How do the world's best retailers and retail brands successfully expand across international markets? On this episode, we sit down with Roberto Croce, recently the Senior Vice President of International at American Eagle Outfitters. Drawing on 30 years of product, eCommerce and global leadership experience, Roberto shares a practical playbook for global growth, including brand building, localization, pricing strategy, international partnerships, digital-first market entry, and organizational design. If you're looking to scale globally, this episode delivers invaluable insights from an experienced thought leader who's done it at the highest level.
On this episode of The Global eCommerce Leaders Podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Jim Okamura welcome Roberto Croce, former Senior Vice President of International at American Eagle Outfitters, for a deep and insightful conversation on what it takes to build, scale, and sustain retail brands across global markets.
Drawing on a remarkable 30-year career at American Eagle, Roberto shares lessons learned from leading merchandising, eCommerce, commercial operations, and international growth during one of the most transformative periods in retail history. From the rise of e-commerce and mobile commerce to social commerce and global omnichannel expansion, Roberto offers a firsthand perspective on how retail leadership has evolved alongside rapidly changing consumer expectations.
The conversation explores the foundational elements of successful international expansion. Roberto explains why brand equity, product differentiation, local relevance, and strategic market selection remain the cornerstones of global growth. He outlines how retailers must balance consistency in brand positioning with thoughtful adaptation to local market dynamics, cultural nuances, competitive landscapes, and customer preferences.
Jim and Michael also dive into one of the most important topics facing global retailers today: managing international partnerships. Roberto shares practical advice on maintaining brand integrity across distributors, licensees, and local operating partners through strong communication, shared KPIs, data transparency, training, and collaborative execution. The discussion highlights how successful global brands treat partners as true extensions of their organization rather than simply external operators.
The episode also examines global pricing strategy, digital-first market entry, customer acquisition, localization, and the growing importance of data and insights in international decision-making. Roberto discusses how retailers can use eCommerce as a testing ground before making larger investments in physical stores, allowing brands to learn, adapt, and optimize their market approach with greater agility.
Finally, the conversation turns to organizational design and leadership. Roberto offers valuable perspectives on balancing centralized global functions with local market expertise, creating frictionless customer experiences across borders, and building organizations capable of scaling internationally while remaining close to customers.