Retail Disrupted

Faire is the largest global b2b marketplace for independent retailers. In this episode, Faire’s UK General Manager Charlotte Broadbent joins Natalie to discuss:

• How Faire is disrupting the wholesale sector and benefits for SMEs
• Opportunities and challenges facing independent retailers today
• How indies can up their game with AI 
• Values-based shopping and why ‘Not on Amazon’ is Faire’s most popular filter
• Black Friday - should indies take part or is it a race to the bottom?
• Women in tech – breaking down barriers and advice for the next generation of female leaders 

Charlotte’s bio:

Charlotte joined the Faire team as UK General Manager in 2022, at an exciting and unique time when the US-founded b2b marketplace was pivoting to focus on international expansion. During her time at Faire she has led major category expansion, go-to-market strategy and partnership projects.   Prior to this, she served as the COO of an international fine jewellery brand and retailer, Tamara Comolli. Here, she worked closely with the founder to solve the daily challenges in business, running a retail business through a pandemic and the wholesale aspects to retail.    Charlotte started her career in private equity at Terra Firma Capital partners where she assessed and delivered new investments but also grew the value of those businesses through operational levers, focused on the retail and consumer sectors. It was during this time that Charlotte came to the realisation that she wanted to roll up her sleeves to be more involved in the operational side of leading a business, particularly through digital transformation. This passion led to her role at Faire today.

Connect with Charlotte on LinkedIn.

Gary Kusin, co-founder of GameStop and Laura Mercier Cosmetics, joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss: 

• GameStop’s origins: what inspired Gary and James McCurry to launch the world’s first video game store in the early 80s?
• Successes and missed opportunities: what would Gary have done differently?
• The pivot to makeup: Gary discusses how a conversation with former Macy’s Chairman Terry Lundgren sparked the idea for Laura Mercier.
• Continuous improvement versus continuous change.
• Customer centricity: why so many brands today fail to get this right.
• Kinko’s: Gary shares how, as Kinko’s CEO, he turned the loss-making business into to a highly profitable enterprise that was later acquired by FedEx.
• Meme stocks: Gary shares his views on the GameStop stock market frenzy.

Gary’s bio:

Gary Kusin is a mentor, investor, entrepreneur, business advisor, and author of the forthcoming book Always Learning: Lessons on Leveling Up from GameStop to Laura Mercier and Beyond [April 2024]. He today advises an array of public and private companies, large and small, on strategy, management and growth issues. In addition, Kusin continues his full schedule of mentoring and has mentored well over 1000 individuals during the course of his career. Kusin co-founded two companies, Babbage’s, operating today as GameStop (NYSE: GME), and Laura Mercier Cosmetics, both of which are well-known global brands. Gary spent 13 years as a senior advisor to the global private equity firm TPG, including a large amount of his time mentoring CEOs of TPG portfolio companies. He served from 2001-2006 as President and Chief Executive Officer of Kinko’s, today operating as FedEx Office. Kusin was responsible for the turnaround, strategic growth and transformation of Kinko’s and oversaw the ultimate sale to FedEx, directly reporting to Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, for the 2 years required to integrate Kinko’s into FedEx and be renamed FedEx Office. Kusin is an Inc. Magazine “Entrepreneur of the Year” award winner and has served on the boards of many public and private firms both in America and abroad including names such as Electronic Arts, Petco, Sabre, and Myer Department Stores in Australia. Kusin has been very involved in Dallas community activities throughout his career. A representative sample of organizations and positions include the St. Mark’s School of Texas Board of Trustees, Dallas Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) chairman, Dallas Citizen’s Council Board of Directors and the Southwestern Medical School Foundation. A member of the University of Texas McComb’s School of Business Hall of Fame, Kusin earned a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

From the rise of Temu and Shein to immersive digital commerce - and not to mention the resurgence of good old-fashioned bricks & mortar retail - Amazon certainly isn’t short of competitive threats.

Miya Knights and Natalie Berg, co-authors of Amazon: How the World’s Most Relentless Retailer Will Continue to Revolutionize Commerce, reconnect on Amazon’s 30th anniversary to explore what comes next for the online retailing giant and whether it has what it takes to stay relevant in the future.

They discuss:

• How Amazon became the most influential retailer of the 21st century.
• Whether Jeff Bezos’ belief that most large companies only last around 30+ years still rings true.
• How AI and technology more generally is enabling retailers to level the playing field and future-proof their store estate.
• Temu – how it differentiates from Amazon, whether they can co-exist and what do the authors make of Amazon’s plans to launch a Temu-style storefront?
• The future of digital commerce – we don’t browse on Amazon! How the rise of TikTok, Roblox and other immersive platforms will require action by Amazon to avoid being perceived as too transactional and one-dimensional.

Connect with Miya on LinkedIn and don’t forget to subscribe to her Retail Technology magazine!

For more, visit NBK Retail.

*THE PODCAST IS NOW PAUSING FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER BREAK AND SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER.*

This week, Natalie is answering the questions rather than asking them!

She speaks to Rishad Tobaccowala who is the former Global Strategy and Growth Officer at Publicis Groupe and host of the What Next? podcast. 

They explore:

• Natalie’s move to the UK nearly two decades ago.
• How the need for flexibility led her to set up her own business as an independent retail analyst. 
• The rise of the digital store.
• How online shopping will evolve in the future.
• What it takes to succeed in the current retail climate.

A big thank you to Rishad and his team for inviting Natalie on the podcast and permission to share their discussion on Retail Disrupted.

You can listen to the original episode and subscribe to What’s Next? with Rishad Tobaccowala here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/podcastwhatnext/episodes/Disrupt-or-Be-Disrupted-The-Future-of-Retail-e2m7vrk/a-abemdkg 

More about Natalie: www.nbkretail.com 

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, keynote speaker, podcast host, and bestselling author of Remarkable Retail. He joins Natalie to discuss the findings of his new book, LEADERS LEAP: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption.

They explore:

• The cost of misunderstanding risk – why playing it safe is the riskiest strategy of all.
• Why a complete metamorphosis of the leadership mindset is essential to thrive in the face of accelerating change.
• Why some brands get stuck in the “unremarkable middle” and how to overcome internal complacency.
• Why Steve believes many US department stores have no chance of turning themselves around.
• The Dallas drone wars – is this the future of home delivery? 

Natalie also shares a few thoughts on Amazon’s 30th anniversary.

Steve’s bio:

Steve has been named a top global retail influencer by multiple organizations, and his thoughts on the future of shopping are regularly shared in his role as a Forbes Senior Contributor, as well as through other media, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg. As a sought-out keynote speaker, Steve has delivered talks on six continents, sharing his unique perspective on what it takes to reignite customer growth in a world of unrelenting change and shifting consumer preferences. Steve is President of SageBerry Consulting, where he has advised dozens of brands on their growth strategies. Prior to founding Sageberry, he was chief strategy officer and SVP, multichannel marketing at the Neiman Marcus Group. He serves on multiple for profit and non-profit boards. Steve holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics from Tufts University. He lives in Dallas, Texas.

Links:

LEADERS LEAP: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption

Steve on LinkedIn

Steve on X

Steve on Instagram

Steve’s Remarkable Retail podcast

Natalie’s radio interview on Amazon’s 30th anniversary

NBK Retail

David Blakeney, former Store Development Director at House of Fraser and Sook, joins Natalie to discuss:

-    Why physical retail is on the cusp of a new dawn. -    Repurposing physical space in a digital era. -    Innovation in department stores - are retailers doing enough? -    Pop-up retail – which verticals are best suited (you’ll be surprised) and lessons from Sook. -    David’s newest venture: Phygital Retail.

David’s bio:

David is a highly experienced operator within the retail sector with + 35 years’ experience having worked for companies such as Allders Duty Free, Arcadia and House Of Fraser where he was Store Development Director overseeing all Space Planning, Design & Build projects working with over 250 major brands. 

He was recently Business and Store Development Director at Sook Retail in charge of helping to develop the brand and is an innovator in the pop-up shop industry. 

He has won several retail industry awards, been a speaker at retail conferences, a judge on several retail awards panels and was on the Retail Trust Ball Committee. He currently sits on the Twenty Club Committee as an honorary officer, and co-founded and ran the hugely successful House of Fraser Charity Event.

Connect with David on LinkedIn.

Read Natalie's comments on pop-up shops on the BBC.

The interview from this episode originally aired on The Globalist from Monocle Radio. Natalie discusses the latest global retail stories with Georgina Godwin:

• Ikea’s Roblox venture: the launch of a virtual store and how Ikea has become the first brand to offer paid work on the gaming platform.
• Walmart’s tech update: innovation in delivery – drones and in-home delivery – and the beta launch of a generative AI-powered shopping assistant.
• Pretty Little Thing becomes the latest UK retailer to start charging for returns.

You can listen to the original episode of The Globalist Episode 3352.

For more, visit NBK Retail.

Jeremy Schwartz was the turnaround CEO of Pandora, the world’s largest jewellery company with 2,500 stores and e-commerce sites in 90 countries. Prior to that, Jeremy was Chairman and CEO of The Body Shop from 2013 to 2017. He also previously spent time at Sainsbury’s and, as Brand Director, he was the architect of the grocer’s turnaround in 2005 which saw a decade of growth after years in decline. He is the former Managing Director of L’Oréal UK and, as Innovation Director for Coca-Cola Europe, he invented Coke Zero. Jeremy is currently the Chairman of Kantar’s Sustainability Transformation Practice

In this episode, recorded live on stage at the Richmond Retail and E-commerce Directors’ Forum, Jeremy and Natalie discuss:

• Why some retail businesses fail and how to avoid becoming a statistic.
• How to embark on a successful turnaround strategy.
• The importance of perpetual innovation and how Jeremy uncovered an opportunity to create the Coke Zero brand.
• ESG – addressing the intention-action gap and FMCG best practices. 
• Customer loyalty and doubling down on your top 20% of customers.

The video version of this episode is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBVMRe4GCOY

Brian Librach, former VP of Stores at Urban Outfitters, Pacific Sunwear and Old Navy, joins Natalie to discuss his new book: The Retail Leader’s Roadmap. They explore:

• Why retail leaders get stuck and how to rewrite your career outcome.
• The evolution of bricks & mortar retail – what is the future of stores and how should we be measuring success?
• Which brands does Brian admire and what are they getting right?
• How can retailers ensure their staff are motivated and engaged?
• Cultural shifts: digital transformation journeys and the importance of taking your people with you.
• Upskilling and investing in digital competencies.
• Squiggly careers: why the path to success isn’t always linear.
• Natalie and Brian debate the key traits of winning retailers. 

Brian’s bio: 

Launching his career at the young age of 21, Brian quickly established himself as a District Manager, rising to become a Regional Director by 25, a Director of Stores by 35, and the VP of Stores for Urban Outfitters at 38, running operations in the US and Canada. Since then, he also served as VP of Stores and Operations at Pacific Sunwear, as well as most recently running stores internationally in Canada for Old Navy.

Links:

Brian’s book on Amazon UK

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn

Retail Leader’s Roadmap

Register for Natalie's live webinar with Rethink Retail and Diebold Nixdorf on May 28, 2024

Learn more about Natalie's services: NBK Retail

James Keyes, Former 7-Eleven and Blockbuster CEO and author of EDUCATION IS FREEDOM: The Future Is in Your Hands, joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss:

• Change equals opportunity – lessons from Jim’s career and how to avoid being disrupted during periods of turbulence.
• Dispelling the myths behind Blockbuster’s demise – why fear, not Netflix, killed Blockbuster.
• Why Jim believes we might see a revival of the Blockbuster brand.
• Diversification – with Netflix opening restaurants, TikTok opening shops and Amazon opening hair salons, just how far could and should brands veer from their core?
• How technology can empower staff and elevate the customer experience.
• Lessons from Jim’s new book – understanding the importance of collaboration, cultural literacy, continual evolution and character.

Jim’s bio:

James Keyes is the former CEO of two internationally recognized Fortune 500 companies - 7-Eleven and Blockbuster. Jim is a global business leader, a philanthropist, educator, artist, musician, commercial pilot, and modern renaissance man. 

His other business interests cover a broad range of industries from retail, consumer products, technology, healthcare, cyber security, new space, energy, and advanced nuclear. He sits on several public company boards and serves as a board adviser to a venture capital firm and a number of start-up companies.

Keyes’s philanthropic initiatives have an equally broad focus, including serving a three-term seat on the Board of Governors for the American Red Cross, acting as the former Chairman of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and serving on the board of directors for institutions such as UT Southwestern Medical School, Cooper Institute, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Dallas Performing Arts Center, SMU Cox School of Business, Columbia Business School, and his alma mater, College of the Holy Cross. He has had a lifelong commitment to education, serving as a founding director of the Dallas Education Foundation and is the founder of the Education Is Freedom Foundation. Keyes is a personification of the American Dream, as he comes from humble beginnings. He was inducted in 2005 as a Member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.

More on Jim’s new book, EDUCATION IS FREEDOM: The Future Is in Your Hands:

Growing up in poverty in a small town in central Massachusetts, James Keyes seemed destined for a difficult life—one working at the local factory alongside his father and struggling to get by. Instead, he went on to become the CEO of 7-Eleven, where he increased shareholder value by tenfold during his tenure, and then CEO of Blockbuster, where he secured opportunities for the company even as the world wholeheartedly embraced streaming. How did he defy the odds? In EDUCATION IS FREEDOM: The Future Is in Your Hands (Savio Republic; February 27th, 2024) with a foreword by Stedman Graham, Keyes shows how lifelong education and education access shaped his life and why they need to play a much larger role in in the public consciousness: because they empower us with the mindset to overcome adversity while preserving our democracy.

Order Jim’s book on Amazon UK or Amazon US.

Follow Jim on LinkedIn