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. 12h ago ·  Video

    M&S Moves European Fulfilment to Zalando; John Lewis Launches Sports & Wellness

    Marks & Spencer is moving its European ecommerce fulfilment to Zalando's ZEOS platform across 22 continental European markets. Alex Rezvan and Simone Oloman, Co-founder and CEO of NIFT, examine what the partnership means alongside five other UK retail developments from the week. John Lewis is developing its Sports & Wellness proposition around customer fitness goals and shopping missions. ASOS and Barbour have worked with Jimmy Turrell on their Re-loved collaboration, while George at Asda has launched its If You Know, You Know campaign with Lucky Generals. Also covered: Vans x BAPE Knu Skool, menswear designer Aaron Levine's special collection with Zara, and the wider implications of these moves for UK retail strategy, ecommerce, stores and fashion. Five Things Friday is The Retail Podcast's weekly UK retail briefing. 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:32 ASOS x Barbour by Jimmy Turrell 00:03:57 George at Asda: If You Know, You Know 00:04:44 Vans x BAPE Knu Skool 00:05:34 Aaron Levine x Zara 00:06:46 John Lewis Sports & Wellness 00:07:57 M&S x Zalando fulfilment 00:10:32 Close Newsletter: https://www.theretailpodcast.com/newsletter

    M&S Moves European Fulfilment to Zalando; John Lewis Launches Sports & Wellness

  2. 13h ago ·  Video

    Walmart Adds Apple Pay as Ross Outpaces TJX on Q2 Comps

    Walmart has started rolling out Apple Pay at select US Walmart and Sam's Club locations, with rollout to all US stores and clubs planned by the end of 2026. Alex Rezvan is joined by Jill Dvorak, Senior Vice President, Content at NRF, for five US retail stories: Home Depot's nationwide Express Delivery; American Eagle's back-to-school push featuring Lamine Yamal; Best Buy's certification of all 29 supply chain facilities as zero waste; and Ross's 10% comparable-store-sales growth versus 4% at TJX overall. The Apple Pay share figure mentioned in the episode was stated on air and has not been independently verified. Sponsored by Sygnls.AI. Newsletter: https://www.theretailpodcast.com/newsletter 00:00:00 Walmart + Intro 00:02:03 Home Depot + American Eagle 00:05:23 Best Buy + Ross

    Walmart Adds Apple Pay as Ross Outpaces TJX on Q2 Comps

  3. 4d ago ·  Video

    Target’s AI Move, Coach Growth and the Future of US Retail

    What does Target appointing a Chief AI Officer tell us about the next phase of AI in retail? In this USA edition of Five Things Friday, Alex and Jill examine five developments shaping the US retail market — and the strategic implications behind them. Target has brought Chandu Nair across from Lowe’s as Chief AI Officer, raising a bigger organisational question: should AI sit under one executive responsible for governance and adoption, or should AI capability be embedded throughout the entire business? Foot Locker and Nike are taking a different approach to physical retail with Crenshaw Rec in Los Angeles — combining retail with an open gym, local run clubs and year-round community programming. The discussion looks at whether stores can become genuine community spaces rather than simply places to transact. Then comes one of the clearest retail comparisons of the week. Coach grew 15% while Kate Spade declined 7%. Both sit within Tapestry and operate against broadly the same economic backdrop. Tapestry also recruited more than 2.5 million new customers during the quarter, with around 35% coming from Gen Z. The question for retail leaders: when one brand grows while another declines in the same environment, is the consumer really the problem — or should we be looking harder at product, brand relevance, merchandising and execution? Alex and Jill also look at Michaels, which is building on opportunities created by changes at Joann and Party City and experimenting with how categories, intellectual property and customer demand can be incorporated into future store formats. Finally, they examine research based on almost 19 million North American in-store retail interactions or pieces of feedback, which reported a customer satisfaction rate of 93.4%. Perhaps more interestingly, Tuesday and Wednesday produced the highest satisfaction levels — raising questions around footfall, staffing pressure and store operations. In this episode • Target appoints a Chief AI Officer • AI governance versus distributed AI adoption • Foot Locker + Nike and community-led retail • The Crenshaw Rec concept • Coach growth versus Kate Spade decline • Tapestry and Gen Z customer acquisition • Why blaming the consumer can hide execution problems • Michaels, Joann and Party City • Store-format innovation • US in-store customer satisfaction • Staffing, footfall and retail operations • NRF Europe Chapters 00:00 — Five US Retail Stories This Week 00:39 — Target Appoints a Chief AI Officer 03:51 — Foot Locker + Nike Build Community Retail 05:23 — Coach Growth vs Kate Spade Decline 08:20 — Michaels Reinvents the Big-Box Opportunity 11:29 — US In-Store Satisfaction Hits 93.4% 13:06 — Why European Retail Markets Are Different 14:14 — NRF Europe and the Innovation Stage The Retail Podcast brings together retail leaders and industry experts to examine the technology, strategy, brands and ideas reshaping global retail.

    Target’s AI Move, Coach Growth and the Future of US Retail

  4. Aug 21 ·  Video

    The International Briefing: SHEIN, JD.com, India, Shipping & Fabletics

    The International Briefing examines five developments shaping retail around the world—and what they mean for industry leaders. Jill Dvorak, Senior Vice President, Content at NRF, joins Alex Rezvan for this edition. Europe’s €3 parcel charge A new charge on low-value parcels entering the EU could change the economics of cross-border retail, particularly for lower-value orders. The discussion looks at the implications for businesses such as SHEIN and Temu, smaller international sellers and the possibility of more inventory being held inside Europe. JD.com Following JD.com’s second-quarter results, Alex and Jill discuss why large marketplaces should not necessarily be judged only by merchandise sales. As JD develops more capabilities around its wider ecosystem, the economics of B2B services become increasingly important. India and quick commerce Retail demand is growing strongly, but traditional retailers are simultaneously being disrupted by rapid-delivery platforms. The conversation examines grocery, premium retailers, shopping missions and whether ten-minute delivery is genuinely something consumers need. Global shipping Jill discusses NRF’s Global Port Tracker, changing shipping routes, higher costs and the potential implications for retail supply chains and Q4 inventory. Fabletics Fabletics has reached more than $1 billion in net revenue and is continuing its move into physical retail. Its international expansion includes markets such as Colombia, Peru, India and Central America, highlighting how digital-first brands continue to find value in stores. The International Briefing is a global look at the developments retail leaders need to understand—not simply the headlines. Featuring Jill Dvorak — Senior Vice President, Content, NRF Alex Rezvan — The Retail Podcast

    The International Briefing: SHEIN, JD.com, India, Shipping & Fabletics

  5. Aug 21 ·  Video

    Five Things Friday UK: Harvey Nichols, Poundland, IKEA & Rapid Delivery

    Five Things Friday UK Edition brings together the retail stories worth knowing this week. Alex Rezvan of The Retail Podcast and Simone Oloman, co-founder of Need It For Tonight, discuss the developments shaping the UK retail industry and what they could mean for retailers, brands and consumers. In this episode: Frasers and Harvey Nichols Frasers has acquired Harvey Nichols out of administration. Alex and Simone discuss what could happen next, the future of its stores, the importance of the Knightsbridge and Edinburgh locations, and where Harvey Nichols could sit alongside Flannels in Frasers’ luxury strategy. Poundland and the value retail challenge With Poundland potentially facing another sale, the conversation turns to what value really means. Is price enough, or do merchandising, experience and how customers feel inside a store matter just as much? Need It For Tonight and rapid retail delivery Simone discusses Need It For Tonight’s 90-minute and same-day delivery proposition, its work with retailers and its new 12,000 sq ft operation at Westfield White City. They also explore how stores can operate as local fulfilment centres and why keeping inventory closer to customers could change the economics of fast retail delivery. IKEA and second-hand retail IKEA is expanding its second-hand marketplace into multiple countries, including the UK. Alex and Simone discuss why bringing an existing resale market into IKEA’s own ecosystem makes strategic sense—and the potential challenges around collection and delivery of bulky furniture. Five Things Friday UK Edition is hosted by Alex Rezvan and Simone Oloman. Follow The Retail Podcast for weekly conversations about the businesses, ideas and changes shaping retail.

    Five Things Friday UK: Harvey Nichols, Poundland, IKEA & Rapid Delivery

  6. Aug 19 ·  Video

    A Retail Executive Goes Shopping for AI | NRF APAC 2026

    What does buying AI look like when a retailer has a real problem to solve? At NRF APAC 2026 in Singapore, Alex Rezvan joins Low Ngai Yuen, Managing Director of AEON360, on a live buying mission across the show floor. Ngai Yuen is not browsing demonstrations. She has a specific requirement: improve the quality, structure, localisation and usefulness of AEON’s product data before expecting AI to create value from it.  The journey began at NRF New York, where she found two young product-data companies. In Singapore, she meets them again—this time with a clearer brief, real retail data and a route towards a proof of concept.  The first conversation is with Lazuli, a Japanese product-data company whose location and market knowledge matter to AEON’s imported Japanese products and private brands. The team discusses turning unstructured catalogues and PDFs into structured, searchable information, then enriching products with the right language, descriptions, categories and market context.  The second meeting focuses on inconsistent supplier data, missing attributes and a proof of concept involving 50,000 SKUs. The discussion shows why retailers need reliable information before adding generative or agentic AI—and why a product catalogue must keep changing as language, trends and customer search intent evolve. This is less a conference interview than a view inside the retail buying process: identifying a problem, finding potential partners, testing them on a real case and deciding whether the technology can scale. In this episode - Why Ngai Yuen came to NRF APAC with a live buying brief - How relationships formed at NRF New York continued in Singapore - Why local Japanese market knowledge matters to AEON - How unstructured product information becomes searchable catalogue data - What inconsistent supplier data costs retailers - Why the team is testing a 50,000-SKU proof of concept - How a “living catalogue” responds to changing search intent - What innovation showcases can offer established retailers  This episode is for Retail CEOs, digital and data leaders, ecommerce teams, merchandising leaders, innovation teams, procurement leaders, retail technology founders and anyone responsible for taking AI from conference pitch to operational reality.

    A Retail Executive Goes Shopping for AI | NRF APAC 2026

  7. Aug 10 ·  Video

    What Retailers Can Expect at NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe

    Why are some retail markets able to adopt AI faster than Europe? 30% off an All Access Pass: ALEX30 NRF Registration page here: ⁠https://bit.ly/4vh5Iz5⁠. Annabelle Serres, Director of Events for NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe, discusses the barriers created by legacy infrastructure, the lessons Europe can take from APAC and why retailers now need to accelerate implementation. The conversation also covers what executives can expect in Paris, from keynote sessions and practical case studies to startup innovation, the Innovators Showcase and peer networking. For retail leaders working across technology, operations, transformation and customer experience.

    What Retailers Can Expect at NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe

  8. Aug 10 ·  Video

    What's Really Happening in Global Retail Right Now? Hugo Boss, Uber Eats, Nike, Fair Price & LA 2028

    Five retail stories. Less than ten minutes. And several signals about where global retail could be heading next. In this international edition of Five Things Friday, we examine five developments across retail, commerce, technology and consumer engagement. First, Fraser’s Group and its position in Hugo Boss — and why the premium market could be ripe for further change. The conversation then moves to Tesco and Uber Eats, as quick commerce increasingly becomes part of retailers’ last-mile strategies. Next, we look at Nike in China. After shifting aggressively toward direct-to-consumer and later rebuilding wholesale relationships, Nike is again refining its channel strategy, concentrating on selected platforms alongside its own direct business. Then we head to Singapore and Fair Price’s Store of Tomorrow, where smart carts, RFID, digital shelf labels, in-store navigation and health-focused experiences provide a glimpse at one possible direction for the physical grocery store. Finally, attention turns to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and what brands can learn from major global sporting events when planning consumer engagement and activation strategies. In this episode: Fraser’s Group and Hugo Boss Tesco, Uber Eats and quick commerce Decathlon and last-mile delivery Nike’s evolving China retail strategy Direct-to-consumer versus wholesale Fair Price’s Store of Tomorrow Smart carts, RFID and digital shelf labels Retail health and wellness experiences LA 2028 Olympic brand activations Marketing around major global sporting events Who should watch or listen: Retail executives, brand leaders, retail technology teams, marketers, commerce professionals and anyone tracking the evolution of physical and digital retail. Subscribe to The Retail Podcast for global retail intelligence, interviews and analysis.

    What's Really Happening in Global Retail Right Now? Hugo Boss, Uber Eats, Nike, Fair Price & LA 2028
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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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