Tag: independent retail

  • Powering the Pop-Ups

    Matt Hopkins, Founder of IND!E, joins Natalie to discuss the evolution of pop-up shops, the role of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) brands in driving innovation, and the significance of storytelling in retail.

    Matt shares his views on changing consumer expectations such as the heightened demand for authenticity and ethical shopping. They also delve into the trend of digitally native brands moving into physical spaces and highlight some of the challenges faced by SME challenger brands in a competitive market.

    Click here to display content from YouTube.
    Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy.

    Matt’s bio:

    Matt Hopkins is a seasoned business leader with over 25 years of experience in successfully selling products to major retailers. He excels in identifying growth opportunities, crafting robust commercial strategies, and driving impactful sales and marketing initiatives.

    A visionary entrepreneur and creative thinker, Matt has a proven track record of developing and scaling diverse business models. His expertise in licensed branding has led to collaborations with renowned brands such as Jamie Oliver, Laura Ashley, The Great British Bake Off, and Chef Tom Kerridge.

    Throughout his extensive career in retail, Matt recognised a significant shift in consumer trends toward locally made products with compelling stories. This insight inspired him to establish IND!E, a fresh and dynamic force driving change in the retail industry. Under Matt’s leadership, IND!E has become a market leader, supporting both major retailers and the SME challenger brand community. The company operates hundreds of pop-up shops in major retail locations each year and has pioneered a unique shop-in-shop concept, offering a crucial stepping stone for SME brands. Additionally, IND!E provides a comprehensive learning and resource hub and is set to launch its own e-commerce platform this year, further solidifying its role as an innovator in the retail landscape.

    Connect with Matt on LinkedIn.

    Visit IND!E.

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

  • Faire Game: How Indies Can Level the Playing Field

    Faire is the largest global b2b marketplace for independent retailers. In this episode, Faire’s UK General Manager Charlotte Broadbent joins Natalie to discuss:

    • How Faire is disrupting the wholesale sector and benefits for SMEs
    • Opportunities and challenges facing independent retailers today
    • How indies can up their game with AI
    • Values-based shopping and why ‘Not on Amazon’ is Faire’s most popular filter
    • Black Friday – should indies take part or is it a race to the bottom?
    • Women in tech – breaking down barriers and advice for the next generation of female leaders

    Charlotte’s bio:

    Charlotte joined the Faire team as UK General Manager in 2022, at an exciting and unique time when the US-founded b2b marketplace was pivoting to focus on international expansion. During her time at Faire she has led major category expansion, go-to-market strategy and partnership projects.

    Prior to this, she served as the COO of an international fine jewellery brand and retailer, Tamara Comolli. Here, she worked closely with the founder to solve the daily challenges in business, running a retail business through a pandemic and the wholesale aspects to retail.

    Charlotte started her career in private equity at Terra Firma Capital partners where she assessed and delivered new investments but also grew the value of those businesses through operational levers, focused on the retail and consumer sectors. It was during this time that Charlotte came to the realisation that she wanted to roll up her sleeves to be more involved in the operational side of leading a business, particularly through digital transformation. This passion led to her role at Faire today.

    Connect with Charlotte on LinkedIn.

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