Buying and Beyond

In this inspiring episode, we welcome Christine Lindebak – designer, fashion industry veteran, and founder of both the ethical loungewear brand Lindy Lindy and the sewing education platform Sewing in the City.  Christine shares how her sewing journey began at just six years old, nurtured by her creative mother and a home filled with inspiration. She reflects on a vibrant career spanning roles at N...

Welcome to the fifth episode of Retail Reflections ! This week, our hosts are joined by Yassin, who brings fresh insights from their work experience and adds a new perspective to the conversation. We kick things off with Pinterest’s new curated thrift shop , a digital-first initiative that puts circular fashion and vintage finds directly into shoppers’ feeds. The team explores how this move reflec...

Welcome back to another Friday episode of Retail Reflections ! This week, we’re diving into five hot topics that are shaping the retail landscape right now. We kick off with the much-anticipated return of Topshop . After months of build-up, the relaunch has finally landed  but does it live up to the nostalgia? We share our honest thoughts on the collection’s design choices, its approach to sustain...

Welcome to another lively Friday morning catch-up! In this discussion, we dive into the latest happenings in the retail world, sharing personal stories, industry insights, and thoughtful opinions. We kick things off with an update on River Island, from there, we take a trip down memory lane with a discussion on tween retail, reflecting on the glory days of Claire’s Accessories in the midst of the...

In this week’s summer series episode, Katy and Lynsey dive into the latest headlines shaping the UK retail landscape. They begin with an update on River Island’s ongoing financial challenges, including a postponed court decision and a critical search for £40 million in funding. The hosts discuss the potential impacts of store closures and rent reductions as part of the retailer’s possible restruct...

Welcome! This is the start of our retail reflections, our weekly Friday morning catch up on all that's been going on in retail.  While we're taking a break from main podcast this summer, we thought actually, you know what, we chat a lot about everything that's going on in retail and we find it super interesting to hear each other's thoughts on it. So why not share it with the w...

In this episode, we’re joined by Lucy Smith, Senior Buyer for Womenswear and Accessories at Jigsaw. It’s a nostalgic one as we all began our buying careers together on the bags team at Accessorize a real full-circle moment for us ex-Accessorize girls! Lucy walks us through her journey into buying, from her early love of fashion (inspired, of course, by Rachel from Friends lol), to studying Fashion...

In this episode, we sit down with Hannah Robb, founder of Han Social, a marketing consultancy dedicated to empowering businesses to connect with their ideal customers and build sustainable growth without burning out. With over 15 years of experience working across major brands like Smirnoff, lastminute.com, and Unilever, Hannah shares her journey into the world of marketing and the insights she&ap...

In this episode, we speak with Anna Youngston, founder of Majury Merchandising and former merchandising professional at Accessorize, about her transition from a long-standing career in retail to establishing her own consultancy. With over 20 years of experience in merchandising across major British fashion retailers, Anna provides valuable insights for professionals in fashion, retail, and busines...

In this episode, we dive into the powerful wave of change sweeping across the retail world as more brands step up to do the right thing . From circular business models and resale platforms to thoughtful retail strategies and new legislation pushing fast fashion to rethink its impact we cover it all. Whether you're in the industry or just a curious shopper, this conversation breaks down the bi...

In this vibrant episode, we sit down with Caitlin and Claire, the designers behind The Outdoor Edit, a bold new Scottish brand reimagining how we design and enjoy our outdoor spaces. With a mission to treat outdoor areas as an extension of the home, The Outdoor Edit brings fresh, trend-led thinking to a market previously dominated by muted tones and safe choices. Their debut range spans everything...

Welcome to another episode of Buying and Beyond! In this episode it's just us! We’re taking a small break from our guest spots, as we dive into the world of Comp Shops, discussing why they’re essential for staying inspired, spotting trends, and growing creatively in retail - not for copying! We break the myth; trendspotting is about inspiration and evolution, not duplication. Our recent comp...

Today we’re joined by Rosie Platt, Head of Range & Ecommerce at NOTH. Rosie has a huge amount of retail buying experience working for a wide variety of UK retailers, including Principles, Debenhams, Oasis, Jaeger, River Island, BBC Children in Need and Superdrug. Rosie is a product development buyer at heart, like ourselves. We find out how Rosie got into buying, from taking an online quiz to...

Today we are joined by Ally Mitchell founder of Ocean Kitchen Scotland a brand that's doing amazing work using recycled plastic found in the ocean. Joining with Ally today is Anna Campbell-Jones, an awarding winning interior design and presenter of Scottish home of the year. Together they are both here to talk about their collaboration of an amazing new swallow wall ornament range.  Ally chat...

Today we’re joined by Shani - Shani has worked for Arcadia, Tesco, Tie Rack and Superdry - all large Uk retailers but with very different buying offices and Shani is here to tell us all about it. It’s a really raw and honest talk about how retail used to be and the stereotypical situations you would hear about in Buying offices. Katy and Shani met at university studying the same Fashion Retail Buy...

We couldn’t be more thrilled to kick off Season 5 with such an incredible guest! It was an absolute privilege to have a conversation with the creator behind the wildly popular Instagram account, Life of a Buyer (LOAB). With over 33,000 engaged followers, this account has become a must-follow for anyone in the industry. If you know, you know! We’ve been eager to get answers to some burning question...

In today’s episode, we’re joined by the incredibly inspiring Bex, founder of the beautiful family run jewellery business in the heart of Wilkshire Boho Betty .  From a doctor to a business owner, Bex has managed to juggle her growing brand while raising four kids under five! Her story is a testament to resilience, compassion, and the power of kindness in business. Boho Betty’s designs focus on mak...

Today we are joined by Audrey, one the co - Founders of The Polyfloss Factory. The company's main goal is to reduce plastic waste and to transform it into a valuable and unique new resource by inventing a machine inspired by the principle of candy floss making, to recycle plastic waste. The technology turns plastic waste into fibre that can be used for insulation, packaging, textiles and moul...

To celebrate International women's day we are so excited to be joined by Jayne Lasley founder of clothing brand Fairlie Curved. Fairlie Curved is a brand that is dedicated to helping curvy women, particularly those with fuller busts, feel and look fabulous in stylish garments that fit and flatter their unique shapes.  Jayne is an ex New Look and Internacionale Buyer with a very commercial eye...

Today we are joined by co-founder of The Better Trends Company, Louise Healy, here today to talk about her career journey and of course all things trends! The Better Trends Company are a trend and design agency doing better, with focused trend insights and design strategies to fuel creativity and empower confident decisions for SME's. By turning trends into actionable tools, they help you cre...

Today we are speaking to Claire Gray founder of the amazing skin care brand Ermana Natural skin care and fellow podcaster, for the 'Skin and Within' podcast! Claire is also an ex buyer. Claire will be telling us all about her journey through retail and onto her most recent ventures. Claire and Lynsey first meet briefly at Marks and Spencers and then again at Dobbies garden centres - reta...

Today we are joined by the lovely Sarah Hansford, a buying professional with many hats! Sarah has been in the buying world for over 20 years and worked for lots of different retailers. She’s a fellow ex M&S buyer and most recently is doing some amazing work teaching and inspiring at the Fashion Retail Academy.  From the M&S grad scheme to working across multiple big high street names, such...

Today we discuss the importance of trade shows for Buyers and for brands to connect. We give you the insight into our favourite things about a trade show, trend spotting and helping the evolution of a brand. Plus we debate the pros and cons to be stocked in a large retailer, pitch tips and how to nurture that long term partnership. What do we as Buyers look for in a brand to list them and some of...

Anna joins us to tell us her incredible and emotional story of how events in life have taken her from Fashion Retail Buying to Founder of an activewear brand. Anna loved her job as a Retail Buyer but events outside of her control ended her career. Her passion for fashion, buying and retail shines through in this episode, as well as her determination to turn every moment into a positive. There is a...

We are feeling so excited for 2025 and all the exciting projects we have in the pipeline. Ready to leave 2024 behind and bring through positive energy from such a great year to build on our foundations and grow into the business we want to be. Starting the year a fresh, goal setting and talking about what’s in store for retail… There is still uncertainty on the high street and a budget that threat...