The Retail Podcast (Video Feed)

Meta Glasses, Walmart Drones & Retail's Biggest Shifts This Week

Retail innovation continues to accelerate.
In this episode of Five Things Friday USA, Joe and Jill explore five major stories shaping the future of commerce:
• Meta's expanding partnership with Best Buy and the rise of AI-powered smart glasses
• Walmart's aggressive drone delivery rollout targeting millions of Americans
• Amazon Prime Day's expansion into a four-day retail event
• Quince's transition from digital-first success to physical retail
• The surprising growth of store openings across the U.S.
The conversation examines what these developments mean for retailers, brands, technology leaders, and consumers as the industry continues to evolve.
Topics covered:
Retail innovationEcommerce strategyDrone deliveryAI wearablesOmnichannel retailPrime DayStore expansionConsumer trendsPhysical retail
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How Brands Reach Gen Z Without TikTok + Coach's Retail Masterclass

What happens when brands can no longer rely on social media to reach younger consumers?
In this week's Five Things Friday UK, retail expert Simone Oloman, Co-Founder and CEO of NIFT, joins us to discuss one of the biggest questions facing retail marketers today: how brands stay connected to youth culture as social media regulations evolve.
We explore:
✅ The potential impact of proposed social media restrictions for under-16s✅ Why brands may need to return to real-world community building✅ The rise of experiential retail and in-store activations✅ What Coach's Selfridges pop-up teaches us about modern retail✅ Deliveroo's latest retail partnership and the growth of instant delivery✅ How physical stores are becoming fulfilment centres for modern commerce✅ Why customer experience is becoming the biggest competitive advantage
Featuring real-world examples from Coach, Selfridges, H&M, Deliveroo and leading retail brands, this episode explores how retail is evolving beyond transactions into experiences, community and convenience.
https://uk.coach.com/
Featured GuestSimone OlomanCo-Founder & CEO, NIFT
Topics CoveredGen Z marketingYouth consumer behaviourSocial media regulationRetail innovationExperiential retailCoach at SelfridgesRapid deliveryRetail mediaStore transformationCustomer engagementSubscribe
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Chapter Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Meet Simone Oloman01:19 What NIFT Does: Instant Delivery Infrastructure01:58 How Social Media Restrictions Could Change Youth Marketing03:17 Why Physical Experiences May Matter More Than Algorithms05:20 Deliveroo's Football Campaign & Instant Retail Delivery06:55 Why Stores Are Becoming Fulfilment Centres08:55 Coach's Selfridges Pop-Up Experience10:06 Retail Roadshow: London, Coach & Selfridges12:09 H&M and the Premiumisation of Retail12:30 Can Physical Retail Compete with AI and E-Commerce?13:06 Coach's Multi-Generation Retail Strategy14:16 Retail Innovation Across Europe

The Retail Trends Reshaping APAC: Pomelo, Temu, Miniso & More

This episode of Five Things Friday explores major retail developments across APAC and global markets. Ruth Kewell and Alex discuss Pomelo's mobile-first retail model in Southeast Asia, the worsening retail conditions in Australia, and the international expansion of Chinese retail brands including Miniso, Urban Revivo, Temu and Shein.
The conversation highlights how mobile commerce, changing consumer behaviour, Gen Z purchasing habits, and global competition are reshaping retail strategies worldwide.
00:00 Introduction & Five Things Friday
00:00:36 Pomelo: The Mobile-First Retail Pioneer
00:01:42 How Pomelo Built Stores Around Ecommerce
00:02:24 The "Tap, Try, Buy" Retail Model
00:03:48 Australian Retail Under Pressure
00:04:35 Shareholder Pressure and Retail Performance
00:05:23 Retail Debt, Restructuring and Survival
00:05:45 Temu and Shein Face Regulatory Challenges
00:06:33 Miniso's Global Expansion Strategy
00:07:20 Gen Z's Growing Influence on Retail
00:07:48 Urban Revivo Expands Into Western Markets
00:08:32 Closing Thoughts

The Global Retail Briefing: UK, GCC, Dubai & Luxury Expansion

Global retail is moving fast and this first international briefing looks beyond the US to track where the biggest growth stories are happening.
In this episode, we cover Frasers Group’s reported $2 billion takeover bid for Hugo Boss, JD.com’s UK expansion through Joybuy and its summer Black Friday positioning, Lulu Retail’s ambitious store growth across the GCC, Dubai’s two-month summer shopping push, and Jenni Kayne’s move into international markets through partners including Selfridges and TNT in Toronto.
Key themes include:
International retail expansion
Luxury and premium brand positioning
Middle East retail investment
Holiday shopping moving earlier
E-commerce growth and loyalty
Global department store and marketplace strategy
This briefing is designed to track retail stories outside the US and spotlight where consumer demand, investment, and brand expansion are shifting globally.
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Madrid’s Retail Shift: Lessons From the Street, Not the Boardroom

Madrid is famous for tourism, culture, tapas and beautiful architecture.
But walk through Gran Vía and another story starts to appear.
In this episode of The Retail Podcast, we explore how Madrid is evolving from a tourist hotspot into a serious retail destination. From Sephora’s flower-led Mother’s Day activation to Calvin Klein’s floral fragrance launch, the streets of Madrid reveal how physical retail is being reshaped by community, experience and customer engagement.
This episode looks at why the most important retail signals are not always found in boardrooms, strategy decks or technology showcases. Sometimes they are happening directly in front of customers, in the queue, on the street and at the point where culture meets commerce.
You’ll hear about:
Madrid’s shift from tourism destination to shopping destination
Sephora’s experiential retail activation
Calvin Klein’s Euphoria floral launch
Why physical retail still matters
The three speeds of retail: community and culture, experience, and intelligence
What European retail leaders should watch on the Road to Paris
This episode is part of The Road to Paris, exploring the cities, stores and ideas shaping the future of retail ahead of NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show Europe in Paris.

How AI, Data and Hospitality Are Rewiring Retail in Japan

Recorded live at NRF APAC 2026, this episode features Toru Koyama, Executive Officer & Head of IT and Digital Promotion Group at H2O Retailing Corp., and Executive Officer & GM of Digital Innovation Division at Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, Inc.
In this conversation, Toru shares H2O Retailing’s transformation journey — from backend IT and ERP foundations to CRM, unified commerce, retail media, customer data platforms and AI-powered customer communication.
The central idea is the “communication retailer”: a retailer that does not simply sell products in-store, but builds trusted, permission-based relationships with customers across stores, e-commerce, data, service and AI-enabled interactions.
Guest Bio
Toru Koyama is Executive Officer & Head of IT and Digital Promotion Group at H2O Retailing Corp. and Executive Officer & GM of Digital Innovation Division at Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, Inc. His background includes roles at IBM Japan, Pfizer and PwC, and he previously served as President & Representative Director of Isetan Mitsukoshi System Solutions, where he led structural reforms. He assumed his current H2O Retailing roles in April 2021 and has been associated with the company’s group-wide digital transformation.
 
 

I Was Ranked #1 in Retail — But This Matters More

This episode reflects on being ranked number one on the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Retail 2026 list, but shifts the focus to a bigger industry question: what should retail actually recognise as thought leadership? The episode argues that true influence should be measured by useful, visible, consistent contribution — not status, nostalgia, or network size.
Being ranked number one on the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Retail 2026 list is something to be proud of.
But the more important question is not who is number one.
It is what the retail industry should be measuring in the first place.
In this episode, we look at the limits of rankings and algorithms, and why no system can fully measure judgement, generosity, lived experience, commercial impact, or trust.
What this ranking does reward is visible work: content, speaking, publishing, interviews, and industry contribution. That matters because recognition in retail has often depended on access, visibility, historic relationships, and who gets invited into the room.
But thought leadership should not be a lifetime achievement award.
It should be evidence of what someone is contributing now.
This episode explores:
Why visible contribution matters
Why retail recognition needs a higher standard
Why thought leadership should be useful, not just visible
Why vendors, partners, event teams, and technology builders deserve more credit
Why The Retail Podcast reaching almost 2,000 listeners a week globally matters more than a ranking
What retail should recognise as thought leadership in 2026
The central question:
In 2026, what should the retail industry actually recognise as thought leadership?
Links:Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Retail 2026 list: https://www.thinkers360.com/top-50-global-thought-leaders-and-influencers-on-retail-2026/Connect on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/the-retail-podcast

WooCommerce at Shoptalk Europe: Scaling Open-Source Ecommerce

WooCommerce is live at Shoptalk Europe in Barcelona, and the team is bringing open-source ecommerce conversations, enterprise growth strategy, and a local Barcelona touch to the show floor.
In this episode, we cover WooCommerce’s presence at Booth B30, where attendees can meet the Woo team, speak with developers and specialists, and explore how open-source ecommerce can support online store growth. The conversation also points to platform features, enterprise ecommerce capabilities, and practical discussions around scaling digital commerce businesses.
The episode also highlights WooCommerce’s exclusive local swag: premium candles from Santaló Candles, a Barcelona-based merchant. Plus, WooCommerce is co-hosting a Rooftop Reset & Happy Hour with Avalara, Mollie, and PayPal, giving attendees another way to connect during Shoptalk Europe.
Key themes in this episode:Open-source ecommerceWooCommerce for scaling online storesEnterprise ecommerce capabilitiesShoptalk Europe BarcelonaWooCommerce Booth B30Ecommerce platform featuresMerchant growth strategiesRetail and ecommerce networking
Visit WooCommerce at Booth B30 during Shoptalk Europe to meet the team, ask about the platform, and learn more about their event activities.

Retail AI, Currys & Hasbro: What’s Changing in Retail

Retail AI is moving quickly — and this episode looks at what that means for retailers, ecommerce platforms, brands, and technology leaders.
In this discussion, the hosts cover a range of retail and commerce stories, including Currys in the UK, European retail activity, Hasbro, TikTok influencers, Rep AI, Claude, Debenhams, and the wider shift toward AI-powered retail platforms. The episode also touches on funding activity, customer behaviour, platform launches, and how retail companies are responding to new technology.
Key themes in this episode include:
AI in retail and ecommerce
Currys and UK consumer electronics
Hasbro and brand-led retail innovation
TikTok influencers and commerce discovery
Rep AI and retail technology funding
Claude and AI platform relevance
Debenhams and retail AI developments
European retail market signals
How customer behaviour is changing
This episode is especially useful for retail leaders, ecommerce teams, founders, marketers, and anyone tracking how AI is reshaping commerce.
Guest/context note: the transcript references Alex, Simon, and Christian, but the provided transcript does not include full names, roles, or bios.
Subscribe for more conversations on retail technology, ecommerce, AI, marketplaces, and the future of digital commerce.
00:00:00 — Episode Intro: Wednesday Retail News Roundup00:00:22 — Welcome and What’s Coming Up00:01:13 — Shop Talk and European Retail Signals00:01:31 — Live Coverage and Market Context00:01:50 — Currys and UK Electronics Retail00:02:23 — Nordic CEO Discussion and Growth Context00:03:01 — Retail Risk, Warning Signs and Monthly Updates00:04:20 — Hasbro Launch Discussion00:05:25 — Toy Companies, TikTok Influencers and Brand Strategy00:05:49 — Rep AI and Retail AI Funding00:06:09 — Claude and AI Platform Direction00:06:51 — Investor Interest and Retail AI Momentum00:07:22 — AI in Retail and Customer Behaviour00:07:36 — Debenhams and Platform Launches00:08:17 — Retail Data, AI Potential and Next Moves00:08:42 — Final Segment: Retail AI Follow-Up

Unauthorized Sellers Are Killing Retail Margins

Unauthorized sellers can quietly destroy retail margins.
In this episode of The Retail Podcast, Alex speaks with Megan Harman, founder of Thorn Crest, about how unauthorized sellers, counterfeits, dupes, broken case packs, copycat products, and weak reseller agreements can erode brand profitability.
Megan explains why online pricing problems do not stay online. A small marketplace undercut can affect Amazon pricing, retail dynamic pricing, buyer margin requirements, and price protection claims.
The conversation also covers why brand protection is not only a legal issue. It is a sales, margin, distribution, and consumer trust issue.
Topics include unauthorized resellers, price integrity, counterfeits, Amazon marketplace pressure, retail margins, reseller agreements, warranty language, and why brands need to rebuild the foundation before the cracks get worse.
Email: Megan at Thorn Crest Website: https://www.thorncrest.com/brand-protection
Subscribe to The Retail Podcast for more conversations on retail strategy, e-commerce, marketplaces, brand protection, consumer brands, and the future of retail.