The Retail Podcast (Video Feed)

The Retail Podcast
The Retail Podcast
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The Retail Podcast explores the future of retail through conversations with the leaders, innovators, and brands shaping the industry. Hosted by Alex Rezvan, former Microsoft and Verizon Retail lead, the show brings global conference insights, executive interviews, and sharp analysis on technology, stores, AI, customer experience, and the forces redefining retail.

  1. 53m ago ·  Video

    Is UK Retail Changing Again? Argos, Charlotte Tilbury, ONS, Primark & Skims

    The UK retail industry never stands still. This week Alex and Simone unpack five of the biggest retail stories shaping customer experience, ecommerce, retail technology and consumer behaviour across the UK. In this episode: • Charlotte Tilbury transforms Covent Garden into an immersive Unreal Glow Club pop-up experience • Online Home Shop posts impressive growth as UK ecommerce continues to evolve • Morrisons introduces new retail innovation • Argos reinvents its iconic catalogue with personalised digital shopping experiences • New ONS retail sales data raises questions about the future of ecommerce • Primark steals headlines with a cheeky response to the new Skims flagship opening on Regent Street The discussion explores where UK retail is heading, whether ecommerce has entered another phase of structural growth, and how retailers are increasingly competing through experience, discovery and customer inspiration rather than price alone. Stories discussed Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Glow Club https://www.instagram.com/p/DbY-C2ZjTv1/?img_index=8 Online Home Shop https://www.onlinehomeshop.com/ Argos Your Catalogue https://www.argos.co.uk/events/your-catalogue Online Home Shop company filings https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08885099/filing-history ONS Retail Sales June 2026 https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry/bulletins/retailsales/june2026 Primark campaign https://www.instagram.com/p/DbOUY2Ct2Lm/ Subscribe for weekly retail intelligence covering: • Retail Innovation • AI in Retail • Ecommerce • Store Design • Consumer Trends • Grocery • Fashion Retail • Retail Technology • Omnichannel • Global Retail News The Retail Podcast delivers conversations with the world's leading retailers, technology companies and industry experts. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Charlotte Tilbury's Unreal Glow Club Pop-up 02:55 Online Home Shop's £100M Growth Story 04:22 ONS Retail Sales & Ecommerce Trends 05:37 Argos Reinvents the Catalogue 07:32 Primark vs Skims on Regent Street 10:04 NRF Europe Preview 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Which trend discussed today do you think will impact the industry most? Let us know in the comments below!

    Is UK Retail Changing Again? Argos, Charlotte Tilbury, ONS, Primark & Skims

  2. 2d ago ·  Video

    US Retail Sales Surge, Walmart’s World Cup Moment and Wonder’s $9B Bet

    US retail sales rose more than 11% year over year in June across the core categories tracked by Retail Dive. But the headline number is only one part of this week’s retail story. Alex Rezvan and Jill Dvorak examine five developments affecting consumer behaviour, store experience, fulfilment and food technology. First, they consider the possible influence of the FIFA World Cup on retail activity and discuss how international fans turned Walmart into an unexpected American tourist experience. Walmart responded to the organic attention by working with LaLiga on guided store tours—an example of a retailer identifying a cultural moment and acting while the audience was still engaged. The conversation then moves to Amazon’s planned $48 million robotics-enabled fulfilment facility in Georgetown, Texas. Alex and Jill consider how goods-to-person automation could affect operating costs, fulfilment speed and the role of people inside the warehouse. Sephora is introducing Quiet Hours across its global regions after a pilot involving 32 stores in eight markets. Lower music, fewer screen distractions and reduced sensory stimulation are intended to make stores more accessible and comfortable for neurodivergent customers and anyone seeking a calmer environment. Finally, the episode examines Wonder following its $650 million Series D round at a $9 billion pre-money valuation. Founded by Marc Lore, Wonder combines multiple restaurant concepts, delivery, kitchen technology and personalisation within one platform. The central question is whether Wonder can use technology and operational consolidation to give households more choice while making ordering simpler. Topics covered: • US retail sales and consumer spending • Retail and the FIFA World Cup • Walmart store tours and cultural relevance • Social listening and rapid retail activation • Amazon robotics and fulfilment automation • Sephora Quiet Hours • Neuroinclusive and sensory-friendly retail • Wonder and Marc Lore • Food halls, ghost kitchens and restaurant technology • Delivery, personalisation and customer convenience Presented by Alex Rezvan and Jill Dvorak. Five Things Friday USA is part of The Retail Podcast, covering the developments shaping retail, technology, AI, stores and consumer behaviour. Sources discussed include Retail Dive, Business Insider, Sephora Newsroom, Wonder Newsroom and reporting on Amazon’s Georgetown development.

    US Retail Sales Surge, Walmart’s World Cup Moment and Wonder’s $9B Bet

  3. 3d ago ·  Video

    5 Things Friday: WAIC 2026, JD.com's EU Bid & Decathlon's Uber Eats Move

    AI is moving beyond individual productivity tools. The more important question is whether companies will redesign their operating models around it. In this edition of Five Things Friday: APAC Edition, Ryf Quail and the panel examine five developments connecting technology, market expansion, regulation, cultural identity and on-demand retail. The lead discussion comes from the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, where the focus extended beyond chatbots and content generation. The panel considers a future in which an orchestrating AI coordinates specialised agents across demand prediction, media allocation and business measurement, leaving people to focus on judgement, creativity and strategy. The episode also explores: • JD’s proposed acquisition of CECONOMY and the regulatory challenges facing Chinese companies expanding into Europe • Seafolly’s decision to expand into China and why this represents an unusual direction for an Australian consumer brand • The LVMH–Molly Tea trademark dispute and the response from consumers who saw the contested floral design as part of Chinese cultural heritage • The growing confidence and cultural influence of local Chinese brands • Decathlon and Uber Eats testing on-demand delivery for sporting goods in Australia This episode is for retail leaders, marketers, technology executives and international brands trying to understand how AI, localisation and cross-border expansion are reshaping the APAC retail market. Follow The Retail Podcast for weekly analysis and conversations with the people shaping global retail.

  4. Jul 24 ·  Video

    Primark Faces New Pressure as M&S Bets on the Weekly Shop

    M&S is building a bigger proposition around the family weekly shop. Primark is lowering prices as competition for value-conscious fashion customers intensifies. Meanwhile, beauty and luxury brands are moving beyond products and free samples towards experiences, consultations and personalisation. In this UK edition of Five Things Friday, Alex Rezvan and Simone examine five retail developments: • M&S’s largest standalone Foodhall and what it signals about its grocery ambitions • Why Primark is lowering prices across hundreds of popular products • The competitive pressure created by SHEIN, Lefties and other value retailers • How a luxury beauty brand turned pistachio fragrance into an ice-cream experience • Sephora’s continued expansion across London • Why Lancôme is using skin analysis and personalised advice • The difference between distributing samples and creating a memorable service • Whether beauty brands can build an ongoing relationship around individual skin needs The wider retail story is a market moving in several directions at once. Customers continue to demand value, forcing retailers such as Primark to defend their price credentials. At the same time, M&S is investing in larger food stores designed to capture more complete shopping missions. In beauty and luxury, brands are creating more accessible experiences that allow customers to engage with them without making a major product purchase. Alex and Simone also explore an important customer-experience question: does any beauty brand know its customers well enough to remember their needs, track changes and make genuinely relevant recommendations over time? This episode is relevant to: • Retail leaders and store-format teams • Beauty and luxury executives • Customer-experience and loyalty specialists • Retail marketing professionals • Brand activation and experiential marketing teams • Anyone following UK retail trends CHAPTERS 00:00 M&S Food Expands and Primark Cuts Prices 02:17 Is SHEIN Taking Primark’s Traditional Customer? 02:44 Luxury Retail Turns Fragrance Into an Experience 04:06 Sephora and Lancôme Rethink Beauty Retail 05:37 Digital Skin Analysis and Customer Profiles 07:34 Why Personal Beauty Advice Builds Loyalty 08:20 Do Beauty Brands Really Know Their Customers? 08:53 Final Thoughts FEATURED STORIES AND LINKS M&S opens its biggest-ever standalone food store in Godalming: https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/newsroom/press-releases/ms-opens-its-biggest-ever-standalone-food-store-godalming-it-invests-bigger Primark lowers prices across hundreds of favourites: https://corporate.primark.com/en-gb/a/news/corporate-news/iconic-value-primark-lowers-prices-across-hundreds-of-favourites Luxury pistachio experience featured on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbF7IPjDTea/?img_index=2 Sephora London store openings: https://www.sephora.co.uk/store-openings-london?curr=GBP Explore Lancôme UK: https://www.lancome.co.uk/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE RETAIL PODCAST #UKRetail #RetailNews #MarksAndSpencer #Primark #BeautyRetail

    Primark Faces New Pressure as M&S Bets on the Weekly Shop

  5. Jul 22 ·  Video

    Starbucks Korea, AI Beauty Mirrors and Lefties’ UK Launch

    Starbucks Korea’s Tank Day promotion led to public backlash and an unusual company-wide response. What should international brands learn from the mistake? Alex Rezvan and Jill from the National Retail Federation examine five stories influencing global retail: Starbucks Korea and culturally sensitive marketing New Canadian and US measures targeting organized retail crime shu uemura’s AI-powered beauty mirror in Tokyo Lefties’ entry into the UK value-fashion market Adidas Originals’ community-focused Bangkok store with % Arabica The discussion considers why cultural context matters in marketing, how technology is changing value retail and why leading brands increasingly want stores to function as social and community spaces rather than purely transactional environments.

    Starbucks Korea, AI Beauty Mirrors and Lefties’ UK Launch

  6. Jul 21 ·  Video

    Milan's Retail Shift: Community, Culture & Curated Luxury Video

    Milan has long been recognised as one of the world's luxury capitals, but what makes its retail experience so distinctive? In this episode of The Retail Podcast, we explore how Milan moves beyond experiential retail to focus on something even more valuable—curation. Walking the city's streets reveals how leading luxury brands create communities through culture, design and carefully curated customer experiences. Building on previous episodes from Madrid and London, this latest stop on our Road to NRF Europe introduces another key principle shaping the future of retail. You'll discover: • Why Milan's luxury retailers focus on community rather than scale • How culture influences customer engagement • Why curation is becoming a competitive advantage • The Three Speeds of Retail: Community & Culture Experience Intelligence As we continue our journey towards NRF Europe 2026 in Paris, each city reveals a new perspective on the future of retail. 🎟️ Join us at NRF Europe Book your ticket: https://bit.ly/4vh5Iz5

    Milan's Retail Shift: Community, Culture & Curated Luxury Video

  7. Jul 17 ·  Video

    M&S Pantheon, the World Cup Spending Effect and Aldi Goes Baldi

    What does M&S’s investment in its renewed Oxford Street flagship tell us about the future of physical retail? Simone Oloman and Alex Rezvan examine the new M&S Pantheon format and the growing need for stores to become places customers actively choose to spend time in. They also discuss: • The effect of the FIFA World Cup on UK consumer spending • Why online and physical non-food retail moved in different directions • Henry Dummer’s appointment as CEO of Very.ie • Dress Well Dad Well and the intersection of fatherhood, fashion and identity • Holland & Barrett’s Wellness Tap • Aldi’s Baldi activation for Pitbull’s Hyde Park concert • Why cultural marketing can outperform conventional advertising A fast analysis of the UK retail stories that matter and what they reveal about stores, consumers and brands. Subscribe for weekly analysis of the people, brands and ideas changing retail. LINKS MENTIONED Dress Well Dad Well on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/033AAv7NIHyp8fqjkG3Ijy Instagram reference https://www.instagram.com/p/Das0_RYAmZk/ FIFA https://www.fifa.com/en/home Instagram reference https://www.instagram.com/p/DanDeaxiRSR/ M&S Pantheon announcement https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/newsroom/press-releases/ms-pantheon-ms-unveils-new-oxford-street-flagship Instagram reference https://www.instagram.com/reels/DavodQKCDf7/ World Cup and UK consumer spending https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/14/world-cup-sunshine-uk-consumers-splash-out-on-beer-and-online-shopping

    M&S Pantheon, the World Cup Spending Effect and Aldi Goes Baldi

  8. Jul 15 ·  Video

    Uniqlo’s Global Surge, Shein’s IPO Test and FamilyMart’s Reinvention

    Uniqlo is reporting strong international momentum. Shein is moving closer to a possible Hong Kong listing while facing a leadership transition and continuing legal scrutiny. FamilyMart, meanwhile, is attempting to transform the convenience store into a destination for food, fashion, design and culture. Alex and Jill examine what these developments reveal about global retail strategy. They discuss Uniqlo and Fast Retailing’s international expansion, Donald Tang’s planned departure from Shein, the continuing Shein–Lacoste proceedings, FamilyMart’s new FAMIMA concept with NIGO, the broader role of convenience stores across APAC, the planned Onitsuka Tiger reorganisation and the productive-store strategy supporting Inditex’s omnichannel model. The episode concludes with a preview of NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe in Paris and an exploration of why seeing the people behind unfamiliar brands can create a much stronger connection than simply reading about them. LINKS MENTIONED Shein executive chairman and prospective listing: https://us.fashionnetwork.com/news/Shein-executive-chairman-to-step-down-as-ipo-nears-completion-sources-say,1852145.html Shein and Lacoste legal proceedings: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/shein-says-legal-dispute-with-lacoste-ongoing-2026-07-10/ FamilyMart’s FAMIMA PARK AZABUDAI: https://www.family.co.jp/company/news_releases/2026/20260709_02.html CHAPTERS 00:00 International retail briefing 00:46 Uniqlo and Fast Retailing’s global growth 02:02 Shein’s IPO and leadership transition 03:01 The continuing Shein–Lacoste dispute 03:27 FamilyMart’s culture-led retail reinvention 05:20 Why APAC convenience stores are different 06:22 Onitsuka Tiger’s planned separation 07:39 Inditex and the disciplined omnichannel model 08:53 NRF Europe 2026 preview 09:59 Why conferences create brand connection Subscribe for international retail intelligence, analysis and conversations with the people shaping the industry.

    Uniqlo’s Global Surge, Shein’s IPO Test and FamilyMart’s Reinvention
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The Retail Podcast explores the future of retail through conversations with the leaders, innovators, and brands shaping the industry. Hosted by Alex Rezvan, former Microsoft and Verizon Retail lead, the show brings global conference insights, executive interviews, and sharp analysis on technology, stores, AI, customer experience, and the forces redefining retail.

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