How Brieane Olson is shaping the future of youth retail at Pacsun
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Brieane Olson has spent nearly two decades helping reshape Pacsun. She joins Retail Gets Real to share what it actually takes to evolve a legacy retail brand without losing sight of the customer. With a retail career that began at age 15, her foundation in fashion still shapes how she leads today. The connection point between product and consumer remains an energizing part of her career journey, and influences how she leads people, sets strategy and guides the business through constant change.
Reinventing Pacsun for a new generation
Pacsun today looks very different than it did a decade or two ago. The brand has evolved from its surf-and-skate roots into something broader and more culturally connected, with fashion, music, art and sport now serving as the company’s four core pillars. That evolution didn’t happen overnight — it took years of experimentation, tension between old and new and a willingness to rethink what the brand could become.
One of the biggest shifts has been Pacsun’s move from retailer to brand. More than half of their inventory is now Pacsun-branded, and customers increasingly identify with those products directly. That matters in a retail landscape where brand affinity, not just product assortment, is becoming one of the strongest differentiators.
Why co-creation is the future of retail
A major part of that evolution is captured in Olson’s new book, “Co-Created,” which lays out a framework for how brands can move away from top-down decision-making and toward something more collaborative. She says today’s most relevant retailers need to treat culture as part of the operating system and bring consumers into the process in a more meaningful way.
That philosophy shows up in how Pacsun thinks about innovation, too. It approaches to AI not as a side experiment, but a cross-functional business priority. Olson also makes the case for staying curious, moving quickly and not being afraid to fail. In her view, brands that are too cautious risk falling behind the pace of change.
What Gen Z and Gen Alpha are telling retailers
Some of the episode’s most interesting insights come from Pacsun’s research into younger consumers. Olson says Gen Z and Gen Alpha increasingly see themselves as the biggest influence in their own lives, with traditional celebrity influence becoming less central. Music has emerged as the number one driver of identity for many young consumers, surpassing fashion or sports.
She also highlights one of the clearest themes in the data: mental health matters deeply to this generation. For retailers, that means understanding young consumers as whole people, not just shoppers.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about Pacsun’s transformation, how Olson is thinking about the future of retail and why the brands that win next may be the ones willing to share the table with their customers.
Episode chapters
(00:00:00) Brieane Olson’s path to CEO
How a first job in retail shaped her entire career
Why staying close to the customer still matters most
What shifted when leadership became less about product and more about people
How purpose changed the way she sees her work
(00:07:40) Pacsun’s evolution from retailer to brand
How Pacsun transformed from surf-and skate roots into a culture-driven brand
Why Gen Z and Gen Alpha are at the center of everything
The strategy behind building a brand while still running retail stores
What finally unlocked the shift from legacy to future-facing identity
(00:12:58) Inside Olson’s new book, "Co-Created”
Why she decided to put Pacsun’s transformation into words
How co-creation is changing the relationship between brands and consumers
What retail leaders can learn from culture, community and artificial intelligence
The books and ideas that helped shape her leadership thinking
(00:15:16) Leading through change and uncertainty
Why mission and purpose still matter when everything is moving fast
How Brieane Olson balances today’s business with tomorrow’s opportunities
What it takes to build an AI roadmap across an entire company
Why a willingness to fail may be one of retail’s biggest advantages
(00:20:20) Why leading mission-first is essential for the future of retail
Why self-expression is becoming even more central to shopping
How experiential retail and digital commerce are growing side by side
What Pacsun is learning directly from Gen Z and Gen Alpha
Why giving young consumers a real seat at the table matters
(00:24:10) What Gen Z and Gen Alpha are saying now
How influence is shifting for younger consumers
Why music plays a bigger role in identity than many brands realize
What young people are prioritizing beyond shopping and style
How Pacsun is turning youth insights into real-world action
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