The FODcast

Tim Roedel and James Hodges
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In the FODcast (The Future of #DigitalCommerce) we explore the real career stories of the people who have made it to the very top of the sector and those who are working at the cutting edge of innovation and change right now. Listeners to the podcast gain insight into the journeys industry leaders have taken to be where they are today, the challenges they are facing now and their aims for the future.

  1. 4d ago

    Why Ecommerce Teams Need to Prepare for AI Shopping Now with Alex Melen, SmartSites

    Are we moving from search… to conversation? On this episode of The FODcast, Tim sits down with Alex Melen, Co-Founder at SmartSites, one of the world’s largest independently owned digital marketing agencies. With more than 400 employees and over 15 years of growth behind the business, Alex has spent decades at the forefront of digital marketing and ecommerce, making this a really insightful conversation around where AI, search and digital commerce are heading next. Alex shares why he believes the next 12 months could bring more transformation than the last 12 years. We cover a LOT of ground in the chat with Alex, including: Why search behaviour is shifting so quicklyHow conversational AI is changing discoveryWhat agentic shopping could mean for ecommerce brandsWhy retailers need to think about visibility beyond GoogleHow Shopify is positioning itself for this next phaseWhat teams need to understand as AI becomes part of the buying journeyA really interesting episode for anyone thinking about where digital commerce, search and AI-enabled shopping could be heading next. Listen | Share | Comment #FODcast #DigitalCommerce #Ecommerce #AISearch #AgenticCommerce #SmartSites Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership. Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

    Why Ecommerce Teams Need to Prepare for AI Shopping Now with Alex Melen, SmartSites

  2. Sep 23

    Building Puresport: Community, Brand & Consumer Connection with Daniel Temm

    “Safe, connected and capable.” On this week’s episode of The FODcast, Daniel Temm, CEO of Puresport explains the three feelings the brand wants customers to experience when they engage with the business. It’s a fascinating discussion around what modern consumer brands need to become beyond simply “selling products”. Tim and Daniel discuss: Building a brand in one of the world’s most crowded categoriesWhy community became a growth engine for PuresportThe move from startup experimentation to scale-up executionThe realities of Amazon growth and omnichannel retailWhy many founders struggle with prioritisationThe importance of simplicity, storytelling and emotional connectionThere’s also an honest conversation around leadership pressure, mentorship and how rapidly growing businesses force founders to constantly evolve. A really strong episode for anyone interested in modern ecommerce, brand building and scaling consumer businesses. Listen | Share | Comment Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership. Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

    Building Puresport: Community, Brand & Consumer Connection with Daniel Temm

  3. Sep 9

    Is CRO Really About Conversion Rate? with Adam Pearce, Blend Commerce

    Is CRO really about conversion rate, or are too many brands looking at the wrong thing? On the latest episode of The FODcast, James sits down with Adam Pearce, Co-founder of Blend Commerce, to unpack what CRO actually means in ecommerce. Adam breaks it down through three simple levers: buy now, buy more and buy again. The conversation covers: Why CRO is often misunderstoodWhy data needs to challenge opinion, not just support itThe role of customer behaviour in shaping better buying journeysWhy site search is still massively underutilisedThe difference between improving conversion and improving profitabilityWhy founders sometimes need to step back and let the data leadThere are also some really practical insights around upselling, product discovery, customer retention and how brands should think about CRO at different stages of growth. A really useful listen for ecommerce teams thinking about revenue, profitability and customer experience. Listen | Share | Comment #FODcast #CRO #Ecommerce #ConversionRateOptimisation #DigitalCommerce #CustomerExperience #Retail  Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership. Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

    Is CRO Really About Conversion Rate? with Adam Pearce, Blend Commerce

  4. Aug 13

    The Balancing Act Behind Food Waste, Availability and Smarter Stores with Alex Considine Tong, Retail Insight

    Food waste is not just a sustainability issue. It is an operational one too. In this latest episode of The FODcast, James sits down with Alex Considine Tong, Chief Product Officer at Retail Insight, to discuss how retailers are tackling food waste, on-shelf availability and smarter store operations.  It’s an insightful chat that covers a lot of ground, including:  Why food waste remains such a significant issue for grocery retailersThe balance between availability, abundance and waste reduction How better data can help retailers make more precise decisionsWhy in-store operations are now a major area of opportunityThe role of AI, electronic shelf labels and emerging retail technologyHow retailers can reduce waste while protecting margin and customer experience There is also a really interesting discussion around donation, store colleague productivity and how technology can free people up to focus on higher-value customer interactions.  A great listen for anyone interested in grocery, retail operations, sustainability, data or the future of smarter stores.  Listen | Share | Comment #FODcast #Retail #FoodWaste #RetailTechnology #Sustainability #GroceryRetail #DigitalCommerce Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership. Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

    The Balancing Act Behind Food Waste, Availability and Smarter Stores with Alex Considine Tong, Retail Insight

  5. Jul 28

    Why Storytelling Is Becoming a Go-To-Market Advantage with Angeley Mullins, Aetheris Ventures

    Are product features enough to stand out anymore? On this week’s episode of The FODcast, Tim is joined by Angeley Mullins, Founder & CEO of Aetheris Ventures, to explore how founder-led branding, storytelling and AI are reshaping go-to-market strategy. From the rise of AI-generated content, through to changing buyer expectations and the growing demand for authenticity, this is a really interesting conversation about how businesses build trust in an increasingly noisy market. We also discuss: Why founder-led branding is becoming more importantHow storytelling is shifting from “nice to have” to strategic advantageWhy audiences are tired of purely feature-led messagingHow AI is changing sales, marketing and customer success rolesWhy creativity, critical thinking and prompting are becoming key skillsA really useful listen for founders, CEOs, marketers and growth leaders thinking about how to differentiate in a market where products and content can be replicated faster than ever. Listen | Share | Comment Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership. Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

    Why Storytelling Is Becoming a Go-To-Market Advantage with Angeley Mullins, Aetheris Ventures

  6. Jul 14

    Retail Media, In-Store Screens and the Fight for Attention - with Dean Harris, Co-op and Anders Henricson, Grassfish

    There’s a fine line between smart retail media and too much noise. On this episode of The FODcast, Tim is joined by Dean Harris, from Co-op Media Network, and Anders Henricson, from Grassfish, to unpack what that balance looks like in practice. The conversation gets into the commercial opportunity behind retail media, but also the customer experience risk if retailers allow short-term revenue to override shopper needs. From in-store screens and attention metrics, through to data, customer journeys and commercial layout, this is a really interesting conversation about how retailers can unlock new media revenue without compromising the shopping experience. We cover a whole host of topics including: Why retail media has become such an important growth opportunityThe risk of communication overload in-storeHow Co-op approaches campaign governance and customer experienceWhy attention may matter more than impressionsHow connected screens can support, rather than disrupt, the customer journeyA strong listen for retailers, brands and anyone thinking about the future of in-store media, customer attention and connected retail experiences. Listen | Share | Comment Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership. Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

    Retail Media, In-Store Screens and the Fight for Attention - with Dean Harris, Co-op and Anders Henricson, Grassfish

  7. Jun 23

    Is Delivery Ecommerce’s Most Overlooked Growth Lever? with André Sikborn Erixon, Ingrid

    Is delivery still being treated too much like logistics, and not enough like customer experience? On the latest episode of The FODcast, James sits down with André Sikborn Erixon, VP of Growth at Ingrid, to explore why delivery has become one of the most important and misunderstood parts of modern commerce. From checkout accuracy and customer preference, through to lockers, omnichannel fulfilment and agentic commerce, this is a really interesting conversation about how delivery now shapes trust, loyalty and repeat purchase. We discuss: Why delivery experience starts long before the parcel arrivesHow customer expectations vary depending on contextWhy speed and price are not the only delivery variables that matterThe role of lockers, pickup points and sustainable delivery optionsHow shipping can become a revenue opportunity, not just a cost centreWhy delivery accuracy will matter even more in an AI-led commerce journeyA strong listen for anyone thinking about customer experience, fulfilment, ecommerce strategy or the future of delivery.  Listen | Share | Comment #FODcast #DeliveryExperience #DigitalCommerce #eCommerce #CustomerExperience #RetailTech #Omnichannel  Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership. Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

    Is Delivery Ecommerce’s Most Overlooked Growth Lever? with André Sikborn Erixon, Ingrid

  8. Jun 16

    Why Product Data Is the New AI Battleground with Romain Fouache, Akeneo

    Most businesses know AI is changing commerce.  The bigger question is whether their product data is actually ready for it.  In this episode of The FODcast, Tim speaks with Romain Fouache, CEO at Akeneo, about conversational AI, agentic commerce and why structured product information is becoming such an important topic for brands and retailers.  The conversation covers:  Why AI changes how products are discoveredThe growing importance of attributes and enrichment Why “good enough” product data may no longer be enoughHow marketplaces and ecommerce journeys could evolve from here One line from Romain that really stuck with us: “Your product data strategy is your go-to-market strategy.”  It’s a great listen...enjoy. Listen | Share | Comment  #AI #DigitalCommerce #RetailTech #ProductData #ConversationalAI #Akeneo Simply Commerce is the leading supplier of talent into digital commerce across technology, digital marketing, product, sales, and leadership. Find our more about our approach and our services within digital commerce recruitment here: https://simply-commerce.co.uk/

    Why Product Data Is the New AI Battleground with Romain Fouache, Akeneo
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About

In the FODcast (The Future of #DigitalCommerce) we explore the real career stories of the people who have made it to the very top of the sector and those who are working at the cutting edge of innovation and change right now. Listeners to the podcast gain insight into the journeys industry leaders have taken to be where they are today, the challenges they are facing now and their aims for the future.

Information

  • Creator
    Tim Roedel and James Hodges
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The FODcast
  • Show Website
    The FODcast