Electronic Shelf Labels promise smarter, faster, more dynamic stores, yet no retailer has yet to scratch the surface - or to fully implement across an entire chain. We take a realistic look at where ESLs deliver actual ROI, and where execution falls apart. ESL isn't for everyone, and even State legislators are butting into the conversation. Plus we have two most excellent Retail Be Crazies to share!

Is your favorite brand celebrating culture, or just cashing in on it? In this episode of Shop Shock, we dive deep into the uncomfortable reality of modern retail, where profound cultural events like Black History Month, Lunar New Year and Cinco de Mayo, are often viewed as seasonal sales rather than communities. How profitable is year-round cultural support really? Can AI help retailers capture the nuances of local cultures to capture hearts, minds and wallets of the fastest growing consumer segment in the U.S. And of course, Retail Be Crazy!!

Featuring Special Guest: David Staley, Historian, Futurist and multi-book author. David is currently Associate Professor at Ohio State University, and a leading authority on digital history and future impacts of A.I. This fascinating conversation takes us through some surprisingly reassuring, and some less than reassuring scenarios for retail, society and civilization as we know it. David was awarded Best Freelance Writer for his "Next" futures column, and has authored several highly worthwhile reads, including "Visionary Histories", "Knowledge Towns: Colleges and Universities as Talent Magnets", "Historical Imagination", "Brain, Mind and Internet" A Deep History and Future", "Computers, Visualization and History" and "History and Future: Using Historical Thinking to Imagine the Future".