The Retail Podcast (Video Feed)

What does it take to build global brands in one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets?
Sumeet Yadav, Head of Reliance Brands Limited, joins The Retail Podcast just before his keynote at NRF APAC 2026 in Singapore.
Reliance Brands Limited is one of India’s most important platforms for global luxury and lifestyle partnerships, spanning fashion, lifestyle, eyewear, toys, home, and food and beverage.
In this episode, we explore how international brands enter India, what it takes to scale them with relevance, and why the Indian consumer market requires both global brand discipline and local operating depth.
Key themes:
• Global brand growth in India• India’s luxury and lifestyle retail market• Reliance Brands Limited and international partnerships• Premium retail and consumer evolution• Lessons from Hamleys, Mothercare, Diesel, Superdry, Brooks Brothers, Giorgio Armani, Bottega Veneta, Valentino and Tiffany & Co.• Leadership lessons from Reliance Brands, Hamleys Global, Nando’s, Tommy Hilfiger India and Ford• NRF APAC 2026 and the future of Asia Pacific retail
This episode is for retailers, brand leaders, founders, investors and operators interested in India, global brand expansion, luxury retail, lifestyle retail and the future of consumer brands.
Links:Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumeet-yadav-8a48a87Reliance Brands / Reliance Retail: https://relianceretail.com/partner-brands.htmlNRF APAC 2026: https://nrfbigshowapac.nrf.com/speakers/sumeet_yadav__Podcast website: www.theretailpodcast.comNewsletter: www.retailnews.ai

Retailers are facing a new discovery challenge: what happens when AI search becomes the layer between brands and customers?
In this episode of World Retail, Alex is joined by Niamh and Ian from World Retail Congress to discuss what is top of mind across global retail. The conversation starts with one of the biggest concerns raised in a CEO survey: whether AI-driven search could reduce brand visibility by surfacing competitors, platforms or intermediaries instead of the retailers customers are actually looking for.
The team explores Shopee’s expanded partnership with ChatGPT, examples from Walmart, Google and Sephora, and why retailers may need to move from worrying about AI search to actively building around it.
They also discuss:
Why Barnes & Noble and Waterstones may show the continued power of physical bookstoresHow James Daunt’s store autonomy model has helped reshape bookstore retailWhy Action’s lean operating model and rapid store growth make it a major value retail storyThe allegations around Anthropic, Alibaba and ClaudeWhy Target and Brian Cornell are back under investor scrutinyWhat these stories reveal about the future of physical retail, AI search and customer experience
Guest/context: This episode features Alex with co-hosts Niamh and Ian from World Retail Congress.
00:00 - Retailers fear AI search could hide their brands00:38 - Welcome to World Retail with Neve and Ian01:04 - Why Asia may show the future of retail01:21 - AI search becomes retailers’ top concern01:46 - Shopee expands its ChatGPT partnership02:15 - Walmart, Google, Sephora and retail AI adoption03:13 - Barnes & Noble and Waterstones IPO rumours04:13 - What retailers can learn from local bookstore autonomy04:40 - Action rebounds as 3i investors watch value retail05:33 - Why Action’s operating model is so effective06:22 - Action’s store density, SKU consistency and local flexibility08:35 - Anthropic, Alibaba and alleged Claude distillation claims09:54 - Target, Brian Cornell and investor pressure11:12 - Heatwave wrap-up and closing thoughtsSubscribe for more weekly analysis on global retail, AI in commerce, store strategy, ecommerce, leadership and the future of retail.

This week on Five Things Friday UK Edition, Alex is joined by Simone Oloman, co-founder and CEO of For Tonight / Neft, a rapid delivery business for retailers, to unpack five retail stories from a quieter but still revealing week in UK fashion, lifestyle and consumer culture.
From Lacoste transforming Selfridges into a tennis clubhouse to Ralph Lauren’s Wimbledon activity on Sloane Square, this episode looks at how brands are turning sporting moments into immersive retail experiences.
Alex and Simone also discuss why big physical retail is far from dead, with JD Sports opening its largest store in Scotland and Dunelm launching a 34,000 sq ft Kingston superstore. Plus, they look at Disney’s push into collectibles with YuYus and why Nadine Merabi’s denim launch is a smart example of category expansion.
In this episode:
How Wimbledon is becoming a major retail activation momentWhy fashion and sport collaborations feel increasingly naturalThe return of large-format flagship retailDisney YuYus and the power of collectiblesNadine Merabi’s move from occasionwear into everyday wardrobe categoriesWhy trust is key when brands expand into new product areas
Guest context:Simone Oloman is the co-founder and CEO of Need It For Tonight / NIFT, a business offering rapid delivery for retailers, including app-based delivery and checkout integrations for 90-minute delivery.
Show notes / links mentioned:Nadine Merabi: https://www.instagram.com/nadinemerabi/?hl=enLacoste at Selfridges: https://www.theindustry.fashion/lacoste-brings-its-tennis-clubhouse-to-selfridges/Ralph Lauren Wimbledon post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZtsNTsDBf3/?img_index=7JD Sports Livingston: https://www.lcpgroup.co.uk/news/jd-sports-opens-its-largest-store-in-scotland-at-the-centre-livingston-next-monthJD Sports: https://www.jdsports.co.uk/Dunelm Kingston: https://furniturenews.net/news/dunelm-opens-kingston-superstoreDisney YuYus Soho pop-up: https://press.disney.co.uk/news/meet-disneys-cutest-new-collectable-companions-this-june-at-exclusive-pop-up-in-soho

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
Subscribe for weekly retail insights and analysis.

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
Subscribe for weekly insights into retail innovation, commerce, customer experience and the future of shopping.
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

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

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.
Subscribe for more international retail briefings.

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.

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.
 
 

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