Retail Disrupted

On the final episode of 2024, Natalie is joined by authors Mark Abraham and David Edelman to discuss their new book, Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI . 📺 This episode is also available as video, so head over to the new Retail Disrupted channel on  YouTube to watch the conversation unfold. David, Mark, and Natalie discuss how customer expectations are evolving in this digital era,...

Rich Honiball is the EVP and Global Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer for NEXCOM (Navy Exchange Service Command). He joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss: The unique role of military retail, the importance of having a clear mission, and other lessons for traditional retailers. Learnings from the launch of the world's first Toys R Us department on a military base. Self-checkouts, frictionl...

Murvah Iqbal, co-CEO and co-founder of HIVED , is on a mission to revolutionise the delivery industry. Founded in 2021, the all-electric delivery start-up has already distributed millions of parcels across London for major brands including ASOS, Uniqlo, Nespresso and Zara, and is backed by investors like Maersk Growth, Pale Blue Dot and Planet A Ventures. In this episode, Murvah shares her entrepr...

Marc Vicente, Group Digital Director at Kingfisher, joins Natalie for a comprehensive discussion around e-commerce, AI, marketplaces, retail media, and more. They explore: Why omnichannel retailers are now embracing the marketplace model The role of physical stores in e-commerce Innovative partnerships: Deliveroo and the importance of speed The significance of Black Friday for Kingfisher and why i...

Boris Planer, Founder and Managing Director of Future Consulting, joins Natalie to discuss the news that Amazon is terminating its online grocery service in Germany.  They discuss: What went wrong for Amazon Fresh in Germany, what does this tell us about Amazon's global grocery strategy, and where next? (It's all about the partnerships.) Inherent challenges of grocery retailing in Germany. Did you...

Paul Edney, Technology Director Channels at Primark, and Jeanette Copeland, Technology Director at Ann Summers, join Natalie to discuss lessons from their digital transformation projects. They explore: The rationale behind Primark's click & collect roll-out and how it's enabling the retailer to engage with new customers. How Ann Summers completed a 12-month transformation project in just four mont...

Natalie discusses the launch of Amazon Haul, the retailer's new Temu-like storefront where most items are under $10 and delivery takes up to two weeks. She also unpacks the reasons behind Vinted's success – what consumer needs is it tapping into and what are the implications for the wider retail sector? And, finally, Natalie shares her thoughts on the explosion of advent calendars. What is driving...

The Black Friday deals started as early as Halloween here in the UK (yes, really – see Boots, John Lewis, Currys) and mainland Europe isn't far behind. On today's episode, Natalie speaks to Sander Roose, CEO and Founder of Omnia Retail, the Amsterdam-based company behind Europe's first dynamic pricing software. Sander and Natalie explore Black Friday 2024 trends in great depth as well as the Ticke...

Dave Mikita is the President of International and Retail Channels at GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands). He joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss how GoTo Foods has grown to become the world's #2 food & beverage licensor and what the company has in store for the future. They explore: Beyond buying power, what are the benefits for franchise partners? Dave discusses how GoTo Foods provides support...

Live from Barcelona, Green Retail World's Editor Ben Sillitoe joins Natalie on the podcast to share what they learned at Manhattan Exchange this week. They explore how generative AI chatbots are going to revolutionize customer service, why the days of frontline staff being told to "sell, not think" are over and what sustainability looks like for retailers in 2025. If you missed the episode with Ma...

Live from Barcelona, Pieter Van den Broecke, EMEA Leader, Supply Chain Commerce Strategies at Manhattan Associates joins Natalie to discuss: Europe's retail CIOs - what's keeping them up at night? Generative AI – what are the opportunities and challenges? Customer experience - how to service your customers in real-time and learning to trust AI to be the first port of call. Why giving shoppers grea...

Faire is the largest global b2b marketplace for independent retailers. In this episode, Faire's UK General Manager Charlotte Broadbent joins Natalie to discuss: How Faire is disrupting the wholesale sector and benefits for SMEs Opportunities and challenges facing independent retailers today How indies can up their game with AI  Values-based shopping and why 'Not on Amazon' is Faire's most popular...

Gary Kusin, co-founder of GameStop and Laura Mercier Cosmetics, joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss:  GameStop's origins: what inspired Gary and James McCurry to launch the world's first video game store in the early 80s? Successes and missed opportunities: what would Gary have done differently? The pivot to makeup: Gary discusses how a conversation with former Macy's Chairman Terry Lundgren s...

From the rise of Temu and Shein to immersive digital commerce - and not to mention the resurgence of good old-fashioned bricks & mortar retail - Amazon certainly isn't short of competitive threats. Miya Knights and Natalie Berg, co-authors of Amazon: How the World's Most Relentless Retailer Will Continue to Revolutionize Commerce , reconnect on Amazon's 30th anniversary to explore what comes next...

This week, Natalie is answering the questions rather than asking them! She speaks to Rishad Tobaccowala who is the former Global Strategy and Growth Officer at Publicis Groupe and host of the What Next? podcast.  They explore: Natalie's move to the UK nearly two decades ago. How the need for flexibility led her to set up her own business as an independent retail analyst.  The rise of the digital s...

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, keynote speaker, podcast host, and bestselling author of Remarkable Retail. He joins Natalie to discuss the findings of his new book, LEADERS LEAP: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption. They explore: The cost of misunderstanding risk – why playing it safe is the riskiest strategy of all. Why a complete metamorphosis of the leadership mindset is...

David Blakeney, former Store Development Director at House of Fraser and Sook, joins Natalie to discuss: -    Why physical retail is on the cusp of a new dawn. -    Repurposing physical space in a digital era. -    Innovation in department stores - are retailers doing enough? -    Pop-up retail – which verticals are best suited (you'll be surprised) and lessons from Sook. -    David's newest ventu...

The interview from this episode originally aired on The Globalist from Monocle Radio. Natalie discusses the latest global retail stories with Georgina Godwin: Ikea's Roblox venture: the launch of a virtual store and how Ikea has become the first brand to offer paid work on the gaming platform. Walmart's tech update: innovation in delivery – drones and in-home delivery – and the beta launch of a ge...

Jeremy Schwartz was the turnaround CEO of Pandora, the world's largest jewellery company with 2,500 stores and e-commerce sites in 90 countries. Prior to that, Jeremy was Chairman and CEO of The Body Shop from 2013 to 2017. He also previously spent time at Sainsbury's and, as Brand Director, he was the architect of the grocer's turnaround in 2005 which saw a decade of growth after years in decline...

Brian Librach, former VP of Stores at Urban Outfitters, Pacific Sunwear and Old Navy, joins Natalie to discuss his new book: The Retail Leader's Roadmap. They explore: Why retail leaders get stuck and how to rewrite your career outcome. The evolution of bricks & mortar retail – what is the future of stores and how should we be measuring success? Which brands does Brian admire and what are they get...

James Keyes, Former 7-Eleven and Blockbuster CEO and author of EDUCATION IS FREEDOM: The Future Is in Your Hands, joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss: Change equals opportunity – lessons from Jim's career and how to avoid being disrupted during periods of turbulence. Dispelling the myths behind Blockbuster's demise – why fear, not Netflix, killed Blockbuster. Why Jim believes we might see a re...

Paul Wilkinson, Product Director at Deliveroo and former Tesco and Amazon exec, joins Natalie to discuss: •    Quick commerce: what went wrong and how will it evolve? •    Why Deliveroo won't chase 15-minute delivery. •    Learnings from the restaurant sector. •    Why retail partners are more open to collaboration in 2024.  •    Deliveroo's move into non-food: "bringing the whole high street to t...

Former Tesco director and Nisa CEO Ken Towle joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss: •    The retail and consumer outlook. •    Why shrinkflation is not always a bad thing. •    His experience running Nisa during the pandemic. •    From self-checkouts to generative AI – how technology is changing the way we shop for food. •    Grocery e-commerce and the importance of collaboration. •    Lessons f...

Have you been to Catford Mews or Peckham Levels? Then you'll know what can be achieved by transforming disused car parks and empty retail units into vibrant, community-led, cultural hubs. Preston Benson, founder of Really Local Group and fellow American in London, joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss: How Really Local Group is creating and restoring cultural infrastructure by regenerating disus...

It's International Women's Day this week and who better to speak to than the iconic and wonderfully inspirational fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes? This conversation was recorded live on stage at Springfair in February 2024. Dame Zandra tells Natalie about: - The highs and lows of breaking into the US fashion scene in the 1960s. - How she has spent her life rallying against what was expected of...