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.

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.

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.