Dying Is Easy. Retail Is Hard. (Update)
This episode examines the troubled state of Macy's and the broader retail industry through conversations with Macy's CEO Tony Spring, retail veteran and academic Mark Cohen, and author-entrepreneur Jeff Kinney. Spring lays out his Bold New Chapter turnaround plan, including major store closures, real estate monetization, merchandise overhauls, and attempts to translate the marketing power of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade into better in-store experiences. Cohen sharply criticizes Macy's past strategies and questions the viability of the turnaround, while Kinney offers a contrasting example of place-based, community-focused retail through his unprofitable but culturally influential independent bookstore and downtown redevelopment project in Plainville, Massachusetts.
Is Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset? (Update)
The episode investigates the hidden economics and logistics of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, focusing on how it is produced, who pays for what, and what value it creates for Macy's, NBC, and New York City. Executive producer Will Koss, NBC executive Jen Neal, city officials, and author Jeff Kinney describe the year‑round production process, brand sponsorships, balloon design and fabrication, helium supply, security, and sanitation. Despite assembling many details, the show concludes that the true costs and financial arrangements around the parade remain largely opaque, and it tees up a second episode on Macy's broader retail challenges.
Selects: Rockettes: Still Kicking After All These Years
Hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant explore the history and inner workings of the Rockettes, from their origins as the Missouri Rockets inspired by the British Tiller Girls to their long residence at Radio City Music Hall. They cover how precision dance works, the troupe's role in saving Radio City, the grueling but coveted life of a modern Rockette, and controversies around representation and political performances. The episode also touches on updates to the show under director Linda Haberman and ends with a listener story about participating as a mock victim in a search-and-rescue dog exercise.