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Get to know RETHINK Retail\u2019s Top Retail Influencers through the \u201cMeet the TRI\u201d Q&A series! Dive in to learn about a member of the thought leader community and follow their work and insights across our content and their social channels.<\/p>\n
Hi, I\u2019m Rick Watson, CEO of RMW Commerce Consulting.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Connect with me on LinkedIn!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cTell us about your background\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Based in New York City, Rick Watson is an eCommerce executive with more than 20 years in the industry at companies including Pitney Bowes, Barnes & Noble, Merchantry, and ChannelAdvisor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Rick was one of the first employees at ChannelAdvisor (NYSE:ECOM), spending 10 years there launching several of the company\u2019s flagship innovative offerings and helping retailers and brands sell more on eBay and Amazon marketplaces. He was later recruited to launch the third-party marketplace at Barnes & Noble.com, expanding the company\u2019s product catalog by more than one million items. After the successful marketplace launch, Rick was named CEO of Merchantry, which he led to a $30 million acquisition by Tradeshift. Most recently, Rick directed the cross-border product strategy of Pitney Bowes, a $450 million business comprising Borderfree and eBay Global Shipping Program.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBrief description of your current role and your space in the industry.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes. Watson\u2019s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct-to-consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com. Watson also hosts a podcast, The Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector\u2019s biggest news and players.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHow has the retail industry changed in the past 5 years? What do you predict will happen in the next 5 to 10 years?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n In the past 5 years, we have seen the continued struggle for retailers that have not transformed their experiences.\u00a0 The future really belongs to retailers who have done a few things:<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have any interesting projects coming up?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n One of my more interesting projects at the moment is working with a design-focused marketplace on a replatform to a headless eCommerce platform.<\/p>\n I am also currently in the process of launching the RMW Commerce Community, a trusted discussion group to chat about all things eCommerce.<\/p>\n \u201cWhich resources do you use to keep up with industry news?\u201d<\/p>\n I love a few different sources, in particular:<\/p>\n Retail Touchpoints: https:\/\/www.retailtouchpoints.com\/<\/p>\n Industry Dive: https:\/\/www.industrydive.com\/<\/p>\n (specifically Retail Dive, Supply Chain Dive, and Marketing Dive)<\/p>\n Business Insider: https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/<\/p>\n Term Sheet: https:\/\/fortune.com\/newsletter\/termsheet<\/p>\n Axios Pro Rata: https:\/\/www.axios.com\/signup\/pro-rata<\/p>\n Google News is also surprisingly good at learning what you like to read about.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the greatest challenge the industry is facing?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Talent is still one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today.\u00a0 Many retailers cannot recruit and retain great staff for their store experiences.<\/p>\n Another huge challenge in the industry is the legacy of retailers and brands that have not adapted well to the times.\u00a0 Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl\u2019s, and Gap all fall in this camp.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you continue to grow and develop as an influencer in the retail industry?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n You always need to be learning and helping others in new ways. People ask me how much time I spend reading. The answer is that I am constantly reading.\u00a0 Every moment is time to learn something new.<\/p>\n You also need to keep finding ways to engage the audience. I started blogging pretty early in my consulting career and then added LinkedIn.\u00a0 A couple of years later, I added a podcast that has been active for over a year.\u00a0 I\u2019m now working on a private community project.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are the most critical changes that we must make to face the future effectively?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n There are two huge challenges for the industry in the next few years:<\/p>\n \u201cWhat has helped you get to where you are and what advice would you have for others who want to set off in a similar direction?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n For those trying to break into eCommerce, finding a great, high-quality eCommerce organization is the first step. As you interview for roles, always look for organizations with the toughest and most efficient interview processes, reasoning that this will attract the best candidates. Your job is to work with a great team for a number of years, and then you will be off and running in the industry!<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the best resource for people who want to dive in deeper?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Follow me on LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rickwatsonecommerce\/<\/p>\n Or check out my podcast: https:\/\/www.rmwcommerce.com\/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly<\/p>\n My eCommerce consulting firm\u2019s website: https:\/\/www.rmwcommerce.com\/<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n
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