We’re diving deep into the world of grocery retail in this special episode, dissecting the latest trends and innovations that are reshaping the sector. Natalie is joined by Mark Thomson, Director of Retail & Hospitality Strategy EMEA at Zebra Technologies.

This video episode was recorded in a London studio. You can watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on your usual platforms!

Mark and Natalie explore:

• Self-service: some retailers are doubling down, others are reassessing. Where have we landed and how might AI drive the next wave of adoption?
• From accepting payments to more targeted promotions, where next for scan & go?
• Real-time hyper-personalization: why Mark believes the time has finally come.
• What's fuelling the rise of retail media and how might it evolve to become (even) more personalized in the future?
• The AI opportunity in food retail: from recipe inspiration to actually doing our grocery shopping for us.
• E-commerce: why Mark is bullish about growth opportunities for online grocery and why dark stores may be poised for a comeback.

This conversation coincides with the launch of Zebra’s latest report, Creating Great Grocery Trips, which Natalie contributed to. Download the full report.

More about Zebra:

From seamless transactions and inventory visibility to personalised experiences and engaged associates, Zebra provides solutions that empower retailers to thrive. With connected systems and data-driven decisions, retailers are prepared to overcome challenges, delight shoppers, and drive sustainable growth. For more: https://www.zebra.com/gb/en/industry/... 

More about Mark:

Industry speaker and technology evangelist. Mark works with retailers to provide input on how to face the challenge of a new digital landscape with a particular focus on the broad Zebra technologies portfolio from mobile devices to workforce productivity and inventory visibility solutions. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

Camille van Horne is the co-founder & CEO of Highstock, a B2B marketplace that connects big brands with unsold inventory to high quality, global wholesale buyers. 

The start-up has raised $5.5 million from lead investor Greylock and Instacart co-founder Max Mullen. 

Camille joins Natalie on the podcast to talk about how Highstock is disrupting the liquidation space for beauty and personal care brands. They also explore AI, international market opportunities, the impact of tariffs, and Camille shares her thoughts on grocery e-commerce.

More about Camille:

Camille was previously a director of product at Instacart where she led the roadmap of new logistics capabilities for retailers and CPGs. She joined Instacart before the pandemic and over her six-year tenure wore multiple hats including Instacart's investments in fulfillment innovation in robotics and payments. Camille has a 15-year career in consumer and has seen how brands have struggled with inventory management every step of her career. Camille holds a BA from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

📣 REGISTER -> Join Natalie, Zebra Technologies, and Retail Gazette on July 16 for this webinar on transforming frontline comms. 📣 

Recorded live on stage at London Tech Week, Natalie speaks to Kuru Subramaniam, Head of Product at Tesco, Francis Castro, Vice President, Global Customer Operations at Unilever, and Saul Resnick, CEO UK & Ireland at DHL Supply Chain.

They discuss:

• From ‘just-in-time’ to ‘just-in-case’: how supply chains are adapting to disruption.
• How digital twins and predictive analytics can help businesses simulate scenarios and maintain operational stability.
• The importance of collaboration and why, as Tesco’s Subramaniam points out, you're only as resilient as your most vulnerable partner.
• The increasing significance of transparency in sustainability efforts and disruption preparedness.
• AI and robotics: why DHL’s Resnick is excited about agentic AI and advancing robotics in warehouses.
• Why Unilever’s Castro believes you need a “try culture” and to be accepting of failure.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Transporeon, a leading global logistics platform that connects shippers, carriers, and retailers to enhance transportation management. Transporeon offers a comprehensive suite of digital solutions that improve visibility, efficiency, and collaboration in the supply chain. 

📣 REGISTER -> Join Natalie, Zebra Technologies, and Retail Gazette on July 16 for this webinar on transforming frontline comms. 📣 

Whistl’s James Hayes joins Natalie on the podcast to talk about the critical role of fulfilment in e-commerce success. They discuss:

• The evolution of online shopping: with e-commerce now accounting for nearly 30% of UK retail sales, how can retailers evolve to meet shifting consumer demands?
• The delivery experience: what’s the risk of getting it wrong?
• Returns aren’t going anywhere, so how can retailers manage this as efficiently as possible? Should they charge for returns? What role does a 3PL play?
• Supporting growth: how does Whistl help businesses scale?
• Don’t overpromise and underdeliver: tips to prepare for peak season.
• Understanding the true cost of fulfilment. 

Whistl is one of the UK’s leading logistics providers, offering scalable and tailored fulfilment solutions for e-commerce retailers and brands. From warehousing to delivery, every solution is built around the needs of their customers to help them scale with confidence. 

James’ bio:

James Hayes is Whistl Fulfilment’s Director of Business Development. Named one of Scurri’s top 50 e-commerce and shipping influencers, he brings extensive experience in logistics and technology. Previously, James founded Parcel Station, exiting in 2018 to drive growth at Whistl. He specialises in helping brands scale through innovative fulfilment strategies and optimising final-mile delivery for a superior customer experience. A frequent speaker at industry events, podcasts, and webinars, James shares expert insights on building 3PL partnerships to fuel business growth and delight customers.

Ahti Heinla is the Co-Founder and CEO at Starship Technologies. Previously, he was one of the founders and developers of Skype. He joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss the rise of autonomous delivery and the future of grocery e-commerce.

They explore:

• Skype’s legacy in transforming modern global communications.
• The future of grocery delivery: drones in the sky and robots on the ground?
• The economics of autonomous delivery: just how cost-effective is it for retailers to deliver by robot?
• Are robots the most sustainable form of last-mile delivery?
• Following on from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent encounter with a Starship robot, what kind of regulatory change would Ahti like to see in the UK?
• The opportunities for humanoid robots: does Ahti agree with Elon Musk that robots will be babysitting our kids in the future?!

📣 REGISTER -> Join me, Zebra Technologies, and Retail Gazette on July 16 for this webinar on transforming frontline comms. 📣 

More on Ahti:

In 2013, Ahti Heinla designed a sample retrieval robot to compete in a NASA contest for Mars missions. Armed with that experience, Ahti and his co-founder Janus Friis, realized there was a huge opportunity to disrupt a delivery industry which has yet to be revolutionized by technology. They set to work creating a last-mile robotic delivery solution, which is when Starship Technologies was born. Founded in 2014, Starship now operates in more than 100 service areas worldwide, and its robots have completed more than 8 million deliveries. The company has headquarters in Tallinn, in Ahti’s native Estonia.

Rosie Bailey is the CEO & Co-Founder of Nibble, an AI negotiation chatbot which can agree deals in less than a minute on anything from luxury watches to your next broadband subscription.

She joins Natalie on the podcast to explain how Nibble allows customers to negotiate prices directly on a retailer’s website, and how this benefits both brands and customers. 

They discuss the psychology behind digital negotiation (far less intimidating than haggling in-person), what happens if someone offers £5 for a mattress, and why the online shopping experience must evolve.

Rosie also shares her view on the future of AI in retail and why we must tread carefully with agentic AI. In closing, she provides valuable advice for retailers looking to integrate AI into their operations effectively.

More on Rosie:

Rosie passionately supports STEM education and anyone honing their real-life negotiation skills. She started her career in investment banking, negotiating multi-million deals for companies as diverse as Wagamama, Unilever and Jimmy Choo. She’s now deployed that negotiation expertise into Nibble.

Lisa Weaver-Lambert is the author of The AI Value Playbook, an essential handbook empowering non-technical business leaders to formulate a perspective on how to leverage AI. She joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss the key findings from her book and share her views on AI’s impact on retail.

Retail Disrupted listeners can use the code 20RETAIL for an exclusive discount on the book. Purchases must be made before June 26, 2025.

Natalie also speaks to Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economics, about their latest research on the cost of payment failures. You can read more about on Natalie’s blog or check out the full report from FreedomPay.

Jamil Ghani is the Worldwide Vice President of Amazon Prime, leading product, technology, marketing, decision science, operations, and finance teams that build and operate the membership program for over 200 million members across 26 countries.  

He sits down with Natalie at the end of the Amazon Prime analyst event in Seattle to discuss the latest innovations and strategic direction of Prime. They explore:

• The key pillars of Prime: convenience, savings, entertainment.
• With new Prime markets like Colombia and Ireland, Jamil discusses why Amazon aims to launch Prime internationally “as quickly as possibly but as slow as necessary”.
• What Prime is NOT: Jamil says it’s not a loyalty program, not a breakage model, and not a loss leader.
• Is Prime nearing saturation? Learn where Jamil sees opportunities for further customer acquisition in the US.

The first half of the episode focuses on Natalie's takeaways from the Amazon Prime analyst event. If you'd like to skip straight to the interview with Jamil, this starts at 10 minutes.

* Natalie will be releasing a Forbes article with more insights from the event later this week. *

Jamil’s bio:

Over his 7-year tenure, Jamil has accelerated Prime’s growth, tripling the membership and doubling per member spend. He has also broadened Prime's offerings, expanding to 13 new countries and launching new benefits in multiple high-value categories, including health care, grocery, and restaurant food delivery. He works across Amazon’s consumer businesses to innovate on behalf of customers, build the Amazon and Prime businesses, and make customers' life better every day. Before coming to Amazon in 2017, Jamil served as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Strategy, Digital & Innovation, for Target Corporation. Before that, he spent five years at The Walt Disney Company focused on identifying, developing, and launching travel and leisure growth initiatives. This included the MyMagic+ experience system, Shanghai Disneyland Park, and Aulani destination resort. Jamil holds a BA magna cum laude from Harvard College in economics and computer science and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where he was selected as a Baker Scholar. Jamil lives with his wife and two (soon to be three) daughters in Bellevue, WA.

Global fashion designer Nadine Merabi shares her inspiring journey, from teaching herself how to sew by watching YouTube to becoming a successful fashion entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of building her eponymous brand, NADINE MERABI, emphasizing the importance of community, sustainability, and empowering women through fashion. Nadine shares the rationale for the brand's move into bricks & mortar retail and the significance of creating a positive company culture. She offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, highlighting the power of self-belief and passion in achieving success.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Richmond Retail and E-commerce Directors’ Forum. To learn more about the event, visit: https://www.richmondevents.com/forums/details/ret26

This is a video episode and can also be watched on YouTube.

Pacsun CEO Brieane Olson sits down with Natalie on the sidelines at the World Retail Congress. They discuss:

• Staying culturally relevant: how Pacsun transitioned from a “house of brands” in malls to a purpose-driven, culture-first youth brand.
• Are Gen Z and Gen Alpha actually brand loyal? What are the misconceptions of these digitally native generations?
• The power of co-creation: how Paris Hilton and A$AP Rocky are helping Pacsun to position their stores as culture and community hubs.
• Physical retail: why is Pacsun opening 75 new stores in the US and what are the opportunities globally?
• Social commerce: As an early adopter, how is Pacsun reaching shoppers on TikTok and China’s Douyin?
• Conscious capitalism and being clear on purpose.
• Women in retail: as the first female CEO of Pacsun, does Brieane think the industry has made sufficient progress?

📢 Sign up to hear Natalie speak at the definitive e-commerce loyalty event, Loyalty Connect 2025, going live 10-12 June 2025: https://loyaltylion.com/resources/loyalty-connect