Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast

Episode: 2025 Retail Awards — Must-Visit Store, Greatest Glow-Up, Best Collab, AI Power Move, and Most Impactful Campaign | Reimagining Retail
Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Susie Dava Canyon
Guests: Arielle Fager (Analyst), Rachel Wolf (Analyst), Blake Drosch (Senior Analyst)

Episode Overview

This special year-end episode of "Reimagining Retail" brings together EMARKETER analysts to debate and crown the best of retail in 2025. The team hands out awards in five categories—Must-Visit Store, Greatest Glow-Up, Best Collab, AI Power Move, and Most Impactful Campaign—uncovering the strategies, innovations, and moments that defined the year. Expect lively analysis, candid takes, and plenty of industry insights as the panelists make their cases and Susie decides the winners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Must-Visit Store of the Year

Retail experiences making an impact.

• Arielle’s Pick:
  • Netflix House at King of Prussia Mall, Philadelphia
    • "It's not just a store. It's got a theater, it's got a restaurant, it's got photo ops, and I think it's really just raising the bar for experiential retail." (Arielle, 02:14)
• Rachel’s Pick:
  • TJ Maxx
    • Praised for execution, leveraging store closures to grow footprint and their 'treasure hunt' shopping experience.
    • "For people who really love scoring deals...you can also uncover a Prada handbag for a fraction of the price." (Rachel, 03:47)
• Blake’s Pick:
  • Ralph Lauren Flagship, Upper East Side, NYC
    • "There's just so much buzz right now about the Ralph Lauren Christmas...it really is sort of capturing the moment." (Blake, 02:52)

Winner: Netflix House

• "I think it's going to be a very interesting look at how you can merge entertainment and retail into one space." (Susie, 05:00)

2. Greatest Glow-Up of the Year

Most transformed brand or retailer.

• Blake’s Pick:
  • Barnes & Noble
    • "They've made good on a lot of their promises to give the stores more of a neighborhood feel, curate the books and have a great staff...Barnes and Noble's really made good on those promises." (Blake, 05:41)
    • Overcame high e-commerce penetration and the decline of interest in physical books.
• Rachel’s Pick:
  • Nike
    • Acknowledged for recovery, especially through the Nike Skims collab ("most successful apparel launch in company history"), focus on WNBA, and new products.
    • "They had their Nike Skims collaboration...they're leading in on the WNBA...this is really a successful strategy." (Rachel, 06:05)
• Arielle’s Pick:
  • TikTok Shop
    • Transitioned from consumer skepticism to a thriving marketplace.
    • “Now bigger brands are joining, consumers are buying, and I think it's just really cemented itself as a true marketplace.” (Arielle, 06:32)

Winner: Barnes & Noble

• "I'm very excited that the bookstore is back, that people are excited to go back to the store..." (Susie, 10:02)

3. AI Power Move

Most meaningful use of AI in retail.

• Rachel’s Pick:
  • Walmart x ChatGPT Partnership
    • "It opens itself up to purchases on ChatGPT, which could position it well if agent E-commerce gains adoption, but also...it sets itself up against Amazon." (Rachel, 10:55)
• Blake’s Pick:
  • Amazon
    • "Leveraging AI to power innovation...make those core aspects of retail better. And for E-commerce, it's all about speed of delivery." (Blake, 11:28)
• Arielle’s Pick:
  • Pinterest
    • Implementing AI to make the platform shoppable, improve ad effectiveness, and ensure brand-safe content.
    • "AI powered boards...a more personalized way to browse...helping it do what it does, which is serve inspiration and content." (Arielle, 13:14)

Winner: Walmart

• "Walmart is really pulling some power moves in that they're both creating their own tools...and playing with other people in the sandbox so that they don't get left out." (Susie, 13:53)

4. Collab of the Year

Standout partnership that sparked conversation and sales.

• Arielle’s Pick:
  • Nike x Skims
    • “It’s two big brands with a lot of name recognition and I think it just kind of makes sense, you know, for them to come together.” (Arielle, 14:31)
    • "It's not just a collection, it's a sub brand—the same way that Jordan is a sub brand for Nike." (Rachel, 15:00)
• Rachel’s Pick:
  • Best Buy x Ikea
    • Unexpected but mutually beneficial, offering cross-traffic and brand expansion.
    • "I think it's a great partnership." (Rachel, 15:29)
• Blake’s Pick:
  • J.Crew x The New Yorker
    • Celebrated The New Yorker’s 100th anniversary with unique J.Crew apparel featuring New Yorker branding.
    • “Two brands that sort of occupy a similar cultural ethos that are kind of just playing into each other.” (Blake, 17:20)

Winner: J.Crew x The New Yorker

• "Such an interesting example of bringing together two heritage brands and trying to find the right overlap, but also potentially extend on the margins in an understated...way." (Susie, 18:03)

5. Most Impactful Campaign of the Year

Marketing campaign that broke through noise and drove results.

• Blake’s Pick:
  • Nike’s 'Why Do It' Campaign
    • "Marketing campaigns are most successful when they're really just short and to the point...I hate to bring back up this company yet again, but I'm going to go with Nike reintroducing their just do it campaign, changing it to why do it, which sort of appeals to the younger generation." (Blake, 18:48)
• Rachel & Arielle’s Pick:
  • Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle
    • Viral, massive reach, redefined the American Eagle brand for a new demographic.
    • "This campaign broke the Internet. According to American Eagle, they got something like nearly 800,000 customers in the first month...40 billion impressions." (Rachel, 20:05)
    • Discussion on whether the viral outrage was intentional or accidental.
    • "I think my sense is that it was unintentional and that, you know, they just kind of, you know, once it happened, they're like, this is great. This is more attention for our brand." (Rachel, 21:11)

Winner: Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle

• "If you just asked a thousand people on the street what was the biggest marketing campaign, I feel like this Sydney Sweeney one would be the most recognized." (Arielle, 23:06)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the 'Treasure Hunt' Experience at TJ Maxx:
  • "You can also uncover a Prada handbag for a fraction of the price." (Rachel, 03:47)
• On Barnes & Noble’s Neighborhood Approach:
  • "Let's make reading cool again." (Arielle, 08:52)
• On Amazon’s Competition:
  • "Have you heard of Amazon? It's pretty big." (Blake, 07:59)
• On Nike’s Regular Nominations (but no wins):
  • "So did Nike. Was Nike nominated every time but didn't win a single one?" (Blake, 23:40)
  • "Can we give Nike an honorable mention? I do feel kind of bad now." (Arielle, 24:07)
• On Virality and Campaign Planning:
  • "All press is good press, which, you know, I don't know if I love that, but it certainly has been proved true." (Arielle, 21:42)

Winners Recap (24:04)

• Must-Visit Store: Netflix House
• Glow-Up of the Year: Barnes & Noble
• AI Power Move: Walmart
• Collab of the Year: J.Crew x The New Yorker
• Campaign of the Year: American Eagle x Sydney Sweeney

Final Thoughts

The EMARKETER team’s 2025 Retail Awards offered sharp analysis of major industry shifts, celebrating innovation in both physical and digital retail. The episode captured not only headline successes (Netflix House, American Eagle) but also quieter, strategic moves (Barnes & Noble, Walmart) and cultural moments (J.Crew x The New Yorker). Their discussion underscored the ongoing evolution of consumer experience, the impact of technology, and the importance of authentic partnerships and bold campaigns.