Buying and Beyond

Buying & Beyond
  • 5.0 (9)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Buying & Beyond podcast, the podcast for all things Retail Buying...and more!Join us, Kate & Lyns, buyers and best friends, each week for industry insights, stories and expertise from real people in retail.   Enjoy honest stories and conversations, retail therapy and learn bite-sized tips from us and our guests from across the industry. Season 1 starts with Becoming a Buyer - the background to how we started in the industry, what exactly is a Buyer, working your way up the ladder and the main meetings and tasks working in BuyingSeason 2 is all about Being a Buyer - leading a team, coordinating trips, working with suppliers, product & personal development and sustainabilitySeason 3 takes us beyond just the direct Buying team - we introduce merchandisers, talk about designers and new trends, burnout & life coaching. Season 4 is where we are joined by more Retail Buyers and have also invited Retail Businesses to tell us their storiesSeason 5 continues with a fantastic assortment of Retail Buyers and Retail Businesses. We find out how they got started and what inspires & excites them about retail - plus we lift the lid on what Brands need and Buyers expect! We are your modern day mentors; prepping Buyers of the future and empowering current Buyers. Our insights for retail businesses and entrepreneurs will shine a light on how to to build, grow, scale and pitch like a pro! If you like listening to this podcast, please rate, follow and share - you can also find us on instagram @buyingandbeyond Come behind the scenes with Buying and Beyond

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    S8 E8: From Buyer to Supplier: A Journey Through the World of Food with Claire McIlroy

    Claire McIlroy returns to the pod for a deep dive into the fascinating and surprisingly complex world of grocery buying. Having started her career on the buying side at DHL and Morrisons before moving into sales and her current role as Sales Director, Claire brings a rare dual perspective on what it really takes to get food from farm to shelf. She's also co-founder of the W Collective, a community dedicated to empowering women in their corporate careers. In this episode, we hear how Claire worked her way through procurement at DHL - buying everything from stationery and paper clips to food for the NHS and Ministry of Defence, before blacking her way through three rounds of interviews to land a role at Morrisons' famously grand (and notoriously hard-to-reach) Bradford head office. There, she cut her teeth on Core Grocery private label buying, managing a huge portfolio of ambient products from chocolate spread and pasta to yeast extract. Claire breaks down what private label buying really involves - from developing products that closely match branded equivalents (without crossing IP lines), to navigating salt and sugar targets, traffic light labelling, and driving efficiencies through packaging, sourcing, and logistics. This leads into the now-famous Thailand chicken example, highlighting just how global and commercially driven food supply chains are. She then reflects on her time in fresh produce -from blueberries shipped in a dormant state to the reality of out-of-season fruit, it’s a fascinating look at what really sits behind quality on shelf. Now on the supply side, Claire shares how her perspective has shifted within frozen from different KPIs to the impact of global events on costs - and why it’s a category far more complex than it might seem. Finally, Claire reflects on her evolution from buyer to leader, how she built her confidence by always putting her hand up for the big, visible projects and how that same philosophy now underpins the work she does at the W Collective, where she coaches women to be strategic about their careers, close the gender pay gap, and step into leadership roles.  Three Key Takeaways: Buying is about far more than price. From supply chain efficiency and shelf-ready packaging to palletization and temperature-controlled shipping, a buyer's role spans procurement strategy, product development, logistics, and supplier relationships. If your availability or quality isn't there, the cheapest deal in the world means nothing.Understanding seasonality and provenance changes how you shop. Blueberries from Peru that are put to sleep for six weeks at sea, Brazilian beef, chicken sourced from Thailand — the global nature of food supply chains is vast and largely invisible to consumers. That bland tomato or tasteless strawberry in winter? It's telling you exactly where it came from.Be strategic about your career, not just ambitious. Claire's advice from her work with the W Collective: vague goals like "I want to be a director" aren't enough. Set SMART objectives, put yourself forward for projects that expand your skillset and raise your visibility with senior stakeholders, and build your confidence deliberately — step by step.Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram   Send us a DM or email hello@buyingandbeyond.co.uk  Find out more about us www.buyingandbeyond.co.uk If you'd like to show a little more love, then head here to give us just a little bit *extra* and show us your support :) thank you! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2300060/support

    57 min

  2. 1 APR

    S8 E8: Ginny & Me- Pre-Order Power & The Rise of Social-First Brands

    In this episode, Yasmin O’Donnell shares the story behind Ginny & Me a social-first fashion brand that has quickly built a cult following around its hero flared-sleeve windbreaker jacket. What began in her Oxford Brookes University bedroom, experimenting with Amazon-bought fabrics and hand-sewing garments, has grown into a brand that now sells out monthly pre-orders, has been featured in Vogue and Vanity Fair, and operates with a fiercely loyal community, all without a traditional retail or buying background. Yasmin talks about how Ginny & Me started as what she calls an “accidental brand,” initially rooted in linen and gingham pieces (with the name itself evolving from “gingham”). Before even launching her first drop, she had already built a following of 800 people and when that first collection went live, it sold out in just 28 minutes. From there, the brand evolved into its now-signature product: the flared-sleeve windbreaker, which gained traction after a viral TikTok moment at a King’s Road pop-up. That moment not only accelerated growth but also introduced the pre-order model that now defines the business. We explore why pre-order has been such a powerful strategy for Ginny & Me - supporting cash flow, reducing waste, and building anticipation with every drop. Yasmin also shares the reality behind the scenes, from navigating multiple manufacturers before finding the right partners, to pricing products instinctively (even absorbing VAT to keep pricing accessible). The conversation touches on the brand’s unexpected crossover into the running and athleisure space, and how its content strategy has been driven less by planning and more by authenticity - showing the real, often chaotic day-to-day of building a business. Alongside the growth, Yasmin opens up about the challenges too -burnout, scaling quickly, and the decision to bring in a fulfilment centre to support demand. She also shares her experience entering the wholesale world somewhat last-minute through Top Drawer, and what’s next for the brand, including upcoming collaborations and long-term ambitions across categories like homeware and babywear. It’s an honest and refreshing conversation about building a brand in a new way, trusting your instincts, and learning as you go. Three Key Takeaways: Pre-order is the way forward Yasmin's monthly pre-order model eliminates waste, guarantees sales before production, and creates built-in hype and urgency. It turns limited supply into a feature, not a limitation - customers eagerly wait for each drop, and there's zero unsold inventory heading to landfill. Authenticity beats polish Ginny & Me's growth has been fueled not by a rigid content strategy but by Yasmin's raw, unfiltered personality on TikTok and Instagram. Showing the real, behind-the-scenes journey resonates far more than curated content - proving that relatability builds stronger, longer-lasting community loyalty. Trust your gut and just start With no formal fashion industry experience, Yasmin has relied on instinct, experimentation, and learning in real time. Her advice is simple: don’t wait for perfect knowledge or permission - start, figure it out as you go, and trust your instincts along the way. Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram   Send us a DM or email hello@buyingandbeyond.co.uk  Find out more about us www.buyingandbeyond.co.uk If you'd like to show a little more love, then head here to give us just a little bit *extra* and show us your support :) thank you! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2300060/support

    45 min

  3. 26 MAR

    S8 E7: Introducing... The Buyers Club

    In this special episode, we’re doing something a little different. Before we dive into our usual conversations, we’re sharing something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for a while- the launch of The Buyer’s Club. This has been a long time coming, and it’s something we feel incredibly passionate about because it really started with our own experience. Throughout our careers in buying, we’ve always leaned on each other to sense-check decisions, share the highs and lows, and navigate what can often feel like a fast-paced and, at times, quite intense role. Having that support made a huge difference, and it made us realise just how valuable it is to have people around you who truly understand what you do. Created by buyers, for buyers, The Buyer’s Club is a members-only community designed to support those working in retail buying through connection, shared insight and ongoing inspiration. The idea came not only from our own experience, but also from speaking to the wider industry. After gathering feedback from over 400 retail buyers, it became clear that there was a real need for a space like this, somewhere buyers could feel more connected, supported and understood. Retail buying sits in a unique position within the industry. It’s a role that blends creativity with commercial thinking, requiring instinct, data, and the ability to make decisions quickly. It’s incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with its challenges and often, those experiences are only truly understood by other buyers. That’s exactly what led us to create The Buyer’s Club: a space where those conversations can happen more openly, and where buyers can learn from each other in a meaningful way. Inside the club, members have access to a range of content and experiences designed to support them in their roles. This includes curated trend edits and retail insights to help inform buying decisions, learning and development tools, and a calendar of key industry moments. Alongside this, there are opportunities to connect through networking events and monthly online catch-ups, as well as access to a private community space, behind-the-scenes podcast content and exclusive member perks. The Buyer’s Club is for anyone working in retail buying, whether you’re at the beginning of your career or have years of experience behind you. If you’re looking to feel more connected to others in the industry, stay inspired, and have access to tools and insight that support your role, this is exactly why we built it. If you’d like to join, you can find more details via our website:  www.jointhebuyersclub.co.uk Three Key Takeaways Built on real buyer feedback The Buyer’s Club has been shaped by insights from over 400 retail buyers, ensuring it reflects the real needs, challenges and aspirations of those working in the role every day. Retail buying deserves its own space It’s a unique role that sits between creativity and commerce, with experiences that are often only understood by others in the same position — making a dedicated community more important than ever. Connection builds confidence At its core, The Buyer’s Club is about bringing buyers together — creating a s Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram   Send us a DM or email hello@buyingandbeyond.co.uk  Find out more about us www.buyingandbeyond.co.uk If you'd like to show a little more love, then head here to give us just a little bit *extra* and show us your support :) thank you! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2300060/support

    42 min

  4. 18 MAR

    S8 E6: Rental, Resilience & Redefining Maternity Fashion with Lyndsay Mason

    In this episode, we sit down with Lyndsay Mason, founder and CEO of For The Creators, a business transforming maternity and early parenthood fashion through a sustainable rental model. What began as a personal frustration with the lack of stylish, practical options for expectant and new mothers has evolved into a comprehensive platform offering curated clothing rental, thoughtfully selected lifestyle products, and soon, a dedicated community space. Lyndsay shares her journey from global digital marketer for baby brands to building a fashion-tech rental business without a traditional fashion background. She talks candidly about launching with just a 10-dress capsule collection, navigating the operational complexities of rental logistics and technology, and scaling the model through wholesale partnerships with brands including Whistles, Hatch and Rykä. We explore the clear gap in the maternity and postpartum market, and how Lyndsay built a rental model from scratch to serve women during a significant life-stage shift. The conversation covers curating for bump-friendly and breastfeeding-ready styles, developing a membership model that enables unlimited wardrobe swaps, and the realities of inventory forecasting in a stock-heavy, capital-intensive rental business. Lyndsay also explains how the platform is evolving beyond clothing into beauty, wellness and lifestyle, driven directly by customer feedback and community insight. At its core, For The Creators is not only providing a more sustainable and stylish solution for modern parents, but also creating new customer acquisition channels for fashion brands - all while building a supportive ecosystem for women navigating pregnancy, postpartum and identity transformation. Three Key Takeaways Underserved life-stage markets present powerful opportunities. The maternity and postpartum period represents a major identity and lifestyle shift, yet many women feel unsupported by existing fashion options. Spotting these gaps can unlock meaningful and commercially viable business ideas.Rental requires operational depth, not just great branding. Success in fashion rental depends on sufficient sizing, variety and stock depth at all times. It’s a capital-intensive model that demands careful forecasting, utilisation management and forward planning.Customer feedback should shape evolution. From expanding into maternity wear to introducing beauty, wellness and lifestyle products, For The Creators has grown by listening closely to its community — building what customers genuinely need, rather than what the brand assumes they want. Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram   Send us a DM or email hello@buyingandbeyond.co.uk  Find out more about us www.buyingandbeyond.co.uk If you'd like to show a little more love, then head here to give us just a little bit *extra* and show us your support :) thank you! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2300060/support

    43 min

  5. 11 MAR

    S8 E5 Burnout Isn’t a Badge of Honour with Janine McManus

    This week we’re joined by Janine McManus - former fashion buyer, therapeutic coach and founder of We Beam - for a powerful and honest conversation about burnout, identity and redefining success. Janine began her career as a print designer before carving her way into buying at Burton, later spending formative years at ASOS during its meteoric rise. She shares what it was like to be part of that high-energy growth phase - the creativity, the camaraderie, the culture that made it feel like anything was possible. But alongside the highs, Janine speaks candidly about the pressures many buyers will recognise: relentless deadlines, constant decision-making, long hours and the quiet normalisation of stress and burnout. We explore what happens when the role you once loved no longer serves you - and how Janine made the brave decision to step away from retail to retrain in hypnotherapy and transformational coaching. Today, through We Beam, she supports individuals navigating stress, career crossroads and the search for something more sustainable. This episode is a thoughtful reflection on identity beyond your job title, the power of community in high-performance cultures, and why investing in people - not just productivity - is what truly drives long-term success. Three Key Takeaways 1) Your job title is not your identity  In fast-paced industries like retail, it’s easy for your role to become who you are. Janine reminds us of the importance of reconnecting with your values, your energy and your personal definition of success - beyond promotions or prestige. 2) Culture and community fuel performance  ASOS thrived in its early years because of belief, creativity and genuine team connection. When businesses prioritise people and belonging, productivity follows. When they prioritise output alone, burnout isn’t far behind. 3) Burnout isn’t “just part of the job”  Retail buying has long normalised overwork and high stress. But accepting that narrative limits both people and businesses. Seeking support - whether through coaching, therapy or community - is a strength, not a weakness. Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram   Send us a DM or email hello@buyingandbeyond.co.uk  Find out more about us www.buyingandbeyond.co.uk If you'd like to show a little more love, then head here to give us just a little bit *extra* and show us your support :) thank you! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2300060/support

    59 min

  6. 4 MAR

    S8 E4: From Fashion Buying to Building Club Mera with Amy Rollings

    In this episode, we sit down with Amy Rollings, a commercial leader with over 20 years of experience at some of the world’s most influential fashion and lifestyle brands, including Burberry, Michael Kors, Kurt Geiger and Pangaia. Amy takes us on her journey from a fashion intern in New York to building a deep foundation in retail buying, where she learned to understand product, customer behavior, and brand storytelling at scale. She reflects on her time at Burberry during its “golden years” under Angela Ahrendts and Christopher Bailey, and how being part of a culture-first organization shaped her approach to leadership and collaboration. Amy shares why she decided to leave the corporate world to co-found Club Mera, a non-alcoholic lifestyle brand redefining social drinking. She opens up about the realities of starting a business from scratch, building a brand ecosystem, moving fast, and embracing failure- as well as how her non-linear, “squiggly” career prepared her for the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship. We dive into the skills and experiences that helped Amy succeed in buying and leadership roles, including the importance of negotiation, communication, and relationship-building. She highlights why being customer-obsessed is more important than ever, especially in today’s fragmented market, and shares how her early experiences as a “sponge” in retail buying set her up for long-term commercial impact. Along the way, she reflects on navigating redundancies, difficult work situations, and how these moments taught resilience, adaptability, and the confidence to take calculated risks later in life. Amy also talks about redefining social drinking with an inclusive, adult alcohol-free option, and how her experience across different categories, from fashion to lifestyle, helped her spot opportunities, understand consumer behavior, and turn ideas into actionable, successful business decisions. Three Key Takeaways Surround Yourself with the Right People - From mentors to co-founders and suppliers, Amy credits the people around her for shaping her success. The relationships you build will influence your career and business trajectory, whether you’re starting out, progressing into leadership, or launching your own venture. Your “Squiggly Career” is Your Superpower - Amy’s non-linear path, including redundancies and challenging work situations, gave her resilience, tenacity, and a broad skill set that prepared her for entrepreneurship. Embrace detours- they’re setting you up for what’s next. Take Action on Your Ideas - Ideas alone aren’t enough; execution is key. Amy emphasizes that age is just a number and it’s never too late to go after what you want. Surround yourself with expertise where needed, start small, and keep moving forward.Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram   Send us a DM or email hello@buyingandbeyond.co.uk  Find out more about us www.buyingandbeyond.co.uk If you'd like to show a little more love, then head here to give us just a little bit *extra* and show us your support :) thank you! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2300060/support

    57 min

  7. 25 FEB

    S8 E3: Podcast LIVE at Top Drawer - Getting started in AI with Hannah Adams

    This week’s episode is split into two parts. The first was recorded live at Top Drawer back in January, where we sat down with Hannah Adams to talk about AI and what it really means for buyers and brands. The second dives into Hannah’s career journey from buyer to business transformation specialist and what that evolution teaches us about modern retail careers. Part One: Live from Top Drawer - AI in Retail Recording live brought such energy to this conversation. We wanted to strip AI back to what actually matters in day-to-day retail roles. Hannah shares her experience at ASOS, where she worked on implementing Microsoft Copilot, and breaks down how tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can support buyers in practical ways. We cover real use cases, competitor analysis, trend research, product development ideas, supplier emails, negotiation prep and contract reviews as well as the importance of strong prompting and protecting sensitive business data. The key message? AI is an assistant, not a replacement. Your judgement and instinct still matter most- AI simply helps you move faster and think wider. Part Two: Hannah’s Career Pivot Hannah started her career at Evans within Arcadia Group before moving into buying roles at Topman during the High Street’s early 2000s peak. She shares the reality of international supplier travel- from Taiwan to Mauritius and the buzz of developing product and trading weekly sales. Her move into business transformation was driven by both lifestyle considerations and curiosity. She explains how transformation roles act as the bridge between technical teams and commercial teams, helping retailers adopt new systems in ways that genuinely work for buyers and merchandisers. Her journey is a brilliant example of how transferable buying skills really are — negotiation, stakeholder management and commercial thinking open far more doors than many realise. We finish by reflecting on what we all still love about buying: the thrill of sales, backing your instinct, building supplier relationships and seeing product come to life. Three Takeaways 1) AI won’t replace buyers - but buyers who use AI well will have an advantage. 2) Buying skills are incredibly transferable. Retail careers don’t have to be linear to be successful. 3) Whether it’s new technology or a new role, growth comes from experimenting, staying curious and backing yourself. Let us know what resonates most and whether you’ve started exploring AI in your own role yet. Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram   Send us a DM or email hello@buyingandbeyond.co.uk  Find out more about us www.buyingandbeyond.co.uk If you'd like to show a little more love, then head here to give us just a little bit *extra* and show us your support :) thank you! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2300060/support

    56 min

  8. 18 FEB

    S8 E2: From shop floor lessons to commercial confidence in FMCG with Dahlia Stroud

    S8 EP2 From shop floor lessons to commercial confidence with Dahlia Stroud This week we’re joined by Dahlia Stroud, a retail and FMCG leader whose career spans Nestlé, Asda and Co-op, where she’s led commercial strategy, online trading and multiple buying teams (without ever officially holding the buyer title). Today she hosts Stressed But Well-Dressed, exploring the link between confidence, mindset and how we show up at work. In this episode we go back to the start- field sales, Christmas aisles and learning retail the hard way and how those early experiences built the instincts she later used to lead teams and shape commercial decisions across categories from home to healthcare. We talk about the moment online retail changed everything: why a profitable product on paper isn’t always profitable in reality, how customer behaviour differs by channel, and why great buyers have to understand the full journey not just the margin line. Dahlia shares how she influenced teams without authority, using insight and education to bring people with her rather than telling them what to do. We also get into the human side of careers. Redundancy knocked her confidence and identity, and led to creating Stressed But Well-Dressed as a way to rebuild her voice, discovering along the way that everyone, even senior leaders, is figuring it out as they go. Confidence, she says, isn’t about knowing everything it’s about trusting you can work it out. Along the way we cover trend moments that unexpectedly explode, why getting the basics right matters just as much as innovation, and the psychology behind why customers actually buy things in the first place. Three key takeaways 1. The best commercial instincts are built on the shop floor  Those early, unglamorous roles teach you how retail actually works - customers, stores, operations and reality vs theory. That experience shapes stronger decisions later because you understand the impact beyond the numbers. 2. Buying isn’t just margin (yes we did say that) it’s the full operating model  Online retail forced a shift from product-level thinking to end-to-end thinking. Packaging, fulfilment, returns and behaviour all matter, and the strongest commercial teams are the ones who connect customer behaviour to financial outcomes. 3. Confidence drives progression more than job titles  Redundancy pushed Dahlia to rebuild her identity and voice- and reinforced a simple truth: everyone has doubt. The difference is backing yourself anyway. When you change your internal narrative, your external impact changes too. Connect with Dahlia Podcast: Stressed But Well-Dressed Exploring the relationship between clothing, confidence, and mindset Support the show If you've liked this episode please rate, follow, subscribe and share :) - and if you already have, thank you! Follow us @buyingandbeyond on Instagram   Send us a DM or email hello@buyingandbeyond.co.uk  Find out more about us www.buyingandbeyond.co.uk If you'd like to show a little more love, then head here to give us just a little bit *extra* and show us your support :) thank you! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2300060/support

    46 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Buying & Beyond podcast, the podcast for all things Retail Buying...and more!Join us, Kate & Lyns, buyers and best friends, each week for industry insights, stories and expertise from real people in retail.   Enjoy honest stories and conversations, retail therapy and learn bite-sized tips from us and our guests from across the industry. Season 1 starts with Becoming a Buyer - the background to how we started in the industry, what exactly is a Buyer, working your way up the ladder and the main meetings and tasks working in BuyingSeason 2 is all about Being a Buyer - leading a team, coordinating trips, working with suppliers, product & personal development and sustainabilitySeason 3 takes us beyond just the direct Buying team - we introduce merchandisers, talk about designers and new trends, burnout & life coaching. Season 4 is where we are joined by more Retail Buyers and have also invited Retail Businesses to tell us their storiesSeason 5 continues with a fantastic assortment of Retail Buyers and Retail Businesses. We find out how they got started and what inspires & excites them about retail - plus we lift the lid on what Brands need and Buyers expect! We are your modern day mentors; prepping Buyers of the future and empowering current Buyers. Our insights for retail businesses and entrepreneurs will shine a light on how to to build, grow, scale and pitch like a pro! If you like listening to this podcast, please rate, follow and share - you can also find us on instagram @buyingandbeyond Come behind the scenes with Buying and Beyond

Information

  • Creator
    Buying & Beyond
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Buying and Beyond
  • Show Website
    Buying and Beyond

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