Live from the NRF Big Show, Co-op’s director of technology Ian Cox joins Natalie to discuss:

• NRF highlights and practical use cases for AI in food retail.
• How Co-op enacted digital transformation to innovate faster, scale resources, and stay agile in a rapidly changing market.
• The importance of service availability as a convenience retailer: delivering transformation projects with minimal impact on the customer.
• The relevance of quick commerce for convenience retailers.

Ian’s Bio: 

Ian Cox is the director of technology for Co-op UK, where he oversees SAP services, roadmap and footprint across the entire business. He’s also responsible for all Colleague Digital Technology products and platforms used in our Co-op businesses and support center, including Stores, Distribution, Legal Services and Funeral-care.

Connect with Ian on LinkedIn.

How did a family-run confectionery shop in Devon become the UK’s #1 seller of sweets on TikTok?

George Robinson, Managing Director of SoSweet, shares the retailer's remarkable TikTok journey which started with a Gavin & Stacey inspired clip that went viral in 2020. The business is now making millions on the platform.

George and Natalie discuss:

• The SoSweet story – how a pandemic pivot unlocked a lucrative new channel for the family business.
• Monetizing your audience – how SoSweet’s early TikTok success positioned them well for the launch of TikTok Shop.
• Halo effect - why TikTokers are flocking to SoSweet’s bricks & mortar stores.
• Industry lessons - evolution of social commerce and opportunities for the future.
• Advice for retailers and brands - embracing authenticity, community, evolution.

George's bio:

George Robinson is the Managing Director and Owner of SoSweet, a specialist confectionery business based in the South West of England. The business launched in 2014 and now trades through 16 retail stores across four counties in the South West. It also has a large presence online selling DTC through its website as well dominating the FMCG category on TikTok Shop.

SoSweet also supplies a range of confectionery and snack products directly into hundreds of independent retail stores nationally through its direct-to-store wholesale business SoSweet Direct.

George is a very hands-on MD with a strong involvement across all functions of the business. His long-term goal is to grow SoSweet into a nationally stocked household brand. 

Check out SoSweet on TikTok.

Connect with George on LinkedIn.

On the final episode of 2024, Natalie is joined by authors Mark Abraham and David Edelman to discuss their new book, Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI.

📺 This episode is also available as video, so head over to the new Retail Disrupted channel on YouTube to watch the conversation unfold.

David, Mark, and Natalie discuss how customer expectations are evolving in this digital era, why businesses often get stuck and don’t go far enough when it comes to personalization, and how generative AI will unlock new real-time personalization opportunities for retailers and brands. 

More on the authors:

David C. Edelman has a history of personalization work spanning three decades. Today, he is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, an executive advisor and board member to brands and technology providers, and an advisor to BCG. Forbes has repeatedly named him one of the Top 20 Most Influential Voices in Marketing, and Ad Age has named him a Top 20 Chief Marketing and Technology Officer. Together with Mark, David wrote the 2022 Harvard Business Review article (Customer Experience in the Age of AI) that inspired this book.

Mark Abraham is a Senior Partner at BCG and the founder of the firm’s Personalization business, which he has built into a global team of more than 1,000 agile marketers, data scientists, engineers, and martech experts. Mark’s teams have accelerated the personalization efforts of over 100 iconic brands (e.g., Starbucks, Home Depot, and Google) and built some of BCG’s largest ventures and AI platforms, including Fabriq for personalization. Mark now leads BCG’s North American Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice.

About PERSONALIZED

“In a world where consumers expect more—instantly, seamlessly, and the way they want it—personalization is a strategic imperative.”

Research shows consumers want personalized experiences. A select few companies are rising to the challenge by building trusted relationships through digital channels. They engage with customers throughout their journey and tailor interactions using AI and technology. Most companies do not personalize well, wasting money and effort. Personalization must be a strategic priority. Personalized outlines the Five Promises companies must fulfill: Empower Me, Know Me, Reach Me, Show Me, and Delight Me. With examples across industries, PERSONALIZED helps executives put personalization at their strategy's center to accelerate growth and capture their share of the $2 trillion personalization prize.

Thank you to the Retail Disrupted community for an amazing year! Enjoy the festive break and see you in 2025.

For more, visit https://retaildisrupted.com 

Rich Honiball is the EVP and Global Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer for NEXCOM (Navy Exchange Service Command). He joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss:

• The unique role of military retail, the importance of having a clear mission, and other lessons for traditional retailers.
• Learnings from the launch of the world’s first Toys R Us department on a military base.
• Self-checkouts, frictionless experiences, and the importance of customer choice.
• The power of community and how Gen Z shoppers are redefining store experiences.
• Why retail was an “accidental career” for Rich and how he hopes to encourage the next generation of retail leaders in his role as adjunct instructor at George Mason University. 

What is NEXCOM?

Since its inception in 1946, NEXCOM’s mission has been to provide customers with quality goods and services at a savings and to support Navy quality of life programs.

NEXCOM’s six primary business lines include the Navy Exchange (NEX), NEXCOM Hospitality Group, Ships Store Program, Uniform Program Management Office, Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility and the Telecommunications Program Office. Each of its business lines provide the necessary support for the Navy’s warfighters and military families to remain ready and resilient.

Bio:

Rich Honiball combines executive leadership, strategic development, and consumer insights as EVP, Global Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer for NEXCOM, overseeing merchandising and marketing efforts for a $2+ billion global enterprise offering retail, services, food & hospitality. Before NEXCOM, Rich founded PDB Advisory Group & the Brand(Co)Lab, advising CEOs on purpose-driven marketing strategies and brand development. His executive roles at Haggar and JCPenney involved building world-class teams, strategic development, brand growth, and corporate refresh initiatives. He shares his extensive retail and consumer behavior expertise as an adjunct instructor at George Mason University. Rich is an MBA graduate from William & Mary and a BS in Marketing from SNHU. Rich is dedicated to mentoring and has served on several educational and nonprofit boards. Rich is honored for his retail expertise by Rethink Retail, innovative marketing by the CMO Club, and as an ONCON ICON Top 100 Marketer, and he continues to influence the industry while traveling the world.

Links:

Connect with Rich on LinkedIn

Listen to Rich's Retail Relates podcast

Murvah Iqbal, co-CEO and co-founder of HIVED, is on a mission to revolutionise the delivery industry. Founded in 2021, the all-electric delivery start-up has already distributed millions of parcels across London for major brands including ASOS, Uniqlo, Nespresso and Zara, and is backed by investors like Maersk Growth, Pale Blue Dot and Planet A Ventures.

In this episode, Murvah shares her entrepreneurial journey, which began when she took over marketing and branding for her uncles’ fast-food chain at just 15 years old. She discusses the importance of decarbonisation in retail and how HIVED’s “sustainability-as-standard” approach differentiates them from competitors.

Murvah also shares her views on the evolving expectations of consumers, particularly Gen Z, when it comes to delivery, how to address some of the legacy challenges of the final mile, and what regulatory changes she’d like to see to support the growth of green delivery. Murvah and Natalie also discuss the need for collaboration within the industry and the role of technology in improving delivery efficiency. 

Connect with Murvah on LinkedIn.

Marc Vicente, Group Digital Director at Kingfisher, joins Natalie for a comprehensive discussion around e-commerce, AI, marketplaces, retail media, and more.

They explore:

• Why omnichannel retailers are now embracing the marketplace model
• The role of physical stores in e-commerce
• Innovative partnerships: Deliveroo and the importance of speed
• The significance of Black Friday for Kingfisher and why it starts earlier every year
• Retail media: monetizing the marketplace and understanding the 3 stages of retail media implementation
• From chatbots to personalized recommendations and visual search, how is Kingfisher enhancing the customer experience with AI?
• The future of retail: what is Marc most excited about for 2025 and beyond?

Marc’s bio:

Marc leads the digital transformation and oversees the strategy and operations at one of the largest home improvement retailers in Europe – which has 82,000 colleagues across 2,000 stores in eight European countries, and a number of retail banners including B&Q, Screwfix and Castorama. Before Kingfisher, Marc spent 15 years delivering disruptive technology-based growth in senior international roles such as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Officer at Rakuten Europe and Chief Operating Officer at Cdiscount.com, the French e-commerce leader.

Connect with Marc on LinkedIn. 

Boris Planer, Founder and Managing Director of Future Consulting, joins Natalie to discuss the news that Amazon is terminating its online grocery service in Germany. 

They discuss:

• What went wrong for Amazon Fresh in Germany, what does this tell us about Amazon's global grocery strategy, and where next? (It’s all about the partnerships.)
• Inherent challenges of grocery retailing in Germany. Did you know that 98% of German consumers live within 10 minutes of a discounter?!
• The Amazon Effect - how competitors have raised their e-commerce game.
• Implications for Amazon Fresh internationally. The news follows a similar move in the UK earlier this year when Amazon scrapped Fresh outside of London and Manchester.
• Why you need to know more about Rohlik, the Czech grocery delivery start-up that has just announced a partnership with Amazon and is aiming to launch in 10 European cities over the next 6 years. 

The news was first reported by The Information.

Bio:

Boris Planer is a retail thought leader, speaker and consultant based in Frankfurt, Germany. He is the founder and managing director of Future Consulting, a consultancy supporting international retailers, suppliers and tech businesses in their efforts to spot trends early on and take new market opportunities effectively. Boris has 25 years of experience in retail insight and consultancy, including at retail insight group Planet Retail/Edge by Ascential and WGSN, the world’s leading consumer trend forecasters. He is also a speaker at Zukunftsinstitut, the Institute for the Future based in Frankfurt and Vienna. 

Connect with Boris on LinkedIn.

Paul Edney, Technology Director Channels at Primark, and Jeanette Copeland, Technology Director at Ann Summers, join Natalie to discuss lessons from their digital transformation projects. They explore:

• The rationale behind Primark’s click & collect roll-out and how it’s enabling the retailer to engage with new customers.
• How Ann Summers completed a 12-month transformation project in just four months.
• 2025 strategic priorities for both businesses.
• Working backwards from the customer, testing and learning, embracing failure – how digital transformation requires cultural change.
• The importance of speed to market while balancing cost and flexibility. Is WAgile (waterfall + agile) the new way of working?
• From virtual sizing tech to in-store payment innovation, which technologies are the retailers excited about for the future?

Today’s episode is sponsored by PMC and was recorded live at the PMC customer event at Silverstone Museum. 

From supporting end-of-life legacy systems through to providing the latest digital retail solutions, PMC helps you take control of your technology and drive your own agenda. PMC has proudly supported the commerce sector for over 20 years, and our specialist domain knowledge, experienced teams, and proactive approach makes us the partner of choice for delivering customer-centric transformations. For more, visit PMC. 

Bios:

Paul Edney, Technology Director Channels, Primark   Paul is a senior IT leader with 20+ years of experience, specialising in retail, ecommerce, and transformation. He excels at crafting strategies that enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. As Technology Channels Director at Primark, he leads global tech initiatives, overseeing system integrations, re-platforming, and business transformation to drive growth and innovation.   Jeannette Copeland, Director of Technology, Ann Summers   Jeannette leads the technology division at the iconic Ann Summers brand, spearheading digital innovation since 2022. With over 20 years of experience in IT, she has held key roles at Joules and Systemax Europe Ltd, specialising in ERP, data integration and business intelligence.

Natalie discusses the launch of Amazon Haul, the retailer’s new Temu-like storefront where most items are under $10 and delivery takes up to two weeks. She also unpacks the reasons behind Vinted’s success – what consumer needs is it tapping into and what are the implications for the wider retail sector? And, finally, Natalie shares her thoughts on the explosion of advent calendars. What is driving the trend and what can retailers learn from it?

[4:20] Is Amazon terminating its online grocery service in Germany?

[6:08] Amazon Haul launch

[9:00] Vinted and the rise of pre-loved 

[15:10] Advent calendars - history and why retailers of all varieties are jumping on the advent calendar bandwagon

Links:

Episode 45: Amazon Must Disrupt Itself, July 2024. Natalie and Miya explore whether Amazon and Temu can co-exist and thoughts on the (then) rumoured plans to launch an ultra-low price storefront.

BBC: Are luxury beauty advent calendars a rip-off?

Marketplace: Luxury Advent calendars now in season

The Black Friday deals started as early as Halloween here in the UK (yes, really – see Boots, John Lewis, Currys) and mainland Europe isn’t far behind. On today's episode, Natalie speaks to Sander Roose, CEO and Founder of Omnia Retail, the Amsterdam-based company behind Europe’s first dynamic pricing software.

Sander and Natalie explore Black Friday 2024 trends in great depth as well as the Ticketmaster/Oasis disaster and why it’s important to distinguish between dynamic and surge pricing, and finally what retailers need to do to optimize their pricing strategies.

More on Sander:

Sander Roose is a seasoned retail expert and entrepreneur with a wealth of experience in retail and e-commerce. He holds a MSc degree in Industrial Engineering & Management Science from the Eindhoven University of Technology, where he graduated cum laude. After starting his career at Procter & Gamble, Sander became an entrepreneur: Harvest (acquired by OLX, part of Naspers), Commerce Squared (e-com strategy consultant) and now Omnia Retail.

Visit Omnia Retail

Connect with Sander on LinkedIn.