Retail Disrupted

Whistl's James Hayes joins Natalie on the podcast to talk about the critical role of fulfilment in e-commerce success. They discuss: The evolution of online shopping: with e-commerce now accounting for nearly 30% of UK retail sales, how can retailers evolve to meet shifting consumer demands? The delivery experience: what's the risk of getting it wrong? Returns aren't going anywhere, so how can ret...

Ahti Heinla is the Co-Founder and CEO at Starship Technologies. Previously, he was one of the founders and developers of Skype. He joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss the rise of autonomous delivery and the future of grocery e-commerce. They explore: Skype's legacy in transforming modern global communications. The future of grocery delivery: drones in the sky and robots on the ground? The econ...

Rosie Bailey is the CEO & Co-Founder of Nibble , an AI negotiation chatbot which can agree deals in less than a minute on anything from luxury watches to your next broadband subscription. She joins Natalie on the podcast to explain how Nibble allows customers to negotiate prices directly on a retailer's website, and how this benefits both brands and customers.  They discuss the psychology behind d...

Lisa Weaver-Lambert is the author of The AI Value Playbook , an essential handbook empowering non-technical business leaders to formulate a perspective on how to leverage AI. She joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss the key findings from her book and share her views on AI's impact on retail. Retail Disrupted listeners can use the code 20RETAIL for an exclusive discount on the book. Purchases mu...

Jamil Ghani is the Worldwide Vice President of Amazon Prime, leading product, technology, marketing, decision science, operations, and finance teams that build and operate the membership program for over 200 million members across 26 countries.   He sits down with Natalie at the end of the Amazon Prime analyst event in Seattle to discuss the latest innovations and strategic direction of Prime. The...

Global fashion designer Nadine Merabi shares her inspiring journey, from teaching herself how to sew by watching YouTube to becoming a successful fashion entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of building her eponymous brand, NADINE MERABI, emphasizing the importance of community, sustainability, and empowering women through fashion. Nadine shares the rationale for the brand's mov...

Pacsun CEO Brieane Olson sits down with Natalie on the sidelines at the World Retail Congress. They discuss: Staying culturally relevant: how Pacsun transitioned from a "house of brands" in malls to a purpose-driven, culture-first youth brand. Are Gen Z and Gen Alpha actually brand loyal? What are the misconceptions of these digitally native generations? The power of co-creation: how Paris Hilton...

Andrew Xeni is the Founder/Chairman of Nobody's Child and Soreto, and Founder/CEO of Fabacus . He joins Natalie for a video episode which can be watched on YouTube .  Andrew discusses the evolution of Nobody's Child, an M&S-backed fashion brand known for its commitment to affordability and sustainability. He shares insights on the brand's transition from pure-play e-commerce to physical retail and...

Andrew Busby joins Natalie live from the World Retail Congress to reflect on key takeaways from the event. They discuss why AI is only as good as the data you feed it and why Gen Z shoppers are loyal to trends and not brands, picking up on insights shared by Estee Lauder and Albert Heijn. For the second half of the conversation, they turn to sustainability in fashion retail. Are we doing enough in...

Live from Amazon's 'Delivering the Future' event in Dortmund, Germany, Natalie speaks to three Amazon execs about today's announcements: Rocco Bräuniger - Vice President, Country Manager Germany & Expansion Countries EU Nicola Fyfe - Vice President, Amazon Logistics Europe Sarah Rhoads - Vice President, Global Workplace Health & Safety We explore the launch of Vulcan, Amazon's first robot with a s...

Kelly Cook is the newly appointed CEO of David's Bridal. She joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss how David's Bridal is embarking on the biggest shift in its 75-year history, transitioning from a legacy bridal retailer to becoming a tech-powered retail, AI, and media powerhouse. 📺 This is a video episode and can be watched here . Kelly and Natalie explore: •    How David's plans to expand beyo...

With extensive experience in merchandising, Beatriz Ciraudo has worked with global brands such as Lacoste, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Chloé. Her career spans Brazil, France, and Italy, giving her a unique international perspective on merchandising and retail strategy. Now, as a Presales Consultant at Centric Software , Beatriz helps retailers and brands leverage cutting-edge AI-...

Mohsen Ghasempour is the Group Director of AI at Kingfisher . He joins Natalie on the podcast, live from the Retail Technology Show press briefing, to discuss how Kingfisher is utilising AI to drive operational efficiencies and improve the experience for customers. They discuss: AI-powered markdowns and promotions. How AI enabled Kingfisher to quickly scale its marketplace from 55,000 SKUs to over...

George Sullivan is a 34-year-old founder, born and bred in London. Ten years ago, whilst working in recruitment, he started a platform to help people find shoes. Since then, that online community has grown into an 8-figure global business and a key strategic partner to some of the world's biggest brands like Nike, Adidas, Converse, Puma, and more. The Sole Supplier now has a community of over thre...

Kirsty Keoghan is responsible for eBay's global fashion business. She joins Natalie to discuss the evolution of the fashion category on the platform, emphasizing the importance of a frictionless experience for both buyers and sellers, and the trust built through authenticity guarantees. Kirsty shares how the competitive landscape is evolving and the impact of eBay's decision to remove fees for pri...

Hash Ladha, CEO of Jigsaw and former CEO of Oasis and Warehouse, joins Natalie to discuss fashion retailing, the resurgence of accessible luxury, and lessons for the next generation of retail leaders. 📺 This is a video episode and can watched on the Retail Disrupted YouTube channel here . Hash and Natalie explore: Accessible luxury – with competition intensifying, how does Hash see the sector evo...

Stuart Trevor is the Founder of AllSaints and STUART TREVOR, his eponymous sustainable fashion brand that launched in 2023. He joins Natalie to talk about why he decided to launch a clothing brand that doesn't produce any new clothes. They discuss: What inspired Stuart's move into sustainable fashion. A founder's vision and being clear on what makes your brand special: AllSaints was a success in p...

Jane Mustoe, Senior Technology Director at Tesco, joins Natalie to discuss how Tesco is using tech to redefine both customer and colleague experiences. They explore: Tesco's recent innovations – GetGo and frictionless shopping, gen AI chatbots, digital twins, mobile apps for store associates, and more. All about the margins – the importance of achieving marginal gains in a low-margin industry. Alw...

Martin George, former Customer Director at Waitrose, and Jessica Cole, Senior Director Own Brand, Masterbrand, Customer Strategy & Propositions, at Asda join Natalie to discuss the evolving role of marketing in retail. They explore: Retail disruption – how has AI impacted retail marketing? How have legacy retailers responded to disruption? Which grocery innovations haven't stuck? Customer centrici...

Nazim Cassim is a retail veteran who served on the Massmart board during the Walmart acquisition. Today, he splits his time between South Africa and Dubai in his current role as CEO of QVWi Retail , MEA. Nazim is also a Founding Member of the Retail Institute of South Africa (RISA), whose mission is to empower the country's retail workforce through professionalization and training.   Nazim joins N...

What happens in the digital afterlife? Do you even need to be alive to be a consumer? Should retailers and brands be thinking about a post-death strategy? VML's Naji El-Arifi and Hugh Fletcher join Natalie on the podcast to discuss all of this and more: Digital avatars and virtual goods – what are the opportunities for brands? Why retailers need to be paying more attention to gaming. The evolution...

Matt Hopkins, Founder of IND!E , joins Natalie to discuss the evolution of pop-up shops, the role of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) brands in driving innovation, and the significance of storytelling in retail. Matt shares his views on changing consumer expectations such as the heightened demand for authenticity and ethical shopping. They also delve into the trend of digitally native brand...

Did you know that over 80% of the U.S. population lives within a 10-mile radius of a Goodwill store or location? Live from the NRF Big Show in NYC, Natalie speaks to the CEO of Goodwill, Steve Preston. He discusses the organization's strategic priorities, why the perception of thrifting is evolving, and the impact of digital. Steve also shares his views on what's driving the surge in the resale ma...

Live from the NRF Big Show, Co-op's director of technology Ian Cox joins Natalie to discuss: NRF highlights and practical use cases for AI in food retail. How Co-op enacted digital transformation to innovate faster, scale resources, and stay agile in a rapidly changing market. The importance of service availability as a convenience retailer: delivering transformation projects with minimal impact o...

How did a family-run confectionery shop in Devon become the UK's #1 seller of sweets on TikTok? George Robinson, Managing Director of SoSweet , shares the retailer's remarkable TikTok journey which started with a Gavin & Stacey inspired clip that went viral in 2020. The business is now making millions on the platform. George and Natalie discuss: The SoSweet story – how a pandemic pivot unlocked a...