The Retail Podcast

In this episode of The Retail Podcast , Alex Rezvan sits down with Connie Kwok , Vice President of Quick Commerce at Glovo , to unpack the future of on-demand retail. From groceries and electronics to medicine and AirPods, Glovo has become one of Europe’s most dynamic marketplaces—operating in 23 countries and redefining convenience beyond speed. Connie shares her perspective on: What “quick comme...

London Fashion Week’s smartest activations, Tala’s next store move, circularity brought to life, Apple’s youth brief, and why brands are making TV. Episode Summary It’s Five Things Friday, UK Edition. Alex and co-host Simone Oloman break down five stories shaping retail and culture this week: British Vogue’s concept café during London Fashion Week and why mindfulness-led micro-experiences restore...

London Fashion Week’s smartest activations, Tala’s next store move, circularity brought to life, Apple’s youth brief, and why brands are making TV. Episode Summary It’s Five Things Friday — UK Edition. Alex and co-host Simone Oloman break down five stories shaping retail and culture this week: British Vogue’s concept café during London Fashion Week and why mindfulness-led micro-experiences restore...

In this special episode of The Retail Podcast , Alex Rezvan sits down with Jill Dvorak (SVP Content, NRF) and Ryf Quail (Managing Director, NRF APAC) for a behind-the-scenes look at NRF Europe’s inaugural show in Paris. From global connectivity to the future of retail leadership, the conversation spans: Why Europe needed its own NRF “Big Show” The pace of retail innovation and technology adoption...

Five Things Friday (UK) with the incredible Simone Oloman — • Adaptive fashion at Asda • JLP’s H1 turnaround plan • AI trolleys at Morrisons • Barbour × FARM Rio • Oxford Street car‑free day This week we break down five UK retail stories shaping the Golden Quarter: George at Asda’s 28‑piece adaptive clothing line (inspired by the late Nicky Newman), John Lewis Partnership’s H1 results and investme...

Kering pushes Valentino buyout to 2028, Armani’s will lays out a staged sale/IPO, Petit Bateau heads to Regent, and Valiuz × Infinity create a European retail media leader—plus Qijco adds repairs to the “Vinted of DIY.” Kering defers the full Valentino acquisition to 2028 as debt pressure bites; Giorgio Armani’s will instructs heirs to sell a first stake and later a controlling tranche or pursue a...

APAC is running a different retail race: mobile-first commerce , one-hour delivery wars , tourism tailwinds in Korea , China fast-fashion push overseas , and a working model of AI-native grocery in Singapore. In this Five Things Friday APAC with Ryf Quail (NRF APAC) we break down what’s signal, what’s noise, and what operators should do next. What you’ll learn • Why APAC’s ecommerce growth remains...

What to expect at NRF 2025: Big Show Europe—keynotes, payments, tours, and how to work the floor. NRF’s first Retail’s Big Show Europe (16–18 Sept, Paris) is almost here. Jill Dvorak, NRF’s SVP of Content, walks us through the theme “Retail Together,” the Sephora opening keynote, why payments (Apple + Adyen) are a growth lever, and how to get the most from the Retail Store Tours . We also touch on...

Fast EU retail intel: marketplace moves, refurbished economics, urban formats, cross-border shocks, and beauty platform plays. Fnac Darty’s TikTok Shop test, Amazon’s Second Chance Deal Days across Europe, Decathlon’s new “City” format inside Boulanger in Paris, the impact of new US rules on postal parcels from the EU, and Zalando’s expansion into beauty with virtual try-on and creator boards. Top...

M&S launches a dedicated resale shop on eBay (with Reskinned), the ONS delays July retail sales to 5 Sept, TikTok Shop’s GMV Max becomes the only supported campaign type, Sainsbury’s begins a facial‑recognition trial , Lush closes UK stores for a day in solidarity with Gaza, and Charlotte Tilbury drives experiential shade‑matching at John Lewis and Café Airbrush in Covent Garden. Simone Oloman...

Five Things Friday — APAC edition . Guest Ryf Quail (NRF: Retail’s Big Show APAC) breaks down why retail media in APAC is set to lead globally , then we dive into Thailand’s mall renaissance , Uniqlo’s recycling roadmap , MUSINSA×ANTA’s China JV , and Urban Revivo’s global expansion . Chapters below. Sources and links at the end. Subscribe for weekly, no‑nonsense retail intel across APAC. What we...

Five Things Friday UK Edition with Simone Oloman UK retail news this week: Aldi boosts wages, Topshop returns to Liberty, Asda expands Express, JD Sports shares rise, and The Very launches an immersive fashion experience. Aldi: link Topshop: link Asda: link JD Sports: link The Very Group: link 👉 Subscribe for weekly UK retail insights. 00:00 Intro & Welcome 01:07 Aldi Pay Rise & Food Infl...

US retail news: Walmart marketplace AI and next‑day delivery, Gap’s denim push, Best Buy’s refurb engine, Cracker Barrel’s logo U‑turn, plus A&F × NFL. Subscribe for weekly retail strategy. American Eagle’s latest ambassador buzz & denim wars Gap’s creative burst and the renewed denim cycle Best Buy repairs/refurb: sustainability with margins Cracker Barrel brand mark reversal - what it si...

APAC retail briefing: LABUBU/Pop Mart’s blind‑box momentum, China’s Gen Z wellness shift, Australia Post’s US‑parcel pause (de minimis), “dopamine village” malls in PH, and JD.com’s new Dubai warehouse. Subscribe + comment with your action. LABUBU/Pop Mart = modern playbook: scarcity, social currency, collaborations (host commentary). Gen Z wellness, China: beauty x health, functional nutrition, i...

Kaave Pour (ex‑SPACE10/IKEA) breaks down the home as retail’s #1 touchpoint: from layered home systems to utilities as technology (heat pumps, batteries, air/water quality), the Matter standard, robots, renting vs. owning, and how energy economics reshapes behaviour. You’ll learn: The home stack:structure → furnishings → utilities → interfaces/data → services Why utilities are the next big tech pl...

Glossier joins TikTok Shop, Adidas rewrites nostalgia, back‑to‑school spend pulls forward, Prime vs Walmart deals, UK ultrafast delivery, loyalty reboots, agentic AI pilots, France’s “Drive,” Mango’s stylist AI, Gulf luxury momentum, Reliance x Shein, live commerce scale. Welcome to a four‑region special of Five Things Friday . USA with Jill Dvorak (NRF): Glossier lands on TikTok Shop; Adidas’ Sup...

From AI-powered supermarket lanes to shifting consumer habits, Alexandra Boisson & The Retail Podcast team unpack Europe’s retail trends. In this Five Things Friday – EU Edition , Alexandra Boisson and Alex from The Retail Podcast dive into the latest shifts in the European retail market. We cover: Colruyt’s Easy Checkout : AI-powered cameras speeding up lanes by 70% (via RTL.be ). French Summ...

From Currys’ Action AI rollout to Space NK’s Willy Wonka-style flagship, this week’s top UK retail stories. In this summer edition of Five Things Friday , Alex from The Retail Podcast is joined by Simone Oloman (Co-Founder, NIFT) and Dave to unpack the hottest retail stories in the UK right now. We cover: Store closures & uncertainty — Claire’s administration filing, River Island restructuring...

In this episode of The Retail Podcast , Alex speaks with Rupert Pick , Global MD of Hot Pickle , the award-winning brand experience agency behind iconic activations for Magnum , Guinness , Marmite , Pokémon , Waitrose , Tesco , and more. From physical brand homes to cultural relevance , Rupert reveals how Hot Pickle blends creativity, product innovation, and immersive retail activations to keep gl...

In this week’s Five Things Friday – US Edition , Alex Rezvan is joined by Jill Dvorak , SVP of Content at the National Retail Federation (NRF) , to unpack five key stories shaping retail right now. We cover: 1️⃣ Zalando’s European Growth — How the fashion giant is exceeding forecasts and expanding its portfolio ahead of NRF Big Show Europe in Paris (Sept 16–18). Read NRF’s speaker announcement 2️⃣...

In this week’s Five Things Friday UK Edition , Alex and Simone break down the retail trends you can’t afford to ignore. From iconic brands fighting for survival to the innovative players winning Gen Z loyalty, we explore how cultural relevance is now the biggest currency in retail. Topics include: River Island & Claire’s — lessons from legacy brand struggles Mango’s teen range expansion and th...

Delipop shutters its robot locker network; JD.com tries a €2.2 bn play for Ceconomy/MediaMarkt; US & Chinese tourists rein‑in luxury spend; Dutch grocer Picnic finishes its Île‑de‑France roll‑out; France moves to criminalise ultra‑fast‑fashion influence. Analysis, context, and what it means for European retail.   Five Things Friday – European Edition | 7 Aug 2025 Hosts: Alex (RetailNews.ai) &a...

Ryf & Laura join Alex to unpack five APAC headlines: China’s Shushu·Tong shakes luxury, Korea’s “honjok” solo shoppers rewrite store design, K‑beauty label Anua wins U.S. fans, Vietnam’s retail GMV rockets 37 %, and Laura talks about in on Yotpo’s pivot plus Gen Z’s debit‑first mindset. 🎙️  Episode overview 00:00  Intro – Rafe Cloud, MD iPAC, joins Alex 01:59  #1  Chinese luxury disruptor Shus...

In this episode, we explore how Focal Systems is driving innovation in retail with cutting-edge AI and computer vision technology. Discover how Focal Systems partnered with UK grocery giant Morrisons to streamline stock control, boost on-shelf availability, and enhance customer satisfaction. We discuss the latest in retail technology, from automated stock checks to real-time shelf monitoring, and...

Shopping online can feel like navigating endless aisles of irrelevant products, leaving customers frustrated and retailers losing sales. In this insightful episode of The Retail Podcast , host Alex speaks with Warren Cowan, CEO of Foundit , about how retailers can transform customer frustration into powerful intent-driven experiences. Explore why traditional e-commerce fails to inspire, and discov...