All Podcast Episodes
The Interview: Retail Trust
The Interview - Retail Trust: In this episode, host Mark Faithfull returns to the important issue of wellbeing, as we mark Mental Health Awareness Week and the Retail Trust’s Together Fest 2022, which takes place in London today. Recorded at Spring Fair 2022, Retail Trust wellbeing consultant Andrea Woodside joins us to examine whether retail is a happy place, why kindness and empathy is not rocket science (but can be rocket fuel), and why it’s important to give retail leaders permission to focus their energy and efforts on signposting support to make a meaningful difference to employees.
In Focus: Beauty Retail
In Focus - Beauty Retail: In this episode, we explore how the beauty industry can capitalise on the booming consumer demand to feel good again, by bringing joy and discovery to the retail experience. Host Karl McKeever sits down with Benefit Cosmetics UK & Ireland marketing director Lou Bennett, Cosmetic Executive Women editor Sallie Berkerey and arken P-O-P International head of insights Aimee Grandfield.
The Interview: Pandora, SVP Omnichannel Retail Kate Walsh
The Interview: Pandora: In this episode, host Karl McKeever is joined by Kate Walsh, SVP Omnichannel Retail for Pandora. She reveals the charm of working for this iconic jewellery brand, how it is repurposing and revitalising its offer for the future, the lessons she’s learned about how to do business better, and her views on whether The Apprentice is as good as it used to be.
In Focus: Employee Wellbeing
In Focus - Employee Wellbeing: In this episode, host Mark Faithfull talks wellbeing. Employee wellbeing doesn’t stop at the store or office entrance. We sit down with Claire Kershaw, Wellbeing Offer at Next and Terry Streather, Director of Oakwood Training to discuss the importance of achieving buy-in at a senior level, why the narrative needs to switch from reactive to one that’s proactive, how to empower managers to spot the warning, and what wellbeing will look like in the future.
The Interview: Pets at Home, chief people & culture officer Louise Stonier
The Interview: Pets at Home: In this latest episode of The Interview Series host Karl McKeever is joined by Pets at Home chief people & culture officer Louise Stonier. She explains the retailer’s focus on people, as well as pets. Why loving what you do is key to giving it your all. And why meaningful engagement and flexible working ultimately pays off when it comes to delivering lasting improvements in performance.
The Interview: Macy’s
The Interview: Macy’s: In this special episode, guest host Karl McKeever travels to New York for an exclusive interview with Macy's national director of window presentation, Roya Sullivan. She shares the behind-the-scenes story of preparations for its highly anticipated Christmas windows, and talks about the challenge of managing windows for the one of the world’s most iconic department stores.
The Interview: HSBC
The Interview: HSBC: In an exclusive interview, recorded at Tech Festival 2019, host Jason Bradbury sits down with Josh Bottomley, global head of digital, data and development at HSBC, to discuss the tech challenges of becoming a successful retail bank in the digital world.
The Interview: Cheil
The Interview: Cheil UK: In this episode, special guest host Jason Bradbury sits down with David Coombs, head of strategic services at Cheil UK to talk about the changing face of brand loyalty, the issue of consumer data rights ownership, and sort tech myths from the reality.
The Interview: thredUP
The Interview: thredUP: In this special episode, guest host Karl McKeever travels to San Francisco for an exclusive interview with thredUP president Anthony Marino. We also catch up with the brand's co-founder and CTO Chris Homer, during his visit to Tech. Festival 2019, to learn about the technology fuelling its phenomenal growth.
The Interview: Three UK
The Interview: Three UK: In an exclusive interview, recorded at Future Stores 2019, host Martin Popplewell sits down with Three UK Head of Omnichannel & Digital First, Graham Johnston, to talk about the importance of delivering a seamless customer experience, and what lies in store in a 5G connected future.
The Interview: British Retail Consortium
The Interview: British Retail Consortium: In an exclusive interview, recorded at the World Retail Congress 2019, host Ben Bland sits down with Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium to discuss the challenges facing UK retail in the light on unprecedented change in the industry that's resulted in difficult trading conditions and evolving shopper habits.
The Interview: Leica
The Interview: Leica: In this edition of ‘The Interview’, business broadcaster Ben Bland sits down with Jason Heward, UK managing director of Leica Camera. He talks about the passion that exists within Leica (and himself) for photography, the brand’s recently opened new London flagship store, and its focus on using ‘experience’ to connect with customers.
In Focus: Fashion Retail
In Focus - Fashion Retail: As fashion retail’s ever-shifting landscape continues at breakneck pace, we ponder what retailers can do to overcome the current challenges in style. Host Ben Bland sits down with senior industry thinkers to discuss the challenges that exist, as well as can be done to deliver practical long-lasting improvements in retail performance.
The Interview: LEGO
The Interview: LEGO: LEGO is one of the most recognised toy brands in the world. In this edition of ‘The Interview’, business broadcaster Ben Bland sits down with Simone Sweeney, Vice President of Global Retail Development for LEGO Group.
The Interview: Leon Restaurants
The Interview: Leon Restaurants: In this edition of The Interview, John Vincent, co-founder of Leon Restaurants joins host Ben Bland to discuss the story of the brand, its ethos and future plans.
In Focus: Rethinking Supermarkets
In Focus - Grocery Retail: In this episode, we explore what the future could look like for our supermarkets. As the hunger for change in the sector grows, assumptions that have underpinned the business models of the big grocery retail players for so many years no longer hold true.
The Interview: Rockar
The Interview: Rockar: In this episode, host Ben Bland talks to Rockar founder Simon Dixon about his company’s latest partnership with industry giant Ford and fashion retailer Next, and how innovation is moving car retailing up a gear – transforming perceptions and putting power into the hands of customers.
The Interview: Supremebeing
The Interview: Supremebeing: In this edition host Ben Bland has an in-depth conversation with Gavin Aldred, owner of online clothing brand Supremebeing.com to talk refashioning physical and online retailing, and to explore why the brand has eschewed many standard industry practices in favour of tackling ethical concerns.
In Focus: Store Teams
In Focus - Store Teams: In this episode, we're discussing the power of people. As technology and automation becomes more prevalent in the world of retail, the idea of having store assistants might seem old-fashioned. But the human touch is still very much in demand.
The Interview: NRF
The Interview: National Retail Federation: In this special edition, recorded at NRF Big Show 2018, business broadcaster Ben Bland talks to Cristina Ceresoli, Senior Vice President for Retail Strategy at the National Retail Federation. She shares her tips for what the prevalent themes for the year will be, and warns retailers to guard against the danger of adopting technology for technology’s sake.