journeys and the experiences that led them to Birdzi. They explore the challenge of &#34;dashboard dizziness,&#34; the realities behind today&#39;s AI buzzwords, and what true innovation looks like in retail. The conversation also examines how siloed data impacts decision-making, the importance of connecting systems across the enterprise, and how retailers can leverage technology to create better shopper experiences, drive growth, and attract more customers.

132. Beyond AI Buzzwords : What Retailers Should Focus On

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In this episode of Retail Perch, Birdzi’s Client Success team showcases AskKea, Birdzi’s new AI-powered platform that helps retailers turn questions that once took days to answer into insights in seconds.The team steps into different retail roles, including marketer, analyst, merchandiser, and CEO, and shares examples of the types of questions each role can ask to uncover insights, reduce operational lift, power stronger offers, and make faster, data-driven decisions. Listeners will also get to know the Client Success team, a crucial part of what makes Birdzi so special.Video is recommended for this episode, as the team walks through the platform and shows AskKea in action. Available on Youtube

AskKea in Action with Birdzi’s Client Success Team

In this episode of Retail Perch, Birdzi’s Client Success team showcases AskKea, Birdzi’s new AI-powered platform that helps retailers turn questions that once took days to answer into insights in seconds.



131. AskKea in Action with Birdzi’s Client Success Team

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In this episode of Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar reunite to discuss Gary’s new paper, Retail 5.0: The Age of Bionic Orchestration. They explore how AI and retail innovation mirror human anatomy, the shift from making decisions to designing decision systems, and the difference between human-speed and machine-speed retail. The conversation looks at how orchestrating both human and machine intelligence can create smarter, faster, and more adaptive retail experiences.

130. What Does Retail 5.0 Really Mean?

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Courtney Adams, VP of Marketing, and Kate McCormick, Director of Solution Engineering at Birdzi, discuss why retail operations need to move beyond “that’s how we’ve always done it.” As shopper behavior shifts quickly, processes that take weeks can lose relevance just as fast, making it even more important for retailers to reduce operational time, lower stress, and work more efficiently. They also discuss Birdzi’s newest capabilities and how they help tackle operational inefficiencies at scale.

129. Tackling Operational Inefficiency in Retail

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Gary and Shekar return to The Retail Perch to dive into all things AI and introduce a new format for the series. Future episodes will feature more voices and perspectives, exploring a wider range of topics around Birdzi, innovation, and emerging technology. In this conversation, they break down the three main types of AI, discuss how the AI landscape is changing, and share how people can better understand and embrace AI as a tool for growth rather than fear.

128. Demystifying Artificial Intelligence

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar Raman sits down with Steve Worthy, Managing Director and North America Head of Growth at Competitor IQ, and CEO of Worthy Retail Global. With more than 27 years in retail, Steve brings a deep leadership perspective shaped by decades of industry experience.They discuss the importance of clear communication, defining reality for your team, and how retail leaders can navigate the ongoing AI shift. Steve shares practical guidance on leading through change and supporting teams during periods of uncertainty.The conversation also explores competitor analysis, how to use it effectively to create meaningful differentiation, and why psychological safety plays a critical role in building strong, high performing teams, along with much more.

127. Defining Reality for Your Team with Steve Worthy

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar Raman is joined by Zoher Karu to discuss data, analytics, and what it takes to make information truly actionable. Zoher shares his journey from earning a PhD in Electrical Engineering at MIT to building a career focused on customer data and enterprise wide analytics, including his role as VP and Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Blue Shield of California. They explore how companies with growing data sets can approach leveraging them effectively, and Zoher also highlights his current work with Taelor.Style, an AI powered menswear rental platform.

126. Where Data Meets Retail Innovation with Zoher Karu

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, hosts Shekar Raman and Gary Hawkins take a closer look at some of the shifts shaping today’s retail environment. They talk about SNAP funding changes and what they could mean for retailers, how marketing can move beyond coupons and traditional loyalty programs, how merchandising and marketing can work more closely together, and the future of retail media networks. Together they offer a grounded look at where retail is now and where it may be headed next.

125. Behind Today’s Retail Shift: SNAP, Marketing, and the RMN Landscape

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar Raman and Gary Hawkins are joined by Peter Bond, Co-Host of The CPG Guys and Head of Industry and Client Engagement at Flywheel. Peter discusses the role of the podcast community in building meaningful connections across retail and CPG, how shopper expectations have evolved and what that means for brands and retailers today, and his work with co-host Sri Rajagopalan contributing to Cornell Tech’s Retail Media Strategy program. The conversation blends industry insight with a bit of baseball for good measure.

124. Peter Bond: The Power of Connection in Retail

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In this episode of Retail Perch, Dave Finnegan, Chief Connection Officer at Black Finn and Ambassador to the CMO and Digital Councils at the National Retail Federation, joins Shekar Raman and Gary Hawkins to discuss how AI and anthropology come together to shape the future of retail through empathy, innovation, and human connection.

123. The Human Journey of Retail and AI with Dave Finnegan

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar Raman and Gary Hawkins are joined by Galen Karlan-Mason, Founder &amp; CEO of GreenChoice.Galen reflects on his journey from grad school, where he struggled with grocery shopping, nutrition labels, and shopping in line with his environmental values, to creating GreenChoice. Born from those challenges, GreenChoice is a platform designed to make healthier and more sustainable shopping easier. The discussion explores his path as a founder, the inspiration behind GreenChoice, and how AI and data play a role in transforming the way consumers make food choices.

122. Healthy Choices, Smarter Shopping: Galen Karlan-Mason of GreenChoice

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary Hawkins and guest co-host Courtney Adams welcome Lee Gaul, AI Expert at Long Horizon AI, for a candid conversation about artificial intelligence.Lee brings a cautionary perspective, looking beyond the hype to explore both the opportunities and the risks of AI. He discusses its manipulative and subconscious effects, addresses common concerns about an “AI takeover,” and shares how businesses can engage with AI responsibly to drive innovation while mitigating the risk of failure. This thoughtful discussion sheds light on what the rapid evolution of AI means for the future of retail and customer engagement.

121. AI in Retail: Risks, Realities, and the Future with Lee Gaul

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Shekar Raman and Gary Hawkins are joined by Virginia Marsh, Head of Data, Agency &amp; Platforms at Fluent Inc. Virginia’s career began loading trucks in Puerto Rico and took a pivotal turn when she taught herself to code on a Commodore computer. That early curiosity grew into a passion for data that now shapes how she helps retailers make smarter decisions. She shares her perspective on when data is relevant and when it is not, offering practical insights on how retailers can cut through the noise and stay competitive in a changing industry.

120. Virginia Marsh on The Power of Data in Retail

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In this episode of Retail Perch, we welcome back Ron Bonacci, who shares his journey from grocery bagger to marketing expert in retail. Ron reflects on his longtime friendship with the hosts, talks about the evolving role of CPGs, and offers insights from his time at Kroger on how to make data truly actionable. He also explores the growing impact of Retail Media Networks, bringing together both personal stories and practical perspectives that highlight the future of retail.

119. The Return of Ron Bonacci: Making Data Actionable in Retail

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This week on The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar sit down with Katie Riddle, Global Strategy Lead at Verizon, to discuss the often overlooked backbone of modern retail: connectivity. From in-store WiFi and device performance to enabling real time innovation, Katie shares how network infrastructure directly impacts both shopper experience and associate efficiency. As expectations rise and tech driven services become the norm, retailers can no longer afford to treat connectivity as an afterthought. Implementing robust, future ready solutions is not just important, it is urgent.

118. Retail Runs on Connectivity: Katie Riddle

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar welcome Steven Dietch, Chief Revenue Officer at Bridg, for a timely conversation on how retail media is reshaping the industry. From his early days in computer science to IBM Sweden and now leading strategy at Bridg, Steve shares how platforms like Bridg and Rippl are helping retailers turn shopper data into powerful engagement. The three dive into the opportunities and challenges facing regional players, the role of AI and third-party data, and growing concerns around data privacy and security.

117. Retail Media Gets Real: Steve Dietch

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This week on The Retail Perch, Shekar and Gary sit down with Flora Delaney, a veteran retail and CPG executive, consultant, and author of Retail: The Second-Oldest Profession.With over 25 years of experience, Flora shares how smart space planning, strategic category management, and AI-driven insights transform today’s in-store experience.Join us as we explore her patented Intelligent Dashboard for Pricing and Promotion, the Earned Space Model for space optimization, and why balancing national and regional retail strategies is key to growth.

116. From Layout to Loyalty: Retail Design with Flora Delaney

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In this episode of The Retail Perch, Gary and Shekar chat with Barry Collier. He&#39;s the co-founder of DRINKS, a leading e-commerce platform for alcohol retailers and producers. Barry shares how he went from Neopets to launching a DTC wine business, and how DRINKS has since expanded its platform and partnered with Kroger. They dive into alcohol compliance, digital retail, data, and much more.

115. Interview with Barry Collier of DRINKS

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Don&#39;t miss this week’s episode, featuring Neil Twa, the CEO of Voltage Holdings, LLC. As co-author of Almost Automated Income with FBA, Neil specializes in launching, operating, and acquiring e-commerce brands, particularly within the Amazon FBA space. In this conversation with Shekar and Gary, he shares his journey from almost studying music theory to uncovering his passion for e-commerce—and much more.

114. Interview with Neil Twa of Voltage Holdings, LLC

The Retail Perch podcast is hosted by the powerful duo Shekar Raman, CEO of Birdzi and Gary Hawkins, CEO of Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART). We are happy to report that we have made the "Top 15 Grocery Industry Podcasts to Follow in 2021" by Feedspot. The list can be found here: https://blog.feedspot.com/grocery_industry_podcasts/

This podcast aims to provide a fresh perspective and framework for how you view your everyday grocery trips. Whether you're a retailer, entrepreneur, or a curious mind tuning in, there is something in store for everyone. Each Monday, your hosts will share supermarket analysis, personal stories about the industry, along with their views to provide you with further insight into everything retail grocery and AI.

Don't forget to tune in!

Lean more about Birdzi at Birdzi.com