On this week's episode of Retail Gazette's Unpacked, we sit down with John Trenchard, who is the vice president of commercial and supply chain at DP World Ports and Terminals UK, leading strategic initiatives at two of the UK's busiest ports, London Gateway and Southampton. 

The conversation covers DP World's innovative sustainability programmes like the Modal Shift Programme, significantly reducing truck journeys and emissions by shifting freight to rail, and the recently launched Carbon Inset Programme, which aims to revolutionise the way retailers manage their environmental impact. 

In 2023 alone, cyber attacks and fraud cost UK retailers a staggering £11 billion in lost revenue. That’s a huge chunk of money to lose for any business, but with retail margins currently razor thin, for many it could be the difference between a healthy turnover, and ceasing training.

Retailers need protection from bad actors looking to commit nefarious acts. But with the evolution of criminal tools moving at lightning speed, how is it possible to stay ahead?

To answer that question, we’re turning to Eric Horgan, the chief product officer for Europe at card transaction experts Elavon. In the latest episode of Retail Gazette’s Unpacked podcast, Horgan sits down with host Kieran Howells, and gets into the nitty gritty of stemming return policy abuse, combatting online payment fraud, stopping phishing attacks in their tracks, and understanding AI’s role in fuelling fraud.

The conversation offers definitive answers on how you, as a business leader, can protect yourself and your customers from devastating losses, and what being perpetually protected from cyber criminals really looks like.

For more insight into protecting your business from fraud, download Elavon’s latest report, ‘Five ways retailers can combat the rising threat of fraud’. 

Many consumers have had the frustrating experience of seeing that perfect item of clothing online or in a shop window, only to have it arrive or try it on and it doesn't fit. This is a common complaint for shoppers across the UK and doesn't just lead to a disappointing customer experience but also impacts sustainability schemes through high return rates. N Brown have taken an innovative approach to this particular problem, utilising tech and data as part of their Fashion for All campaign, which aims to make it easier for people to enjoy fashion and the confidence and wellbeing boost it can bring.

On this episode of the Retail Inside Out podcast we're joined by Sarah Ewens-Smythe, head of buying, N Brown, to find out how and why they developed Fashion for All and what they've learned and achieved from its successful deployment. Having achieved accolades including the Fashion Game Changer award at the 2023 Retail Gazette Awards, we discover what feedback N Brown have had from their customers, and how their return rate has declined and sustainability increased as a result of the steps they've taken.

Also joining us on this look deep into the world of fashion, we hear from Lewis Rhys Davies, senior account executive, from loyalty scheme experts SheerID. Lewis weighs in on the hot topic of personalisation, and how retailers can convert shoppers into loyal customers.

Stream the episode through the player on this page, or listen on Spotify, Apple or your preferred podcast platform.

In difficult economic landscapes the brands that connect with consumers on a deeper level are the ones that succeed and build strong brand affinity. How do retailers manage to achieve this with their customers increasingly looking at more factors than ever when choosing where to shop? From omnichannel to personalisation and AI, to sustainability and brand purpose the marketplace is more challenging than ever for retailers who are looking to connect and build lasting relationships.

Joining the Retail Gazette Retail Inside Out Podcast to discuss the topic and share there unique perspectives are Christina Downend, head of climate change, Dunelm and Marcus Henley, senior account executive, enterprise, Yext. Dunelm are the recent winners of the Best Retailer Over £500m award at the Retail Gazette Awards 2023, and have put sustainability at the heart of their business success. Yext are leaders in the world of digital experience, and have a broad view of what brands can do to connect with their customers and achieve success. Both provide an excellent insight into the steps retailers can take to build their customer proposition and deepen their relationships with their audience.

Join us for a fascinating discussion on the latest Retail Inside Out podcast.

Sleep experts' Dreams became the Official Sleep Partner of Team GB in 2019, supporting the team at the Olympics in 2020, expanding the partnership to include ParalympicsGB shortly after. A massive marketing partnership is a challenging endeavour at the best of times, but the pandemic and subsequent delay of the Tokyo games added an extra level of complexity to the mix. What can marketing professionals learn from Dreams partnership at the Olympics, and how they utilised a truly multi-channel approach to maximise their campaign impact?

To find out we're thrilled to be joined by Dreams' director of marketing Simon Moore, the winner of this years Retail Gazette Awards Marketing Gamechanger category, to hear the ins and outs of running a complex and impactful marketing campaign. Adding further insight is Andy Houstoun, chief commercial officer for Crimtan who shares his perspective on the metrics and benchmarks brands need to keep in mind to truly measure their campaigns to judge their success.

From geotesting to where to spend to deliver the results you need, we go for a deep-dive into the fundamentals that all marketing professionals, from brands big or small, can apply to help them achieve success.

Established in 1985, Dreams are the UK’s most loved bed retailer – backed by Tempur Sealy and led by CEO Jonathan Hirst.

Headquartered at their ‘Bedquarters’ in High Wycombe, they have around 2300 colleagues across the UK, and sell around 14,000 mattresses, bases and headboards per week to customers nationwide through their store network of 208 sites and online.

They're a proudly British business, committed to continue making their products in this country, at their Dreams Workshop in Oldbury. Currently Dreams makes 290,000 mattresses and over 200,000 divan bases & headboards a year before delivering to customers across the UK through its 11 delivery centres and fleet of 155 home delivery vehicles.

Crimtan was founded in 2009 with the purpose of delivering maximum performance for their clients, with the reassurance of complete compliance. 

They've continued to grow year-on-year since, winning awards such as RAR Best Online Media Buying, achieving Gold Standard certification by the IAB, DTSG Brand Safety certification by JICWEBS and featuring in Raconteur/The Times Future CMO marketing report. 

Moving into the future, their mission is to be a trusted partner, delivering the most relevant, consented programmatic advertising, driving exceptional incremental ROI across every stage of the customer lifecycle. And helping more brands reach customers who need and want what they sell.

In 2023 most consumers would say they care about sustainability. The impact of the products we buy on our planet and the connection between the actions we take and our impact on our environment are clear for all to see. As sustainability becomes a way for businesses to demonstrate their value to customers, we ask what it means to be truly sustainable. To find out we couldn't imagine a better retailer to speak to than this years Retail Gazette Awards Sustainability Game Changer award winner, Lush.

Lush are no newcomers to the sustainable space, with the business holding ethics and reducing their environmental impact as key core values for the entirety of their 27-year existence. What challenges do they face, how do they bring their staff with them as sustainability stakeholders, and how do they ensure their supply chains are complying with their mission? We're thrilled to be joined by Ruth Andrade, Earth Care Strategy Lead for Lush to find out answers to all of those questions and more.

Also joining us to give us a wider view of the retail world and how brands are upping their sustainability game is Caroline Sajas, UK Business Director, Locala. Together they share insight into the challenges, opportunities and paths that retailers can take to become truly sustainable.

Lush was founded in 1995 by six co-founders; Mo Constantine, Mark Constantine, Rowena Bird, Helen Ambrosen, Liz Bennett and Paul Greeves.

Emerging from the demise of a previous mail order business called Cosmetics To Go – a massive success that collapsed through a combination of over-trading and flooding – it was the same team that created and inspired this new venture called Lush.

Lush is 10% Employee Owned and our people are the heart and soul of our business.

Trusted for more than a decade by the world’s top retailers, restaurants, and auto brands, Locala is the recognized leader in driving consumers to stores and measuring the results. Locala’s powerful and complete suite of digital marketing tools provides unmatched visibility into shoppers and competitors while delivering complete control over where and when brands can reach high-potential consumers and drive them to buy. Founded in 2011, the company has offices in the United States, France, Belgium, the UK, Switzerland, Singapore, Italy, Canada, Mexico, and the UAE.

Customers are demanding more than just a place to purchase goods from their ecommerce experience. We want personalisation, we want to understand the benefits of the products we choose, the impact they will have on our lives and our homes. It's no longer good enough to offer a simple portal to buying products, savvy ecommerce brands are going the extra mile by offering thought leadership, curated recommendations and adding value that goes beyond a one-time transaction.

In this episode of Retail Inside Out we speak to Tom Sloan, Head of Ecommerce and Digital at Silentnight, winner of this years Retail Gazette Awards Ecommerce Game Changer award to discover how they've revolutionised the shopping experience for their customers. From their sleepunique mattress algorithm to their plans to be the sleep experts that shoppers can rely on, we find out how they embarked on their current ecommerce journey and the learnings they've discovered along the way.

We're also joined by Kath Brameld, Industry Solutions Adviser - Retail and Wholesale, Oracle NetSuite to hear how the landscape is changing for retailers in the ecommerce space, and where brands should spend their money to weather the storm in 2023.

Silentnight is the UK's most trusted sleep brand, helping the nation sleep better for over 75 years. Their mattresses have won awards from trusted bodies such as Which? And Mother&Baby, and most recently won the 2022 Retail Gazette Awards Ecommerce Game Changer award.

Oracle NetSuite is the number one cloud business ERP solution. It gives businesses the visibility and control to make the right decisions, now. NetSuite’s flexibility lets you do it all, quickly and easily. With every NetSuite upgrade, your configurations and customisation migrate seamlessly.

Retail Inside Out is a new podcast series from Retail Gazette. Each episode will focus on the topics, trends, news and personalities that are changing the face of retail. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast platform to hear every episode as soon as it goes live.

Up and down the UK our once-bustling high streets are becoming overrun with unused retail space. A combination of the pandemic lockdowns and the convenience of direct-to-consumer (DTC) shopping has created a situation where many retailers simply can't commit to long leases and expensive rents on the high street. 

However, as lockdown restrictions eased and people returned to meeting in person, the lack of physical retail outlets has created a hole in our communities. With many high streets now functioning as community hubs and consumers yearning for in-person experiences, could the advent of shared flexible retail spaces create a revitalised high street built around brands that were once DTC only?

To discuss the changing face of DTC we're joined by John Hoyle, founder and CEO of Sook, winner of this year’s Retail Gazette Awards Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Game Changer Award and Ian Moore, head of services for DTC experts Excellent Zephyr. We'll find out how the DTC world is changing, how flexible digitally fitted-out spaces that can be hired by the hour could save the high street, and what the future holds for the UK’s hybrid retail ecosystem.

Sook is on a mission to revolutionise the high street. Founded by John Hoyle in 2019 from an empty restaurant in Cambridge, Sook now offers flexible, sustainable, digitally-enabled 'pop-up' space to any brand, business or community who needs it - whenever they need it - in prime retail locations.

Sook transforms empty shops into adaptive, ‘pop-up’ spaces, which are rentable by the hour. It does this by installing a modular digital fit-out, which occupiers can design and curate online. The Sook model removes the inefficiencies and cost of a traditional fit-out and allows multiple occupiers to use the space throughout the day.

Excellent Zephyr’s core mission is simple: to deliver the best solutions and services that transform, innovate and grow retail businesses. 

The Excellent Zephyr approach is built upon years of experience and countless projects within the NetSuite and Retail sector, so the team understands retailer challenges, needs and ambitions.

Retail Inside Out is a new podcast series from Retail Gazette. Each episode will focus on the topics, trends, news and personalities that are changing the face of retail. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast platform to hear every episode as soon as it goes live.