Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc unpack the week's retail headlines—tariffs, India sanctions, de minimis shifts, consumer confidence, and labor market turbulence—before an insightufl inteview featuring Amit Kaswani, Chaloub Group's Chief Omnichannel Officer , and Stacie Henderson Capece Minutolo, To'ds Chief Marketing Officer, Americas. They explore how AI, loyalty innovation, omnichannel design, and customer-obsessed strategies are redefining luxury. The guests also share insights ahead of speaking at the upcoming Shoptalk Luxe event in Abu Dhabi this January.
Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlancs analyze the week's most impactful retail developments: a U.S. appeals-court ruling that may require massive Trump era tariff refunds new India duties; fast-moving shifts in de minimis thresholds; and mounting pressure on global supply chains, small businesses, and retailers alike. They analyze how these disruptions will disrupt importers like Tapestry and Lululemon, and shift the retail earnings divide—even as consumer confidence wavers and labor issues—like ICE raids—further muddy the waters.
In the featured interview with two visionary luxury executives: Amit Kaswani, Chief Omnichannel Officer at Chalhoub Group, and Stacie Henderson Capece Minutolo, Chief Marketing Officer Americas at Tod's Group. Amit outlines Chalhoub's omnichannel-first game plan, including end-to-end logistics and loyalty ecosystems that reach millions—backed by AI-powered personalization, predictive analytics, and conversational commerce tools. He emphasizes how customer experience, augmented by technology, is a differentiator, not a replacement for human interaction.
Stacie shares Tod's strategy in the Americas, targeting high net worth clients and next-gen shoppers through experiential storytelling, cultural relevance, and digital scale. She references campaigns like "Italian Diaries," where in-person luxury activations generate exponential online impressions. She also discusses Tod's AI governance framework—a cross-functional task force merging marketing, e-commerce, finance, and customer service to ensure innovation is purposeful and aligned.
As both guest leaders gear up to speak at Shoptalk Luxe, which runs 27–29 January 2026 at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, luxe.shoptalk.com+1, they tease the frameworks, case studies, and strategies they'll be presenting on global luxury, loyalty, and AI innovation.
The episode closes with Michael and Steve spotlighting standout moments: GLP-1 weight-loss drug innovations, Google's Nano Banana image-generation tool, and the looming U.S. interest rate decision, crippling shutdown threats, and Simons' opening in Toronto's Eaton Centre, replacing Nordstrom.