Where We Buy: Retail Real Estate with James Cook cover art

Where We Buy: Retail Real Estate with James Cook

Where We Buy: Retail Real Estate with James Cook

By: Where We Buy
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Where We Buy is a show about the things we buy and the places we buy them. Listen in as we tour top retail places and talk to fascinating people. James Cook researches retail and real estate for JLL.2024 Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Michael Kors' Store Makeover: Jet Set for a New Era - Where We Buy #377
    Apr 3 2026

    Kevin Vuong is SVP of Global Store and Workplace Experience at Capri Holdings, the parent company of Michael Kors. Kevin talks about how the brand is redefining its signature "jet set" lifestyle for a new generation of customers, including the rollout of Jet Set Lounges with food and beverage in flagship stores in New York, London, and Beijing. He also covers the brand's award-winning popup activations at Galeries Lafayette, rising construction costs and tariff planning, an ambitious plan to renovate half of the company's global store fleet, sustainability efforts including LEED certification, and why he finds inspiration in the grit and diversity of New York City.

    This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2026 Luxury Retail Leaders Summit at The Beekman in New York.

    James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
    Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

    Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

    YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

    Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

    Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

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    26 mins
  • The One with Central Perk - Where We Buy #376
    Mar 27 2026

    Phil Colicchio is co-founder of Central Perk Coffee Company and head of Colicchio Consulting. Phil shares the origin story of how a pitch meeting at Warner Bros. about a sandwich concept unexpectedly led to a license for the globally iconic Central Perk brand from the hit TV show Friends. He discusses the challenges of raising capital without owning the intellectual property, the decision to test the concept in Boston before opening in Times Square, and lessons learned from early operational mistakes. He also covers the company's growth plans, its hub-and-spoke expansion strategy, and why quality and hospitality remain at the core of the brand.

    James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
    Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

    Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

    YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

    Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

    Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

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    38 mins
  • AI Doesn't Replace Human Judgment in Retail Real Estate - Where We Buy #375
    Mar 24 2026

    Paul Sill uses data and predictive analytics to help retailers, restaurants, and other brick-and-mortar businesses make site selection decisions. Paul explains the critical difference between correlation and causation in retail data, explaining that misreading data can lead to costly mistakes. He also discusses how new data sources like social media behavior and mobile foot traffic are shaping modern site selection, why AI still can't replace human judgment in real estate modeling, and the importance of validating instincts with data. Paul, who also teaches at DePaul University, emphasizes that good analytics are about mitigating risk, not providing easy answers.

    Paul Sill is Managing Director and Head of the Visionary Insights Group at JLL,

    James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
    Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

    Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

    YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

    Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

    Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
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