The Resilient Retail Game Plan - retail insights, retail trends and best practices

Have you ever opened your Shopify dashboard looking for one answer and somehow ended up with ten new questions? Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly. Most retailers I work with don't have a lack-of-data problem — they have the opposite. They're drowning in dashboards, apps, reports, spreadsheets and AI notifications, yet they still can't confidently answe...

The shoppers who start researching Christmas earliest are also the ones who spend the most — and most retailers are invisible during exactly that window. Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club , Catherine Erdly . If you think July is far too early to be thinking about Christmas, this episode will change your mind. I sat down with Hannah Bartlett — founder of Jolly Festive a...

We're coming up fast on the halfway point of the year — and if that fills you with dread, don't panic. Here's the good news: a midyear review beats a New Year's resolution every time, because right now you're not working from a theory about how the year might go. You have six months of real data. This episode is how you use it. Oh, and the episode comes with a free download - https://www.resilient...

Right now, as you read this, an AI chatbot is running a real retail store in San Francisco — managing the product selection, deciding what to stock, and curating a customer experience. It sounds like science fiction. It is already open for business. And it is just one signal of how fast the rules of retail discovery are changing. (Our sponsor Faire are offering 50% off and free shipping on first o...

What would it mean for your retail business if — right now, at this very moment — three thousand creators were actively requesting samples to promote your brand? That's not a fantasy for Luke Arnall-Cameron, founder of YASS CLEAN. It's Tuesday. That's just how his business works. Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly. This episode is brought to you by Fair...

AI is everywhere in retail right now — but are you actually using it in a way that's helping your business grow, or could it quietly be working against you? This episode is brought you by Faire who are offering 50% off and free shipping against new orders. Use the code "Resilient50" at checkout. This episode also features a free downloadable resource. Go to http://resilientretailclub.com/ai to cla...

71% of independent retailers in the UK are growing or stable. And 9 in 10 shoppers say AI has made them MORE likely to trust your shop over an algorithm. Here is what the data actually says. (Our sponsor Faire are offering 50% off and free shipping on first orders until July 31st. Simply add the code "Resilient50" at checkout) Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club , Cather...

Do you ever feel like you're doing everything right, yet somehow still falling behind? If you run an independent retail business, you are not imagining things. Between buying stock, managing your team, keeping up with your marketing, handling customer service, and everything else that lands on your desk — the sheer volume of what your job involves would overwhelm anyone. This is not a time managem...

"How much should I order?" sounds like one question. It's actually two — and most product business owners only ever answer one of them. (This episode features a free download resource at http://resilientretailclub.com/order ) Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club , Catherine Erdly . In this episode, I'm breaking down the critical difference between product-level stock orde...

You’ve opened your shop. You’re selling. You have loyal customers. And yet something feels stuck... (this episode features a free download resource at http://resilientretailclub.com/systems Your sales are inconsistent, stock builds up or runs out, cash feels tight even on the good weeks. Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly. In this episode, I'm naming th...

This episode contains a freebie download. Scroll down to find it. Believe it or not — today is episode 300 of the Resilient Retail Game Plan. Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly and in this episode, which is six years, 300 episodes, and over 1 million downloads later since I started this podcast, I'm sharing a fast track to the biggest themes that have shaped this podcast and the retailers who listen to it. I...

This episode is sponsored by Intuit Mailchimp . Do your retail team ask you the same questions over and over? Has "what are we focusing on this week?" become the soundtrack to your inbox? Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly and in Episode 299 of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I'm explaining why so many independent retailers and product business owners accidentally become a bottleneck inside their own busines...

If you're sending the same email to everyone on your list and wondering why it's not driving the sales you expected, this episode is for you. I'm Catherine Erdly , and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality. In this episode I'm sitting down with Ali Wood from Intuit Mailchimp to get practical about how independent retailers and e-comme...

Your shop window isn't just a display — it's a salesperson working for you around the clock. I'm Catherine Erdly , and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality. In this episode, I'm joined by Sarah Manning, visual merchandising consultant and course leader, for a practical masterclass on how to make your window impossible to walk past. S...

Have you ever looked at the news and wondered whether it's even appropriate to be selling your products right now? If you're an independent retailer or product business owner and the state of the world is making you hesitate about showing up and selling, this episode is for you. I'm Catherine Erdly , and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of...

Nobody talks about how lonely it can be to run a small business. Your friends and family mean well — but they don't really get it. If you have a team, you feel like you have to have all the answers. And whether you're on the shop floor, in your home office, or in your unit, there's a good chance your dog is getting more of your business thoughts than any actual human being. I'm Catherine Erdly , a...

Retail is moving fast — and it can feel like whiplash trying to keep up with every new trend, tool, and headline. But here's the thing: as a small or independent retailer, you don't need to know everything. You just need the right information, filtered through the lens of what actually matters for your business. In this episode, I'm sharing everything you need to know about Retail Roar 2026 — my f...

Most independent retailers have heard the advice to "build a community." Far fewer have been shown exactly how to do it — and even fewer have built one that actually buys. In this episode I'm joined by Ronke Fashola , founder of Love Your Look — a bold, inclusive, colour-forward fashion brand whose customers travel from Scotland and Cardiff to her pop-up shops, answer Instagram queries before she...

Have you been feeling stuck in your own head in your retail business? Overthinking every decision, wondering if you're the only one finding it hard? There's a phrase I love: You can't read a label from inside the jar. And when you're living and breathing your business every single day, it's incredibly hard to see beyond where you are right now. In this episode, I share one of the fastest ways I've...

Do you ever feel like you're drowning in data but still can't answer the simple question: is my business actually going in the right direction? Here's the truth: if your sales numbers feel like noise, you're probably looking at the wrong things — or avoiding looking altogether. I'm Catherine Erdly , and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of r...

Do you ever feel like you're constantly trying to convince people to buy? Like you're always explaining, justifying, or pushing a little harder than you'd like? Here's the truth: if selling feels exhausting, you're probably spending too much time talking to the wrong people. I'm Catherine Erdly , and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of real...

Feel like you're shouting into the void with your marketing? You're not alone—and it's not your fault. Social media wants you reactive, emotional, and constantly second-guessing yourself. Meanwhile, big retailers operate from detailed seasonal plans made months in advance. I’m Catherine Erdly , and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of realit...

Why Profit Matters More Than Sales in Indie Retail Sales growth is often treated as the goal in retail. But without profit, growth just creates more pressure. In this episode of Resilient Retail Game Plan, we look at why profit isn’t optional for independent retailers, and how better stock decisions change far more than just the numbers. I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan...

When Is the Right Time to Open a Second Shop? Opening another shop is often seen as the obvious next step in retail growth. But knowing when to do it, and whether your business is actually ready, is far harder. In this episode of Resilient Retail Game Plan, we look at what really changes when you move from one shop to two, and then beyond. With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp. Get 10% off S...

The 5 Problems Growing Retail Businesses Don’t Expect (But Almost Always Face) If your retail business looks successful on paper but feels far harder than it should behind the scenes, this episode is for you. With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp. Get 10% off SumUp hardware with the code GamePlan10 at https://sumup.co.uk I’m Catherine Erdly , and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practica...