The Retail Podcast

Shoppers are asking AI assistants what to buy, and those answers cite YouTube videos. Ben Jeffries, co-founder of Influencer.com, explains creator-first AEO, the sports-brand test, and why content now has to work for shoppers and for AI. With Alex Rezvan, Host of The Retail Podcast.

Your next customer may never type your name into your own search bar.

Ben Jeffries, co-founder of Influencer.com, told me at YouTube Festival London that shoppers are taking their research to Gemini and ChatGPT. And when those tools answer, they lean on YouTube videos as a source.

So the creators who review, compare and demo products in your category are now helping decide whether you show up in the answer, and whether you rank above a competitor.

His team works with Profound to see which creators actually move a brand up those answers, then plans creator content around it. His example: a shopper asking for the best running shoe for a lap of Battersea Park.

For a retailer, that changes what a creator brief is for. It is no longer only reach. It is evidence that AI will read.

The test is simple and slightly uncomfortable: ask ChatGPT for the best product in your category this morning. Are you in the answer?

#RetailMarketing #AISearch #CreatorEconomy

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Amazon grocery storefronts for individual retailers are closing on Amazon.com, while US inflation reaches 3.7% and Adobe finds 49% of AI shopping assistant users have abandoned a purchase over conflicting product information. For retail leaders, today's briefing is about control: of the channel, of your product data, and of assets like Bluewater, where Landsec now holds 74%.

00:00 Intro

00:06 Landsec takes Bluewater stake to 74%

00:32 Adobe: 49% of AI shoppers abandon purchases

01:00 AliExpress launches free Elite membership

01:21 US inflation rises to 3.7%

01:43 Amazon closes retailer grocery storefronts

02:08 Albert Heijn recovers from cyberattack

Sources:

- Landsec: Landsec Raises Bluewater Stake to 74% in £95m Deal https://www.landsec.com/en/media-insights/press-releases/landsec-acquires-a-further-10-stake-in-bluewater

- Retail Times: Adobe: 49% of AI Shoppers Abandoned a Purchase Over Data Conflicts https://retailtimes.co.uk/nearly-half-of-ai-shoppers-say-they-abandoned-a-purchase-over-conflicting-product-details/

- Retail Times: AliExpress Launches Elite, a Free Loyalty Programme for High-Spend Shoppers https://retailtimes.co.uk/aliexpress-takes-on-rivals-with-elite-the-no-fee-loyalty-scheme-promising-even-greater-value-and-boosted-shipping-times/

- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: US September CPI Rises 0.6%; Annual Rate Reaches 3.7% https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_10142026.htm

- Grocery Dive: Amazon to Close Retailer-Specific Grocery Storefronts on Its Platform https://www.grocerydive.com/news/amazon-grocery-partners-individual-storefronts-closing/832902/

- RetailDetail EU: Albert Heijn Distribution Centres Back Online; Full IT Restoration to Take Up to a Week https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/food/albert-heijn-distribution-centers-back-in-operation-today/

Creators are the new beauty counter. That is how Charlotte Lock, Chief Customer Officer, Boots, describes where customers now discover products and find advice they trust.

Recorded at YouTube Festival London 2026, just after Charlotte came off the main stage, this conversation with Alex Rezvan, Host of The Retail Podcast, asks what that shift means for a retailer founded in 1849. Charlotte says Boots is piloting YouTube's Shopping affiliate programme, so a viewer can buy the Boots products a creator is using without leaving the video for a link in bio.

She also explains how Boots chooses the creators it works with (fit with the brand, not free product), why a brand with a long history has to pick the few things that make it different, and why Boots pairs long-term brand building with being easy to shop, on a phone or in store.

Chapters

0:00 Creators are the new beauty counter

2:18 Shopping straight from creator videos

3:06 How Boots chooses its creators

3:42 Purpose, Macmillan, and what to say

5:48 Brand building meets easy shopping

Part of our three-part series from YouTube Festival London 2026, with Sophie Neary, Managing Director, Retail & Consumer Goods, Google, and creator Jade Beason.

Retail intelligence, every week: theretailpodcast.com/newsletter

#RetailMarketing #CreatorMarketing #YouTubeShopping

YouTube is no longer just where shoppers see your brand. It is where they decide to buy it.

On the red carpet at YouTube Festival London 2026, Alex Rezvan, Host of The Retail Podcast, talks to Sophie Neary, Managing Director, Retail & Consumer Goods, Google. Where a retailer should start on YouTube, why brand and creator content belong in one plan, how shoppable video now reaches the living room TV and the high street, and why your videos now feed AI search.

Chapters

0:00 Where shoppers now decide to buy

0:58 Where to start: your channel plus creators

2:05 Connected TV and the high street

2:59 From inspiration to purchase

3:25 AI search: models read your videos

In this episode

- Three strands of a YouTube content strategy: your own brand channel, user-generated content and creator content

- Your brand is the what, your creators are the how and the why. You need both.

- Every surface on YouTube is now shoppable, including connected TV

- YouTube reaches 49 million UK adults every month (YouTube press release, September 2026)

- Large language models read your videos, transcripts and comments

Part of our three-part series from YouTube Festival London 2026, with creator Jade Beason and Charlotte Lock, Chief Customer Officer, Boots.

Retail intelligence, e

The Ahold Delhaize outage has left websites and apps down since Sunday and Dutch stores showing last week's shelf prices, a reminder that pricing now depends on central IT. Kroger is cutting 3,000 corporate jobs, UK shoppers are holding back before the budget, and Shein, Temu and AliExpress are losing ground in Germany.

00:00 Intro

00:08 BRC: UK retail sales subdued in September

00:36 CBRE: £400m on London luxury flagships

01:01 Aldi puts £19.5m into Scotland in 2027

01:14 Kroger to cut 3,000 corporate jobs

01:30 Ross Stores completes 115 new stores

01:46 Ahold Delhaize IT outage since Sunday

02:19 Shein, Temu, AliExpress German sales fall 35.5%

02:42 Kaufland marketplace launches in Spain

Sources:

- British Retail Consortium: BRC: September Retail Sales Subdued as Households Hold Back Ahead of Budget https://brc.org.uk/news-and-events/news/sluggish-sales-as-shoppers-look-for-budget-boost/

- Retail Times: CBRE: Luxury Brands Invest Estimated £400m in London Flagship Fit-outs Since 2025 https://retailtimes.co.uk/london-holds-unrivalled-global-position-for-flagship-retail-finds-cbre-report/

- Retail Times: Aldi Allocates £19.5m to Scotland in 2027 as Part of £900m UK Investment Programme https://retailtimes.co.uk/scotland-set-to-benefit-from-aldis-900m-investment/

- Grocery Dive: Kroger Plans 3,000 Corporate Job Cuts Over Three Years https://www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-corporate-layoffs-3000-employees/832811/

- Retail Dive: Ross Stores Completes 115-Store FY2026 Plan; Opens First Massachusetts Sites https://www.retaildive.com/news/ross-opens-51-new-stores/832721/

- RetailDetail EU: Ahold Delhaize IT Outage Takes Websites and Apps Offline Since Sunday https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/food/major-cyber-incident-at-ahold-delhaize-albert-heijn-etos-and-gall-gall-brought-to-a-standstill/

- bevh (German E-Commerce and Distance Selling Association): Shein, Temu and AliExpress German Sales Fall 35.5% in Q3; Share Drops to 3.1% https://bevh.org/detail/nach-abschaffung-der-zollfreigrenze-asiatische-plattformen-verlieren-deutlich-marktanteile

- Kaufland: Kaufland Online Marketplace Launches in Spain; Nine European Countries Now Active https://unternehmen.kaufland.de/presse/newsroom/2026/oktober/ab-sofort-in-neun-laendern-kaufland-waechst-mit-launch-in-spanien-zum-groessten-marktplatz-netzwerk-aus-europa

Jill Dvorak, SVP Content at NRF, on Prime Day, Walmart's $300m bulky-item hub and the Nike sales decline in China. Is early discounting growing holiday demand or just moving it?

Alex Rezvan, Host of The Retail Podcast, and Jill Dvorak, SVP Content at NRF, cover the week's five US retail stories: the Amazon vs Walmart holiday race, Target's plan for more than 30 new stores in 2026, Mattel taking its toy brands into water parks, and Nike's Greater China revenue falling 22% reported (26% currency-neutral) in Q1 FY27.

00:00 Cold open

00:19 Five Things Friday, US edition

00:57 Walmart puts $300m into a bulky-item fulfilment hub

02:14 Prime Day rivals race to pull holiday spend forward

04:42 Target opens 30 new stores ahead of holiday

05:34 Mattel moves its toy brands into water parks

07:21 Nike restructures again as China sales slide

09:11 Wrap

Sources: JobsOhio / REDI Cincinnati (28 Sep 2026); Target Corporate (5 Mar 2026); NIKE, Inc. Q1 FY27 results (Oct 2026).

Newsletter: https://theretailpodcast.com/newsletter

ChatGPT virtual try-on puts OpenAI between the shopper and the checkout, while UK footfall fell 2.9% in September and every format went down. Today's briefing also covers Ocado's clean-label aisle, Refresco's possible IPO above $10bn and Seven & i's plan to make Europe a growth pillar for 7-Eleven.

00:00 Intro

00:09 UK footfall falls 2.9% in September

00:48 Ocado launches Simple Ingredients aisle

01:05 Myprotein and Krispy Kreme shake at Boots

01:22 ICSC: US shoppers fear holiday gift costs

01:36 ChatGPT adds virtual try-on

01:51 KKR's Refresco weighs IPO above $10bn

02:07 Swedish online sales up 8% in Q2

02:19 Carrefour and Kruidvat sell crypto gift cards

02:33 Chinese retailers push overseas

02:51 Seven & i targets Europe for 7-Eleven

Sources:

- BRC-Sensormatic Footfall Monitor: Budget must deliver for shoppers as footfall drops https://brc.org.uk/news-and-events/news/corporate-affairs/2026/ungated/budget-must-deliver-for-shoppers-as-footfall-drops/

- Grocery Gazette: Ocado Launches 'Simple Ingredients' Online Aisle for Clean-Label Shoppers https://www.grocerygazette.co.uk/2026/10/09/ocado-launches-simple-ingredients-online-aisle/

- Retail Times: Myprotein and Krispy Kreme Protein Milkshake Rolls Into 730 Boots Stores https://retailtimes.co.uk/myprotein-and-krispy-kreme-launch-protein-milkshake-rolling-out-across-730-boots-stores/

- ICSC: ICSC: Nearly Half of US Shoppers Fear Holiday Gift Budget Shortfall https://www.icsc.com/news-and-views/icsc-exchange/icscs-2026-holiday-intentions-survey-finds-consumers-prioritize-holiday-traditions-over-financial-pressures

- Retail Dive: ChatGPT Adds Virtual Try-On for Clothing and Accessories https://www.retaildive.com/news/virtual-try-on-launch-chatgpt/832244/

- ESM Magazine: KKR's Refresco Takes Bank Pitches for Potential IPO Above $10bn https://www.esmmagazine.com/packaging-design/refresco-plots-potential-ipo-at-10bn-plus-valuation-sources-say-323397

- PostNord: Swedish E-Commerce Grows 8% Year-on-Year in Q2, All Sectors Up https://news.cision.com/se/postnord-sverige/r/svensk-e-handel-pa-vag-mot-ny-rekordniva,c4398930

- RetailDetail EU: Carrefour and Kruidvat Add Cryptocurrency Gift Cards to Their Shelves https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/general/carrefour-and-kruidvat-are-offering-cryptocurrencies-on-their-shelves/

- Inside Retail Asia: Chinese Retailers Prioritise Store Quality Over Speed as Overseas Push Accelerates https://insideretail.asia/2026/10/12/why-are-chinese-retailers-looking-overseas-for-growth/

- Inside Retail Asia: Seven & i Sets Europe as 7-Eleven's Fourth Major Growth Pillar https://insideretail.asia/2026/10/12/7-eleven-owner-looks-to-europe-for-next-phase-of-global-growth/

Lidl adds 43 million visits, Frasers ups its Burberry bet and Boots changes hands. Simone Oloman, Co-host of Five Things Friday UK, explains what this week's moves mean for UK retail.

Alex Rezvan, Host of The Retail Podcast, and Simone Oloman cover five stories. Lidl GB grew sales 10.8% to £13bn. Frasers Group, the retailer Mike Ashley founded, lifted its Burberry position to 6.32% through sold put options. The Weston family's Wittington Investments is buying Boots for $8.9bn (£6.7bn), including debt. Currys is turning its social following into a shop. Gen M has opened a menopause pop-up in Kensington, backed by research finding that 87% of menopausal women feel overlooked by brands.

00:00 Cold open

00:19 Five Things Friday, UK edition

04:58 Frasers lifts Burberry option as luxury push grows

10:43 New owner plans to reinvest in Boots stores

12:38 Lidl adds 43 million visits as grocers consolidate

15:37 Currys turns its social following into a shop

16:35 Gen M opens a menopause pop-up in Kensington

20:11 Wrap

Get Five Things Friday every week: https://theretailpodcast.com/newsletter

Amazon layoffs hit around 1,000 corporate roles, most of them in its stores division, as Tesco's profits rise and Walmart puts its AI savings back into customer service. Today's briefing tells retail leaders that efficiency is the theme of the season, and the difference lies in where the savings go.

00:00 Intro

00:08 Tesco H1 profits rise, sales momentum weakens

00:31 Aldi names first 10 towns for 2027 stores

00:46 Amazon cuts around 1,000 corporate jobs

01:07 Freemans rebrands for women over 40

01:24 Amazon restructures retail stores division

01:33 Walmart reinvests AI savings in service

01:54 Walmart one-hour express pickup and ASL

02:08 Levi's Q3 propped by tariff refunds

02:25 Albertsons retail media leadership shakeup

02:39 Tesco online sales drive growth

02:55 Zalando opens 140,000 sq m French hub

03:17 Swiss retailers back e-commerce rule changes

03:34 7-Eleven pulls out of India

03:52 Rapidus US$15bn chip programme in Japan

04:13 Adore Beauty opens largest store yet

Sources:

- Retail Times: Tesco H1 Profits Rise; Consumer Spending Softens https://retailtimes.co.uk/tesco-enters-the-second-half-with-stronger-profits-and-weaker-sales-momentum-says-globaldata/

- Talking Retail: Aldi Names First 10 Locations in £900m UK Expansion https://www.talkingretail.com/news/industry-news/aldi-reveals-first-locations-for-new-stores-in-its-900m-expansion-08-10-2026/

- Retail Gazette: Amazon Cuts 1,000 Corporate Retail Jobs After Overhiring https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/10/amazon-cuts-retail-jobs-after-overhiring/

- Retail Times: Freemans Rebrands Around UK's £92bn 40-Plus Female Market https://retailtimes.co.uk/freemans-unveils-major-rebrand-with-renewed-focus-on-uks-92bn-40-female-market/

- Retail Dive: Amazon Cuts Hundreds From Retail Stores Division in Restructure https://www.retaildive.com/news/amazon-retail-stores-division-layoffs/832501/

- Retail Dive: Walmart AI Savings Reinvested in Customer Experience, U.S. CEO Says https://www.retaildive.com/news/ai-walmart-sparky-CX-investment/832327/

- Retail Dive: Walmart Launches 1-Hour Express Store Pickup and ASL Interpretation Ahead of Holidays https://www.retaildive.com/news/walmart-one-hour-express-store-pickup-asl-service-holiday/832464/

- Retail Dive: Levi's Q3 Profits Propped by Tariff Refunds as Direct-to-Consumer Sales Disappoint https://www.retaildive.com/news/levis-q3-wholesale-tariff-refunds-deliver/832468/

- Modern Retail: Retail Media Leadership Churn Persists as Albertsons Shakeup Puts Sector Under Spotlight https://www.modernretail.co/marketing/big-box-briefing-why-executive-turnover-has-been-a-consistent-theme-in-retail-media/?utm_campaign=modernretaildis&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=general-rss

- RetailDetail EU: Tesco Posts Strong H1 Results as Online Sales Drive Group Growth https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/food/online-is-a-key-growth-driver-for-tesco/

- RetailDetail EU: Zalando Opens 140,000 sq m Distribution Centre South of Paris https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/fashion/zalando-sets-up-shop-in-france-with-a-giant-distribution-center/

- ESM Magazine: Swiss Retail Federation Backs Tighter Rules for Foreign E-Commerce Platforms https://www.esmmagazine.com/retail/swiss-retailers-back-strict-rules-for-foreign-e-commerce-platforms-322697

- Inside Retail Australia: 7-Eleven Withdraws from India as Quick Commerce Undercuts the Format https://insideretail.com.au/business/squeezed-from-both-sides-why-7-eleven-could-not-make-india-work-202610

- Inside Retail Asia: Rapidus Pursues US$15 Billion Domestic Chip Programme in Japan https://insideretail.asia/2026/10/09/why-rapidus-chip-ambitions-matter-for-electronics-supply-chains/

- Inside Retail Australia: Adore Beauty Opens Largest Store Yet at Melbourne Central https://insideretail.com.au/stores/openings-closings/adore-beauty-opens-largest-flagship-yet-at-melbourne-central-202610

Walmart drone delivery with Wing is expanding to more than 270 stores by next year, and Boots is going private in a £6.7bn deal with the Weston family. Today's briefing also covers a £440m rise in UK retail electricity bills, Amazon's 63% share of German online retail and the ASOS app breach.

00:00 Boots sold to Weston family for £6.7bn

00:42 BRC: £440m rise in retail electricity bills

01:12 Argos marketplace to 130,000 products

01:35 Co-op Wholesale shuts Peckish app

01:56 GenM opens menopause concept store

02:19 Walmart and Wing drone delivery from 270 stores

02:37 Amazon Prime Big Deal Days beats rivals

02:49 Walmart drops personalised pricing patent

03:08 TikTok adds AI agent and one-click checkout

03:22 Lululemon CEO fills two C-suite roles

03:34 Amazon holds 63% of German online retail

03:57 ASOS confirms app breach

04:12 Ikea launches second-hand marketplace

04:23 Colruyt, Aldi and Lidl lobby on Sunday trading

04:40 Jumbo rolls out children's handheld scanner

Sources:

- Retail Gazette: Weston Family Acquires Boots for £6.7bn in UK-Ireland Deal https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/10/boots-sold-to-weston-family/

- Talking Retail: BRC Reports £440m Rise in Retailer Energy Bills; Calls for Budget Action https://www.talkingretail.com/featured/brc-urges-budget-action-as-retailer-energy-costs-rise-400m-08-10-2026/

- Retail Gazette: Argos Expands Trusted Sellers Marketplace to 130,000 Products by Year-End https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/10/argos-marketplace-range-push/

- Talking Retail: Co-op Wholesale Kills Peckish App, Switches to Snappy Shopper Integration https://www.talkingretail.com/featured/co-op-wholesale-discontinues-delivery-app-peckish-in-favour-of-snappy-shopper-07-10-2026/

- Retail Times: GenM Opens UK's First Menopause Concept Store, Targeting 15.5m Women https://retailtimes.co.uk/genm-unveils-the-worlds-first-menopause-friendly-concept-store-showcasing-the-future-of-inclusive-retail-for-15-5-million-uk-women/

- Grocery Dive: Walmart and Wing Plan Drone Delivery from 270 Stores by 2027 https://www.grocerydive.com/news/walmart-wing-drone-expansion-denver-seattle/832290/

- Supermarket News: Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Tops Walmart and Target Event Results https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-trends-data/amazon-s-prime-big-deal-days-shoppers-reaching-for-household-essentials

- Grocery Dive: Walmart Will Not Renew Patent for Personalised Scan-and-Go Pricing https://www.grocerydive.com/news/walmart-defends-patent-dynamic-pricing/832272/

- Retail Dive: TikTok Adds Conversational AI Agent and One-Click Checkout https://www.retaildive.com/news/tiktok-ai-powered-discovery-one-click-checkout/832326/

- Retail Dive: Lululemon CEO Heidi O'Neill Fills Two C-Suite Roles, Hunts for Three More https://www.retaildive.com/news/lululemon-ceo-heidi-oneill-overhauls-c-suite-first-move/832434/

- Ecommerce News Europe: Amazon Controls 63% of German Online Retail, New Study Finds https://ecommercenews.eu/amazon-holds-63-of-german-online-retail/

- RetailDetail EU: ASOS Confirms App Breach; Hackers Staged Public Extortion Attempt https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/fashion/asos-confirms-that-hackers-breached-the-app/

- Retail Insight Network: Ikea Launches Pre-owned Marketplace for UK and Ireland Family Members https://www.retail-insight-network.com/news/ikea-second-hand-marketplace-uk-ireland/

- RetailDetail EU: Colruyt, Aldi and Lidl Join Three Unions in Belgian Sunday Opening Lobby https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/food/analysis-colruyt-aldi-lidl-and-labor-unions-launch-a-lobbying-campaign-over-sunday-openings/

- RetailDetail EU: Jumbo Claims World First With Children's Handheld Scanner Across All Stores https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/food/jumbo-the-worlds-first-supermarket-to-use-a-childrens-handheld-scanner/