Lauren Goldberg
Principal, LSG Marketing SolutionsLauren Goldberg has over 15 years’ experience developing customer-centric marketing programs that drive omni-channel sales for regional and national retailers. She has proven success in leading complex corporate initiatives, which have significantly improved companies’ financial performance. Her strong marketing foundation and leadership skills allow her to quickly build cross-functional coalitions to drive results. Lauren brings 3 strengths to each opportunity: an unwavering focus on customer needs, strategic vision to understand enterprise-level impacts and a demonstrated ability to optimize marketing spend to generate the largest return on investment.
Most recently, Lauren served as a Sr. Director, Marketing for Office Depot, a Fortune 500 retailer. Key accomplishments included leading the reinvention of Office Depot’s national loyalty program, which significantly improved customer satisfaction scores and doubled participation rates. In addition, Lauren was selected to lead the strategy and development of 3-year customer retention program that supported the critical priority of retail portfolio optimization. Customer retention rates significantly exceeded historical expectations and was a key factor in 2 consecutive quarters of positive retail comp sales for the first time since 2006.
Known for connecting the dots between corporate initiatives and grassroots activation, Lauren has successfully increased retail sales on a local level for a variety of retailers. Lauren has held marketing positions at RaceTrac Petroleum, Fruit of the Loom and The Sports Authority. In her past roles, she has activated sales-driving partnerships with leading consumer goods brands, such as HP, Coca-Cola and Nike, as well as sports and entertainment properties, including professional athletes & sports teams, amateur sports leagues and theme parks.
Lauren has also engaged her leadership skills to influence positive corporate culture. As a founding member of the Office Depot Women’s Leadership Circle, Lauren had a leading role in developing exclusive programming for high-potential women leaders within the organization. In addition, Lauren has a passion for people and participated as a career mentor in a formal leadership development program.
Lauren earned her BS from the University of Florida. She has also completed executive level leadership training from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
To learn more, visit: lsgmarketingsolutions.com
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- Posted on: 08/30/2021
Amazon finally catches the ‘buy now, pay later’ wave
There is certainly customer demand for BNPL services and it makes sense that Amazon would jump in to this arena. My concern is that we will see revenue and comps grow for retailers as people who can't afford to buy will buy -- and then there will be a bubble that bursts due to consumers defaulting, leading a drop in revenue. Almost like the real estate market in 2008 -- banks were giving loans to people who couldn't afford them, only to see a rise in home values, then defaults and the market collapsed. There needs to be education on this, especially towards younger consumers, and I am hoping the responsible retailers will help lead the charge here. - Posted on: 06/09/2021
Is now a good time for retailers to open new stores?
All of the retailers expanding their footprint were strong prior to the pandemic and came out the other side with an advantage of getting great real estate deals. The ones who are closing doors were in a position of weakness. So the real estate rationalization going on right now is just accelerating trends that were in the marketplace prior to March 2020. - Posted on: 06/07/2021
Will closing stores on Thanksgiving become the new retail tradition?
I believe that retailers have looked at their financials and have realized that there isn't that much upside to being open on Thanksgiving Day. Retailers will try to pull the sales forward or shift to online, as well as getting the positive PR about "giving their employees the day with their families." If it was a truly profitable endeavor, I believe they would open up and position it as a service to their customers. - Posted on: 05/13/2021
Simon says J.C. Penney is ready to become a 21st century retailer
It's always good for a retailer to right-size and get their financial house in order, but I didn't hear anything here about what is going to make them a "21st century retailer." Going back to the beginning of the 21st century isn't going help JCP succeed ... they need to be focused on the future. Unless they can come up with a compelling unique selling proposition, I don't see the Authentic Brand Group brands being enough to right this ship. - Posted on: 05/11/2021
Can TikTok stars build brands for digital natives?
I think this is really smart for Abercrombie. Social media influencers are to Gen Z what movie stars and boy bands were to earlier generations The success metrics for this campaign are just like any other campaign -- increased awareness, increased customer engagement and, ultimately, sales. - Posted on: 04/16/2021
Are DTC brands still primed for growth?
DTC brands have an advantage in that they can be nimble, innovative and react quickly to consumer needs due to the lack of a middleman. But as the cost of customer acquisition online continues to rise, DTC brands are seeing the benefits of being in-store, either through their own locations or wholesalers. Where industry insiders think about the differences in DTC vs legacy retailers, customers do not think about channels like DTC or wholesale -- they think about brands. And to win customers' loyalties (and wallets), DTC brands need to continue to focus on customers' needs, be it online or in-store. - Posted on: 04/14/2021
Can own brand credit cards drive loyalty for Instacart and DoorDash?
With the rise of mobile wallets like Apple Pay and PayPal and social payments (i.e., Venmo), I don't see own brand credit cards driving loyalty among the mobile-first consumer. The benefits would have to outweigh the convenience and hefty interest rates for many consumers to sign up. - Posted on: 04/12/2021
Will faster deliveries prove to be a valuable loyalty perk for Gap?
Offering faster delivery will be appealing to their best customers, but that alone isn't enough to entice customers to spend more and fix some of Gap's core issues. As someone who has done significant research on loyalty programs, one of the biggest things that customers want is simplicity. You shouldn't need a PhD to navigate a retail rewards program! When you get too granular with benefits and tiers, customers start to tune out. - Posted on: 03/18/2021
Amazon is America’s biggest clothing retailer and there’s no close second
2020 growth was driven by convenience and Amazon's exceptional use of data/AI to make relevant recommendations. As more people relied on Prime during the pandemic, they accumulated more data and used it well to expand their share in apparel. - Posted on: 03/15/2021
How much HQ space will disappear as hybrid work becomes a retailing thing?
Hybrid is going to be the key word here -- very few retailers will go to zero office space. This past year has shown that WFH can be much more productive than many thought. I do think there is great value for in person meetings, especially when it comes to things like strategic planning sessions, product development reviews, etc. Hopefully the retailers who decide to reduce their corporate footprint put those savings into customer-facing innovation, rather than simply towards the bottom line. - Posted on: 02/15/2021
Is the toy category’s pandemic sales boon coming to an end?
As we move into the next phase of this pandemic, I would expect toy sales to decline, but not at the same rate they accelerated. No one knows for sure what the "new normal" will be, but we can anticipate more family activities throughout the summer that would compete for the share of wallet that was spent in 2020 on toys. - Posted on: 01/20/2021
NRF 2021: Are retailers stronger having made it this far into the pandemic?
The retailers who will be stronger going forward are the ones who focused on rapidly evolving customer needs during the pandemic and then were nimble enough to execute. In the past, so many retailers had great ideas or initiatives that would get lost in "analysis paralysis" and a bureaucratic corporate structure. The stronger retailers focused, accelerated and got it done. I envision a slight slowdown on innovation, as retailers now have time to take a step back and look at the profitability of their initiatives. - Posted on: 01/18/2021
What is Marc Lore’s legacy at Walmart?
Mark Lore's greatest impact seems to be on entrepreneurial culture. Walmart would not have been able to meet the moment of COVID-19 without having the culture in place to quickly react and optimize current infrastructure. Walmart is a legit competitor to Amazon and would not be where they are today without taking the digital risks that Lore led. - Posted on: 11/24/2020
Target CEO points to one-stop shopping as key to chain’s success
One stop shopping is surely helping Target, but that's not the only reason they are excelling right now. They have created a great shopping experience, from the private brand merchandise, to the renovated store layouts, to the fulfillment options. If they keep innovating and focusing on customer experience, I believe their success will continue long after this pandemic. - Posted on: 10/28/2020
How can shop local be better incentivized?
Local retailers have to remain visible and remind customers of the role that they play in the community. By implementing strategies that are safe and appealing during this time (curbside pick up, FaceTime personal shopping, outdoor pop-ups), they can help drive sales. I love the idea of the social media sharing contest above. I'd give bonus points for pictures that promote mask wearing!