CreatorIQ | Forever 21 CEO Winnie Park on the Resurgence and Evolution of Retail | Earned Ep. 70 @CreatorIQOfficial | Uploaded 1 year ago | Updated 1 hour ago
In our 70th episode of Earned, we sit down with Winnie Park, CEO of Gen Z retailer Forever 21.
We start by discussing the resurgence of retail and in-store shopping, and how the industry has changed since the start of the pandemic. Winnie unpacks the evolution of Forever 21’s omnichannel strategy, and emphasizes the importance of meeting the customer where they’re at. We dive into the retailer’s approach to influencer marketing, and Winnie shares why Forever 21 prioritizes co-creation. Conor asks Winnie what it takes to run hundreds of physical retail locations, and Winnie explains why store associates are crucial because they’re closest to the boss—the customer. Next, we hear Winnie’s perspective on the “Glass Cliff” phenomenon, and she shares why she believes women make some of the best CEOs, particularly in tough times. To close the show, Winnie reveals her greatest learnings from her mentors, and why she now loves mentoring other professionals, before sharing the advantages of being part of the SPARC Group community.
In this episode, you will learn:
1.) How the retail industry has evolved and bounced back since the start of the pandemic
2.) The importance of a balanced omnichannel strategy and meeting the customer where they're at
3.) Why women make some of the best CEOs in tough times
Key Takeaways:
0:00 Intro
01:08 The resurgence of retail and in-store shopping
09:43 The evolution of Forever 21's omnichannel strategy
17:34 Forever 21’s approach to influencer marketing
23:40 The keys to successfully running physical retail locations
27:49 Winnie's perspective on the "Glass Cliff" phenomenon
If you're new to our Earned series, be sure to catch up on all of our previous episodes here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLopFdTZxUD9agClzFvKX_QykXrw8uFJRp
Listen and follow the podcast on:
Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6EvXMeMcgGHxjDXBmXqjFL
Apple Podcasts - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/earned-unlocking-the-power-of-the-creator-economy/id1504030691
Google Podcasts - podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXN0ZWQudXMvMTAzL0Vhcm5lZCUzQS1TdHJhdGVnaWVzLWFuZC1TdWNjZXNzLVN0b3JpZXMtRnJvbS10aGUtQmVzdC1pbi1CZWF1dHktJTJCLUZhc2hpb24tYmFjNTliZGQvZmVlZA?sa=X&ved=0CBsQ27cFahcKEwiQta33gIb9AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNQ
Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ:
Conor’s LinkedIn - @conormbegley
CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq
Follow us on social:
CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq
CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq
CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ
#forever21 #retail #womeninleadership
In our 70th episode of Earned, we sit down with Winnie Park, CEO of Gen Z retailer Forever 21.
We start by discussing the resurgence of retail and in-store shopping, and how the industry has changed since the start of the pandemic. Winnie unpacks the evolution of Forever 21’s omnichannel strategy, and emphasizes the importance of meeting the customer where they’re at. We dive into the retailer’s approach to influencer marketing, and Winnie shares why Forever 21 prioritizes co-creation. Conor asks Winnie what it takes to run hundreds of physical retail locations, and Winnie explains why store associates are crucial because they’re closest to the boss—the customer. Next, we hear Winnie’s perspective on the “Glass Cliff” phenomenon, and she shares why she believes women make some of the best CEOs, particularly in tough times. To close the show, Winnie reveals her greatest learnings from her mentors, and why she now loves mentoring other professionals, before sharing the advantages of being part of the SPARC Group community.
In this episode, you will learn:
1.) How the retail industry has evolved and bounced back since the start of the pandemic
2.) The importance of a balanced omnichannel strategy and meeting the customer where they're at
3.) Why women make some of the best CEOs in tough times
Key Takeaways:
0:00 Intro
01:08 The resurgence of retail and in-store shopping
09:43 The evolution of Forever 21's omnichannel strategy
17:34 Forever 21’s approach to influencer marketing
23:40 The keys to successfully running physical retail locations
27:49 Winnie's perspective on the "Glass Cliff" phenomenon
If you're new to our Earned series, be sure to catch up on all of our previous episodes here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLopFdTZxUD9agClzFvKX_QykXrw8uFJRp
Listen and follow the podcast on:
Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/6EvXMeMcgGHxjDXBmXqjFL
Apple Podcasts - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/earned-unlocking-the-power-of-the-creator-economy/id1504030691
Google Podcasts - podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXN0ZWQudXMvMTAzL0Vhcm5lZCUzQS1TdHJhdGVnaWVzLWFuZC1TdWNjZXNzLVN0b3JpZXMtRnJvbS10aGUtQmVzdC1pbi1CZWF1dHktJTJCLUZhc2hpb24tYmFjNTliZGQvZmVlZA?sa=X&ved=0CBsQ27cFahcKEwiQta33gIb9AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNQ
Connect with Conor Begley & CreatorIQ:
Conor’s LinkedIn - @conormbegley
CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq
Follow us on social:
CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq
CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq
CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ
#forever21 #retail #womeninleadership
