In this episode of Retail Retold, host Chris Ressa gets inside the mind of Lÿden Foust, the CEO and founder of Spatial.ai—the company turning real human behavior into a map retailers can actually use. If you think location strategy is still built on income bands and census data, this conversation flips that idea on its head.

Foust explains how Persona Live Segmentation blends social signals, credit card trends, demographic nuance, and movement patterns to reveal who your customer really is—and where they live in the physical world. It’s the engine behind brands like Patagonia and Lululemon choosing sites, growing market share, and targeting high-value segments others miss.

Ressa and Foust dig into the elephant in the room: AI isn’t spatial (yet). The technology can write decks and draw buildings, but it can’t feel the difference between half a mile and a trade area boundary. The fundamentals still matter—and boots on the ground beat bots on the map.

The two break down how value just overtook quality in consumer preference, why Dutch Bros is winning by going after unexpected segments, and how landlords can use psychographics to land better tenants and build smarter merchandising mixes.

What You’ll Hear:

• Why psychographic segmentation, not demographics, drives retail market share
• How Patagonia, Lululemon, and others use Persona Live Segmentation to find their best customers
• The four data sources behind Spatial.ai’s models: social, purchasing, demographics, movement
• Why AI is not yet spatially aware enough to replace human site selection
• What mobile data gets wrong and right about trade areas
• How Dutch Bros disrupted the “crowded” coffee category by targeting unexpected segments
• Why value is now outperforming quality in consumer decision-making
• How property owners can use psychographics to land the right anchor tenant
• Where demographic trends are shifting: birth rates, immigration, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha
• The surprising role of franchising as a growth engine for retail real estate

Chapters

00:00 — Who Is Lÿden Foust

Chris introduces Lÿden and the origin story of Spatial.ai’s Persona Live Segmentation platform.

01:13 — Why Psychographics Matter

Lÿden explains why real behavior beats demographics when retailers choose locations.

02:15 — The Data Behind Persona Segmentation

Spatial.ai blends social signals, spending patterns, demographics, and movement to map customer segments.

06:38 — Retailers Using It Today

Patagonia, Lululemon, and others use psychographics to find top customer groups and guide site selection.

10:58 — AI’s Limits in Real Estate

Chris and Lÿden debate why AI isn’t spatial yet—and why human context still wins for site selection.

12:41 — Mobile Data: Good and Bad

They break down what mobile visitation data reveals, and where it misrepresents certain customer groups.

14:27 — Building Trade Areas Smarter

Lÿden explains how mobile data reshaped trade area analysis and unlocked competitive insight.

18:40 — Value Now Beats Quality

They explore why “value” just surpassed “quality” in consumer preference and what retailers should do about...

The kids’ entertainment world is exploding, and in this episode of Retail Retold, host Chris Ressa dives straight into the center of that momentum with Melissa Tinsley, Director of Real Estate at Unleashed Brands. Melissa pulls back the curtain on the powerhouse portfolio behind Urban Air, Sylvan Learning, The Little Gym, and Water Wings, revealing how Unleashed is rapidly shaping the future of experiential retail.

She shares why she left Tropical Smoothie Café after eight years to tackle the high-stakes, high-complexity world of big-box entertainment real estate—where ceiling heights, engineering gymnastics, waivers, zoning battles, and multimillion-dollar buildout decisions turn every Urban Air deal into an adrenaline-fueled puzzle.

Melissa breaks down Urban Air’s evolution from trampoline park to full-scale adventure park, how that shift has changed the competitive landscape, and why the brand is aggressively expanding across the West Coast, East Coast, and major suburban hubs.

She also explains why Urban Air is becoming a go-to solution for vacant big boxes—drawing families, driving cross-shopping, and creating the kind of sticky traffic landlords crave.

Packed with candid insights on franchisee growth, site criteria, and real estate challenges, this episode gives a powerful look at how Unleashed Brands is building the next generation of family-focused retail experiences.

What You’ll Hear:

• The inside story on how Urban Air is rewriting the rules of kids’ entertainment
• Why “trampoline parks” are over—and adventure parks are the new category killer
• The gritty realities of big-box real estate: ceiling hurdles, digging pits, raising roofs
• How Unleashed Brands is turning dead anchors into high-performing family magnets
• The markets where Urban Air is going all-in—from California to the Northeast
• Why franchisees with serious capital are chasing adventure park deals
• What most landlords still misunderstand about Urban Air
• The dealmaking mindset that gets complex entertainment leases signed—fast

Chapters

00:00 – Meet Melissa Tinsley

Melissa shares her background and move to Unleashed Brands.

01:26 – Inside the Unleashed Brands Portfolio

How Urban Air, Sylvan, The Little Gym, and Water Wings fit together.

03:16 – The Reality of Big-Box Entertainment Deals

Ceiling heights, engineering challenges, waivers, and zoning.

04:55 – From Trampoline Park to Adventure Park

How Urban Air is evolving and outpacing competitors.

07:28 – Franchise Growth + Who’s Investing

The types of franchisees fueling expansion across the country.

09:31 – Markets on Fire

Where Urban Air is growing fastest—especially CA, NY, and NJ.

11:13 – Filling Big Box Vacancies

Why Urban Air is becoming a prime replacement for dark anchors.

12:18 – What Landlords Need to Know

Co-tenant reactions, parking concerns, and why Urban Air drives powerful family traffic.

Which of these trends will reshape brands the most?

This week on What’s in Store, Karly Iacono and Chris Ressa break down the power moves happening across luxury retail—and why the category is rewriting the rules of real estate.

They open with a jolt: luxury brands are no longer just leasing the world’s most iconic corners… they’re buying them outright. Prada dropping $835 million on Fifth Avenue and LVMH investing billions globally isn’t about rent—it’s about dominance. Karly and Chris argue these brands aren’t reacting to the market, they’re locking in control of their physical identity for decades to come. Flagships aren’t stores anymore—they’re statements.

They then dive into the comeback of experiential flagships. After a decade obsessed with e-commerce scaling, luxury is doubling down on high-touch experiences: concierge service, curated appointments, even food and beverage. The hosts make it clear—luxury isn’t selling products, it’s selling a feeling you can’t stream.

Next, they explore the suburban shift. With affluent consumers spending more time at home, luxury is quietly testing high-income suburbs, balancing exclusivity with convenience without diluting the brand.

Finally, Karly and Chris tackle the booming world of resale luxury. Once a fringe online niche, authenticated resale is taking Class A corners—and becoming a gateway for the next generation of luxury shoppers.

What You’ll Hear:

• How luxury brands are flipping the script by buying their real estate and making billion-dollar flagship bets.
• Why high-impact, high-experience flagships are roaring back as the core of luxury brand identity.
• The rise of luxury in high-income suburbs — and what it means for convenience, exclusivity, and brand strategy.
• How authenticated resale is becoming a powerful gateway into luxury for the next generation of shoppers.
• The real estate implications behind each trend — and why these shifts matter now more than ever.

Chapters

00:00 — The Luxury Land Grab

Karly and Chris break down why luxury brands are buying their real estate and making billion-dollar bets on iconic flagship locations.

08:50 — The Flagship Comeback

The hosts explore why experiential, high-identity flagship stores are surging back as luxury brands reassert the power of physical retail.

16:15 — Luxury Moves to the Suburbs

They discuss the shift toward affluent suburban markets as luxury brands meet high-income consumers closer to home.

22:20 — The Rise of Resale Luxury

Karly and Chris unpack how authenticated resale is becoming a major gateway to luxury—and why resellers are taking prime corners once reserved for the biggest brands.

This episode moves fast — because Rob Gresham’s career has never slowed down. Chris Ressa sits with the restaurant veteran who went from washing dishes at 15 to helping architect the early operational engine behind CAVA’s meteoric growth from zero to 80 stores.

Rob shares the wild ride: running a steakhouse kitchen as a teenager, getting recruited by Chipotle to fix troubled locations, learning the business side under industry giants, and joining CAVA before it was a household name — building systems, opening markets, and helping scale a brand that eventually went public.

Then the pandemic hit. Consulting work vanished. His son was bored. So Rob turned a homeschool project into something much bigger: a business plan for a scratch-made, allergen-conscious chicken concept. When it came time to name it, Rob’s son delivered the winner: Isaac’s — inspired by Isaac Newton, who invented calculus and discovered gravity while quarantined during the plague. “He changed the world in quarantine,” his son said. “You created a restaurant. Name it Isaac’s.”

Today, Isaac’s Poultry Market has two booming locations, a cult following, and the DNA of a future fast-casual standout. Rob’s story is momentum, grit, and timing — the kind Retail Retold was made for.

What You’ll Hear:

• How Rob went from washing dishes at 15 to helping scale CAVA into an 80-unit national powerhouse
• The pivotal career moves — and mentors — that shaped his operator mindset
• Why he left CAVA at its peak and walked straight into entrepreneurship
• The pandemic moment that sparked Isaac’s Poultry Market (and how his son named it)
• What it really takes to open a restaurant during supply-chain chaos and skyrocketing construction costs
• How Rob chose his first two locations — and the real-world negotiation battles behind them
• Why exclusives matter, how fast-casual operators think about competition, and the markets he’s targeting next
• The scratch-made, allergen-friendly philosophy behind Isaac’s menu
• And the big question: Is Isaac’s positioned to become the next major fast-casual brand?

Chapters

00:00 — From Dish Pit to Drive

How a 15-year-old dishwasher discovered his path — and his ambition — in the restaurant world.

02:00 — Learning the Business Beyond the Kitchen

The mentors and moments that pushed Rob from chef to full-scale operator.

04:45 — Chipotle, CAVA, and Fixing What’s Broken

Rob’s early role in stabilizing stores and helping build CAVA’s operational backbone from day zero.

06:30 — Building a Rocketship Brand

Cross-country construction sprints, tiny founding teams, and opening stores at breakneck speed.

09:00 — The Decision to Walk Away

Why Rob left CAVA at its peak and refused to transition into an office role.

13:00 — Pandemic Curveball → Entrepreneurial Breakthrough

How a business-plan lesson with his son turned into the foundation for Isaac’s Poultry Market.

14:00 — Naming Isaac’s: A Quarantine Stroke of Genius

The Isaac Newton inspiration that became a bold, meaningful brand name.

17:00 — Building Location #1 in a Broken Supply Chain

Construction chaos, blown budgets, and the reality of opening a restaurant during COVID.

22:00 — The Battle for Location #2

Inside the seven-month negotiation to secure exclusives and protect the emerging brand.

29:00 — The Future of Isaac’s Poultry Market

How Rob is approaching growth, second-gen spaces, and...

What Does It Take to Scale from Two Gyms to 100+ Stores Across America?

n this episode of Retail Retold, Chris Ressa welcomes franchise powerhouse Kal Gullipali — the man who turned two Orange Theory studios into a 100-unit empire spanning Marco’s Pizza, Dave’s Hot Chicken, European Wax Center, and more. From Wall Street to wellness centers to hot chicken, Kal’s story is a masterclass in bold moves, smart capital, and relentless growth.

Kal reveals how selling his first franchise lit the spark for scale — and how COVID became the ultimate wake-up call to diversify. Today, his group operates across multiple states, building new stores, buying portfolios, and driving more than $35–40 million in annual growth. He breaks down the numbers, the strategy, and the mindset it takes to play at this level.

This episode dives into what it really takes to win in franchising: sharp site selection, patient capital, and powerful partnerships. Kal also calls out a coming shift in the fast-casual world — the return of true customer service — as brands rediscover that speed means nothing without hospitality.

What You’ll Hear:

• How Kal built a 100+ unit, multi-brand portfolio in under a decade
• Why diversification saved his business model
• The real economics behind scaling franchises
• Why the next big franchise trend is a return to the human touch

Chapters

00:00 – Meet Kal Gullipali

From Wall Street to Main Street — how a former Merrill Lynch analyst became a franchise powerhouse.

02:00 – The First Franchise Bet

Why Kal’s first leap into Orange Theory Fitness changed everything.

04:00 – From Two Gyms to a Hundred Units

The mindset, capital, and partnerships behind explosive growth.

06:00 – Lessons from Selling and Scaling

How selling early wins funded a smarter, more diversified empire.

07:45 – Enter the Pizza and Hot Chicken Game

Why COVID turned Kal into a believer in delivery-driven, resilient brands.

09:30 – Building vs. Buying

The strategy behind mixing acquisitions with ground-up new builds.

10:30 – Why Dave’s Hot Chicken Took Off

High AUVs, hot branding, and a cult following—Kal breaks down the magic formula.

13:00 – The Numbers Behind the Empire

A candid look at performance, diversification, and what drives profitability.

15:00 – The Power of People and Process

Inside Kal’s shared-services model and how he scales culture across brands.

18:00 – The Franchise Trend No One’s Talking About

Why customer service—not tech—will define the next era of QSR success.

What happens when two of retail’s sharpest minds go head-to-head on the data behind the industry’s biggest shifts? You get this week’s episode of Retail Retold, where Chris Ressa sits down (again!) with Ethan Chernofsky, Chief Marketing Officer at Placer.ai.

Ethan brings the receipts—billions of data points from Placer.ai’s location analytics—to unpack five retail trends that are redefining the way consumers shop and how retailers win. From Chili’s comeback and Trader Joe’s cult following to the rise of “dark stores” and the urbanization of suburbia, Chris and Ethan debate what’s driving foot traffic, loyalty, and value creation across retail. It’s part data, part strategy, and all energy.

What You’ll Hear:

• The five retail trends shaping 2026 and beyond
• Why simplicity (and knowing your “reason for being”) drives success
• How loyalty and cross-visitation can rise together
• Why the store is now a media channel, fulfillment hub, and brand platform
• How suburban retail is stealing the show

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome Back, Ethan Chernofsky

Chris and Ethan kick things off with their signature energy — a quick catch-up, a look inside Placer.ai’s marketing team, and how data storytelling is changing the game.

02:30 – Trend #1: Know Your Reason for Being

The biggest driver of retail success today? Focus. Ethan explains how Chili’s, Trader Joe’s, and Sprouts are winning by doubling down on what they do best.

08:30 – Trend #2: The Battle for the Basket

Loyalty is up — but so is cross-visitation. Chris and Ethan break down why shoppers are visiting more stores and what it means for retailers fighting for “share of list.”

13:15 – Trend #3: The Middle Market Mystery

Can the “middle” of retail survive? The duo debates whether flexibility, not price point, is the secret weapon for retailers stuck between luxury and value.

18:10 – Trend #4: The Store as a Platform

From buy-online-pickup-in-store to dark stores and retail media, Ethan unpacks how brick-and-mortar is becoming retail’s most powerful ecosystem.

22:45 – Trend #5: The Urbanization of the Suburbs

The suburbs are stealing the spotlight. Ethan and Chris discuss how urban concepts are moving into suburban centers—and what that means for open-air retail.

29:00 – Final Thoughts: The Future of Retail is Real

Chris and Ethan wrap it up with what’s next for data, design, and human experience in the physical retail world.

This is not the sugar-coated version of franchising. Patrick Buckley sits down with Chris Ressa to unpack what is actually happening behind the curtain of franchise growth, exits and unit-level profitability. He breaks down the split between legacy giants and scrappy emerging brands fighting for first-time operators, why once-hot home-service brands have cooled off, and why beverages and “drive-thru only” formats are the franchise sector’s new land rush.

Patrick gets blunt about the math — labor, food inflation, beef shortages, construction costs and multiples that make zero sense on paper. He explains why Taco Bell can sell at 10X EBITDA while most operators are fighting to keep 10% margin, and why franchising is not a guaranteed “proven system” but a case-by-case knife fight. Health and wellness franchising is rising, the approval gate is tighter than people think, and the biggest risk is assuming the word “franchise” equals safe..

What you'll hear:

• The collapse in home-services franchise buying after the 2020–24 gold rush
• The beverage & drive-thru wave and why it's crowding capital
• Unit-profit reality: labor > inflation, food > margin, construction > forecast
• Why some brands trade at 9–10x EBITDA despite margin compression
• How first-time buyers actually get (or don’t get) approved to buy existing units
• Why health & wellness may steal share from food over the next decade
• The warning most first-time buyers wish they heard sooner

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Fran Dogs and Patrick Buckley

03:02 Current Trends in Franchising

05:40 Challenges Faced by Franchisees

08:59 Understanding Franchise Valuations

11:44 The Rise of Taco Bell and Beverage Trends

14:58 Navigating Franchise Purchases

17:41 Emerging Categories Beyond Food and Beverage

20:34 Final Insights and Industry Statistics

How Are Retailers Redefining Success Beyond Sales Per Square Foot?

The metrics that define retail success are changing — fast. In this episode of What’s in Store, hosts Karly Iacono and Chris Ressa dive into the evolving ways retailers, investors, and developers are measuring performance in an era defined by data, analytics, and AI.

From psychodemographics that reveal why consumers buy to macroeconomic drivers reshaping markets, Karly and Chris explore how retail site selection, investment decisions, and KPIs are being redefined. They discuss how new data tools are quantifying once-intangible factors — from population behavior to co-tenancy synergies — and how that data is changing the way we understand performance beyond traditional sales per square foot.

The conversation also touches on the influence of political and labor factors, the rise of visits per square foot as a new benchmark, and how AI and predictive analytics may soon reshape everything from store openings to customer engagement.

What you'll hear:

• How psychodemographics are reshaping site selection
• Why macroeconomic “anchors” like universities and studios drive retail growth
• The impact of politics, regulation, and labor markets on expansion
• What “visits per square foot” really tells us about performance
• How AI is turning overwhelming data into actionable retail strategy