🎙️ In this episode of The Retail Spotlight, we’re joined by Giovanni Zaccariello, SVP Global Visual Experience at Coach, who shares how the iconic brand is redefining what physical retail means in today’s world.

Giovanni takes us inside Coach Play, the brand’s immersive retail concept, where stores are designed to activate all five senses and inspire emotional connection through local storytelling, community engagement, and creative experimentation.

From gamified experiences like Roblox and Zepeto to on-campus pop-ups, cafés, and ice cream trucks, Coach is rewriting the retail playbook for Gen Z. Giovanni talks about how his team brings big creative ideas to life - from pop-ups to global stores - without losing the details that make each one feel intentional, consistent, and sustainable.

We also explore how Coach is building long-term brand equity through evergreen icons like the Tabby bag, and how physical spaces are becoming the brand’s most powerful storytelling tool.

If you’re curious about how emotion, experience, and experimentation are shaping the future of retail, this episode is not to be missed.

In this episode, our guest is Mara Carvalho, Digital Director at Salsa Jeans, who reveals how the innovative denim brand creates seamless customer experiences across all touchpoints.

Mara shares how Salsa brings the in-store experience online through their unique system, where store associates provide personalised shopping assistance via chat to digital customers. Learn about their creative use of physical stores as fulfillment centres, dramatically reducing delivery times while optimising resources.

Mara also discusses Salsa's evolving loyalty program that caters to their most valuable customers—the 5% who generate 20% of sales—with exclusive benefits, including their "Infinity" service offering complimentary repairs and alterations. This conversation offers valuable insights into how traditional retail brands can successfully bridge the physical and digital worlds while maintaining a human touch throughout the customer journey.

In this episode, we're joined by Gianfranco Cuzziol, CRM and personalisation expert whose journey spans from astrophysics, to second-hand card salesman, to global CRM leader, including roles as Global Head of CRM at AESOP. Gianfranco shares profound insights on the art of meaningful personalization in retail, introducing his concept of "thick" versus "thin" data.

He explains why personalisation without purpose is pointless and how over-personalisation can actually harm customer engagement, illustrated through real-world examples from his experience. We explore the delicate balance of data collection in physical retail, the importance of store-specific communications, and how brands can build trust through progressive profiling. The conversation touches upon correlations he's discovered in customer behaviour. For example, how buying birdseed could signal an upcoming major DIY project, demonstrating the power of understanding customer context beyond pure transaction data.

Through compelling stories and practical examples, Gianfranco shows us why successful retail personalisation isn't about collecting more data, but about understanding the 'why' behind customer behaviour and earning the right to ask for information by delivering genuine value in return.

Timestamps

0:00 Intro

01:46 Gianfranco Cuzziol

07:58 Number and data in CRM

09:23 Personalisation with purpose is pointless

15:30 Understanding thick and thin data in personalisation

19:30 First, understand your customers

24:30 Customer segments & customer journey

28:34 Store-First Approach @Aesop

31:10 Providing helpful information for customers

36:34 Minimum viable data

47:20 Rapid fire round 👾