Retail Disrupted

Natalie Berg

Learn from the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg, Retail Disrupted® is a weekly podcast exploring the biggest trends in retail, e-commerce, and consumer behavior. Join us as we dive into the future of shopping — from AI-powered experiences and omnichannel strategy to reimagined stores, sustainability, social commerce, and more. We explore how technology is reshaping retail, how shopping habits will evolve in the future, and what brands need to do to stay relevant in this digital era. Each episode offers practical insights, sharp analysis, and big-picture thinking to help you navigate the evolving retail sector with confidence. Based in London, designed for a global audience.

  1. Oct 22

    Inside Manhattan Exchange: Supply Chains Get an AI Upgrade

    AI deployed into fragmentation does not create intelligence; it amplifies complexity. Recorded at Manhattan Exchange in Milan, this episode features regular guest Ben Sillitoe to break down what retail leaders shared on the ground about moving beyond AI pilots. Exchange is Manhattan Associates' flagship European event. Last year, the emphasis was on "unleashing the agents". 12 months on, what have we learned? The focus in Milan was on AI agents inside existing workflows: transportation planning agents. Omnichannel specialist agents. Shipment tracking agents. Tools that identify problems and proactively resolve them. But an AI agent is only as useful as the information and rules available to work with. Solid foundations are everything. For example, pulling inventory from one system, customer details from another, fulfilment from a third and carrier data from a fourth creates multiple versions of the truth — and an agent that can confidently give the wrong answer, fast.  The takeaway from Milan: the aim is not to create smarter machines, but smarter organizations — powered by people, unified by technology, accelerated by AI, and unburdened by complexity.  Featuring examples from JD Sports, Asda, L'Oreal, Co-op, Bauhaus, Foot Locker, CIA Conad, and more.  📺 Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/c08ExOWFl90  For more, visit https://www.manh.com  ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is an award-winning Top 5% Global Podcast. Every week, retail analyst Natalie Berg speaks with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail.   👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted 👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321 👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM 👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/ 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com

    Inside Manhattan Exchange: Supply Chains Get an AI Upgrade
  2. Oct 6

    The Body Shop at 50: CEO Mike Jatania on the Comeback Plan

    The Body Shop is in transformation mode. Two years after its rescue from administration, the globally renowned ethical beauty business is moving from stabilization to its next phase of growth under Mike Jatania - Co-Founder of Aurea Group and CEO & Chairman of The Body Shop. Mike joins Natalie Berg to discuss what it takes to revive one of the world's most recognizable and purpose-driven brands.  📺 You can also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRM5IbolyHw&t=1s  Retail leaders will learn: Why loyal customers were never the problem and how to win new customers in a disrupted market. The 5-pillar turnaround: brand positioning, meeting shoppers where they are, data-led decisions, speed to market, and operational focus. Why stores still matter: creating relaxed, personalized, experience-led spaces and a seamless online to in-store journey. The digital growth plan: growing D2C e-commerce from 15% to 40% of sales within the next 3 years - and getting the assortment right for marketplaces and quick commerce.. How The Body Shop returned to the US exclusively through e-commerce and Mike's plans to selectively return to bricks & mortar in the future. The opportunity in wholesale and travel retail. One of The Body Shop's best performing stores in Germany? A railway station in Cologne. How The Body Shop is using AI across marketing, supply chain, demand planning, legal, and more. What Gen Z really wants: purpose plus performance, backed by clinical proof. ABOUT OUR GUEST Mike is CEO & Chairman of The Body Shop and Co-Founder of Aurea Group, a specialist private equity firm focused on beauty, wellness and longevity. A seasoned entrepreneur and a visionary leader in the beauty and personal care industry, Mike previously served as CEO of the Lornamead Group where he played a pivotal role in transforming the company into a global powerhouse, managing a portfolio of more than 30 personal care brands distributed across 50 countries. In 2021, Mike Jatania co-founded Aurea Group with former UBS Vice Chairman, Paul Raphael. In September 2024, through Auréa, Mike led a consortium of investors to acquire The Body Shop, where he now serves as Executive Chairman and CEO. Mike aims to usher in a new chapter for The Body Shop, driving growth and enhancing its global presence while preserving its core values and ethos. ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is an award-winning Top 5% Global Podcast. Every week, retail analyst Natalie Berg speaks with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail.   👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted  👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321   👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM   👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/  👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com

    The Body Shop at 50: CEO Mike Jatania on the Comeback Plan
  3. Sep 22

    How Cheeky Wipes Built a Daily TikTok Live Strategy

    Live every day for 18 months: how Cheeky Wipes turns awkward questions into sales on TikTok. In this mini episode, Helen Rankin, founder of Cheeky Wipes and Cheeky Pants, shares how daily TikTok Lives build community and remove barriers to buy. She speaks to Natalie Berg at TikTok's live shopping event in Covent Garden. Cheeky Wipes and Cheeky Pants is a reusable hygiene brand founded by Helen Rankin in 2008 after she struggled to find baby wipes suitable for eczema-prone skin. What started as Helen packing boxes in her garage has grown into a team of 20. The company sells reusable wipes, period products, cloth nappies and incontinence solutions, helping consumers reduce waste and save money. On TikTok, the brand has built a loyal community through educational livestreams, sustainability content, and product demonstrations. The focus is on educational and relatable content, demystifying sensitive topics and creating a space where customers feel comfortable asking the awkward questions they might not ask elsewhere. For retail leaders, Helen explains why consistency beats virality, how live Q&A helps shoppers try education-heavy products, and how TikTok and cheekywipes.com work together. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBKrO5D-mk8  🎙️ Retail Disrupted is an award-winning Top 5% Global Podcast. Every week, retail analyst Natalie Berg speaks with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail.   👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted  👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321   👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM   👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/  👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com

    How Cheeky Wipes Built a Daily TikTok Live Strategy
  4. Sep 10

    Kraft Heinz Europe's Chief Growth Officer on the Power of Partnerships

    How does Kraft Heinz decide what shoppers actually want next — from a viral vodka pasta to zero sugar, zero salt ketchup? Karen Owen, Chief Growth Officer, Europe & Pacific Developed Markets, at Kraft Heinz, joins Natalie Berg to discuss how to turn consumer obsession into commercial growth — from spotting viral trends and building true brand partnerships to testing flavour and creative with AI as one tool in a bigger innovation engine. A playbook for commerce leaders on reading shoppers and scaling what works. 📺 Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXchNfFHWyU  WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: • How Kraft Heinz reads consumer signals — Gen Z, singletons and QSR inspiration — before committing to launch • Inside the Ocado test-and-learn partnership: joint consumer data, co-developed ranges, and Ocado's role testing pack, range and on-shelf execution • From viral to bestseller: How Gigi Hadid's vodka pasta led to the creation of Heinz x Absolut tomato vodka pasta sauce — #3 in UK supermarkets at launch and Kraft Heinz's best-selling limited edition — and why Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero is now +26% YoY • Where AI saves hundreds of hours (flavour profiling, creative pre-testing) and where human insight still leads, plus early signals on agentic commerce ABOUT OUR GUEST Karen Owen oversees innovation, marketing and brand strategy for Kraft Heinz' European and Pacific Developed Markets, united by the company's crown jewel, Heinz - a global brand icon with roots in Karen's hometown of Wigan, where her love for the billion-dollar brand began. A seasoned CPG executive with a passion for building high performing teams, Karen has a track record of spearheading innovation and creativity to drive top and bottom-line growth for global brands like LIPTON Teas and Infusions, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer prior to joining Kraft Heinz. Karen has also held leadership roles at Diageo, Coty Beauty and P&G. ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast. Every week, retail analyst Natalie Berg speaks with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail.   👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted  👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321   👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM   👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/  👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com

    Kraft Heinz Europe's Chief Growth Officer on the Power of Partnerships
5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Learn from the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg, Retail Disrupted® is a weekly podcast exploring the biggest trends in retail, e-commerce, and consumer behavior. Join us as we dive into the future of shopping — from AI-powered experiences and omnichannel strategy to reimagined stores, sustainability, social commerce, and more. We explore how technology is reshaping retail, how shopping habits will evolve in the future, and what brands need to do to stay relevant in this digital era. Each episode offers practical insights, sharp analysis, and big-picture thinking to help you navigate the evolving retail sector with confidence. Based in London, designed for a global audience.

You Might Also Like