RetailCraft - digital retail, ecommerce and brands - Retail Podcast

Welcome to an illuminating discussion with Rad, VP of Supply Chain at Flaconi, Germany's leading online beauty marketplace. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating supply chain management domain within the beauty sector.  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

At the end of NRF 2024 in New York I was able to chat with Juliet Scott-Croxford of Brompton Bicycle. Juliet is President, North America, and leads the growth of this quintessentially British brand in the market. 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 is a coffee-originated gifting brand, that grew from a sisterly conversation (SIS) about coffee (Stirred) around the ideal '3am blend' to power parents through that mid-night wake-up moment for a crying baby. 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... <ai> Summary Georgie, the founder of Novello, shares the story of her coffee brand Sistir and how it started with a concept for a business. She discusses the importance of branding and packaging in creating a unique proposition for consumers. Georgie also talks about launching on Not on the High Street and tailoring product listings for different platforms. She emphasizes the importance of supporting women growers in the coffee industry and how Novello is working towards female empowerment. Georgie shares her experience working at Disney and Hasbro and how it has influenced her approach to product development. She also discusses the mindset of a successful entrepreneur and the challenges of starting a business. Finally, Georgie talks about her plans for the future, including expanding into other product categories and exploring retail opportunities.   Takeaways 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. Chapters 00:00. Introduction and Background 01:19. The Story of Sistir 03:13. Starting a Coffee Business 04:34. Launching on Not on the High Street 07:25. Analyzing and Tailoring Product Listings 09:31. Supporting Women Growers in the Supply Chain 12:20. Lessons from Working at Disney and Hasbro 15:20. Becoming an Expert in Coffee 17:36. The Path of Purpose in Retail 18:32. Overcoming Challenges as an Entrepreneur 19:29. The Mindset of a Successful Entrepreneur 20:56. Expanding into Other Product Categories 24:09. Lessons Learned from Global Corporate Roles 25:53. Maintaining Consistency and Flexibility 28:42. Knowing When to Take the Next Step 30:37. Future Plans and Expansion </ai>

Our studio chat with Kieron (Digital Director at Blackwells, part of the Waterstones group of booksellers) had a number of firsts... Not only the first podcast of 2024 (Happy New Year to one and all!) but also the first time that Georgia and I had been given gifts. In our prep for the studio session Kieron had asked us what were the last three books we'd read. He used this to predict a book for each of us and wrapped them for us to give in the studio! Utterly thoughtful, but more importantly gets to the heart of Kieron's focus upon data AND intuition. 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   

Ntola and Raine joined Georgia and me in the studio and reminded us just why a roundtable discussion is so much fun and enlightening! 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   

Paddy joined us in the studio with "time" clearly on his mind. Throughout our zinger-filled, high-protein chat, Paddy returned to the theme of "if you find a fix for time, you'll see the sales". 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   

Tony Preedy is a bit of a legend at Etail Towers and has one of the most rounded and in-depth knowledge of e-commerce performance (brand, digital marketing, CRM and business models) that we know. Having run through Tony's CV, we focus on Fruugo - its history, operation and market position. With a blend of incisive wit and deadpan humour, Tony talks about the importance of relevance and focus at scale ("We're not a marketplace, we're a very good marketing machine"), and how a combination of AI and human care can present 140 million SKUs in 40 markets - a combinatorial challenge resulting in c6billion combinations, and serving around 1800 different ads per second. An insight from Tony is the focus on ROAS (return on advertising spend). The bid model takes price, propensity and margin to determine whether or not to bid and if so at what level. This 'anticipation' and planning means that all transactions are profitable and there's no anxiety over CPC spend rising to unprofitable levels. Tony doffs a digital cap to Claude Hopkins (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_C._Hopkins), author a century ago of "Scientific Advertising", who emphasised the importance of copywriting for relevance (and whose book was seen in the background of several Mad Men episodes!).  Amongst many 'zingers' and insights, a further point of note was that 80+% of traffic comes to a product description page (PDP) - the lowest level of a site's hierarchy. Rather than being seen after a brand-first browsing and filtering journey, Tony's customers land straight at the 'here it is, buy it' level, and these pages have to carry the whole brand, product and service story. He mentions the importance of the on-page "carousels" of products to increase the number of products shown, fish for opportunity and how these carousels (rather than navigation or on-site search) then drive the browse journey.   So many more things covered in our 40 minutes in the studio, and we'll update the InternetRetailing.net page with the full transcript. --  Run time: 47 minutes INFORMATION: [ 🖥️ ] Free digital copy of Scientific Advertising - https://scientificadvertising.blogspot.com/ Fruugo - https://www.fruugo.co.uk/  Fruugo awarded King's Award for Enterprise - https://channelx.world/2023/04/kings-award-for-enterprise-fruugo-marketplace/  Tony in conversation with Chris Dawson on international selling (video interview) - https://channelx.world/2023/09/introducing-specialist-retailers-to-the-international-stage/    [ 👨‍👧 ] Tony Preedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonypreedy/  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

Some 'summer listening' in this episode, where we take as our theme "retailers and the arts". There's a long and illustrious history of retail professionals swapping the stores for galleries, but with our current digital dimension there's still a consumer/customer/visitor/individual connection. 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 Dobson is the Managing Director of Currys Business, the B2B operation of the long-established Currys brand, that covers white goods to smart devices via outdoors electricals and gaming... basically anything with a plug or voltage! See www.currys.co.uk. Molly explodes into our studio like a positive force of nature, and takes us at a gallop through the business, the service approach, and how expertise, people, systems and great service come together into the B2B offering. We hear of Molly's career and how the data+customer obsession has been a connective line through her roles.  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   

Two fresh angles that speak to the developments in multichannel retail - changes in formats, product, audience engagement and business models. 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 )   

In our second run-and-record session from NRF 2023 in New York in January 2023, we catch up with Mike Wallwork, Head of eCommerce at Footasylum, the fast-growing destination for sneakerheads in the UK...  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 )   

During an exceptionally busy NRF 2023 in January in New York we managed to grab some time with Gijs van Engelen, the Chief Digital Officer and member of the Board at Hunkemöller, one of the largest lingerie specialists in Europe. They have a direct site in the UK (https://www.hunkemoller.co.uk/), while also selling via retailers like Next, and a US/Global site at https://www.hunkemoller.com. Meanwhile their stores are to be seen in most town centres in northern Europe.   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 ) 

With us in the studio we Kate, from Tern.eco and Mats who founded Polarn O. Pyret (PO.P) in the UK, recently amalgamated from master-franchisee to part of the global operation. 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 ) 

Joining us in the studio at the end of 2022, Jennifer North, Head of Digital Experience at Hobbycraft, gives us an eye-opening insight to the demanding, innovative craft and hobby market in the UK, and their multipronged and entrepreneurial position. 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 ) 

Cocoon (https://www.cocoon.club/) is a London-based circular subscription service for bag lovers. Not just any old bags - high end, desirable handbags. They operate a membership model, where a subscription unlocks access to the collection and weekly drops to support maintain freshness and energy. The business blends luxury service, product experience, sustainable and circular business models and of course the attraction of a scale-up with an interesting digital platform. 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 ) 

Andy Jayes is a retail and digital veteran, and has earned that accolade given his background in BHS, House of Fraser, Selfridges, Virgin Megastores... along with covering the gamut of digital - from product and merchandising, via operations and development - to his current role as Digital Director at Fenwicks, the independently-owned, unique and quirky department store mini-chain. 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 ) 

Camilla Henriksson is the Global Brand Innovation Manager at H&M, as well as the Global Head of Customer Experience for their Lifestyle Brands... that should give you a clue as to just how busy Camilla is, and the range of her interests. We caught up with her fresh from the launch of Atelier100, a global collaboration with another global Swedish powerhouse, IKEA. Atelier100 (https://www.atelier100.com/) is a project that seeks to 'democratise design' and has three objectives for the partnership: to find and support local creatives; to explore and support local production; and to work on local relevance. 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 ) 

Operating in 25 countries, with 49million active customers and featuring 5,800 brands, Zalando is a European fashion powerhouse that we've long tracked and admired. Megan Maley spoke at Shoptalk Europe 2022 when we launched the Global Elite 1000 report, and I invited her to share with us some of the dynamics, focus areas and directions of travel for Zalando from the vantage-point of her role as GM UK/Ireland and Benelux. 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 ) 

Provenance provides a framework for retailers and brands to assess, monitor and communicate their sustainability, and this has progressed from a technology play (developing data and blockchain services) into "sustainability marketing technology". We go behind the scenes with Jessi Baker, the founder and CEO, and along the way discuss the challenges of implementation, how brands are adapting to and embracing transparency, and the direction of travel in making sustainably supply chains easy and relevant for the consumer. Jessi mentioned the phrase "glass-box brands", succinctly describing the radical transparency and scrutiny under which modern businesses now operate. 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 ) 

Two major brands discuss innovation, digital, delivery and retail. We hear from Ali Holmes, Senior Ecommerce Director at Pepsico Europe, and Megan Ludlow, Innovation Partnership at Marks & Spencer. 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 )