The Retail Podcast

This week on Five Things Friday EU Edition , host Alex from The Retail Podcast is joined by co-host Alexandra Boisson , Retail Tech & eCommerce Specialist at Business France. Together, they explore Europe’s retail landscape highlighting game-changing AI innovations, pivotal EU regulatory shifts, and controversial moves by major brands like Zara’s parent, Inditex. 🌍 In this episode, you’ll hea...

Episode at a glance 0:00 Intro – Alex & Simone set the scene 1:21 Magnum’s affordable luxury play 5:11 Smaller, faster, more targeted UK store formats 8:12 Cybersecurity breaches erode consumer trust 11:13 Omnichannel fulfilment: John Lewis × Uber Eats & B&Q marketplace C&C 12:41 Culture collabs: Buzz Social app and community‑first retail 14:23 Wrap‑up & next week’s teaser Key...

Ben Jackson of Klaviyo explains why email still outperforms, how regional channel preferences are shifting (Germany loves WhatsApp, Nordics swear by SMS), and where AI genuinely moves the needle for retail CMOs drowning in data. Host Alex digs into practical roadblocks—from siloed martech stacks to missing content workflows—and how Klaviyo’s new Customer Hub and AI agent aim to solve them. Timesta...

Ulta Beauty enters the UK, Target goes big on back-to-school, AI hits a trust challenge, cannabis beverages gain ground, and Walmart eyes tween fashion. Alex Rezvan and Jill Dvorak (SVP of Content, NRF) decode five major trends reshaping retail in America: Ulta Beauty’s Global Move: Expanding internationally with 83 new stores in the UK. 🔗 Ulta’s Announcement Target’s Back-to-School Strategy: Hug...

Nostalgia meets innovation from swaps to smart service. Resale is mainstream, loyalty looks like an airline, and Topshop is back. In this Five Things Friday – UK Edition, Alex Rezvan and Simone Oloman break down five signals every retailer should track right now: RIXO Pre‑Loved – How a premium label keeps inventory (and spend) inside its own ecosystem. Community Clothes Swaps – Loanhood & Isli...

From safe rooms to social commerce, we unpack what’s shaping the APAC retail landscape now. Recorded live during Australia’s largest retail conference, this episode of Five Things Friday – APAC Edition dives into two polarizing forces in retail: rising crime rates and retail media growth. Co-host Laura, chair of the Online Retailer Conference, joins Alex to dissect what’s making headlines—and what...

Live from NRF APAC, The Retail Podcast brings you exclusive access to Twilio’s 2025 State of Customer Engagement Report. This isn’t theory—it’s what leading global brands are actually doing on the ground. We unpack: Why 82% of brands think they personalize well—but only 16% of customers agree How AI is redefining CX across channels What customer data unification looks like in diverse APAC markets...

Join Alex Rezvan and Alexandra Boisson for another engaging Five Things Friday EU edition. This week, we explore: Carrefour’s innovative "Store Me Up" startup accelerator, aiming to redefine in-store AI experiences. Pinterest’s AI-driven partnership with La Redoute, creating a seamless transition from inspiration to purchase. Insights from Germany highlighting rising retail theft, reduce...

On this week’s Five Things Friday UK , Alex Rezvan and Simone Oloman dissect the most impactful developments shaping retail: Topshop’s major comeback, Studio Seven’s London pop-up, the escalating rivalry between John Lewis and M&S, Eco by Sonia’s debut in the UK, and the burgeoning market for non-alcoholic beer highlighted by Baro Brewing at Wimbledon. Highlights include: The challenge of rein...

Ryf Quail returns energized from New Zealand to join Alex Rezvan in dissecting fascinating retail shifts across APAC. They delve into consumer mobility, the impact of currency fluctuations on shopping behaviors, the evolution of rational brand loyalty programs, and emerging quick-commerce opportunities, including rapid jewellery delivery in India. Plus, a deep dive into how Korean brands Musinsa a...

Guest: Bobby Morrison — Chief Revenue Officer, Shopify Host: Alex, Founder of The Retail Podcast & RetailNews. AI What we cover - 00:00 Complexity vs. simplicity: 10 trn data queries, 1.1 trn edge requests - 02:17 The modern Shopify stack (e‑com, wholesale, retail POS) - 07:05 AI‑driven search and why affiliates are back - 10:31 Perplexity, edge commerce & the future of discovery - 12:20 F...

Join Alex as he interviews Kate Ridley, Chief Brand Officer at Stanley 1913, exploring the brand’s remarkable evolution from a traditional heritage company to an innovative hydration industry leader. Kate shares powerful insights on maintaining authenticity through strategic partnerships, harnessing cultural trends, and prioritizing sustainability. Essential listening for anyone interested in bran...

Alex & Jill Dvorak unpack key US retail stories: Glossier on TikTok, Adidas’ Superstar comeback, NRF Back-to-School data & Prime Day showdown. ⏩ Jump straight into it: 00:00 Welcome & Intro to Jill Dvorak (NRF) 00:47 Glossier’s Big TikTok Move 03:17 Adidas Superstar Relaunch (Missy Elliott & Samuel L. Jackson) 05:15 Cannes Lions: Creators vs Agencies (Walmart Connect & more) 0...

Why Europe’s grocers love ‘Le Drive’ and how Mango turned AI into a personal stylist. ⏩ Jump to a topic: 00:00 Intro | 01:05 Drive‑Thru Grocery (Leclerc, Carrefour) | 04:03 Auchan × Houra deal | 06:28 Spain’s BM premium format | 07:37 Mango AI Stylist | 12:05 ‘Messy Era’ culture shift | 15:05 Sign‑off Welcome to the European edition of *Five Things Friday*. 🔹 **Drive‑thru grocery (‘Le Drive’)**...

From 15‑minute grocery to Oasis‑fuelled nostalgia, the retail week decoded. ⏩ Skip to a segment: 00:00 Intro | 01:33 Need It For Tonight | 02:24 Festival Fashion Pop‑Ups | 06:25 TikTok’s ‘Messy Era’ | 10:37 15‑Minute Delivery | 14:01 Adidas vs Nike | 17:09 New Balance Flagship | 18:20 Wrap‑up In this UK edition of *Five Things Friday*, host **Alex** (The Retail Podcast) and co‑host **Simone Oloma...

wo Australian marketplaces vanish, a $300 million fashion group liquidates, and community‑first retail in Shanghai proves experience still wins. Ryf’s skiing, so Alex and Laura trade this week’s five. Marketplace closures – Catch and MyDeal shut after big‑box acquisitions; retailer‑run hybrids (The Iconic, Kogan, Woolworths) surge. Mosaic Brands liquidation – 2,800 jobs lost and a looming investig...

How a €1 B digital‑engineering firm uses generative AI and agent tech to reinvent retail supply chains and CX. 18 000 engineers, €1 B revenue, 50+ patents—Nagarro’s Global CTO Rahul Mahajan explains how generative AI, vector databases and knowledge graphs are reshaping demand planning and personalization at scale. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: product‑to‑service mind‑set 00:22 Meet Rahul Mahajan &...

ASOS launches a next‑gen loyalty ladder, LVMH test‑drives autonomous AI agents, luxury pop‑ups swamp central London, and JD Sports opens a 42 K ft² “department store for trainers.” In the debut Five Things Friday – UK Edition , Alex welcomes Simone Oloman (Co‑Founder & CEO, Need It For Tonight ) to decode four trends and preview the quick‑commerce future.   This week’s five things Loyalty 2.0...

Luxury malls in Dubai and Riyadh are booming while China cools; LVMH parks a “cruise‑liner” flagship in downtown Shanghai; Australian retail sales jump—but the growth comes from Shein, Temu and other bargain imports; Reliance Retail strikes a game‑changing partnership with Shein, blending Indian and Chinese fast‑fashion supply; and live‑commerce numbers in Southeast Asia prove the next big shoppin...

Dynamic pricing, omnichannel fulfilment & sustainable retail in 2025. AI rewired retail—and Abhijit Niyogi built the circuit. In this 28‑minute masterclass, TCS’s Retail VP breaks down: • Why stores behave like software post‑pandemic • How AI pricing drives margin without raising shelf prices • Electronic shelf labels: ROI thresholds & rollout traps • Retail media networks: monetising Gen ...

Mobile wallets now power 73 % of APAC e-commerce checkouts, same-day shipping prices hit record lows, and Australia’s Country Road Group faces a 93 % profit plunge. In this Five Things Friday episode, Alex (The Retail Podcast) joins Ryf Quail (Managing Director, NRF APAC) and Laura Doonin (Retail & Digital-Tech Advisor) to unpack: Mobile Wallet vs. Credit Card Shift – QR pay, A2A rails, WeChat...

Customer-acquisition costs exploded online. Smart brands are responding with bricks, data—and a dash of theatre. ⚡️ What we tackle in 20 minutes ​ Physical retail as the new CAC – DTC brands discover rent can be cheaper than Meta ads when the store becomes a stage. ​ Aesop’s $2.5 billion masterclass – From Melbourne to 400 boutiques, every location is bespoke, scented, and digitally wired for rep...

Braze’s Global Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, James Herridge-Leng , lays out a blueprint for retailers who refuse to be trapped by channel silos or third-party walled gardens. Expect hard numbers: a 200 % jump in ROAS, email open rates doubling when WhatsApp joins the mix, and loyalty lift when zero-party data fuels real-time journeys. Key Topics Composable vs monolithic engagement sta...

Retail evolves faster than it’s ever moved. This week Alex, Ryf, and Laura unpack five forces reshaping the industry—and the brands proving each point. Asia’s five-element advantage – Emotional value, community identity, nighttime escapes, immersive art, smart-health choices. Gentle Monster, LVMH, Hermès, Burberry, and Lefty’s show why experience beats merchandise. Australia’s IT breakout moment –...

Alex Rezvan from The Retail Podcast sits down with JillDvorak , SVP of Content at NRF, and Ryf Quail , Managing Director of NRF APAC. Recorded live from NRF APAC 2025 in Singapore, this conversation explores why the next generation of consumers is not just arriving—they’re here and reshaping retail in profound ways. Discover how retailers can navigate the challenge of catering to a generation that...