In this episode, Wendy Liebmann talks to Diana Melencio, partner at XRC Ventures, an investor in the early-stage intersection of consumer behavior and technology, and its investment approach in the health, beauty, and technology sectors.
They discuss:
How XRC finds opportunities (one way: scraping the web)
The touchpoints of the consumer journey that have become so critical in understanding opportunities
The challenges of growth when physical retail is shrinking, where stores will become showrooms, and DTC profitability is a challenge
Retailers who win are those at the forefront of testing new things in growth marketing and performance marketing
How AI is a must for accelerating growth opportunities
How Retail Media is fast becoming the profit center for many retailer
The concern for brands in the middle and their potential race to the bottom
