The Resilient Retail Game Plan - retail insights, retail trends and best practices

Retail is moving fast — and it can feel like whiplash trying to keep up with every new trend, tool, and headline. But here's the thing: as a small or independent retailer, you don't need to know everything. You just need the right information, filtered through the lens of what actually matters for your business.

In this episode, I'm sharing everything you need to know about Retail Roar 2026 — my free two-day online industry outlook summit taking place on 26th and 27th March — and why I believe it's the most important shortcut you can take as an independent retailer or brand this year.

You'll hear about:

1. Why staying on top of industry trends actually protects both your business and your peace of mind
2. The line between useful information and overwhelming noise — and how to find it
3. How understanding the current consumer mindset can change how you stock, market, and sell
4. The headline speaker I spent three years trying to book: the legendary Mary Portas
5. Expert sessions on email marketing, SEO, AI search, wholesale trends, marketing strategy, and the future of the high street

The expert lineup includes:

1. Mary Portas — retail legend, broadcaster, and champion of independent retail
2. Eman Ismail — email strategist on what's changing in email for 2026
3. Vee Roberts (Insights for Marketing) — marketing strategy and trends
4. Luke Carthy — SEO and AI search, and what your website needs to do differently
5. Therese Oertenblad (Small Business Collaborative) — wholesale trends and how to get seen
6. Ian Nicholson (Vacant Shops Academy) — placemaking and what makes a great high street

This isn't fluffy. It's information for action — curated specifically for small and independent retailers and brands, so you can stop guessing and start planning with confidence.

Get your free ticket at retailroar.co.uk

📩 Join the community: https://resilientretailclub.com/

📲 Follow on Instagram: @resilientretailclub

Mentioned in this episode:

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Most independent retailers have heard the advice to "build a community." Far fewer have been shown exactly how to do it — and even fewer have built one that actually buys.

In this episode I'm joined by Ronke Fashola, founder of Love Your Look — a bold, inclusive, colour-forward fashion brand whose customers travel from Scotland and Cardiff to her pop-up shops, answer Instagram queries before she even gets to them, and send garments back to be taken in when they lose weight rather than part with something they love. Ronke has spent the last couple of years building a retail community the hard, human way: photo shoots open to everyone, WhatsApp groups built on genuine conversation, measurement checks for every new customer, and an in-house tailor. In this episode she breaks down exactly how she did it.

We also look at Joanie Clothing's collapse as a case study in what happens when a retail brand stops feeling human — and what every independent retailer can learn from it.

In this episode you'll hear:

• The photo shoot that attracted 70 applicants and became the foundation of a loyal retail community

• How to structure a brand WhatsApp group that people actually want to be in

• What Joanie got wrong — and the community strategy that could have saved them

• Why checking every new customer's measurements before their first order ships reduces returns and builds trust

• How offering free in-house alterations turns one-time buyers into customers for life

• The Friday night phone call that changed how Ronke thinks about fabric

Sign up free at retailroar.co.uk — come and see what's possible.

📩 Join my community: https://resilientretailclub.com/

📲 Follow me on Instagram: @resilientretailclub

Mentioned in this episode:

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Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

Have you been feeling stuck in your own head in your retail business? Overthinking every decision, wondering if you're the only one finding it hard?

There's a phrase I love:

And when you're living and breathing your business every single day, it's incredibly hard to see beyond where you are right now.

In this episode, I share one of the fastest ways I've found to shift your perspective — and it's the whole reason I created Retail Roar, my free online summit returning on 26–27 March.

I'll walk you through some of the stories from our guest speakers, including one who shipped 650,000 orders in his first year on TikTok, to others who built a chain of 41 bridal boutiques, and another who went from her kitchen table to six-figure months.

I also explain why inspiration isn't just about feeling good — it has three very real, practical business effects: it helps you think bigger, get re-energised with your marketing, and make braver decisions.

Sign up free at retailroar.co.uk — come and see what's possible.

📩 Join my community: https://resilientretailclub.com/

📲 Follow me on Instagram: @resilientretailclub

Mentioned in this episode:

Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

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Do you ever feel like you're drowning in data but still can't answer the simple question: is my business actually going in the right direction?

Here's the truth: if your sales numbers feel like noise, you're probably looking at the wrong things — or avoiding looking altogether.

I'm Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

In this episode, I'm revealing:

✓ Why having loads of data can actually keep you more confused, not less

✓ The magic eye problem: why staring at daily sales is stopping you seeing the real picture

✓ The difference between guessing and deciding — and why it matters for your bottom line

✓ The 3 Rs framework: Record, Review, Refine — and how to make it genuinely simple

✓ Why a zero-sales day doesn't mean a bad month (and what to look at instead)

Stop reacting to the noise and start reading the story your numbers are actually telling you.

Join the Retail Sales Game Plan (cart now open!): resilientretailclub.com/retailsales

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show? DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast's been useful to you, please do follow, rate, and review with a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or both!) — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

Do you ever feel like you're constantly trying to convince people to buy? Like you're always explaining, justifying, or pushing a little harder than you'd like?

Here's the truth: if selling feels exhausting, you're probably spending too much time talking to the wrong people.

I'm Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

In this episode, I'm revealing:

✓ Why nobody is more likely to buy than someone who already bought from you

✓ The party principle: why you're standing outside instead of going in

✓ How focusing on cold audiences burns you out (and kills your profit)

✓ The 1,000 true fans framework that changes everything ✓ Practical steps to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers

Stop chasing strangers and start serving the customers who are already inside your door.

Links

Join the Retail Sales Game Plan waitlist (kicking off end of Feb): resilientretailclub.com/retailsales

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast's useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

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Feel like you're shouting into the void with your marketing? You're not alone—and it's not your fault.

Social media wants you reactive, emotional, and constantly second-guessing yourself. Meanwhile, big retailers operate from detailed seasonal plans made months in advance.

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

In this episode, I'm revealing:

✓ Why sporadic marketing makes sales feel random

✓ How algorithms keep you stuck in chaos

✓ What big retailers do differently (without massive teams)

✓ The marketing structure that actually works for small businesses

Stop waking up wondering "what should I post today?" and start building a plan you can trust.

Links

Get your free Calmer and Consistent Sales Planner: resilientretailclub.com/sales

Join the Retail Sales Game Plan waitlist (reopening Feb): resilientretailclub.com/retailsales

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Capify

Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

Why Profit Matters More Than Sales in Indie Retail

Sales growth is often treated as the goal in retail.

But without profit, growth just creates more pressure.

In this episode of Resilient Retail Game Plan, we look at why profit isn’t optional for independent retailers, and how better stock decisions change far more than just the numbers.

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about chasing turnover.

And it’s not about discounting everything to keep cash moving.

It’s about making deliberate, data led decisions that protect margin, reduce stock pressure, and give you room to breathe.

I’m joined by Paola Majuli, Stock Doctor and former senior merchandiser at global retail brands, to unpack what actually happens when retailers stop reacting and start managing stock with intention.

Together, we talk through real client results, what the numbers are showing after six months and a year, and why confidence often returns once the chaos settles.

In this episode, we cover:

Why profit, not cash flow alone, keeps retail businesses sustainable

What blanket discounting really costs you over time

How retailers increased sales while holding less stock

Why margin awareness changes decision making

What better stock management does for confidence and clarity

How strategic discounting differs from panic discounting

We also talk about Black Friday, overstock, pricing confidence, and why being selective about what you discount can actually drive stronger results than putting everything on sale.

If you’re running an independent shop and feel stuck in a cycle of buying, discounting, and hoping for the best, this episode will help you think more clearly about how profit, stock, and confidence fit together.

Chapters

00:00 Why profit isn’t optional

01:13 The real problem with blanket discounting

04:08 What the numbers show after six months and a year

06:27 Pricing, margin, and confidence

10:09 Why stock decisions matter more than people realise

12:36 How better data changes behaviour

17:47 Smarter Black Friday strategies

23:44 What confidence looks like in profitable businesses

Links

Stock Doctor: https://stockdoctor.net

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

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When Is the Right Time to Open a Second Shop?

Opening another shop is often seen as the obvious next step in retail growth.

But knowing when to do it, and whether your business is actually ready, is far harder.

In this episode of Resilient Retail Game Plan, we look at what really changes when you move from one shop to two, and then beyond.

With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp.

Get 10% off SumUp hardware with the code GamePlan10 at https://sumup.co.uk

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about chasing expansion for the sake of it.

And it’s not a checklist for opening multiple locations.

It’s about timing, clarity, and understanding whether the business you have today can genuinely support what comes next.

I’m joined by independent retailer Sarah Holmes, from Pencil Me In, who has grown from one shop to three across different locations in Scotland. Together, we unpack how those decisions were made, what changed at each stage, and why the second shop is often the hardest.

In this episode, we cover:

1. How to tell if your current shop is ready to support growth
2. Why growth often feels like exposure rather than relief
3. What changes when each location needs a different role
4. How buying mistakes multiply once you have more than one shop
5. Why clarity matters more than creativity in multi-store retail
6. Letting go of control without losing standards

We also talk about how expansion changes your relationship with risk, cash, and your team, and why growth should support the life you want to run, not just the business you want to build.

If you’re running one shop and wondering whether there could be more, or you’re already managing multiple locations and want it to feel simpler, this episode will help you think more clearly about what growth should look like for you.

00:00 Why growth is a timing question, not a goal

01:16 From one shop to three and why pacing matters

06:19 Why growth feels like exposure, not relief

09:30 Why each shop needs a clear job to do

11:03 Specialising instead of stocking everything

15:32 The danger of unchecked buying decisions

18:08 Using data to protect cash as you grow

22:22 Letting go without losing control

29:46 Choosing growth that fits your life

Links

Retail by Design: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retail-by-design

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

The 5 Problems Growing Retail Businesses Don’t Expect (But Almost Always Face)

If your retail business looks successful on paper but feels far harder than it should behind the scenes, this episode is for you.

With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp.

Get 10% off SumUp hardware with the code GamePlan10 at https://sumup.co.uk

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about fixing beginner mistakes or chasing the next growth tactic.

It’s about what happens once your business has momentum, and instinct alone stops being enough.

After working with hundreds of established product businesses, I see the same problems come up again and again.

Not because founders are doing things wrong, but because the business has outgrown the way it’s being run.

In this episode, I walk through the 5 problems growing retail businesses don’t expect (but almost always face).

These include:

1. Why growth often creates chaos instead of clarity
2. What it really means when you don’t trust your numbers
3. Why being busy doesn’t always mean you’re moving forward
4. How everything living in your head turns you into the bottleneck
5. What to do when your business no longer fits your life

We also talk about why structure isn’t restrictive, how it creates freedom, and what it looks like when a business is designed to support the person running it, not drain them.

If any of this feels familiar, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It usually means you’ve outgrown the stage you’re operating at.

Chapters

00:00 Why growth starts to feel heavy

01:36 When success creates chaos

06:09 Learning to trust your numbers

08:26 Busy versus real progress

11:06 Everything living in your head

15:25 When your business stops fitting your life

18:10 Retail by Design

Links

Retail by Design: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retail-by-design

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Listen on your favourite podcast app: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

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If you’ve been told that online retail growth means more ads, more automation, and more noise — this episode will quietly challenge that.

With thanks to this episode’s sponsor SumUp.

Get 10% off SumUp hardware with the code GamePlan10 at https://sumup.co.uk

I’m Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.

This isn’t about scaling fast or chasing the latest ecommerce tactic.

It’s about building an online business that actually works for the people running it.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Simonds, founder of Artichoke and winner of Online Shop of the Year at the Boutique Star Awards.

Sarah runs an online fashion business in a way most people would say doesn’t scale.

She calls every new online customer.

She designs systems to protect customer service, not replace it.

And she focuses relentlessly on a demographic the industry largely ignores.

After 25 years working with retailers, I see this pattern again and again.

The businesses that perform best long term aren’t always the loudest or the most automated. They’re the clearest.

In this conversation, we explore:

1. Why slowing down parts of the online experience can increase profit
2. How calling customers dramatically reduces returns and boosts lifetime value
3. What good systems actually look like in a small retail business
4. How Sarah uses AI to support decisions without losing human judgement
5. Why community, service, and clarity still outperform “best practice”

We also talk about the less glamorous side of growth — becoming the bottleneck, building resilience into the team, and creating structure so the business doesn’t rely on one person holding everything together.

If you run a product business and want online sales that feel sustainable rather than exhausting, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

00:00 Why “more marketing” isn’t always the answer

03:10 Serving an ignored customer demographic

06:20 Calling every new online customer

10:45 Reducing returns and increasing lifetime value

15:30 From pop-ups to online growth

21:10 Removing the founder bottleneck

27:40 Systems, structure, and ClickUp

33:30 Using AI without losing the human touch

41:50 Community, collaboration, and long-term growth

Artichoke: https://www.artichoke-online.co.uk

Retail by Design: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/retail-by-design

Catherine’s book — Tame Your Tiger: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1912300096

Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com

Enjoying the show?

DM your takeaways or questions to @resilientretailclub on Instagram.

And if the podcast’s useful, please follow, rate, and review — it helps more product businesses find us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Home and Gift Association is our sponsor this month

https://www.homeandgiftassociation.org.uk/

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