In episode 423 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mandy Rassi, senior vice president, chief marketing officer at Michaels, the largest arts and crafts retailer in North America. Listen in as Rassi discusses the core components of Michaels' omnichannel transformation (1:15), including the role that customer feedback plays in its work to improve the customer experience (5:00). She shares how the launch of MakerPlace by Michaels will factor into the company's future strategy (8:12), as well as how the retailer is marketing to both sellers and buyers to promote its new marketplace (10:25).

In addition, Rassi discusses the investments being made in technology and people to execute upon Michaels' new vision (12:50), how the craft retailer's marketing approach has shifted to support its new initiatives (15:15), and the change in its marketing channel mix (19:10). Lastly, she shares what she's forecasting for consumer behavior in the approaching holiday shopping season, as well as how Michaels is trying to capitalize on today's macro trends (22:15).

Amanda Rassi joined Michaels in April 2022. As senior vice president, chief marketing officer, Rassi leads the marketing organization and its development of strategy, planning and execution for 1,300 Michaels stores and its e-commerce business. Prior to joining Michaels, Rassi was vice president and head of marketing at Kroger where she drove brand strategy and brought to life impactful campaigns such as the company’s 2019 “Fresh For Everyone” rebrand. Before Kroger, Rassi spent more than a decade in strategic marketing at Procter & Gamble. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and women’s studies from Miami University and currently resides in Cincinnati with her husband and three children.