The Retail Tea Break

In the 100th episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by the storytelling legend, Charlie Boyle. The customer experience expert champions the powerful message: human skills are still the heartbeat of retail . Charlie describes why emotional intelligence, empathy and effective communication are not just “soft skills”, they are critical, measurable and trainable capabilities that define gr...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast we explore how modern retail leaders are blending passion, people and purpose to drive meaningful growth. George Sullivan is the Founder and CEO of The Sole Supplier, a shopping platform and marketplace connecting sneakerheads with hard to find products. Through the use of innovative tech, engaging content and strategic partnerships, the brand...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by an industry veteran who has brought measurable value to companies operating in the publishing, advertising and technology space. Dominick Miserandino is CEO of Retail Tech Media Nexus. Having held various C-Level and leadership roles, he has successfully worked and turned around over 100 eCommerce and digital businesses. Today’s g...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by  two guests to explore incredible store experience. Brendan Boyle is COO and CO-Founder of TapCreative, who partners with forward thinking companies to define their customer experience design. His ethos is that it’s how well you engage emotively with your customer and communicate how your brand aligns with their lifestyles. E...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by a strategic advisor on growth and transformation. Steve Dennis is a world renowned keynote speaker, author, and former C-suite executive at two large retailers.  His groundbreaking book--Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is a perennial international bestseller. His provocative ideas o...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by a guest who is a true expert in Irish retail! Anne Harrison is the  Buying Director at Carraig Donn. Her deep understanding of the Irish customer and ever-evolving trends has been central to her employer’s growth and success. Since joining the team, she has played a pivotal role in the brand’s transformation, from just four s...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by an industry expert in Merchandising, Buying, Product Development and Sourcing with luxury and mass merchant retailers in both regional and global markets. Liza Amlani, the Principal and Co-Founder of Retail Strategy Group brings the end-to-end expertise that retail brands need.  In the episode we talk about her new book, The...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by two sisters who run a family-owned boutique destination store in the West of Ireland. Clíona and Laragh Standún describe their strengths as being like “chalk and cheese,” which makes them the perfect duo. They are always striving to advance their business and continue growing in an ever-changing and competitive environment. The bu...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I share some insightful conversations that I had live at Retail Technology Show in London last week, offering you a front-row seat to the discussions that are driving retail innovation. I speak to: 1. Dr. Mark Chrystal, CEO & Co-founder at Profitmind 2. Simone Oloman, Co-Founder & CEO at Need It For Tonight (NIFT) 3. Finn Wikander, Chie...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by an internationally recognised expert in the retail industry. Michelle Grant is the Director of Strategy and Insights for Retail & Consumer Goods at Salesforce The seasoned researcher helps global organisations build the future of their business. She has shared her thoughts with the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and t...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by two guests to explore how working together has delivered brand experiences to thousands of customers. Paul Lowry is the Design Director at TapCreative; he oversees a team of designers on projects that span many sectors from retail to hospitality. TapCreative say that great experiences don’t just happen by chance, they imagine, eng...

In the opening episode of season 8, I’m joined by a guest who has spent over 20 years in the exhibition and events industry. Matt Bradley is the Event Director of The Retail Technology Show.  He is a well known face within the retail tech industry and has an enviable book of contacts and understands how to truly connect suppliers with buyers! His philosophy is simple, make experiences not exh...

Season 7 Finale Each week on season 7 of The Retail Tea Break podcast, I’ve been joined by industry experts, retailers and brands to decode the myths, share knowledge and give you a better insight into the retail industry.  In this final episode of season 7, I give you a quick recap of key moments from 2024. There have been 24 episodes of The Retail Tea Break podcast covering an incredible ra...

On this week’s episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by a product experience specialist. Andy Tyra is the Chief Product Officer at Akeneo. He strives to deliver product information management solutions for brands and retailers contributing to a seamless and positive customer journey. Andy was previously a founding team member on AmazonFresh and AWS Marketplace, building these business...

On the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break I’m joined by a retailer who is on a mission to bring joy to customers and the community. Anne Barber is founder of Butterslip in Kilkenny. She has won numerous awards and accolades, as well as loyal customers over the last 20 years. The store is remarkable for its colourful displays, inside and out and for the joy with which it embraces its customers...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast, I’m joined by two guests with a whole plethora of sales and ecommerce experience. Eamonn Grant is Senior VP of Corporate Development at ESW and Jonathan Sheard is VP Sales at ESW UK. Their teams empower the world’s best-loved retailers and brands to make global shopping better, safer, simpler, and faster, end-to-end. Eamonn has 24 years’ exper...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast, I’m joined by a “Business Imagineer”, who is focused on building growth-unleashing relationships in symbiosis between commercial understanding and shopper insights. Torben Valsted is a Chief Imagineer, having worked as a transformational leader and growth architect for Nike, Nestlé and Carlsberg. Torben is passionate about unleashing the syner...

On the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast, I’m joined by a dynamic entrepreneur and visionary founder, who has set new standards in the floral industry. Vivian Wong-McKendry is the Founder of One More Thing- the brand that promotes sustainable living through beautiful, eco-friendly products.  In this episode she talks about a collaboration that has taken her work to Selfridges and...

On the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I’m joined by a guest who really cares about what matters to the consumer. Alyson Hogg MBE, is the CEO and Founder of Vita Liberata. Driven by a passion to bring quality, meaningful products to market that people really want to use, Alyson excels at telling the story of those products in the most compelling way. Her incredible career brought he...

On the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast I'm joined by a guest who really understands how AI can impact and support retail. Peter Cohan is a strategy consultant, startup investor, author, and columnist. He is an Associate Professor of Management Practice at Babson College, he is faculty lead for the core undergraduate strategy course and has created popular electives on Startup Cities...

To celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the Retail Tea Break Podcast, I’m delighted to be re-joined by 4 retail experts for part two of our round table. From season 2, Ian Scott works at a strategic level with brands and retailers. He provides insights, assisting with store development and offering a consumer centric perspective. He introduced the concept of Symbiotic Retail, highlighting how all chan...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast, I speak to a retail newbie! Rebecca Hoban is Co-Founder of Outwest Clothing and retail store. From Dingle in County Kerry, Rebecca and Co-Founder Shane Finn built an outdoor apparel brand made for the Irish outdoors. Rebecca describes the retail store’s opening day during a bank holiday weekend and learning on the job. She talks passionately a...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast, I speak to an incredibly experienced retailer. Conrad Digan is the CEO of Shaws Department Stores. Having worked in various DT2 store roles for Marks and Spencer in London and then Dublin, he went on to become the Head of Selling for M&S on the Island of Ireland. Then after almost 25 years, he left M&S to take on the Director of Retail...

In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast, I’m joined by a guest who plays a huge part in a modern heritage Irish brand that sells globally. Sarah Murphy is the Managing Director of Jack Murphy Clothing. Establishing themselves as a leader in fashionable, functional, and sustainable clothing was and still is, a family passion.  Now over 70 years in business and in its third genera...

To celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the Retail Tea Break Podcast and the launch of season 7, I’m delighted to be joined by 4 retail experts. From season 2, Ian Scott works at a strategic level with brands and retailers. He provides insights, assisting with store development and offering a consumer centric perspective. He introduced the concept of Symbiotic Retail, highlighting how all channels nee...