Retail Gazette

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.

About Silentnight

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.

About Oracle NetSuite

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.

About Retail Inside Out

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.

About Sook
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.
About Excellent Zephyr
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.
About Retail Inside Out
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.