However this is no tale of luck, or a hapless fortune. To listen to Lucie it's clear that the brain, drive and character were ready for the tasks, the test and the chance to build her business. Cometh the hour, cometh the leader.

Ian Jindal chats with Lucie about what it actually takes to grow a DTC brand through social, how to respond to a very public rejection on Dragon's Den and turn it into a marketing moment, and where Hair Syrup is heading as it moves from a single hero product into a full wash-day brand with retail distribution through Boots.

Key themes

• Accidental origin, deliberate growth: Hair Syrup started as a personal solution to Lucie's own scalp problems, formulated using academic research and natural ingredients she sourced from health food shops. The first TikTok video was not a launch strategy. It was a genuine personal post that went viral from a standing start. The business followed the demand, not the other way around.
• Problem-led product development: Every product in the range maps to a specific, common hair or scalp problem — length, grease, breakage, dandruff. This was not a range strategy imposed from above; it was Lucie solving her own problems and extending outward. When she eventually worked with a chemist, he told her the formulas she had developed independently were already production-ready.
• Community over clinical claims: Hair Syrup has clinical efficacy data and dermatologist testing, but its primary marketing tool is customer before-and-after photos. Lucie is explicit that she dislikes prescriptive beauty content and avoids invalidating individual experiences. The community is built on openness and expectation management, not on performance guarantees.
• Dragon's Den as a marketing asset: Hair Syrup appeared on Dragon's Den in summer 2024, received six rejections, and then turned the episode's broadcast in January 2025 into one of the most-discussed brand moments of the year. The team trolled the dragons back on TikTok with memes — the sad hamster among them — generating 24 million profile views in under 48 hours and 100,000 new followers. The Sunday Times named Lucie Young Founder of the Year shortly after. The lesson she draws is blunt: you cannot engineer this. It worked because it was authentic.
• The hidden operation: The public face of Hair Syrup is Lucie on TikTok — informal, funny, behind-the-scenes. The private face is an SLT with experienced heads of sales, finance, and logistics, an in-house 3PL, and chemists with serious CVs. Most of their audience has no idea the latter exists. Lucie considers this balance a strength.
• Brand building beyond the hero product: Hair Syrup launched in Boots in late 2024. The NPD pipeline is structured around extending the brand's core peppermint oil product into a full wash-day system — shampoo, conditioner, scalp serum — all sharing the same scent, colour scheme, and purpose. Leave-in oils have not landed as hoped and are being rethought. The direction is deliberate specialisation rather than category sprawl.

⠀

What you'll learn

• Why solving a genuine personal problem is still one of the most defensible starting points for a consumer brand.
• How to build a community that stays loyal even when the product does not work for everyone.
• What a rejection on Dragon's Den can teach you about the gap between conventional investment logic and TikTok-native brand value.
• How to structure a post-crisis response for a team that is depending on you, when you are not sure yourself what comes next.
• How to maintain creative authenticity and brand character while building a grown-up operational structure behind the scenes.
• Why gut instinct and structured decision-making are not opposites — and how to use both at the same time.

⠀

Chapter structure

1. Introduction — Who Lucie is, Hair Syrup's age and origin, and what the brand stands for today
2. The accidental start — A personal hair problem, lockdown, a viral TikTok from a standing start, and the slow realisation that this could be a business
3. Formulation and early product range — Research, chemistry, working with a professional chemist, and extending the range along problem lines
4. Brand positioning — Accessible, inclusive, mid-market, solution-driven, and community-centred
5. Dragon's Den — Six rejections, the edit, what it felt like, the conversation with the team, and the decision to turn it around
6. The TikTok counter-offensive — Trolling the dragons, the sad hamster meme, the BBC's reaction, 24 million views in 48 hours
7. Structure and scale — What Hair Syrup actually looks like behind the TikTok page, and the role of a senior leadership team the audience never sees
8. 2026 and beyond — Boots, NPD, the wash-day range, international ambitions, and staying open to where the brand might go

⠀

About the guest

Lucie McLeod is the founder and CEO of Hair Syrup, a UK haircare brand she started at 21 while studying at the University of Warwick, where she graduated with a first. She began by hand-making pre-wash hair oils in her parents' conservatory and built the brand through TikTok before establishing a wider social and retail presence. Hair Syrup now sells through Boots as well as direct-to-consumer, runs an in-house 3PL operation, and has a senior team spanning sales, finance, logistics, and product development. She was named Sunday Times Young Founder of the Year following the brand's Dragon's Den appearance in early 2025, in which she received six rejections and subsequently turned the episode into a widely covered brand marketing moment.

Quotes

• "I was ignoring all of the signs. I had people saying, you could sell me this, and I think if I was an entrepreneur, my business brain would have thought, right, I'll take 20 quid, let's do it."
• "The moral of the story is make the best of a bad situation. The moral is not: try and do really badly so you can redeem yourself."
• "Behind the curtain, it's a really serious operation — with a lot of extremely skilled people dealing with distributors, international expansion, NPD, chemists with impressive CVs. And people just have no idea."
• "I wonder if I didn't have a team, if I was doing this by myself — might I have given up?"
• "I don't like the idea that brands ever have to be pigeonholed. As long as you're open, honest, transparent and reactive, you can enjoy the ebbs and flows."

--  Run time: 44 minutes
INFORMATION:
[ 🖥️ ]
Hair Syrup - https://www.hairsyrup.co.uk/
[ 👨‍👧 ]
Lucie McLeod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-macleod-775a60159/
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ 
[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Ian Jindal chat with Shannon Osman, Head of Retail at Footasylum, who has built her career from shop floor to leadership and brings a practitioner's clarity to questions that often get buried in strategy decks: how do you actually recruit, retain and develop a predominantly Gen Z workforce at scale? The conversation covers Footasylum's distinctive hiring model, its social-first content machine, the Locked In franchise, and a franchise expansion into the Middle East — all through the lens of a retailer that has won Retail Employer of the Year while opening stores, not closing them.

Key themes

• Rethinking recruitment from first principles: Footasylum scrapped the CV-led process and replaced it with group in-store interviews. No CV submission, just availability, knockout questions, and a live group exercise. The best candidate on the day gets the job, eliminating unconscious bias and filtering for exactly the communication skills the role demands.
• Retention as proof of concept: Staff turnover dropped from 107% to 75% after the new recruitment model was introduced. Seasonal hires - historically the hardest to retain - are now routinely offered permanent roles at the end of peak. The data follows the culture, not the other way around.
• Progression without a title change: Shannon is direct that promotion is not the only form of progression. Recommending a book, setting personal goals alongside professional ones, giving people a voice in operational decisions - these are the mechanisms Footasylum uses to keep people invested. The goal-setting process (two work goals, one personal) runs from February, reviewed quarterly, owned by the individual.
• Communication at scale: With almost 70 stores and around 1,300 staff, Footasylum adopted Zipline as its internal communications platform - chosen because it looks and behaves like social media. Execution and readership rates are tracked, but the rationale was engagement, not surveillance. The platform was used to run a company-wide vote for Store Manager of the Year, generating 1,300 responses.
• Social as a commercial engine: 1.2 billion organic views across social media last year, up 35% year-on-year. Footasylum sits in the top 5% of TikTok users globally, alongside the BBC and Sky Sports. Its Locked In series - influencers and content creators in a house format, competing and generating content — drives 200,000 additional app downloads per run and feeds directly into in-store footfall and on-site conversion.
• Middle East expansion via franchise: Footasylum has signed a franchise agreement to enter the Gulf region. Shannon visited the Mall of Emirates, Mall of Dubai and Dubai Hills ahead of the announcement. The market's appetite for elevated retail experience - and the presence of a significant UK expat base - makes it a credible fit for the brand's positioning, which sits above the mass market without claiming luxury.

⠀

What you'll learn

• Why removing CVs from the hiring process can improve both the quality of hire and long-term retention and how to structure a group interview that actually tests for the right things.
• How to build a communication infrastructure that reaches every layer of a large store estate, not just the management tier.
• What "progression" looks like when you can't always offer a title or a salary uplift and why that matters for a Gen Z workforce.
• How a content-first social strategy translates directly into measurable commercial outcomes: app downloads, footfall, and omnichannel conversion.
• How to approach franchise expansion into a culturally distinct market while preserving brand DNA and why the right partner matters more than the right playbook.
• Why listening to store managers is not just good culture but good operations: some of Footasylum's most efficient decisions in the last 18 months have come from the shop floor up.

⠀

Chapter structure

1. Introduction — Who Footasylum is, its 20-year history, near-70 store estate, and core Gen Z/Alpha consumer
2. The store in 2025 — Why physical retail still matters, and what it means to have Gen Z staff serving Gen Z customers
3. Rethinking recruitment — The CV-free group interview model and the results it has produced
4. Growth and expansion — New UK stores (including Merthyr Tydfil), and the Middle East franchise deal
5. Retention and culture — Retail Employer of the Year, goal-setting, and the meaning of progression
6. Communication at scale — Zipline, why it works, and how it changes the relationship between head office and the shop floor
7. Locked In and the social engine — The Locked In series, 1.2bn organic views, and the omnichannel flywheel
8. Shannon's own journey — From football coaching in the US to Head of Retail; the constants that haven't changed; what's on the learning list for 2026

⠀

About the guest

Shannon Osman is Head of Retail at Footasylum, the UK apparel, footwear and accessories retailer with almost 70 stores and a Gen Z–first positioning. She has spent the majority of her career in store-based retail, moving through the operational ranks to a leadership role with P&L responsibility for the entire physical estate. Since joining the role, she has overhauled Footasylum's recruitment model, introduced a scaled communications platform, and helped lead the business to Retail Employer of the Year 2025. She is also part of the team driving Footasylum's first international franchise expansion into the Middle East.

Quotes

• "The staff members on the shop floor are the most vital employees in the business. They are what represents you as a company — that's the face-to-face interaction your customers are having, ultimately."
• "Our staff retention has gone from 107% down to 75%. We are retaining people now because the people we're employing want to stay with us."
• "Anybody can open a door for you. It's up to you to walk through it."
• "Everyone thinks progression is going for the next job title. Progression is reading a book your line manager sent you that you never even knew existed."
• "Every single mall I entered just felt like Footasylum should be there." — Shannon Osman, on her first visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi

--  Run time: 35 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Footasylum - https://www.footasylum.com/

[ 👨‍👧 ]
Shannon Osman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-osman-84bbb2260/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

“Clubcard changed the face of British retail… suddenly it was about data-driven engagement.”

“It’s only a real win if it’s truly better for people. I don’t think we’ve seen that at scale - yet.” “If I started making a list of all our sources of inventory, turning delivery vans into ad products would have been number 35… but being a UK-focused decision maker lets us try it if it feels right.” “With Clubcard Challenges, customers choose which brands to engage more deeply with, and advertisers only pay if people convert - a transparent, zero-risk proposition.” “Tier-one platforms can build direct relationships. Further down the list, you have to aggregate for economic reasons - otherwise agencies simply don’t have the bandwidth.”   

Episode Running Order • 00:00 — Introductions, context, Tesco’s leading market position • 01:00 — Tesco Media’s joint strategy, scale, and data science • 04:00 — Clubcard’s legacy and retail media’s evolution • 07:00 — Team structure: Tesco, Dunnhumby, and new hires • 09:00 — The win-win-win foundation; Clubcard Challenges as example • 12:00 — Differentiating Tesco Media from a decade of programmatic and performance marketing • 17:00 — Brand partnerships: creative campaigns (Christmas grottos, branded vans) • 20:00 — Complexity in omnichannel: 25+ ad products, need for self-optimisation • 23:00 — Future vision: scientific omnichannel planning and implementing AI in commerce • 29:00 — Price sensitivity, habit, and the real test for AI and automation • 34:00 — Closing thoughts, next steps, and invitation for a return discussion on AI 

--  Run time: 38 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Tesco Media - https://www.dunnhumby.com/tesco-media-insight-platform/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Florian Clemens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florianclemens/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

www.perfectted.com) 

• Sold in major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Holland & Barrett, Planet Organic, and Ocado.​
• Stocked nationally in coffee chains: Joe & the Juice, Black Sheep Coffee, and Café Nero.​
• Product range covers organic, ceremonial-grade matcha powders and sparkling matcha energy drinks (with three flavours, including Great Taste award winner).
• Sourced from single-origin growers in Japan, using young, shade-grown leaves.
• Every batch is handpicked, stone-ground, vegan, gluten-free, organic, and non-GMO, with 68mg caffeine per serving.
• The brand was featured on Dragon's Den in 2022, receiving investment offers from all five Dragons and accepting Steven Bartlett’s offer. Full episode on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpwc1GqehZU) and Stephen Bartlett's follow up video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCcDNArBASw).
• Co-founder Marisa brought her personal focus on ADHD and anxiety to the energy drink formula, aiming for clean energy without jitters or crashes.

Episode Topics & Timestamps 

• 00:00—Opening
• 00:59—Introduction to Shani, her career move, and the PerfectTed mission
• 02:34—History and basics of matcha; ceremonial vs. lower grades
• 05:00—PerfectTed’s retail and coffee chain distribution
• 08:30—Sales career progression and negotiation insight
• 11:00—Dragon’s Den: pitch day and investment outcome
• 12:30—Post-Dragon’s Den impact and rapid growth
• 15:30—Brand identity, consumer niche, and quality promise
• 16:30—Retail trading, innovation, and working with buyers
• 18:00—Consumer education, Instagram trends, and matcha recipes
• 22:00—Product range, taste profiles, and development stories
• 23:30—Purpose, clean energy, and values-driven marketing
• 24:30—Closing thoughts

Key Quotes
"Our mission is spreading positive energy through matcha products."
"Ceremonial grade is the first flush—the youngest leaves. You get that vibrant green and a sweet umami flavour rather than a bitter, grassy taste."
"You always have to prioritize quality. We focus on 100% pure ceremonial-grade matcha because if you have a bad experience, you won't come back."
"Dragon's Den was 90 minutes of filming that became 14 minutes of air time. We received all five investor offers and accepted Steven Bartlett's investment."
"You won't be liked by everyone. What makes you special is your niche."
"Matcha is like coffee—you can have a bad experience, or you can find a quality source and come back forever."
 
--  Run time: 39 minutes
INFORMATION:
[ 🖥️ ]
PerfectTed's website - www.perfectted.com
[ 👨‍👧 ]
Shani Higgs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanihiggs/
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/
[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Gousto’s path has tracked—with uncanny timing—every macro-cycle in ecommerce food: mobile adoption, pandemic surges, funding booms and busts, quick-commerce exuberance, and the current shift from growth at all costs to durable profitability. Boldt explains why Gousto remains “deeply profitable” while many peers falter, how its eco-design “Eco-Chill” packaging saves 23 percent CO₂ per meal, and why he believes Bento can do for physical-goods subscriptions what Shopify did for storefronts.

At the heart of the episode is the tension every modern retailer navigates: providing limitless personalisation while operating a ruthlessly disciplined supply chain. Gousto’s answer is a vertically integrated tech stack, four automated fulfilment centres, and predictive algorithms that cut food waste, hold gross margins above 53 percent, and power a menu now exceeding 200 recipes per week.

We also chat about Timo’s personal journey: leaving a hedge-fund VP role at 26, moving into student housing to save cash, running early routes himself, and leaning on “learn-a-holic” instincts to conquer operations, funding, B-Corp certification and, most recently, AI.

Timo Boldt

• Founder & CEO, Gousto (2012–present) — certified B Corp meal-kit pioneer valued at over £1 billion in 2020, now refocused on profitability and mainstream mass-market expansion.

• EY UK Entrepreneur of the Year 2022, World Entrepreneur Class of 2023.

• Member, Unilever Digital Advisory Board.

• Executive MBA, Cambridge Judge Business School; undergraduate training in statistics fuels his obsession with data-driven iteration.

• 00:00 – Cold-open & scene-setting
  Recording in a “glass atrium” at Retail X; quick intro to Gousto and its 13-year trajectory

• 03:00 – Market purpose & climate math
  The 40 percent food-waste statistic and Gousto’s mission to remove hassle, guilt and CO₂ from dinner

• 05:00 – Growth vectors & 1 billion-meal TAM
  Boldt’s “share of stomach” framing; path from 5 recipes a week to 200; next-day delivery at £3.20 per portion

• 08:00 – Personalisation at scale
  Custom menus, 10-minute recipes, Wagamama tie-ins, protein-heavy “XL” range for hungry teens

• 11:00 – Founder back-story
  From Rothschild analyst to food-box evangelist; giving up salary for three years; California culinary inspiration

• 13:00 – Ireland launch & localisation learnings
  Seven weeks in market; podcast discovery channel; “zero-to-one” done, now “one-to-100” scaling

• 14:30 – Bento SaaS platform
  Packaging 13-years of tech for external merchants selling physical-goods subscriptions—beauty, liquor, pet food

• 16:00 – AI, automation & factory tours
  Four fulfilment sites, 80 million dinners per site per year; invitation to Ian for a 05:00 walkthrough

• 17:30 – International options
  Cultural hurdles in Germany (“dinner bread”), promise in Scandinavia, Netherlands and Australia

• 18:45 – Subscription advice for brands
  “Developer-to-domain ratio” heuristic; outsource generic infrastructure, focus resources on differentiated CX

• 20:00 – Future vision (next 10 years)
  Raising share of stomach, household-level nutrition kits, more plant-forward range, and fully recyclable packaging

• 22:00 – Favourite recipe & wrap-up
  Boldt’s vegetarian obsession, 10-minute meals, spice pre-portions, and the joy of never buying mystery jars again.

“Our share of stomach is 0.2 percent—a drop in the ocean. Getting to 1 percent feels eminently possible if we obsess over value for money.”

“Forty percent of UK food is binned. Every Gousto box saves 7 kilograms of CO₂ compared with supermarket dinners.”

“Quick commerce is gone. We’re sitting on a £400 million business, deeply profitable and cash generative.”

“Developer-to-domain ratio matters: don’t burn engineers on generic subscription plumbing—buy it off the shelf.”

“I view Gousto as a data company that loves food.”

“The pace of change will never again be this slow; it only accelerates from here.”

--  Run time: 20 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Gousto's website - www.gousto.co.uk 

Gousto on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gousto/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Timo Boldt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timo-boldt/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Oskar Jakobsson is Director of Customer Solutions at ICA Gruppen, where he leads a team of nearly 200 colleagues responsible for all digital customer-facing touchpoints. With over 20 years’ experience in retail, spanning SaaS suppliers, H&M, and Sweden’s alcohol monopoly, Oskar brings deep expertise in digital transformation, customer experience, and the art of retail.

• 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
  Oskar’s retail journey, passion for the industry, and why he loves just being in stores.

• 03:00 – ICA’s Unique Model: 1,300 Entrepreneurs
  How ICA’s structure empowers local ownership, creates lively, differentiated stores, and fosters community connection.

• 08:00 – Store Formats & Family Businesses
  The four ICA formats, from small convenience stores to hypermarkets, and the generational, entrepreneurial spirit behind them.

• 10:00 – Digital Customer Experience at Scale
  Oskar’s role in orchestrating all digital touchpoints, from apps to in-store tech, and the challenge of aligning with retailer-facing systems.

• 13:00 – Defining “Best Customer Experience”
  How ICA uses surveys, A/B testing, and constant feedback to keep the customer at the centre of every digital and in-store decision.

• 15:00 – The Complexity of Grocery Shopping Journeys
  Why food retail is uniquely challenging, and how ICA leverages data for relevance and personalisation.

• 17:00 – Retail Media, Promotions & Data
  The balance between central campaigns and local autonomy, and how ICA navigates data sharing and privacy in a federated model.

• 20:00 – The Pace of Change & Flexible Architecture
  Reflections on the rapid acceleration of retail tech, the need for adaptable IT infrastructure, and lessons from past digital transformations.

• 25:00 – AI, Agents & The Future of Grocery
  Oskar’s take on the coming wave of agentic shopping, the importance of brand trust, and how AI will reshape both online and in-store experiences.

• 31:00 – AI in Practice at ICA
  From classic analytics to generative AI and Microsoft Copilot, ICA is using AI for efficiency, decision support, and behind-the-scenes innovation.

• 34:00 – Advice for Retail Technologists
  Oskar’s career lessons: prioritisation, embracing change, and the value of curiosity and continuous learning.

• 39:00 – Getting Re-energised by Great Retail
  Why Oskar strolls malls for inspiration, and the importance of reconnecting with what makes retail exciting.

• 40:00 – What’s Next: Strategy & Direction
  The excitement of strategic planning, aligning teams, and setting direction for ICA’s future.

“ICA isn’t a chain. It’s almost 1,300 separate retailers… Each store is genuinely their own store, adapting to their local customer and community.”

“You always need to prioritize. You will never be able to do everything. It takes a while before you realize that.”

“If you have a monolith you can’t change, you need an integration layer that is flexible. Tech isn’t the problem-it’s prioritizing investment.”

“The pace of change will never be as slow as it is today. It will only be quicker.”

“Retail is a hobby. I’m fortunate enough to work with my hobby.”

--  Run time: 38 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

ICA Gruppen's website - https://www.icagruppen.se/ 

ICA on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ica/  

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Oskar Jacobsson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oskar-jakobsson-0b052810/  

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Philipp Andree is the Chief Commercial Officer at Douglas Group, number one omnichannel premium beauty destination in Europe. With a background in engineering, marketing, and digital transformation, Philipp brings a unique perspective to the intersection of tech, commerce, and customer experience.

• 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
  Ian introduces Douglas and guest Philipp Andree, setting the stage for a deep dive into European beauty retail.

• 02:00 – Douglas’s Unique Market Position
  Philipp explains Douglas’s leadership in premium beauty, its rare dual dominance online and offline, and its focus on experience.

• 04:00 – Understanding the Douglas Customer
  Discussion of customer segmentation, the rise of Gen Z, and the broad appeal of beauty across ages and genders.

• 08:00 – Balancing Scale and Specialism
  How Douglas maintains expertise and curation while operating at scale, and the importance of standing for premium beauty.

• 11:00 – Philipp’s Career Journey
  From engineering to marketing, consultancy, and digital leadership, Philipp shares his path to CCO.

• 14:00 – Omnichannel Evolution
  The shift from digital as a silo to a fully integrated, customer-first omnichannel ecosystem.

• 16:00 – The Role of AI in Beauty Retail
  Why AI is a tool, not a goal; how Douglas uses AI for skin analysis and the development of a beauty advisor chatbot.

• 19:00 – Training AI with Human Expertise
  Philipp describes using in-store beauty advisors to train AI, ensuring recommendations feel authentic and trustworthy.

• 24:00 – Supply Chain Transformation
  The move to “One Warehouse All Channels” (OWAC), reducing inventory and increasing efficiency across 22 countries.

• 29:00 – The ‘Let it Bloom’ Strategy
  Douglas’s four-pillar growth plan: brand leadership, best selection, omnichannel excellence, and operational efficiency.

• 30:00 – Store Expansion and Refurbishment
  Opening 200 new stores, refurbishing 400, and the impact on customer experience and loyalty.

• 32:00 – Standardization and Tech Across Borders
  The challenge of unifying systems and processes across a multinational footprint.

• 33:00 – Closing Reflections
  Ian and Philipp reflect on Douglas’s blend of 200 years of heritage with cutting-edge innovation.

“We are number one, both in-store and online, which is pretty rare.”
“Our customer base spans from Gen Z to Boomers—beauty is for everyone.”
“AI is a tool, not the goal. We always start with the customer.”
“Let it Bloom: it’s about being the number one premium brand, the best selection, omnichannel, and efficiency.”

--  Run time: 38 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Douglas' German e-commerce site - www.douglas.de 

Douglas Group's corporate site: https://douglas.group/ 

The "Let it Bloom" strategy (https://douglas.group/en/about-us/strategy)

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Philipp Andree: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-andr%C3%A9e-47b681253/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Giovanni recounts how Rothy’s founders developed their groundbreaking 3D knitting technology to create zero-waste shoes made from recycled materials. He highlights the challenges of scaling production and the importance of owning their factory in China to ensure quality and sustainability.

The brand’s aesthetic—distilled simplicity with clean lines—is paired with a commitment to circularity. Giovanni discusses Rothy’s zero-waste factory, pilot programs for recycling worn shoes, and the durability that makes its products “last forever.”

Giovanni explains how Rothy’s began as a direct-to-consumer brand before experimenting with physical retail. The first store in Pacific Heights was an instant success, leading to a deliberate rollout of premium stores like the Flatiron flagship in New York.

From inventory management to maintaining brand values in wholesale partnerships, Giovanni reflects on the complexities of omnichannel retail. He emphasizes disciplined growth and ensuring profitability in every location.

Giovanni outlines plans for international growth, including standalone stores in London and beyond. He also highlights product innovation, new categories like menswear and kids’ shoes, and the ongoing evolution of sustainable materials.

[00:00:00] "Welcome to New York"
Introduction to Giovanni Lepori and his role at Rothy’s.

[00:01:00] "A Revolutionary Idea"
How Rothy’s transformed footwear manufacturing with 3D knitting technology.

[00:06:00] "We Make Every Shoe We Sell"
The importance of owning the production process for quality and sustainability.

[00:07:30] "Clean Lines"
Rothy’s signature aesthetic paired with circular design principles.

[00:14:30] "The Holy Shit Moment"
The move from online-only to retail and the power of in-store experiences.

[00:18:30] "Expanding Globally"
Plans for international growth, including London and beyond.

[00:20:15] "Retail Challenges"
Overcoming obstacles in omnichannel integration and scaling responsibly.

[00:24:30] "Looking Ahead to 2025"
Rothy’s focus on disciplined growth, new categories, and global expansion.

--  Run time: 29 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Rothy's - www.rothys.com

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Giovanni Lepori: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovannilepori/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

[00:00:00] Introduction to Rapha and Joel's Role

[00:01:00] "Changed The Sport": Rapha's Market Impact

[00:06:52] "More Than Just Shops": The Clubhouse Concept

[00:11:16] "Suffering Together": The Community Philosophy

[00:15:50] "The Rapha Cycling Club": 10 Years of RCC Membership

[00:18:23] "Product Longevity": Sustainability and Repairs

[00:23:57] "I Won't Be A Lifer": Joel's Cycling Industry Journey

[00:27:19] "Incredibly Lucky": From Brompton to Rapha

[00:30:37] "A Relentless Desire to Understand the Customer": Brand Leadership

[00:34:27] "You Just Go Faster": Rapha's Future Direction

Joel introduces Rapha as a 20-year-old cycling brand founded by Simon Mottram in 2004 that "really changed the sport" and how people engage with cycling. Rapha entered a market divided between established performance brands and cheaper, poorly fitting products, with Mottram's vision to create "a more discerning and thoughtful product brand" engaged with cycling culture.

Rapha revolutionized the industry with its bold pricing strategy, setting retail prices approximately three times the market average. This approach initially shocked consumers but transformed industry standards, with other brands taking nearly five years to realize they could also aim for premium price points.

Though the brand has expanded its range to serve diverse cyclists across price points and terrains, Rapha remains firmly positioned as a premium brand sitting "top halfway to the top" of the market.

One of Rapha's most distinctive innovations has been its clubhouses. These aren't simply retail spaces but community hubs where cyclists engage with the brand and each other. When Rapha introduced this concept around 2010-2012, cycling-focused cafés where riders could bring their bikes inside was revolutionary.

The clubhouses serve multiple purposes beyond retail. As Joel explains, "On a Sunday afternoon, you give people a space to watch races. On a Wednesday morning, you give them a space to go after they've trained." This community-building approach reflects Rapha's broader mission to grow the sport rather than just sell products.

Rapha strategically locates its clubhouses in major global cities and "culturally important cycling locations" such as Mallorca and Boulder, Colorado—choices that might not be obvious from pure data analysis but make sense for a brand deeply connected to cycling culture.

The Rapha Cycling Club celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024. Unlike conventional loyalty programs focused on discounts, RCC was built around creating an actual cycling club where "people might meet and ride together, race together."

RCC offers tangible benefits including half-price coffee at clubhouses, organized rides, bike hire, and access to exclusive club kit at more accessible price points. While Joel acknowledges that the club "peaked in COVID" and needs reinvigoration, he emphasizes that for many members—especially those living near clubhouses—the benefits and community connections remain valuable.

Cycling inherently offers sustainability advantages as an environmentally friendly transportation option. Rapha's focus on high-quality products naturally aligns with sustainability principles, with Joel mentioning he still owns and uses a Rapha jersey from 2008—illustrating the brand's commitment to durability.

The company maintains repair services in the US, UK, and Europe, reflecting its commitment to product longevity. Beyond repairs, Rapha has expanded its sustainability efforts to include carbon emissions management and increased use of "environmentally preferred materials," while acknowledging the challenges specific to cycling apparel, which often uses multiple materials for performance requirements.

Joel's career has been entirely within the cycling industry, beginning part-time at Evans Cycles while at university before joining their purchasing department after graduation. Despite initially thinking "I won't be a lifer," he's remained in the cycling business for 20 years.

Joel reflects on the special bonds formed in cycling retail: "When you do cycling retail, you make really close friends because you've already passed the bar of 'we're all cyclists'." Before joining Rapha, Joel worked at Brompton, describing himself as "incredibly lucky to work for both brands."

When asked about skills needed for success in brand-led businesses, Joel emphasizes "a relentless desire to understand the customer." He notes that while being passionate about your niche is essential, professionals also need to "be one step back" to avoid confusing personal preferences with broader customer needs.

The podcast concludes with Joel discussing Rapha's future under new CEO Fran Miller (sister of former professional cyclist David Millar), who recently joined from Belstaff. Rather than focusing on short-term fixes, they're taking a longer view: "We're going to look at a three to four year horizon to rebuild this place," supported by patient ownership that allows for long-term planning.

Joel Natale is Chief Commercial Officer at Rapha, overseeing product strategy, merchandising, supply chain, and e-commerce operations. His 20-year career in the cycling industry includes prior roles at Evans Cycles and Brompton, bringing both personal passion and professional expertise to his work at this premium global cycling brand.

--  Run time: 38 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Rapha - https://rapha.cc

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Joel Natale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-natale/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

--  Run time: 38 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Dyson - https://www.dyson.co.uk/

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Gertin Schraa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertin-schraa-17b8595/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Takeaways

• Dame was launched in 2019 to address the issues with traditional period products.
• The company focuses on creating sustainable and toxin-free products.
• Changing the conversation around menstruation is crucial for societal progress.
• Product design must prioritize both functionality and sustainability.
• Reusable products can save money in the long run.
• Period poverty is a significant issue that needs addressing.
• Collaboration with larger brands can amplify impact and reach.
• Innovations like self-sanitizing menstrual cups can change user habits.
• The mission to improve menstrual health continues as long as subpar products exist.

Sound Bites

"We make sustainable and toxin-free period products."
"Traditional period products are full of toxins."
"Can we change an industry?"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sustainable Period Products
02:57 The Journey of Dame: From Idea to Impact
05:49 Challenges and Insights in the Period Product Industry
09:11 The Role of Men in Women's Health Conversations
11:59 Innovations in Period Products: Design and Functionality
14:51 Market Positioning and Addressing Period Poverty
17:48 Collaborations with Big Brands and Their Impact
21:08 Future Directions for Dame and the Industry
24:00 Conclusion and Reflections on Progress

--  Run time: 45 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Dame - https://wearedame.co/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Alec Mills: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-ph-mills/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

• The Very Group is the UK's largest domestic online-only retailer with an integrated flexible payment platform.
• The company aims to help families get more out of life by offering a wide choice of products and flexible ways to pay.
• The role of credit is to support families in managing their household income and making purchases more affordable.
• The Very Group is focused on digital experience and constantly optimizing the customer journey.
• The company is undergoing a technology transformation to create a composable architecture and enhance the customer experience.

• "Our purpose as a business is to help families get more out of life."
• "Our job was to translate [the heritage] into a digital world, create a compelling digital experience, and then find a way of translating the mechanism of how you could spread the cost online."

--  Run time: 48 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Very - https://www.very.co.uk/

The Very Group - https://www.theverygroup.com/   

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Paul Hornby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulhornby/ 

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/  

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Mark shares the history of Guitar Guitar, from its humble beginnings to becoming a significant player in the music retail industry. He discusses the company's commitment to providing a personalized customer experience, both online and in-store, and the challenges and triumphs they've faced over the years.

The conversation touches on the innovative ways Guitar Guitar has integrated technology to enhance customer interaction, the importance of maintaining a physical store presence, and the company's recent transition to an employee-owned business model. Mark also highlights their efforts in music education and community engagement, reflecting on how these initiatives align with their core values.

Join us for an insightful discussion about the past, present, and future of Guitar Guitar, and learn how they continue to make music more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

--  Run time: 33 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Guitar Guitar - https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/  and https://www.linkedin.com/company/guitar-guitar-limited/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Mark McKenzie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mckenzie-uk/ 

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/  

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Since its inception in 2011, Flaconi has made gains in the German market, with over 25% share, and continues its successful journey across multiple European countries. Rad, with his extensive experience handling supply chains for luxury brands in Dubai, brings distinctive perspectives on the beauty industry.

Rad brings to life the transformative role of supply chain management in digital retail, emphasising viewing it as a value-adding function fostering business growth rather than a cost centre. 

Rad offers an intriguing overview of the beauty industry’s dynamic nature. He illustrates how brands rise and fall in the blink of an eye due to fluctuating consumer preferences and intense competition. We discuss the benefits of leveraging customer data and predicting stock movements to optimize costs, allied to the notion of sustainability in business practices.

We learn not only about an agile supply chain to support flexible business, but also the dynamics of the online beauty market.

--  Run time: 28 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Flaconi - https://www.flaconi.de/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/flaconi-gmbh/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Rad Jha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radharaman-jha/ 

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/  

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Brompton is an urban-first, engineering-born, British-made success story, and so the transition to the US is an interesting one. Leading with a combination of product quality and clubhouse retail vibe, they have been at the vanguard of the city-centre, community cycling renaissance that brands like Rapha (just along the road from them in Soho) have embraced.

I caught up with Julia in the back-office stock area of their Soho store as she prepped for an evening event, hence a bit of "real life buzz" in the background of the recording 📼.

In our chat we cover their hire scheme, the Brompton Junction Stores concept, retail partnerships and expansion, Juliet's career path, the importance of a strong team, the "Activating Cities" strategy and the move to B-Corp status...

--  Run time: 32 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Brompton Bicycle: https://www.brompton.com/ and https://www.brompton.com/find-a-store/brompton-junction/new-york 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Juliet Scott-Croxley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliet-scott-croxford-72050313/ 

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/  

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

SISTIR's founder, Georgie Janion-Shaw, joins us in the studio and we hare about the brand's beginnings and how the combination of branding savvy, punning and the availability of a gifting channel in NotOnTheHighStreet allowed them to start. Over time - and through experimentation, optimisation, product development efforts - the product range and channels grew. Georgie share with us her journey and learning with a level of humour and wordplay!

We get a chance to reflect upon the mindset of the growth entrepreneur as well as hearing about the extension into sweets and pets.

See below for the AI-generated show-notes: summary, takeaways and timestamps - pretty impressive and created by Riverside.fm...

--  Run time: 33 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

SISTIR: https://sistir.com/

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Georgie Janion-Shaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiejanionshaw/

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/   and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Here's the AI summary...

• Branding and packaging are important in creating a unique proposition for consumers.
• Tailoring product listings to different platforms can enhance the consumer experience.
• Supporting women growers in the coffee industry is a priority for Novello.
• The mindset of a successful entrepreneur involves optimism and a willingness to try new things.

In our conversation we talk about the history of Blackwells (surely one of the most famous longstanding and academic booksellers, now a part of the Waterstones group) and some of the dynamics of the book trade online. We discuss learning and the ongoing quest for information and knowledge, and the vital role of staff in retail. This is the origin of the "really different" of our title - how to engage staff with knowledge, skills, passion and individuality rather than falling into the trap of homogeneity.

There is so much to learn here about individuality, passion and invention in retail - our thanks to Kieron for being so open with us.

--  Run time: 53 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Blackwells (https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/home) is part of the Waterstones (https://www.waterstones.com/) group.

Kieron's offered books were:

- for Georgia: "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles (https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/A-Gentleman-in-Moscow-by-Amor-Towles/9780099558781) 

- for Ian: "Tokyo Express" by Seicho Matsumoto (https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Tokyo-Express-by-Seicho-Matsumoto-author-Jesse-Kirkwood-translator/9780241439081)

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Kieron Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieron/

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/   and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal   

Raine - the head of digital at New Look (www.newlook.com) - talks us through how to connects with the 'moments' in customers' lives, and of course the planning, data, heuristics and approaches needed to deliver that at scale. We hear about her experiences ranging from luxury and digital (Farfetch) to high street (Arcadia), fast-moving digital (Boohoo.com) to more 'considered' retailers.

Ntola - trading director at Emma Bridgewater - picks up on the themes of data, customer focus and engaging the consumer and discusses how the pottery-and-homeware brand is embracing digital.

Ntola is a podcast host too, and creator of the Trailblazers Experience podcast that you can get on Apple Podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trailblazers-experience-podcast/id1674539126?app=podcast 

--  Run time: 44 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

NewLook is at www.newlook.com

Emma Bridgewater is www.emmabridgewater.co.uk 

Ntola's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trailblazers-experience-podcast/id1674539126?app=podcast 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Raine Peak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raine-peake-19954a11/ 

Ntola Obazee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ntolaobazee/ 

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/   and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal   

B&Q is the £4bn-ish turnover DIY retailer that is now part of the Kingfisher PLC group (which also includes in its portfolio the trade-focused Screwfix, plus Castorama and Brico Depot in France and Koctas in Turkey.

During our conversation it was clear that Paddy's broad experience (financial services, department stores, logistics and final mile) has created an omnivorous approach to references and models. A synthesis of this is his contention that "to remain as #1, you have to think like you're #2". Seeking ideas from across the D2C realm, he's "receptive to what's good in the space" and looks at others' capability with 'envy and with pride' - taking the best of ideas and applying them to what B&Q already does well.

Listening to the recording, it's noticeable how frequently the ideas of "time" and convenience appear as a central theme. As their trade-only Tradepoint service has shown, "time is money", but the service also needs to be tailored to the consumer. We talk about just-in-time trade deliveries, and Paddy notes drily that "you can't deliver a fence post on the back of a moped".

Paddy's focus on time and efficiency is all in service of an emotional bond with the customer and products. Noting that in DIY customers seek "to improve their homes so that they can build their lives", we talk about layering emotion into the sales process while simultaneously making that service zippy and on-trend.

A high-speed (of course!) tour de force of insight.

--  Run time: 47 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

B&Q is at DIY.com: https://www.diy.com/

Kingfisher PLC information from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingfisher_plc 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Paddy Earnshaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paddy-earnshaw-aa84882/

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/   and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal   

In the studio today we have Ros Lawler, COO of the National Portrait Gallery, fresh from a multi-year reworking of the space, the interpretation and the visitor facilities. Widely hailed as a triumph, Ros reflects on an extremely varied career that spans music, publishing, retail and the arts - all, however with a distinctly digital and transformational flavour.

Zia's retail career has been customer-focused and digital since her time in retail, consulting, then Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason. Moving to the high end of the arts market at Hauser and Wirth, as well as engaging with an inspiring and stimulating arts group in Peckham, London (Bold Tendencies) we hear of the consistent threads throughout retail and the arts - the focus on the consumer's experience and the integrity of the product.

-- 

Run time: 40 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

National Portrait Gallery: https://www.npg.org.uk/

Bold Tendencies: https://boldtendencies.com/ 

Ros' previous visit to our studio while at Crabtree & Evelyn: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retailcraft-08-hands-made-conversation-with-made-com/id1418542382?i=1000431732461 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Ros Lawler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roslawler/ 

Zia Zareem-Slade: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziazareemslade/ 

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/   and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal 

Molly takes us through how to balance "service with a capital and small 's'" and how to attach that service element to products. We go through the weird and wonderful and perhaps dwell for a while on pink flamingoes, yet the central core is a commitment to the business customer.

This chat changed our views on Currys and B2B.

-- 

Run time: 40 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Currys Business: https://business.currys.co.uk/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/currysbusiness/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Molly Dobson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollydobson/ 

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/   and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal 

Our first guest, Charlotte Fairbairn, talks us through the model of MyWardrobeHQ, the luxury-rental-subscription-white-label genre-defying multi-hyphenate business that's carving a new path for fashion brands in the re-commerce, circular economy.

We learn from Charlotte some of the operational and business challenges they've overcome in their journey, as well as some choice insights on what it takes to create circular commerce with your customer.

Janis Thomas of Look Fabulous Forever gives us a new look on cosmetics as she explains the brand's genesis, founded for the specific needs of older skins. We hear how a start-from-scratch tale of needs analysis, product development and market creation started with the founder, along with how the business grows its base. Along the way we delve into Janis' career and learn that nothing's new in the world of subscription commerce (or rather, that she was pioneering approaches way before we were reporting on them!).

This recording is also a welcome to the studio to Georgia Scott, my co-host from Adobe. Georgia settled immediately into the studio and we'll do a 'behind the scenes' chat with Georgia over the summer, including perhaps that our first event partnership was over a decade ago at the British Embassy in Paris...  Welcome Georgia to the series!

-- 

Run time: 52 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

MyWardrobeHQ: https://www.mywardrobehq.com/ 

Look Fabulous Forever: https://www.lookfabulousforever.com/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Charlotte Fairbairn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottelingmba/ 

Janis Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janisthomas/ 

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/   and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 🎙️📷 ]
Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal ( www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

From a distinct, Manchester-born DNA in 2005, the business has grown rapidly online and into 66 stores. In our conversation Mike gives us an insight into the knowledge, passion and expertise in the team that connects a very demanding and knowledgeable consumer with local yet global trends. It's clear the level of consideration, expertise and focus needed - "our teams are basically our consumer" - even between the Footasylum and (subsidiary) Sevenstore (https://www.sevenstore.com/).

We chat about their app (including in-app voting), loyalty schemes,  brands, understanding the customer, engagement, how to keep the inspiration fresh while spotting up-and-coming trends, and the growth of own-brand. Not bad for 17 minutes!

-- 

Run time: 17 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Footasylum: https://www.footasylum.com/ 

Sevenstore: https://www.sevenstore.com/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Mike Wallwork: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-wallwork-2035315/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/   and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 🎙️📷 ]
Recorded at NRF 2023 in New York and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

Jamie and I chatted with Gijs against the bustle of 40,000 retailers jostling around the Javits Centre, and we covered the brand's history, position and growth focus for 2023. Of particular note is approach to multichannel, blending store and online, and how to make each store simultaneously a flagship and a profitable endeavour. Gijs also covers the use of marketplaces as a market-entry strategy (eg Zalando in Switzerland and Asos in the UK).

-- 

Run time: 20 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Hunkemöller: https://www.hunkemoller.co.uk/ 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Gijs van Engelen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gijs-van-engelen-760582/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 🎙️📷 ]
Recorded in New York at NRF 2023 and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal ( https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

Kate Walmsley is a pioneering retail leader who has created a platform to integrate second-hand sales into a brand's offering, integrating the option to buy new, buy second-hand, within the same experience.

Mats Nilsson, of Polarn O. Pyret, the doyens of the organic cotton striped kidswear, tells us about their journey to include second-hand in their offering. We hear of the brand's quality obsession (one of the pioneers in the use of organic cotton) and their obsession with great quality, even planning unisex styles to be handed down through a family from brother to sister several times. Mats is clear that giving their cherished, high-quality clothing an extended life in a different family is simply an extension of their values. 

Mats and Kate give us much to be positive about, while also reminding us that it is motivated people, allied to purposeful brands, that really drive progress. An inspiring session in the studio!

-- 

Run time: 43 minutes

INFORMATION:

[ 🖥️ ]

Tern: https://www.tern.eco/ 

PO.P: https://www.polarnopyret.co.uk/ and https://www.polarnopyret.co.uk/blogs/pop-magazine/po-p-second-hand 

[ 👨‍👧 ]

Kate Walmsley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-walmsley-573608/   

Mats Nilsson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mats-nilsson-55b8931/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

[ 🎙️📷 ]
Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

We hear about the craft customer - artists, hobbyists, businesses and the growing "sidehustle" generation of digitally-amplified creators - and how their demands and behaviours changed over the pandemic and now into 2023.

Jenny covers loyalty, subscriptions, apps, customer insight... as well as a fascinating glimpse at their customers' requirements - listen out for the hand-knitted nativity set and the laser-cut materials!

The briefest glimpse at https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/ will show the range and depth of the offering - along with a view of the triumph to present in a scaling, engaging experience.

-- 

Run time: 33 minutes

INFORMATION:

Jennifer North: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyanorth/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

Ian was pleased to get some time with founder and luxury expert Ceanne Fernandes-Wong and in the cosiness of the studio we learn of the business drivers, the realities of providing the service, along with Ceanne's rich experiences and reflections from a career of leadership in luxury - Net a Porter, Vestiaire Collective, Kate Spade...

There's some bonus material at the end - we had so much to cover it was hard to leave the studio!

-- 

Run time: 44 minutes

INFORMATION:

Ceanne Fernandes-Wong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceannefernandes/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

There's so much to follow here - his journey from chef to chief, the positioning of Fenwicks and the sources of distinctiveness, the role of Digital Director, and how digital can transform a last-century business while retaining and using its DNA... As a result we just dived straight into the middle!

If you're not already familiar with Fenwicks then do check out their website (https://www.fenwick.co.uk/) to see the range of products and something of their history on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenwick_(department_store)) or in their own words (https://www.fenwick.co.uk/our-story.html).

-- 

All of our podcasts now have a full transcript and notes available - check out the episode page on https://internetretailing.net/retailcraft-retail-podcasts/retailcraft-retail-podcasts

Run time: 30 minutes

INFORMATION:

Andy Jayes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-jayes-14307821/  

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

This is an extraordinary project as a stand-alone, but when you consider it's a joint endeavour between two global businesses it acquires an additional level of purpose, learning and connection.

During our conversation Camilla gives us an insight into her career and how she's moved through product, visual merchandising, stores, digital, innovation, circular economy and sustainability... as well as in different parts of H&M. Her clarity on delivery, focus and learning is clear - and from her open conversation and enjoyment of her role we can see that humour and culture are definite contributing factors to success!

During our discussion we mentioned in passing the Grand Prix-winning project at Cannes Lions in 2021. Called "the Loop" it's an in-store end-to-end recycling machine and you can see details here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQhaZNWfZmY

We also discussed the role of Matter, the local/sourcing research consultancy, and you can see their work here: https://ma-tt-er.org/ 

-- 

All of our podcasts now have a full transcript and notes available - check out the episode page on https://internetretailing.net/retailcraft-retail-podcasts/retailcraft-retail-podcasts

Run time: 30 minutes

INFORMATION:

Camilla Henriksson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla-henriksson-56863231/  

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

We hear about the platform approach, an obsessive customer focus, a relationship with the brands they sell, market entry and growth and of course the long-standing commitment to sustainability, with some 22% of products sold now coming from the more sustainable ranges.

Megan shares with us the importance of getting into the path of the customer, but we also hear about her career path and the idea of "provoking your destiny". 

This is a generous, open and inspiring conversation with a thoughtful leader in one of Europe's leading retailers.

-- 

All of our podcasts now have a full transcript and notes available - check out the episode page on https://internetretailing.net/retailcraft-retail-podcasts/retailcraft-retail-podcasts

Run time: 40 minutes

INFORMATION:

Megan Maley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-maley-7478a24/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

Sienne Veit is the Group Digital Product and Platform Director for Kingfisher PLC, owners of Screwfix, B&Q, Castorama and others in a £13bn turnover powerhouse in the "homes" and DIY sectors across Europe. Sienne tracks the idea of a "product" and how the aim is to "create joyful things" that increase not only increased sales but also enhance the experience of interacting with the brand, solving consumer problems. She repeats the concept when she describes how the combination of data science and engineering can 'make meaning and create joy' - surely a rallying cry for our times!

Join us in the studio for this informative, wide-ranging and clear discussion on key themes in modern retail: data, transparency, technology and the consumer's experience.

All of our podcasts now have a full transcript and notes available - check out the episode page on https://internetretailing.net/retailcraft-retail-podcasts/retailcraft-retail-podcasts

Run time: 54 minutes

INFORMATION:

Jessi Baker MBE: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessibaker/ 

Sienne Veit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienneveit/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

We mentioned that Ali had featured on the cover of InternetRetailing Magazine back in 2012 and you can see that edition here: https://internetretailing.net/magazine/internetretailing---july-2012-volume-6-issue-5

All of our podcasts now have a full transcript and notes available - check out the episode page on https://internetretailing.net/retailcraft-retail-podcasts/retailcraft-retail-podcasts

Run time: 53 minutes

INFORMATION:

Ali Holmes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliholmes/ 

Megan Ludlow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-ludlow/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

We hear from Claire Bottle, the new-ish CEO of the UK Warehousing Association. Claire covers the serendipity that led from a secretarial role to a logistics leader, with the mentoring she received and how she now looks to create opportunities and training within the industry.

Gavin's journey goes from Facebook to establishing a cannabis store, via Tesco and arrives at digital health data. It's a track that blends bravery with analysis, clarity and flexibility.

Both of these journeys share one thread - that they defy our expectations. Claire comments that her path is "by no means stereotypical" while Gavin notes several times that the commercial realities today and in the future and "different to our mental model".

This is a podcast full of opinion-changing insights and rather than spoiling the surprises now, I'll just remind our listeners that a full transcript with notes and links is available via https://internetretailing.net/retailcraft-retail-podcasts

More information on the UKWA here (https://www.ukwa.org.uk/) and on AltaFlora here (https://www.altaflora.co/).

We also noted in passing that Gavin had featured on the cover of InternetRetailing Magazine - here's an archive link to that issue, from 2011! https://internetretailing.net/magazine/internetretailing---november-2011-volume-6-issue-1 

Run time: 47 minutes

INFORMATION:

Claire Bottle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarebottlefcilt/ 

Gavin Sathianathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinsathianathan/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

In this episode we spend time with Greg Duce, Area Ecommerce Director, Europe, Australia and New Zealand at Reckitt and it's a privileged look behind the brands at the realities of moving direct to consumer, embracing digital and maintaining values.

We were struck in chatting with Greg at the focus upon people and skills development, the need to move rapidly yet without losing track of the brand values. Greg articulated with great clarity that the transition to digital-first (without leaving behind the successful, multi-billion legacy) requires the ability to see multiple things at the same time - and to act for now and the future at the same time. Greg talks about the need to "win today and win tomorrow', and how this requires the simultaneous adoption of two competing maxims: the first is the mantra of "fewer, bigger, better" investments (using Reckitt's scale), while at the same time placing "bets everywhere to see what sticks" (because you have to recognise that new competitors are not limited to the legacy competitors). This 'duality' is at the heart of the digital approach - a flexibility of mind and approach that is worthy of a chapter or two by Von Clauswitz or Sun Tzu! 

The full transcript is available via https://internetretailing.net/retailcraft-retail-podcasts/retailcraft-retail-podcasts

Run time: 47 minutes

INFORMATION:

Greg Duce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-duce-1888897/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded and engineered at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

Vanessa was kind enough to meet with me in her Bleeker Street store in New York, and brought the brand, its story and direction of travel to life. 

We recorded at 7am but the film crew and leaf-blowers were out in force as they prepared for the day's filming of the Sex and the City series reboot. It was all happening, but nothing interrupted our conversation and the team at Spiritland cleaned the audio wonderfully! 

This interview is full of important insights on sourcing, culture, traceability, how to grow while maintaining focus, and remaining a 'point of discovery' for your customers.

The full transcript is available via https://internetretailing.net/retailcraft-retail-podcasts/retailcraft-retail-podcasts

Run time: 32 minutes

INFORMATION:

Vanessa Barboni Hallik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessabarbonihallik 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Recorded remotely in Another Tomorrow's Bleeker Street, New York store, and engineers by Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

Initially visible in the UK via their catalogues and direct to consumer advertising, we hear from Constanze Freienstein, Managing Director, Europe, about the digital growth of the brand.

We touch upon product development via sustainability, cashmere, social engagement and the 'comfort fund' - how the whole team work for inclusion and social good.

You can see more about Lands' End's sustainability approach here: https://www.landsend.co.uk/Resources/co/Sustainability.html

Constanze was recently interviewed by Chloe Rigby on InternetRetailing (https://internetretailing.net/interviews/interview-how-lands-end-helped-customers-get-comfy-online-in-a-challenging-year) and there's a case study on Lands' End in the 2021 RetailX European Top1000 (https://internetretailing.net/top500-reports/annual-reports/the-2021-retailx-europe-top1000)

Run time: 34 minutes

INFORMATION:

Constanze Freienstein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/constanze-freienstein-6194752/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/  and www.twitter.com/ianjindal 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/ 

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal ) 

We trace Stephen's background - starting at Tesco, M&S, George, Asda... and now back to M&S. A 'boomerang' as he calls it!

Digital is clearly at the heart of the transformation plans at M&S, with support from the board, CEO and Chair. We learn how this process of renewal and focus is a step beyond the transformation around a decade ago, where M&S launched their 'dot com' commitment, and signalled their capability with a major platform, investment in a cutting edge DC and a talented team. It was the fruit of this work that saw M&S featuring in the RXUK Elite rankings of the Top500. However, Stephen notes that time and technology move on and that a new, renewed phase is underway. He cites the internal mantra of progress - "never the same again" - in recognition that as the world changes so do the capabilities and approaches necessary for success.

Along the way we touch on COVID, skills, projects, selling other brands and the M&S customer.

Run time: 26 minutes

Stephen Langford: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-langford-b388113/  

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/ianjindal) 

We had recently interviewed Chris for our Grocery Innovation Report (https://internetretailing.net/groceryinnovation2021) and couldn't wait to bring his insights to life on the podcast. Sadly, the gremlins of the internet decided we'd had too easy a run over the last year and so it took several attempts, many disconnections, much patience and a fair wind to get this episode on 'tape'. Massive thanks to Chris for his humour and perseverance! Jamie and I were desperate to ensure that we (re)covered the same topics so that nothing was lost!

We hear about the Coop's response to COVID and how their existing plans were accelerated by the pandemic. Chris paints a clear picture of the values at the centre of the business, as well as key behaviours like partnership, openness and flexibility that have created an opportunity for the Coop's food business. Following on from our interview with Chris Poad of Tesco we can see that the Coop's path started in a different place and follows a different trajectory - yet equally innovative and illustrating why the UK's grocery sector is so varied and dynamic.

In conversation we cover their roll-out with Deliveroo and other local distribution partners, their blending working and hyper-local approach, the injunction from the CEO to be the "Transformer in Chief" and how partnership is a way of doing business.

Run time: 39 minutes

Chris Conway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-conway-76ba2b19/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/p/CLGv5-JpCSU/) 

Rui is up first. He's the European Ecommerce Director for PepsiCo, and we hear from him about their pan-European team, the moves to selling direct, not to mention his own interesting career path to ecommerce.

From a global brand's regional team, we then chat with Dan about how a British heritage brand is operating globally and direct to consumer. Dan has extensive experience in ecommerce, but in his role as Customer Director at Whittards it's fascinating to hear of his own learning journey about tea and coffee, and how the lockdowns have increased their customer focus and digital activities.

Our thanks to Dan and Rui for sharing their experiences with us, and they bring to a close our 2020 podcasts. We look forward to picking up in 2021 but until then we wish all our listeners happy trading.

🎄 

Run time: 55 minutes

Rui Francisco: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rui-francisco/ 

Dan Mahoney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahoneydaniel/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Guy talks us through many years of change and progress at this global, complex business, culminating in his 5 steps that are very persuasive indeed.

Along the way we pay tribute to the makers of the world, and a moving example is that of Ben Ryan who set out to create a new type of prosthetic arm for his 10-day old son. You can read Ben's story here: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=fortheinspired/customer-ambionics and see the video story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOBVuy2FxoA

Graham Wilson joins us from Sofology, the specialist sellers of Sofas. Selling sofas at the best of times can be a challenge, with lead times, checking colour and seating options, envisioning the sofas in your own home... Graham takes us through some of the digital innovations underway that are enhancing the selling and service propositions and giving the stores a dynamic role during the lockdown(s).

Our thanks to Chris for giving us so much time, and we'll pick up with him again post-Christmas to see how the peak-upon-peak of trading turned out.

Run time: 55 minutes

Guy Magrath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-magrath-ned/ 

Graham Wilson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-wilson-b854594/ 

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

We segue from his career to the Tesco response - an impressive and sustained activity at scale - and we learn about the values that drove the work, the decision-making approaches, and how the team runs under such great pressure.

The interview is chock-full of insights, expressed with clarity and openness - it's a privileged view inside Tesco at a defining time. There are too many quotable nuggets to list here, but the title of this podcast references a perceptive classification of decision-making - jump to 22m10s if you can't bear to wait! It's worth it.

Our thanks to Chris for giving us so much time, and we'll pick up with him again post-Christmas to see how the peak-upon-peak of trading turned out.

Run time: 38 minutes

Chris Poad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispoad/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

We kick off with an in-depth chat with Mark Wright, Group Operations Director at Fat Face. Mark's got an incredible track record in retail - online, offline and multichannel - with stints as head of trading at M&S and as Managing Director, Omnichannel and Jack Wills. His role at Fat Face covers all operations and trading and so it was interesting to get his reflections upon the lockdown, recovery and impact. Mark's a direct and generous guest and so there's no holding back!

After Mark we hear from Murray Lambell, the VP of Trading at eBay UK. Murray's role is to help major retailers and brands get onto the eBay platform and there are some suprises here, with no hard sell. 27 million (yes, million) active customers on eBay are the "bait" for sellers, and Murray's team look at what they're are searching for, identify gaps, and then approach retailers and brands to take up that demand. Murray shares  with us the partnership approach and, as if a jolt were needed this year, points out that 60,000 sellers have joined eBay in the last 90 days! Busy, busy times indeed.

Run time: 53 minutes

Mark Wright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wright-74824b/

Murray Lambell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murraylambell/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

First up is Aaron Winsloe, the Head of eCommerce USA for The Hut Group. We spoke with Aaron in his new office just before the group results were announced - an impressive 24% revenue growth to £1.1bn and a 22% increase in profits. With 66% of group turnover coming from the international operations, it was a timely moment to catch up with Aaron, and in particular the trading and learning experience over COVID.

Next up is John Roberts, founder and CEO of AO.com. John has some very pithy sayings, as well as a lovely 'origin story' for how 'Appliances Online' (as it was 20 years ago) was founded. This interview was recorded as a keynote for IRX Engage's inaugural digital event, and in discussion we hear about the 'pivot' to a direct-selling brand and the values that underpin the business' success.  The sound quality is more "phone line" than "BBC Studio" but John is such a compelling speaker that we had to share the interview.

Run time: 26 minutes.

Aaron Winsloe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-winsloe-a0a30680/

John Roberts: https://twitter.com/johnrobertsAO

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Our first guest is Gracia Amico: chair, non-executive advisor and experienced CEO. In the past, she’s held senior digital and commercial roles at Burberry, TopShop and Hobbs, as well as CEO at Pets Pyjamas. After a period as Head of Digital Operations at Sun Capital, Gracia is now a non-executive Director at Stitched (the online curtains and blinds seller) and Chair of the pet technology company, Pet Mate.

With Gracia we learn about the dynamics of the 'pet' market, discuss the role of the CEO and the skills needed as Chair, and touch on an investor view of the skills needed to thrive as we emerge from lockdown.

Robin Phillips is our next guest. Robin is the CEO of The Watch Shop, but his career has seen him cover the gamut of ecommerce. He was Ecommerce Director at Waitrose, then Director of Omnichannel for Boots, before joining Kurt Geiger as Director of Digital. Robin’s experience then across fashion, food and pharmacy mean that he’s got a unique take on retail over the COVID lockdown, as well as some interesting insights on how The Watch Shop can be a brand platform for watch brands to sell. 

Run time: 40 minutes.

Gracia Amico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracia-amico-7aa9b0/

Robin Phillips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-phillips-rgp/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Run time: 33 minutes.

Rickard Frost: www.linkedin.com/in/rikardfrost/

Pieter Heij: www.linkedin.com/in/pieterheij/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios and New York, USA and Amsterdam, NL. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

You can see the details of the store tour here: airtable.com/shr6VPGFXHB4LNBoU/tblIQv68dVMxyALSJ

Next we travel back in time to NRF itself, when we were joined in the podcast studio by Laura Padfield, Head of Strategy and Business Development, International at Marks & Spencer. We cover a range of topics from the international growth and approach, differences between regions as well as hearing Laura’s reflections on the stores we’d visited.

Run time: 36 minutes.

Laura Padfield: www.linkedin.com/in/laura-padfield-1bb80b21/

Jamie Merrick: www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios and at the NRF Podcast Studio in New York, USA. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

First of all we hear from Savannah Sachs. Avid followers of IR will remember that Savannah featured on the cover of our Magazine in March 2018 when she was with Birchbox, one of the early beauty-sector disruptors. Now we catch up with her as CEO of Tula - a skincare company that’s bringing to life "clean" cosmetics, linked to the skin biome, and focused on efficacy. Savannah brings clarity to these trends and it’s a fascinating insight to a business, with Savannah’s lucid and engaging explanation.

Then we head to meet Amir Zwickel, co-founder and Chief Property Officer of Showfields. This is a genuinely interesting and distinctive evolution of trends in pop-ups, department stores, experience places and location. We join Amir in the bustling "Lounge" on the top floor of their Soho store and get a fast-paced take on this evolved and distinctive business.

Finally we visit Marianna Satanas, Global Digital Sales Director at Eton Shirts. We’ve wanted to chat with Marianna for a while to learn about her experiences at Mr Porter, DKNY and others, but in her current role we have a combination of direct-to-consumer and digital wholesale, in a century-old brand that operates globally.Candid, fun and energetic as always, Marianna gives us an excellent view of the brand’s direction and journey.

Thanks as always to our guests. Let us know suggestions for 2020 (including volunteering yourself!). We will be back in January at NRF’s Big Show in NYC (where we are an official podcast partner of the event) and then in London again with the interviews from the Big Apple.

Merry Christmas, and best wishes for 2020 from the whole team at InternetRetailing.

Run time: 62 minutes.

This bumper edition of the podcast is our ’Christmas present’, bringing interviews from New York retailers from three different sectors, but each innovative.

First of all we hear from Savannah Sachs. Avid followers of IR will remember that Savannah featured on the cover of our Magazine in March 2018 when she was with Birchbox, one of the early beauty-sector disruptors. Now we catch up with her as CEO of Tula - a skincare company that’s bringing to life "clean" cosmetics, linked to the skin biome, and focused on efficacy. Savannah brings clarity to these trends and it’s a fascinating insight to a business, with Savannah’s lucid and engaging explanation.

Then we head to meet Amir Zwickel, co-founder and Chief Property Officer of Showfields. This is a genuinely interesting and distinctive evolution of trends in pop-ups, department stores, experience places and location. We join Amir in the bustling "Lounge" on the top floor of their Soho store and get a fast-paced take on this evolved and distinctive business.

Finally we visit Marianna Satanas, Global Digital Sales Director at Eton Shirts. We’ve wanted to chat with Marianna for a while to learn about her experiences at Mr Porter, DKNY and others, but in her current role we have a combination of direct-to-consumer and digital wholesale, in a century-old brand that operates globally.Candid, fun and energetic as always, Marianna gives us an excellent view of the brand’s direction and journey.

Thanks as always to our guests. Let us know suggestions for 2020 (including volunteering yourself!). We will be back in January at NRF’s Big Show in NYC (where we are an official podcast partner of the event) and then in London again with the interviews from the Big Apple.

Merry Christmas, and best wishes for 2020 from the whole team at InternetRetailing.

Run time: 62 minutes.

Click here to listen on PodBean

Savannah Sachs: www.linkedin.com/in/savannahsachs/

Amir Zwickel: www.linkedin.com/in/amirzwickel/

Marianna Satanas: www.linkedin.com/in/marianna-satanas/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Savannah’s cover interview in InternetRetailing Magazine: internetretailing.net/magazine/internetretailing-magazine--march-2018

Recorded on location in New York, USA and at Spiritland Studios, London. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Zia Zareem-Slade (Customer Experience Director at Fortnum & Mason) and Eric Fergusson (Ecommerce Director at Liberty London) join Jamie Merrick and Ian Jindal in our London studio.

We discuss their roles, what makes their businesses distinctive, “a celebration of the exceptional” and retail ‘as a movement’; from ‘joy-giving gifts’ to being ‘more relevant to more people more often’, via ‘how I got my job’. During this free-ranging conversation you’ll certainly agree that they are ‘never monotone’.

We mention the insta feeds a couple of times in the podcast so do get a slice of the glamour at www.instagram.com/fortnums and www.instagram.com/libertylondon

Run time: 45 minutes.

Gail Schuman: www.linkedin.com/in/gailshuman/

Jennifer Roebuck: www.linkedin.com/in/jroe/

Robin Phillips: www.linkedin.com/in/robin-phillips-rgp/

Vera Hartmuth: www.linkedin.com/in/vera-hartmuth-7405962/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Gail Schuman: www.linkedin.com/in/gailshuman/

Jennifer Roebuck: www.linkedin.com/in/jroe/

Robin Phillips: www.linkedin.com/in/robin-phillips-rgp/

Vera Hartmuth: www.linkedin.com/in/vera-hartmuth-7405962/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

"Authors" is probably not the best description since our group are retailers, entrepreneurs, technologists, analysts... who have happened to write books. 

Our conversation covers customers, culture, Amazon, technology, university education and the process of writing. 

Run time: 65 minutes.

Martin Newman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martindnewman/ ("100 Practical Ways to Improve Customer Experience: Achieve End-to-End Customer Engagement in a Multi-Channel World" - https://amzn.to/31IyVp8 )

Natalie Berg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-berg-ba20931/ ("Amazon: How the World's Most Relentless Retailer will Continue to Revolutionize Commerce" - https://amzn.to/2TB1bHz ; and her previous book on Walmart, https://amzn.to/33wkEOl)

Miya Knights: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miyaknights/ (co-author with Natalie of "Amazon", above, and of "Omnichannel Retail: How to build winning stores in a digital world", https://amzn.to/2N4Unkh )

Richard Hammond: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uncrowdceo/ (author of "Smart Retail: Winning Ideas and Strategies from the Most Successful Retailers in the World (4th edition)" - https://amzn.to/2KLe5ih - and the newly-released "Friction/Reward: Be your customer's first choice" - https://amzn.to/2KNccS9

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal. 

David Williams is the Senior Director of Direct to Consumer, EMEA and Japan for Deckers Brands and we hear about the multichannel business, skills and working in Japan. Deckers brands comprise Ugg, Teva and Hoka.

Rhea Jeffery is the Head of eCommerce at Beyond Retro and we hear of the global scale of the business, their "Rag Pickers", sustainability, and the role of data is planning the myriad trends and supply chain challenges.

Rachel Glynn is the head of ecommerce at Radley and we hear about the brand's journey from Camden Market stall in London to a global brand that blends luxury with playfulness. 

Vera Hartmuth is Marketing Director at Salesforce and joins us as co-host for the first time! Welcome, Vera :)

Run time: 50 minutes.

David Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilliams-ecommerce-and-omnichannel-director/

Rhea Jeffery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheajeffery/

Rachel Glynn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelglynn/

Vera Hartmuth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vera-hartmuth-7405962/

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal. 

First stop was the Georg Jensen HQ where Ian met with Will Lockie, the global head of e-commerce. Will showed Ian around the silversmiths workshops. Photos of the visit are linked below.

We then visited David Walmsley, recently appointed as chief digital and omnichannel director at Pandora.

The craft and product focus within both of these businesses is exceptional, and we learn from both David and Will some of the challenges and approaches of running a global operation.

Run time: 49 minutes.

Will Lockie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willlockie/ 

David Walmsley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwalmsley0/  

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios, and in Copenhagen at the offices of Georg Jensen and Pandora. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal. Photograph of Will Lockie and a bust of Georg Jensen in their foyer, along with silversmiths’ hammers.

You can see the Luxury Sector Report here: https://retailx.net/product/luxury-2019-sector-analyst-report/

We have a free access code for the first 50 retailer podcast subscribers - drop us a note at research@retailx.net 

Run time: 49 minutes.

David Boyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beglen/

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Emma Herrod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-herrod-5769472/ 

Martin Shaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtshaw/

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Emma also interviewed Annabel as the feature interview in the March issue of InternetRetailing Magazine. Download details below.

Run time: 32 minutes.

Annabel Frank - https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelkilner/

Ros Lawler - https://www.linkedin.com/in/roslawler/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Emma Herrod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-herrod-5769472/

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Sienne's role covers a very wide brief and is central to John Lewis' drives to be a multichannel, digitially-enabled, customer-centred business. We learn about the role, and the John Lewis approach to innovation, plus the role of digital in the UK's favourite retailer.

Alexandre then takes us on a creative and commercial journey - a rare and privileged insight into the founding of a brand, the obsession with design and experience, and how to grow a brand that was born digitally yet is rooted in the personal and the exceptional. 

Run time: 45 minutes.

Sienne Veit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienneveit/ and www.johnlewis.com 

Alexandre Meerson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meerson/ and http://www.meerson.com/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Lucid, fact-filled and open - this is a privileged insight into multichannel commercial thinking.

We segue then to Martin Shaw, Head of Research at RetailX and InternetRetailing, about the newly-released Growth2000 index. This sits below the IRUK Top500 ranking in terms of business size and 'footprint', but reflects a dynamic growth-focused segment.

Run time: 39 minutes.

Sean McKee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-mckee-703a3aa/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Martin Shaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtshaw/ 

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

References:

Sean McKee on the cover of InternetRetailing Magazine, November 2017:

https://internetretailing.net/magazine/internetretailing-magazine-november-2017

InternetRetailing's Growth2000 (G2K) research report:

https://internetretailing.net/g2k

Sweaty Betty is a characterful 'athleisure' brand that originated in the UK and now has stores internationally. Known for a direct, fun tone and stores that host yoga events and are very friendly, we ask Annabel about her role, the idea of a 'digital flagship' and how digital and stores can work together. Orlebar Brown is a British startup success that has moved from a tailored, luxury swimshorts company to a broader luxury brand. Jamie discusses the brand's growth, his role and the importance of brand values.

We round off with Martin Shaw, Head of Research, telling us about the new RXAU Australia Top250 report that's just been published...

Run time: 42 minutes.

Annabel Thorburn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabel-thorburn-05351b19/

Jamie de Cesare:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiedecesare/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Martin Shaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtshaw/ 

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

We reference the RXAU Top250 report that you can access here: https://internetretailing.net/rxau

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Martin Shaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtshaw/ 

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Zippin: www.getzippin.com and CEO Krishna Motukuri https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishnamotukuri/

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal

In this episode Nadine Neatrour and Sally Heath Minto of Revolution Beauty join Ian Jindal in the studio, along with Martin Shaw, Head of Research and Jamie Merrick, Director Industry Strategy and Insights at Salesforce.

This two-header gives a behind-the-scenes view of the social-media, brand-first, distruptive, authentic beauty launch. Open, frank, funny and provocative at times, this is an insight into hands-on entrepreneurship and growth, led by two industry digital veterans. Plus we get to use the word "Mass-tige" on air for the first time...

42 minutes run-time.

Nadine Neatrour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadinesharara/ 

Sally Heath Minto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-heath-minto-aba78a23/ 

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Martin Shaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtshaw/ 

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Andy James.

We reference the January 2016 issue of InternetRetailing Magazine in which Sally features as our cover interview...

Sarah Stagg, Director of Digital at The Rug Company,  joins Ian Jindal in the studio, along with Martin Shaw, Head of Research at RetailX, Emma Herrod, Editor of InternetRetailing Magazine and Jamie Merrick, Director Industry Strategy and Insights at Salesforce.

We were keen to chat with Sarah having seen her work at Debenhams, then House of Fraser, and Sarah gave us an eye-opening view on the intricate, interesting and inspiring world of selling very expensive, desirable, custom rugs - online, in-store, and B2B custom - plus discussion how they are an innovation company.

Martin gives us the skinny on the newly-released 2018 European Top500 ranking of multichannel retailers and brands, the IREU 2018 (now available online and free to subscribers at

Emma Herrod looks at the online beauty sector, and in particular the trend of online-first brands opening stores.

38 minutes run-time.

Sarah Stagg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-stagg-9325bb15/   

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Emma Herrod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-herrod-5769472/

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Andy James.

We reference the IREU 2018 report and the March 2018 issue of InternetRetailing Magazine, with cover interviewee Savannah Sachs, (then) Managing Director, UK of Birchbox and now CEO of Tula.

https://internetretailing.net/ireu

https://internetretailing.net/magazine/internetretailing-magazine--march-2018 

In this episode David Kohn, eCommerce and Customer Service Director at Heals joins Ian Jindal in the studio, along with Emma Herrod, Editor of InternetRetailing Magazine and Jamie Merrick, Director Industry Strategy and Insights at Salesforce.

We discuss customers' expectations and how these can be satisfied given an iconic brand, store and product range. David's take is a very distinctive blend of pragmatism and high standards. David 'opens the kimono' on his thoughts on experience, brand and customer intent. He claimed to be 'probably the most skeptical man in the industry' - can that be true?

Emma Herrod looks at the grocery sector following the recent interview with the Co-op in the May issue of InternetRetailing Magazine. Covering innovations from face recognition to 'hidden technology' that is invisible to the customer while supporting the store staff.

32 minutes run-time.

David Kohn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkohnmultichannel/  

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Emma Herrod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-herrod-5769472/

Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Andy James.

We reference the May 2018 issue of InternetRetailing Magazine, featuring Chris Conway, the Coop's Head of Digital.