Author: Natalie Berg

  • Co-op’s Technology Director on Grocery Retail Transformation

    Live from the NRF Big Show, Co-op’s director of technology Ian Cox joins Natalie to discuss:

    • NRF highlights and practical use cases for AI in food retail.
    • How Co-op enacted digital transformation to innovate faster, scale resources, and stay agile in a rapidly changing market.
    • The importance of service availability as a convenience retailer: delivering transformation projects with minimal impact on the customer.
    • The relevance of quick commerce for convenience retailers.

    Ian’s Bio: 

    Ian Cox is the director of technology for Co-op UK, where he oversees SAP services, roadmap and footprint across the entire business. He’s also responsible for all Colleague Digital Technology products and platforms used in our Co-op businesses and support center, including Stores, Distribution, Legal Services and Funeral-care.

    Connect with Ian on LinkedIn.

    Find out more about the Retail Disrupted Podcast by visiting retaildisrupted.com

  • Social Commerce Lessons From TikTok’s Top Candy Seller

    How did a family-run confectionery shop in Devon become the UK’s #1 seller of sweets on TikTok?

    George Robinson, Managing Director of SoSweet, shares the retailer’s remarkable TikTok journey which started with a Gavin & Stacey inspired clip that went viral in 2020. The business is now making millions on the platform.

    George and Natalie discuss:

    • The SoSweet story – how a pandemic pivot unlocked a lucrative new channel for the family business.
    • Monetizing your audience – how SoSweet’s early TikTok success positioned them well for the launch of TikTok Shop.
    • Halo effect – why TikTokers are flocking to SoSweet’s bricks & mortar stores.
    • Industry lessons – evolution of social commerce and opportunities for the future.
    • Advice for retailers and brands – embracing authenticity, community, evolution.

     

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    George’s bio:

    George Robinson is the Managing Director and Owner of SoSweet, a specialist confectionery business based in the South West of England. The business launched in 2014 and now trades through 16 retail stores across four counties in the South West. It also has a large presence online selling DTC through its website as well dominating the FMCG category on TikTok Shop.

    SoSweet also supplies a range of confectionery and snack products directly into hundreds of independent retail stores nationally through its direct-to-store wholesale business SoSweet Direct.

    George is a very hands-on MD with a strong involvement across all functions of the business. His long-term goal is to grow SoSweet into a nationally stocked household brand. 

    Check out SoSweet on TikTok.

    Connect with George on LinkedIn.

    Find out more about the Retail Disrupted Podcast by visiting retaildisrupted.com

  • Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI

    On the final episode of 2024, Natalie is joined by authors Mark Abraham and David Edelman to discuss their new book, Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI.

    📺 This episode is also available as video, so head over to the new Retail Disrupted channel on YouTube to watch the conversation unfold.

    David, Mark, and Natalie discuss how customer expectations are evolving in this digital era, why businesses often get stuck and don’t go far enough when it comes to personalization, and how generative AI will unlock new real-time personalization opportunities for retailers and brands.

    More on the authors:

    David C. Edelman has a history of personalization work spanning three decades. Today, he is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, an executive advisor and board member to brands and technology providers, and an advisor to BCG. Forbes has repeatedly named him one of the Top 20 Most Influential Voices in Marketing, and Ad Age has named him a Top 20 Chief Marketing and Technology Officer. Together with Mark, David wrote the 2022 Harvard Business Review article (Customer Experience in the Age of AI) that inspired this book.

    Mark Abraham is a Senior Partner at BCG and the founder of the firm’s Personalization business, which he has built into a global team of more than 1,000 agile marketers, data scientists, engineers, and martech experts. Mark’s teams have accelerated the personalization efforts of over 100 iconic brands (e.g., Starbucks, Home Depot, and Google) and built some of BCG’s largest ventures and AI platforms, including Fabriq for personalization. Mark now leads BCG’s North American Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice.

    About PERSONALIZED

    “In a world where consumers expect more—instantly, seamlessly, and the way they want it—personalization is a strategic imperative.”

    Research shows consumers want personalized experiences. A select few companies are rising to the challenge by building trusted relationships through digital channels. They engage with customers throughout their journey and tailor interactions using AI and technology. Most companies do not personalize well, wasting money and effort. Personalization must be a strategic priority. Personalized outlines the Five Promises companies must fulfill: Empower Me, Know Me, Reach Me, Show Me, and Delight Me. With examples across industries, PERSONALIZED helps executives put personalization at their strategy’s center to accelerate growth and capture their share of the $2 trillion personalization prize.

    Thank you to the Retail Disrupted community for an amazing year! Enjoy the festive break and see you in 2025.

    Find out more about the Retail Disrupted Podcast by visiting retaildisrupted.com

  • What Retailers Can Learn From the Navy Exchange

    Rich Honiball is the EVP and Global Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer for NEXCOM (Navy Exchange Service Command). He joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss:

    • The unique role of military retail, the importance of having a clear mission, and other lessons for traditional retailers.
    • Learnings from the launch of the world’s first Toys R Us department on a military base.
    • Self-checkouts, frictionless experiences, and the importance of customer choice.
    • The power of community and how Gen Z shoppers are redefining store experiences.
    • Why retail was an “accidental career” for Rich and how he hopes to encourage the next generation of retail leaders in his role as adjunct instructor at George Mason University. 

    What is NEXCOM?

    Since its inception in 1946, NEXCOM’s mission has been to provide customers with quality goods and services at a savings and to support Navy quality of life programs.

    NEXCOM’s six primary business lines include the Navy Exchange (NEX), NEXCOM Hospitality Group, Ships Store Program, Uniform Program Management Office, Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility and the Telecommunications Program Office. Each of its business lines provide the necessary support for the Navy’s warfighters and military families to remain ready and resilient.

    Bio:

    Rich Honiball combines executive leadership, strategic development, and consumer insights as EVP, Global Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer for NEXCOM, overseeing merchandising and marketing efforts for a $2+ billion global enterprise offering retail, services, food & hospitality. Before NEXCOM, Rich founded PDB Advisory Group & the Brand(Co)Lab, advising CEOs on purpose-driven marketing strategies and brand development. His executive roles at Haggar and JCPenney involved building world-class teams, strategic development, brand growth, and corporate refresh initiatives. He shares his extensive retail and consumer behavior expertise as an adjunct instructor at George Mason University. Rich is an MBA graduate from William & Mary and a BS in Marketing from SNHU. Rich is dedicated to mentoring and has served on several educational and nonprofit boards. Rich is honored for his retail expertise by Rethink Retail, innovative marketing by the CMO Club, and as an ONCON ICON Top 100 Marketer, and he continues to influence the industry while traveling the world.

    Links:

    Connect with Rich on LinkedIn

    Listen to Rich’s Retail Relates podcast

     

    Find out more about the Retail Disrupted Podcast by visiting retaildisrupted.com

  • Relentless Momentum: What I Learned From the Retail Leaders

    Paid Partnership with PMC


    Last month, I had the opportunity to attend PMC’s annual customer event, Relentless Momentum. This was held at Silverstone Museum, an apt venue for a room full of retailers discussing the importance of speed and transformation in an ever-evolving landscape.

    We heard from senior leaders like Nick Beighton, former CEO of ASOS and Matches, Paul Edney, Technology Director, Channels at Primark, Jeanette Copeland, Technology Director at Ann Summers, and Cecile Delforge, Associate Director, Systems Development at the AELTC/Wimbledon.

    The PMC event took place at Silverstone Museum.

    It was an inspiring day, rich with insights and lively discussions about how stay relevant in this digital era. In this post, I’m bringing you the top takeaways and I’d also recommend you check out my podcast episode, Digital Transformation Lessons with Primark and Ann Summers, for a more in-depth discussion.

    Always start with the customer

    It sounds like an obvious one, but retailers must ensure they’re putting the customer at the heart of their strategies. When Beighton was the CIO at Matalan, he would ask himself three questions whenever considering any technology investment: “What’s it going to do for the customer? What’s it going to do for the business? And how much is it going to cost?”

    Ex-ASOS and Matches CEO Nick Beighton is interviewed by PMC CEO Richard Lowe.

    You need to start with the customer, identifying points of friction and opportunities to enhance the experience, and then work backwards from that. As Primark’s Edney said: “Technology enables business change; it doesn’t lead change.”

    Be clear on purpose

    It all begins with what Beighton refers to as the inspiration layer. “You have to be purpose-driven, mission-led, and governed by values,” he said. “If you haven’t got that, or clarity of it, what have you got? Your organization is transactional. And if you have a transactional internal culture then you have a transactional external culture, and customers get it.”

    Primark’s Edney struck a similar tone when advising retailers to consider: “What makes you special? How do you differentiate? What’s beneficial for you and your customers?”

    Embrace continuous evolution

    The only constant in retail is change. Retailers must ensure their businesses are structured in a way that allows them to dynamically respond to such relentless change.

    Ann Summers’ Copeland shared three important digital transformation tips for retailers: “Keep these projects simple. Keep them short to remove fatigue. And know that it’s going to change. Rarely in technology do things last that long,” she said.

    All of the speakers stressed the importance of adopting a test-and-learn approach. Primark’s Edney argued that, although retailers need a long-term vision, it’s impossible to do everything at once. “The way to deliver at pace is to deliver in increments. It’s like a large conveyor belt of change which we ran for two years. We learned over time that the longer it takes to deliver something, the less value it can bring because it’s either outdated or the market has changed or [consumer] perception has changed.”

    Beighton shared how, during his time at ASOS, embracing a WAgile (Waterfall + Agile) approach allowed the business to maintain some control while still being able to quickly respond to changes. “Every day is a work in progress. If you’re not fixing something every day, then you’re not moving the business forward,” he said.

    Understand the need for speed

    Given our proximity to the home of the British Grand Prix, it would have been remiss of us not to talk about speed. “Connectivity and speed of service is key for our customers,” AELTC’s Delforge said. And that’s understandable given the daily Wimbledon queue can reach 10,000 people! She discussed how transitioning to mobile ticketing, including resale, has helped to streamline queuing and improve the overall guest experience.

    Jeanette Copeland, Ann Summers’ Technology Director, shares digital transformation lessons.

    Copeland, meanwhile, shared how Ann Summers, completed a 12-month digital transformation project in just four months. Despite implementing a best-in-class integration platform, Ann Summers encountered significant issues, including underutilisation, difficulties in hiring and retaining experienced developers, and high operating costs. “You know that kitchen drawer that everyone has that’s got all the cables and cellotape and fuses in it? We kind of pulled it all out, straightened it up, and put it back in there.”

    The result? A more cost-effective and efficient solution that delivers better business outcomes.

    Ignite cultural change

    The most successful retailers understand the importance of bringing your people with you on any digital transformation journey. At ASOS, Beighton instilled a values-driven culture where employees were encouraged to always be authentic, brave, creative, and disciplined. As CEO, he would meet all new starters every Wednesday at 4:30pm, encouraging them to ask him questions.

    “Smart people understand that influence scales whereas control is finite,” Nick told the room. He argued that businesses should focus more on outputs than inputs.

    Edney also shared how Primark’s culture has evolved since embarking on its digital transformation journey four years ago. “It was never a one-off. It was a new way of working. It was all about a new ethos, a new culture.”

    Never too late to innovate

    There is no standing still in retail. As we’ve already touched on, customer centricity and perpetual innovation are key pillars for any winning retail strategy.

    That said, not everyone can achieve first-mover advantage and there is value in being deliberately late, whether that’s Primark launching click & collect or the digitization of Wimbledon. Early adopters don’t always win.

    As AELTC’s Delforge said, “We never stop innovating but we’re never going to be the first to do something. We are risk-averse and prefer to deploy proven technology.”

    That’s especially understandable in Wimbledon’s case. As one of the most-watched sporting events in the world, broadcast to over 200 territories, there is absolutely no margin for error.

    For more information on PMC, visit: PMC – Technology Services for Commerce | IT Support and Services

  • Decarbonising Deliveries

    Murvah Iqbal, co-CEO and co-founder of HIVED, is on a mission to revolutionise the delivery industry. Founded in 2021, the all-electric delivery start-up has already distributed millions of parcels across London for major brands including ASOS, Uniqlo, Nespresso and Zara, and is backed by investors like Maersk Growth, Pale Blue Dot and Planet A Ventures.

    In this episode, Murvah shares her entrepreneurial journey, which began when she took over marketing and branding for her uncles’ fast-food chain at just 15 years old. She discusses the importance of decarbonisation in retail and how HIVED’s “sustainability-as-standard” approach differentiates them from competitors.

    Murvah also shares her views on the evolving expectations of consumers, particularly Gen Z, when it comes to delivery, how to address some of the legacy challenges of the final mile, and what regulatory changes she’d like to see to support the growth of green delivery. Murvah and Natalie also discuss the need for collaboration within the industry and the role of technology in improving delivery efficiency. 

    Connect with Murvah on LinkedIn.

    Find out more about the Retail Disrupted Podcast by visiting retaildisrupted.com

  • Black Friday: The Consumer Has a Pulse

    This is an excerpt. If you’d like to read the full article (for free), visit Retail Disrupted.

    There are so many hot takes on Black Friday. It’s always either a record-breaking bumper Black Friday or a “bit of a damp squib”. (Can you tell I’ve lived in the UK for half my life?)

    My point is that sometimes things are a little more nuanced than that, and Black Friday needs particularly careful interpretation this year. I went on BBC News this morning to discuss how retailers might have fared during one of the most important shopping events of the year.

    Note: “might have fared” and that’s because when you do TV at 5:30am on Cyber Monday, you only have a few weekend released surveys to go on (see NationwideRetailNext).

    This was the first real test of consumer sentiment following the Budget and, based on early data, it’s fair to say that the consumer still has a pulse. Consumers are feeling optimistic about their personal finances. Yes, there is understandable anxiety about the economic outlook (more on that in a sec), but right now they’re feeling confident in their ability to spend and eager to grab a bargain.

    To read the full article, visit Retail Disrupted, a free newsletter on the latest trends and innovations impacting the global retail sector.

  • Marketplaces are the New E-Commerce

    Marc Vicente, Group Digital Director at Kingfisher, joins Natalie for a comprehensive discussion around e-commerce, AI, marketplaces, retail media, and more.

    They explore:

    • Why omnichannel retailers are now embracing the marketplace model
    • The role of physical stores in e-commerce
    • Innovative partnerships: Deliveroo and the importance of speed
    • The significance of Black Friday for Kingfisher and why it starts earlier every year
    • Retail media: monetizing the marketplace and understanding the 3 stages of retail media implementation
    • From chatbots to personalized recommendations and visual search, how is Kingfisher enhancing the customer experience with AI?
    • The future of retail: what is Marc most excited about for 2025 and beyond?

    Marc’s bio:

    Marc leads the digital transformation and oversees the strategy and operations at one of the largest home improvement retailers in Europe – which has 82,000 colleagues across 2,000 stores in eight European countries, and a number of retail banners including B&Q, Screwfix and Castorama. Before Kingfisher, Marc spent 15 years delivering disruptive technology-based growth in senior international roles such as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Officer at Rakuten Europe and Chief Operating Officer at Cdiscount.com, the French e-commerce leader.

    Connect with Marc on LinkedIn

    Find out more about the Retail Disrupted Podcast by visiting retaildisrupted.com

  • Why Did Amazon Fresh Fail in Germany?

    Boris Planer, Founder and Managing Director of Future Consulting, joins Natalie to discuss the news that Amazon is terminating its online grocery service in Germany. 

    They discuss:

    • What went wrong for Amazon Fresh in Germany, what does this tell us about Amazon’s global grocery strategy, and where next? (It’s all about the partnerships.)
    • Inherent challenges of grocery retailing in Germany. Did you know that 98% of German consumers live within 10 minutes of a discounter?!
    • The Amazon Effect – how competitors have raised their e-commerce game.
    • Implications for Amazon Fresh internationally. The news follows a similar move in the UK earlier this year when Amazon scrapped Fresh outside of London and Manchester.
    • Why you need to know more about Rohlik, the Czech grocery delivery start-up that has just announced a partnership with Amazon and is aiming to launch in 10 European cities over the next 6 years. 

    The news was first reported by The Information.

    Bio:

    Boris Planer is a retail thought leader, speaker and consultant based in Frankfurt, Germany. He is the founder and managing director of Future Consulting, a consultancy supporting international retailers, suppliers and tech businesses in their efforts to spot trends early on and take new market opportunities effectively. Boris has 25 years of experience in retail insight and consultancy, including at retail insight group Planet Retail/Edge by Ascential and WGSN, the world’s leading consumer trend forecasters. He is also a speaker at Zukunftsinstitut, the Institute for the Future based in Frankfurt and Vienna. 

    Connect with Boris on LinkedIn.

    Find out more about the Retail Disrupted Podcast by visiting retaildisrupted.com

  • Stop Making Customers Think in Channels

    Paid partnership with Manhattan Associates


    At the recent Manhattan Exchange in Barcelona, Natalie had the opportunity to sit down with Pieter Van den Broecke, EMEA Leader, Supply Chain Commerce Strategies, at Manhattan Associates. They discussed opportunities with AI, rethinking the post-purchase experience and achieving a truly unified commerce offering.

    AI isn’t exactly a recent development. Why all the hype now?

    You’re right. In fact, during World War II, artificial intelligence was used to mobilise troops!

    Retailers have used AI for decades to help them make decisions in a world of constraints. A machine can only produce 100 bottles of champagne in an hour. A ship moving goods from China to the port of Barcelona takes three weeks. Retail operations are all about fulfilling demand to the consumer, while dealing with many real-life physical constraints and uncertainty. AI helps businesses to work around those constraints and make sure that the right product is getting into the hands of the right consumer at the right time.

    Generative AI is, of course, what’s new. By providing insights based on collective memory, Gen AI helps operational engineers to design the right solutions for the business. Gen AI can assist in building solutions by taking over configuration tasks, testing, and even coding certain elements of the system.

    Pieter Van den Broecke, EMEA Leader, Supply Chain Commerce Strategies, Manhattan Associates

    I can see how Gen AI drives operational efficiencies for retailers. But how does it improve the experience for the customer?

    When we talk about the online customer experience, we’re really referring to the “order and fulfilment experience”. When customers change their minds or when things go wrong, they want an immediate solution and ideally through self-service. This is where Gen AI comes in. Gen AI chatbots, for example, can deal with very complex queries in real-time. A customer simply needs to say, “Hey, I placed an order a week ago and I’m still waiting on delivery.” Or “Remind me what items I ordered again – was it a blue shirt or a red shirt?”.  So it’s very natural, personalised and, most importantly, it’s contextually and factually correct.

    In those cases where the Gen AI chatbot can’t solve a customer query, a conversation summary is produced and passed on to a real human being. This allows the customer support team to continue the conversation without having to go through the questions again, saving both the retailer and customer time.

    Let’s talk about the post-purchase experience. What are the benefits of allowing customers to modify their online orders?

    Sometimes we change our minds and need to cancel or change an order. By facilitating late order cancellations, ideally before the order has been shipped, the retailer is firstly improving the experience for the customer by removing the need for a return and also by being refunded immediately. The retailer benefits by keeping the product in stock and commercially available, plus the delivery (and potentially return) costs are eliminated. And of course, it’s a more sustainable way of retailing if we don’t have to deliver something that would ultimately be returned. It really is a win for the consumer, a win for the planet and a win for the retailer.

    What exactly do we mean by unified commerce and can you give us an example?

    Unified commerce is putting customers at the centre of the retail brand experience. Customers don’t want to think in channels and retailers shouldn’t be forcing that on them, but it still happens too often today.

    As a retail organisation, it’s critical to really think from the ground up with a unified commerce mindset. You have to embrace technology with your heart and mind. It’s not an afterthought. Your digital core has to be strong, at any level of the organization, and with the consumer in the centre.

    You might have heard about a concept called Omnicart, which is a shopping basket that can be filled digitally. If you opt to collect the goods in-store, that digital shopping basket then becomes a physical one, unifying the customer’s journey. This means that orders initiated in any channel can be completed, returned or exchanged in any other channel, and it also gives store associates greater upsell/cross-sell opportunities.

    There’s a huge opportunity to unify promotional activity here. Traditionally, promotions have been very channel-specific but technology is breaking down those silos. So, if a customer sees a 10% discount online for an item, this can also be applied to an in-store purchase along with any other discounts on different items. I think this is a really nice example of stretching people’s minds on what unified commerce can look like in practice.

    In one sentence, what is the most important thing that retailers can do after reading this?

    Identify the biggest friction that you create for your customer and start addressing this immediately.


    This is an abridged version of Pieter’s interview with Natalie on the Retail Disrupted podcast. Listen to the full episode here.