Mobile wallets now power 73 % of APAC e-commerce checkouts, same-day shipping prices hit record lows, and Australia’s Country Road Group faces a 93 % profit plunge. In this Five Things Friday episode, Alex (The Retail Podcast) joins Ryf Quail (Managing Director, NRF APAC) and Laura Doonin (Retail & Digital-Tech Advisor) to unpack:

• Mobile Wallet vs. Credit Card Shift – QR pay, A2A rails, WeChat Pay, Alipay, UPI, DuitNow

• Same-Day Delivery Economics – Shippit 2025 data, ship-from-store strategy, endless-aisle logistics

• Post-Purchase Community – Need It For Tonight, Cutter & Squidge, WhatsApp touch-points, handwritten notes

• Country Road Group Reset – Sales -14 %, profit -93 %, new CEO Steven Cook, legacy brand revival

• Event ROI Blueprint – Path-to-conference plan, vendor vetting, tender fast-tracking

🔑 Keywords: APAC retail trends, mobile wallet adoption, QR payments, same-day delivery cost, ship-from-store, post-purchase loyalty, Country Road turnaround, retail conference strategy, Five Things Friday.

Listen for 45 minutes of zero-fluff insights you can apply before quarter-end—and follow the show so you never miss a Friday download!

Customer-acquisition costs exploded online. Smart brands are responding with bricks, data—and a dash of theatre.

⚡️ What we tackle in 20 minutes

1. ​Physical retail as the new CAC – DTC brands discover rent can be cheaper than Meta ads when the store becomes a stage.
2. ​Aesop’s $2.5 billion masterclass – From Melbourne to 400 boutiques, every location is bespoke, scented, and digitally wired for replenishment.
3. ​Digital-first, store-second – Love, Bonito show why in-store staff now behave like consultants, not cashiers.
4. ​Cross-border marketplaces – Shopee, Amazon AU, Trade Me and Afterpay’s “shop day” rewrite payments, language, and trust across ASEAN.
5. ​Post-purchase power moves – Hand-written notes, sticker packs, friction-free returns. Retention is the real growth engine—and AI search will only raise the stakes.

Retailers & platforms in play

Aesop • L’Oréal • Love, Bonito • Temple & Webster • Amazon • eBay • Shopee • Afterpay • Trade Me • Kingfisher/B&Q • JD Sports • HP • Perplexity AI

Hosts

• ​Alex – Founder, The Retail Podcast, decoding global retail shifts.
• ​Ryf Quail – Leads NRF APAC, guiding brands across Asia-Pacific.
• ​Laura Doonin – Tech strategist turning omnichannel ambition into reality.

Liked the conversation? Hit follow, drop a five-star review, and share it with a teammate who still thinks “online first” is a plan.

00:00 Intro – heatwaves, cold snaps, and one crisp Sydney morning

01:05 Topic 1 – Physical stores as customer-acquisition engines

03:20 Topic 2 – Aesop: $2.5 B valuation built on scent & signature design

06:36 Topic 3 – Digital-heritage brands opening doors (Love, Bonito)

10:39 Topic 4 – Region-level marketplaces: Shopee, Amazon AU, Trade Me, Afterpay

15:07 Topic 5 – Post-purchase, returns, and the loyalty multiplier

Braze’s Global Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, James Herridge-Leng, lays out a blueprint for retailers who refuse to be trapped by channel silos or third-party walled gardens. Expect hard numbers: a 200 % jump in ROAS, email open rates doubling when WhatsApp joins the mix, and loyalty lift when zero-party data fuels real-time journeys.

Key Topics

• Composable vs monolithic engagement stacks

• Zero- vs first- vs third-party data: what drives lifetime value

• Privacy-by-design and GDPR compliance without paralysis

• AI orchestration that tunes channel, content, and cadence per user

• Future retail ecosystems: planning law shifts, retail-media in-store, and AI-driven associate tools

Guest Bio

James Herridge-Leng spent two decades scaling tech giants before steering Braze’s global partnerships. He helped brands like Deliveroo, ASOS, and Estée Lauder turn data into moments that matter.

Resources & Links

• Braze Customer Engagement Platform → braze.com

• 2025 Consumer Engagement Review → braze.com/research

• Cannes Lions, VivaTech, Shoptalk appearances → braze.com/events

Calls to Action

• Subscribe on Spotify Podcasts & leave a ★★★★★ review — it fuels future deep-dive episodes.

• Share your biggest customer-engagement hurdle via voice message at retailpodcast.fm/voice — we may solve it on air.

Estimated reading time: 4 min.

Retail evolves faster than it’s ever moved. This week Alex, Ryf, and Laura unpack five forces reshaping the industry—and the brands proving each point.

1. Asia’s five-element advantage – Emotional value, community identity, nighttime escapes, immersive art, smart-health choices. Gentle Monster, LVMH, Hermès, Burberry, and Lefty’s show why experience beats merchandise.

2. Australia’s IT breakout moment – A fresh fiscal year releases frozen budgets, pushing tech projects back to the top of the agenda. Vendors slow to commit risk falling behind.

3. The delivery revolution – Apple clocks an eight-minute iPhone drop in Mumbai. Quick-commerce rivals from India to the Middle East chase sub-15-minute promises; Deliveroo decides where speed does (and doesn’t) matter.

4. Meta’s new AI ad levers – Value Optimisation, Incremental Attribution, and Value Rules let marketers dial in a conversion rate and let algorithms hunt for it, squeezing agency middlemen in the process.

5. The hybrid consumer – Shoppers move fluidly between phone, store, and social feed. Retailers run risk—not channels—when they still treat ecommerce, physical, and media as separate fiefdoms.

Mentioned brands: Apple • Amazon • Deliveroo • Gentle Monster • Lefty’s • Primark • LVMH / Louis Vuitton • Hermès • Burberry • Inditex • Mango • Gap • Westfield.

Guest bios

• Alex – Host of The Retail Podcast, known for distilling global trends into actionable strategy.

• Ryf Quail – Managing Director, NRF APAC; guides brands across Asia-Pacific on future-proof retail models.

• Laura Doonin – Tech advisor specialising in digital transformation and omnichannel acceleration.

  
  

00:00 Intro – Welcome to Five Things Friday
02:00 Topic 1 – Asia’s five-element edge (Gentle Monster, LVMH, Hermès, Burberry, Lefty’s)
14:30 Topic 2 – Australia’s IT spend rebound
23:00 Topic 3 – Delivery revolution: Apple’s 8-minute iPhone, Deliveroo & quick commerce
33:50 Topic 4 – Meta’s AI ad toolkit and what it means for agencies

Call to action

Enjoy the show? Follow, rate, and leave a one-line review. It helps the next retail visionary find us.

Alex Rezvan from The Retail Podcast sits down with JillDvorak, SVP of Content at NRF, and Ryf Quail, Managing Director of NRF APAC.

Recorded live from NRF APAC 2025 in Singapore, this conversation explores why the next generation of consumers is not just arriving—they’re here and reshaping retail in profound ways. Discover how retailers can navigate the challenge of catering to a generation that shops with individuality, ethics, and personalvalues at the forefront. From record-breaking attendance to groundbreaking trends in partnership, innovation, and global collaboration, hear firsthand insights from two retail thought leaders who are at the heart of transformingthe industry.

Key Topics Discussed:

Next Generation Shopping Behaviors (Gen Z & Alpha)

Ethical and Value-Based Retail

Record-breaking NRF APAC Conference Highlights

Future of Retail: Buy vs. Build

Trends in Retail Innovation and Partnership Strategies

Insights from NRF’s global expansions (U.S., APAC,Europe)

Featured Guests:

Jill Dvorak, MBA – SVP Content at NRF, RetailEnthusiast

Ryf Quail – Managing Director, NRF APAC

Host:

Alex Rezvan – Founder and Host, The Retail Podcast

🎙️ Podcast Title (Apple & Spotify) NRF APAC 2025: Day 1 Highlights with Ryf Quail & Guests

🎧 Podcast Episode Description Kicking off Day 1 of NRF APAC 2025 in Singapore, Alex is joined by Ryf Quail, Managing Director and co-host of Five Things Friday, for a fast-paced walk-through of the opening highlights. Fresh off the ribbon-cutting, Ryf shares his first impressions, the emotional energy of the show floor, and what he’s most excited about—from the FairPrice "Store of the Future" to the global tech showcased by emerging retail innovators.

Special guest Seth Webb gives us a quick behind-the-scenes look at the NRF Innovators Showcase, where 25 curated companies are answering the question: “What’s new, what’s next, and how is tech transforming retail?”

Plus, we get a sneak peek into the upcoming Ai-Media Southeast Asia event launching in Penang in 2026, with insights from Michael Lamb.

Top moments:

• What made the FairPrice exhibit so impactful

• The role of data in unlocking "Retail Unlimited"

• Where AI is being applied across the full commerce journey

• Why curated innovation matters more than ever

  
  

Recorded live at NRF APAC 2025, this short soundbite features Panchalee Weeratammawat, Chief People Officer of Central Retail. With nearly 80,000 employees across Thailand, Vietnam, and Italy, Panchalee shares what’s top of mind for retail leaders in Asia today.

Key Highlights:

• Why employee happiness drives customer loyalty

• Retail’s evolving role: from reactive to behavior-shaping

• What stood out on Day 1 of NRF APAC 2025

  
  

A quick yet powerful insight into the human side of global retail transformation.

She unpacks why great retail begins with engaged employees, and how listening—both to teams and customers—is the secret to building long-term trust and sustainable growth.

Panchalee Weeratammawat

Chief People Officer, Central Retail

🧑‍💼 Guest Name & Title

Welcome to a special APAC edition of Five Things Friday from The Retail Podcast.This week, host Alex is on the cusp of two retail mega-events: Shoptalk Europe and NRF APAC in Singapore. With Laura under the weather, we’re joined by special guest Reef Quail, Managing Director at NRF APAC, for a candid, front-line take on the pulse of Asian retail.In this episode:

• How Asia-Pacific is rewriting retail’s playbook—diversity, partnerships, and global scale
• Why the retailer-to-vendor ratio makes or breaks a great event
• What Western brands get wrong (and right) when expanding in Asia
• The rise of homegrown brands like Anko, and the secret to successful cross-border expansion
• Big tech, AI, and the looming disruption in retail jobs

Alex shares milestone listener numbers, thanks the global retail community, and raises the alarm for leaders who think digital disruption is “someone else’s problem.” This is your behind-the-scenes pass to the real stories, challenges, and opportunities in global retail right now.Don’t forget to rate, follow, and share the show!Connect:The Retail Podcast on LinkedInThe Retail Podcast websiteContact:Email Alex at [your email here]—he reads every message.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Welcome & Retail Event Preview

1:30 – Milestones & Listener Shoutouts

3:45 – AI in Retail: Opportunity or Threat?

8:15 – Reef Quail on the Ground in Singapore

10:00 – The Secret to a Great Retail Event: Ratios

13:30 – The Diversity Challenge in APAC

16:00 – Anko: An Aussie Brand Goes Global

18:30 – Lessons from Japan: Long-Term Partnership Success

20:00 – Closing Thoughts & Next Week’s Preview

The pace of retail transformation hasnever been faster—and Microsoft is at the heart of it.

In this exclusive interview, Alex fromThe Retail Podcast sits down with Keith Mercier, Vice President ofWorldwide Retail & Consumer Goods at Microsoft. They explore:

·How generative AI and copilots are reshaping the frontlineexperience

·The myth of data readiness—and how to get unstuck frompilot purgatory

·Why conversational commerce is the next battleground

·The power of real-time decision-making from petabytes ofstore data

·Where Microsoft is showing up in retail around the globe

This is one of the most practical andvisionary conversations you’ll hear about the future of retail. Whether you’rea CIO, CMO, or store operator—this is essential listening.

🔔 Subscribe for more real-world retailinsight.

Keith Mercier of Microsoft joins Alexto unpack the next wave of retail innovation—from copilots and AI agents tomultimodal commerce. A future-proofing conversation for anyone in the industry.

In this special “Five Things Friday: APAC Edition,” Alex from The Retail Podcast and Laura from Neat sit down with Ryf Quail, Managing Director of NRF APAC, to unpack the biggest trends shaping retail in Asia-Pacific ahead of NRF APAC in Singapore.🎙️ Topics covered:

• Ryf’s top insights for APAC retail leaders
• Digital transformation: AI, 5G, and cloud
• Shopify Editions: Key updates, global e-commerce, new “Horizon” theme
• The future of agencies and AI-driven retail
• CEO Club at NRF APAC and leadership networking

• NRF APAC 2024
• The Retail Podcast
• Laura @ Neat

Chapters:

• 00:01 – Welcome & introductions

• 01:00 – What’s ahead for NRF APAC

• 03:00 – Shopify’s latest moves: AI, global markets, and new themes

• 08:00 – The agency landscape: how AI is reshaping service

• 13:00 – Digital transformation trends in APAC: AI, 5G, and more

• 16:30 – Ryf Quail: Economic outlook, CEO Club, and what’s different in 2024

• 21:00 – Networking for retail leadership

• 22:00 – Closing thoughts

Useful Links:

• NRF APAC

• Shopify Editions

• The Retail Podcast

Notable brands & technologies: Shopify, NRF, Grab, GoJek, FairPrice, LottePlus: The real impact of generative AI, what’s driving optimism in the region, and why Asia-Pacific is setting the pace for global retail.Don’t miss this candid conversation packed with actionable insights for retail executives, technology leaders, and anyone shaping the future of commerce.Connect:Follow and share for more expert interviews from the world’s top retail leaders.3. Episode Show Notes

If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Retail Podcast, leave a rating, and share with your network. For more interviews with retail’s top thinkers, visit theretailpodcast.com.