Making Space: Real Time with Chris Niesen

About Making Space: Real Time with Chris Niesen

Physical retail isn’t standing still—and neither is Making Space: Real Time. Every two weeks, retail strategist Chris Niesen goes beyond the headlines to unpack the store formats, remodels, capital investments, and category decisions transforming the retail floor. Drawing on firsthand experience from thousands of store visits and coverage of more than 450 retailers and brands, Chris delivers candid, practitioner-led insight into what’s working, what isn’t, and why it matters. Expect sharp analysis, informed conversations, and a little fun as Chris is joined by expert co-hosts from across retail, space planning, and visual merchandising. Subscribe and get a real-time view of the ideas and decisions shaping physical retail. Presented by the Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals (ARC) in partnership with Omni Talk.

Publisher

ARC - The Association of Retail & Consumer Professionals

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Sept 2026

Latest episode

30 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

3 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Oct 2026

   A Bed Bath & Beyond/Container Store Mash-Up, Dick’s Sporting Goods House of Sport Test and Learn, and the “Back to Starbucks” Store Experience

   In this episode, I'm joined by Chris Walton to discuss the Bed Bath & Beyond /Container Store Mash-Up, Dick’s Sporting Goods House of Sport testing prowess, and the “Back to Starbucks” turnaround after visiting an uplifted location.

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Meta Labs at Best Buy, Lululemon's Recent Challenges, and Kohl's Shop-in-Shop Expansion of Babies R Us | Making Space: Real Time EP 2

   In this episode, I'm joined again by Chris Walton to discuss Best Buy's new Meta Lab shop-in-shop, Lululemon's continued challenges as new leadership steps in, and Kohl's big bet on expanding Babies R Us. I walked all three myself, so this is the floor-up view.

3. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Inside Michaels’ New Format, TJX’s Rare Miss, and Target’s Beauty Play

   Making Space: Real Time. Real conversations on physical retail, grounded in real time on the floor. In this first episode, I was joined by Chris Walton, and we discuss Michaels' bet on a new store format, TJX's rare earnings stumble, and Target's Beauty Studio glow-up as it moves on from Ulta.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Contact Making Space: Real Time with Chris Niesen

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.