Skip to content
‹ Back to IndustriesRetail

Harmonic Retail and Beyond in the Modern Retail Landscape

On this episode of the MarketScale Retail podcast, host Tyler Kern was joined by DeAnn Campbell, Vice President, Retail Strategy and Insights for Harbor Retail. Harbor Retail is committed to the idea of Harmonic Retail, which it defines as an ecosystem where online and offline experiences “interact, enrich and react” to one another in…

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Retail teams put it to work with Sales Enablement.

·
Share
Harmonic Retail and Beyond in the Modern Retail Landscape

Free workspace

Turn your Retail expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI on a free trial of the MarketScale platform for qualifying companies. No demo required, no credit card.

Try it Free

On this episode of the MarketScale Retail podcast, host Tyler Kern was joined by DeAnn Campbell, Vice President, Retail Strategy and Insights for Harbor Retail.

Harbor Retail is committed to the idea of Harmonic Retail, which it defines as an ecosystem where online and offline experiences “interact, enrich and react” to one another in a more symbiotic fashion that meets the growing expectations surrounding modern customer experiences.

To that end, Kern and Campbell spent this episode of the podcast diving into that philosophy, as well as exploring where retail’s been and where it’s headed, the fundamental shifts in who is shopping and how, and how retailers can adapt to that changing landscape.

“The traditional path to purchase has changed almost overnight in retail years,” Campbell said. “Energy and convenience are some of the most important shopping currencies out there. Time is now the luxury, and retailers, today, who help shoppers access a wider range of products and services with fewer steps are really going to come out the winners of this.”

A rise is multi-generational households has also led to a greater emphasis on family needs and full family involvement in today’s retail landscape.

Campbell said, among many strategies, creating beneficial partnerships and ecosystems and focusing on developing a responsive framework that helps retailers stay in tune with shifting customer demands can help retailers keep pace.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Retail Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale

Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Retail starts with a company putting its merchandising leads, store operations teams, and category managers on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Category buyers trust operators, so your merchandising leads shorten the distance between first search and first call.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.
B2B Weekly

The week in Retail, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Retail: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Retail buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free Trial

You just read one Retail expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your merchandising leads, store operations teams, and category managers into the articles, video, and social content Retail buyers are searching for. Start a free trial and see it with your own people. For qualifying companies, no credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What your free trial includes

Hands-on access to the MarketScale platform
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
No demo required. No credit card.
For qualifying companies. Company confirmation required.

More Retail Insights

Amazon lets shoppers text Alexa for Shopping to place orders and track prices

Amazon lets shoppers text Alexa for Shopping to place orders and track prices

Amazon is rolling out text-message access to Alexa for Shopping, its AI shopping agent, starting with a small group of U.S. customers by invitation. The agent can search, compare, buy items, track prices, reorder products, and send alerts across text and other Amazon platforms.

  • 01Texting with Alexa for Shopping rolls out to a small group of U.S. customers by invitation, expanding to millions in the coming weeks
  • 02The agent can reorder items, set up weekly grocery orders, watch for price drops, show up to a year of price history, and send new-release alerts
  • 03Requests started over text carry over to the Amazon Shopping app, Amazon.com, and Alexa-enabled devices

Nov 6, 2026

Small retailers rethink shipping fees as holiday shipping costs climb

Small retailers rethink shipping fees as holiday shipping costs climb

The National Retail Federation expects holiday retail sales to rise 4.2% to $1.01 trillion, but higher fuel prices and carrier holiday surcharges are raising shipping costs. Evie Pearl Handmade's owner now pays nearly $6 per package and is considering raising her shipping fees for the first time in six years. A New Jersey clothing founder began charging customers for return shipping this week. Larger retailers with dedicated contracts are better insulated for now, though Amazon reported an 11% rise in third-quarter shipping expenses.

  • 01NRF expects holiday retail sales to rise 4.2% to $1.01 trillion.
  • 02UPS, FedEx and USPS have added holiday surcharges that run through the end of the season.
  • 03One small seller's average label rose from around $4.50 last year to nearly $6 last month, and she is considering raising her shipping fees.

Nov 6, 2026

71% of retail merchants say AI tools have had limited or no effect so far

71% of retail merchants say AI tools have had limited or no effect so far

71% of retail merchants report limited or no effect from AI merchandising tools, while 83% of surveyed finance leaders say usage-based AI costs ran over expectations.

  • 01When merchants spend about 40% of their time stitching data together and 71% report limited or no effect from AI merchandising tools, the cheapest AI gain may sit in the plumbing between systems they already pay for.
  • 02A correct stockout forecast still loses the sale if it lands after purchase orders close or outside the replenishment system, so where a prediction arrives matters as much as how accurate it is.
  • 03Data preparation, integration and exit are separate line items in a realistic AI budget, and they can account for much of the work in a connected-systems project.

Nov 6, 2026

Explore More Retail Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Retail.

Browse Retail Hub

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Retail and beyond.

Book a Demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512