Total Retail Tech Insights
Total Retail Tech Insights was created as a resource for executives in the retail industry who seek information and solutions for their technology wants and needs. Through brief but in-depth interviews with subject matter experts and industry thought leaders, listeners take away actionable information and practical advice to help drive their technology road maps. From idea to implementation, Total Retail Tech Insights is the content retail executives need to optimize their use of technology throughout their organizations.
Simon-Kucher Retail Exec Talks Consumer Behavior and Holiday Planning

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Shikha Jain, partner and head of North American retail and consumer at Simon-Kucher, a global commercial growth and strategy consulting firm. Listen in as Jain discusses the work that Simon-Kucher does with retail organizations and the positive impact that it has had on the industry (:51), her professional background (4:05), and highlights from Simon-Kucher's 2023 Holiday Shopping Study (5:42). Specifically, she addresses the year-over-year changes that Simon-Kucher has tracked in the study's five-year existence (8:33), as well as some of the emerging trends that retailers should be planning for this year (11:01).

In addition, Jain offers ways for retailers to combat the skepticism that consumers have for retailers' pricing and marketing strategies (13:49), including the impact that mega sale days such as Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are having on consumer skepticism (16:30). Jain discusses the importance of inventory management within an omnichannel retail environment (22:43), particularly with the heightened demand seen during the holiday season. Lastly, she shares tips to help retailers prepare their organizations for holiday season sales and profit growth (27:42).

For more information and analysis of Simon-Kucher's 2023 Holiday Shopping Study, make sure to register for its upcoming webinar, 2023 Holiday Shopping Study: 5 Years of Voice-of-Consumer Insights and Trends, taking place on Oct. 26 at 1 pm ET.

Shikha Jain is head of Boston office. She is a top-line growth advisor with a client portfolio that spans the B2C world, including fashion/apparel, footwear, beauty, consumer goods and durables, specialty retail, consumer services, consumer internet, and luxury goods. Shikha works with CXOs to build effective go-to-market strategies and commercial excellence on all revenue growth topics.

Advisory areas span consumer segmentation, value proposition, and activation strategies; portfolio architecture; price setting and optimization; promotional effectiveness; digital journeys; channel expansion; governance; and transformation.

Over the last decade at Simon-Kucher, Jain has developed a strong acumen in North America markets, though her experience ranges across Europe, Asia and Latin America. In addition to helping her clients grow, she also devotes her professional energy to furthering diversity and inclusion in the workplace and studying the role of sustainability to drive future business growth.

Jain received her MBA with a concentration in Strategy and Marketing from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She started her career at a global investment bank as an analyst, focusing on M&A and capital markets advisory. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Smith College.

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