The CPG Guys speak with Venkatesh (Venky) Shankar, Professor of Marketing and Ford Chair in Marketing & E-Commerce and Director of Research at the Center for Retailing Studies, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University. His areas of specialization include Digital Business, Marketing Strategy, Innovation, New Product Management, Retailing, Services Marketing, Pricing, International Marketing, Branding, Mobile Marketing, and Artificial Intelligence. Follow Venky Shankar on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkyshankar/Follow Venky Shankar online at: https://mays.tamu.edu/directory/vshankar/Follow The Mays School at Texas A&M on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/school/texas-a&m-university/Follow The Mays School at Texas A&M online at: https://mays.tamu.edu/Prof. Shankar answers these questions:1) So, give us your own career brief. You're from IIT, IIM, Sloan - and a lifetime of service to academia. Tell us how the years have passed.2) What is the latest research yielding these days? Is the omnichannel ecommerce-led growth ending or plateauing or still accelerating?3) Talk to the importance of retail media and its growing importance in the industry? Why is this so ungoverned to the day with limited understanding and metrics.4) What is the meaning of the trend referred to as “return to store?” What tactics are permanent and does category management have a different role to play in an omnichannel world?5) Who are the type of brands or retailers you work with and what’s a typical project? Who is the beneficiary?6) How is technology shaping marketing and retailing in consumer goods?7) Retail digital transformation requires capital on an already wafer-thin margin ecosystem unlike brands. How do you advocate for this knowing this with a healthy respect to the P&L?8) Let's ask you to do 5 predictions for retail and CPG go forward.CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comCPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.comNextUp Website: http://nexupisnow.org/cpgguysRetailWit Website: http://retailwit.comDISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.