Tag: podcast

  • Amazon Prime VP Jamil Ghani: “Prime is Not A Loyalty Program”

    Jamil Ghani is the Worldwide Vice President of Amazon Prime, leading product, technology, marketing, decision science, operations, and finance teams that build and operate the membership program for over 200 million members across 26 countries.  

    He sits down with Natalie at the end of the Amazon Prime analyst event in Seattle to discuss the latest innovations and strategic direction of Prime. They explore:

    • The key pillars of Prime: convenience, savings, entertainment.
    • With new Prime markets like Colombia and Ireland, Jamil discusses why Amazon aims to launch Prime internationally “as quickly as possibly but as slow as necessary”.
    • What Prime is NOT: Jamil says it’s not a loyalty program, not a breakage model, and not a loss leader.
    • Is Prime nearing saturation? Learn where Jamil sees opportunities for further customer acquisition in the US.

    The first half of the episode focuses on Natalie’s takeaways from the Amazon Prime analyst event. If you’d like to skip straight to the interview with Jamil, this starts at 10 minutes.

    * Natalie will be releasing a Forbes article with more insights from the event later this week. *

    Jamil’s bio:

    Over his 7-year tenure, Jamil has accelerated Prime’s growth, tripling the membership and doubling per member spend. He has also broadened Prime’s offerings, expanding to 13 new countries and launching new benefits in multiple high-value categories, including health care, grocery, and restaurant food delivery. He works across Amazon’s consumer businesses to innovate on behalf of customers, build the Amazon and Prime businesses, and make customers’ life better every day. Before coming to Amazon in 2017, Jamil served as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Strategy, Digital & Innovation, for Target Corporation. Before that, he spent five years at The Walt Disney Company focused on identifying, developing, and launching travel and leisure growth initiatives. This included the MyMagic+ experience system, Shanghai Disneyland Park, and Aulani destination resort. Jamil holds a BA magna cum laude from Harvard College in economics and computer science and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where he was selected as a Baker Scholar. Jamil lives with his wife and two (soon to be three) daughters in Bellevue, WA.

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

  • Nadine Merabi: 800% Growth Was the Worst Thing That Ever Happened

    Global fashion designer Nadine Merabi shares her inspiring journey, from teaching herself how to sew by watching YouTube to becoming a successful fashion entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of building her eponymous brand, NADINE MERABI, emphasizing the importance of community, sustainability, and empowering women through fashion. Nadine shares the rationale for the brand’s move into bricks & mortar retail and the significance of creating a positive company culture. She offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, highlighting the power of self-belief and passion in achieving success.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by the Richmond Retail and E-commerce Directors’ Forum. To learn more about the event, visit: https://www.richmondevents.com/forums/details/ret26

    This is a video episode and can also be watched on YouTube.

     

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

  • Pacsun CEO: “We’ve Sold 200,000 Pairs of Jeans on TikTok”

    Pacsun CEO Brieane Olson sits down with Natalie on the sidelines at the World Retail Congress. They discuss:

    • Staying culturally relevant: how Pacsun transitioned from a “house of brands” in malls to a purpose-driven, culture-first youth brand.
    • Are Gen Z and Gen Alpha actually brand loyal? What are the misconceptions of these digitally native generations?
    • The power of co-creation: how Paris Hilton and A$AP Rocky are helping Pacsun to position their stores as culture and community hubs.
    • Physical retail: why is Pacsun opening 75 new stores in the US and what are the opportunities globally?
    • Social commerce: As an early adopter, how is Pacsun reaching shoppers on TikTok and China’s Douyin?
    • Conscious capitalism and being clear on purpose.
    • Women in retail: as the first female CEO of Pacsun, does Brieane think the industry has made sufficient progress?

    📢 Sign up to hear Natalie speak at the definitive e-commerce loyalty event, Loyalty Connect 2025, going live 10-12 June 2025: https://loyaltylion.com/resources/loyalty-connect 

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

  • Not a One-Trick Pony: Nobody’s Child Founder on Becoming More Than a Dress Brand

    Andrew Xeni is the Founder/Chairman of Nobody’s Child and Soreto, and Founder/CEO of Fabacus. He joins Natalie for a video episode which can be watched on YouTube. 

    Andrew discusses the evolution of Nobody’s Child, an M&S-backed fashion brand known for its commitment to affordability and sustainability. He shares insights on the brand’s transition from pure-play e-commerce to physical retail and the importance of product diversification and brand elevation in order to achieve profitable growth. 

    We also get Andrew’s views on sustainability – how NC is embedding it into the organization and how other retailers should respond to growing demands for circularity. They discuss digital product passports – Andrew has been a real trailblazer here through his other venture, Fabacus, and soon every NC product will have a digital product passport. He shares how it’s enabling the business to enhance transparency and deepen customer engagement.

    This episode is sponsored by Aptos, a leading provider of Unified Commerce solutions for retail. For more, visit https://www.aptos.com/ 

    Andrew’s bio:

    Andrew Xeni is a visionary technology and retail entrepreneur; founder of award-winning businesses that are reshaping their industries.

    After building a successful family manufacturing business supplying the UK high street, Xeni went on to establish responsible fashion brand, Nobody’s Child, named 2023 & 2024 Drapers Retailer of the Year (<£100m), as well as building technology ventures; Fabacus, where he serves as CEO, and Soreto, where he acts as Chairman. Operating globally, his businesses are servicing some of the world’s largest organisations in licensing and retail, including Tesco, NBCUniversal and Samsung. Xeni also welcomed Marks & Spencer as a strategic investor and minority shareholder in Nobody’s Child.

    Passionate about shaping the future of sustainable retail, in 2023, Fabacus and Nobody’s Child collaborated to launch a Digital Product Passport solution driven by compliant product catalogues, in preparation for incoming legislation around the world, set to redefine and evolve the retail landscape.

    Xeni is backed by a number of leading financial institutions and prominent individuals and in addition to managing a diverse portfolio of businesses, he is an active angel investor and mentor.

     

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

  • Delivering the Future: Amazon Leaders on AI, Robotics, Last Mile, and Same-Day Delivery

    Live from Amazon’s ‘Delivering the Future’ event in Dortmund, Germany, Natalie speaks to three Amazon execs about today’s announcements:

    • Rocco Bräuniger – Vice President, Country Manager Germany & Expansion Countries EU
    • Nicola Fyfe – Vice President, Amazon Logistics Europe
    • Sarah Rhoads – Vice President, Global Workplace Health & Safety

    We explore the launch of Vulcan, Amazon’s first robot with a sense of touch. This is tech that Amazon says was unimaginable just three years ago and is now transforming their operations.

    We also discuss the all-important last mile. What actually happens after you place an order on Amazon? What role do Amazon’s delivery stations play and how is technology improving that experience?

    We unpack (no pun intended) Amazon’s plans to roll out same-day delivery to 20 more locations across Europe, as well as extend order cut-off times to as late at 6:15pm in some postcodes.

    We discuss how technology isn’t just about driving efficiencies for retailers and enhancing the experience for customers; it’s also, critically, improving workplace safety.

    More on today’s announcements:

    https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/company-news/introducing-vulcan-amazons-first-robot-with-a-sense-of-touch

    https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/company-news/amazon-is-investing-more-than-700-million-in-delivery-station-technology-across-europe 

    https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/company-news/amazon-is-expanding-and-accelerating-same-day-delivery-across-europe 

     

     

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

  • Aisle to Algorithm: David’s Bridal’s New CEO on Retail Transformation

    Kelly Cook is the newly appointed CEO of David’s Bridal. She joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss how David’s Bridal is embarking on the biggest shift in its 75-year history, transitioning from a legacy bridal retailer to becoming a tech-powered retail, AI, and media powerhouse.

    📺 This is a video episode and can be watched here.

    Kelly and Natalie explore:

    •    How David’s plans to expand beyond wedding dresses to capture a bigger piece of the $65 billion wedding industry, leveraging first-party data, AI-driven planning tools, and a digital marketplace to transform how brides shop, plan, and celebrate.
    •    Retail media: with 90% of all US brides entering the David’s ecosystem, how is David’s monetizing this reach and what does Kelly think of the broader retail media explosion we’re witnessing around the globe?
    •    From virtual try-ons and mood boards to AI chatbots, how is David’s utilizing AI to enhance the customer experience?
    •    100% of all David’s owned communications are now AI-driven! How has this enabled David’s to better serve the customer?
    •    From cowboys boots to QR codes, what are the key bridal trends that Kelly is observing in 2025? 
    •    Learnings from pandemic pivots – curbside pick-up and augmented reality.
    •    Kelly is the most recent example of a CMO to CEO transition, but we’ve also seen this with brands like Starbucks and Taco Bell. What’s behind this trend?
    •    Advice for future retail leaders.

    Kelly’s bio:

    Kelly Cook is a visionary executive with over two decades of leadership in omnichannel strategy, digital transformation, IT, branding, and marketing. A catalyst for growth, she has a proven track record of driving business growth through brand evolution, pioneering innovation and aligning teams behind transformative strategies that drive bottom-line impact. Her leadership has propelled organizations to new heights – boosting profitability, increasing stock value, and earning industry accolades from Newsweek (Best Place to Work for Women) and Forbes (Most Inclusive Marketing).

    Her career spans a diverse mix of industries ranging from airlines and fashion to home decor and retail, and now the bridal fashion and wedding industry. Prior to joining David’s Bridal, Kelly held executive leadership roles at top companies, including Continental Airlines, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, and Pier 1, where she spearheaded large-scale brand, marketing and digital initiatives that redefined customer engagement. In her current role at David’s, Kelly leads marketing, IT, digital, customer experiences, analytics and e-commerce, ensuring that innovation and customer-centricity remain at the heart of the brand’s growth.

    Recognized by Harvard Business School as one of 2003’s Most Dynamic Women in Business, Kelly embodies a leadership style grounded in service to others. She finds joy in seeing individuals at any and every level do extraordinary things. She is a steward of the power of determination, often toting her mantra: “If cauliflower can become pizza, anything can happen.”

    Kelly holds an MBA and a Master of Finance from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business. Beyond the boardroom, she is a devoted wife of 30 years to her husband Damon, the proud mom of five kids (including triplets,) as well as two pampered, plump basset hounds, Jasper and Rufus. Based in Houston, Texas, she continues to inspire her “Dream Makers,” disrupt industries, and shape the future of brand innovation.

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

  • Real-Time Retail: Why Fashion Retailers Need to Embrace AI

    Paid partnership with Centric Software

    With extensive experience in merchandising, Beatriz Ciraudo has worked with global brands such as Lacoste, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Chloé. Her career spans Brazil, France, and Italy, giving her a unique international perspective on merchandising and retail strategy.

    Now, as a Presales Consultant at Centric Software, Beatriz helps retailers and brands leverage cutting-edge AI-driven planning, pricing, and market intelligence solutions to optimize decision-making and drive profitability.

    She joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss what retailers must do to stay relevant in the face of disruption. They explore:

    • Data, data, data: the dangers of relying on intuition (or Excel!) when it comes to making important decisions.
    • Real-time retail: what retailers can learn from disruptors like Shein and the importance of agility and speed for fashion retailers today.
    • Excess stock, brand-damaging discounts, and waste: why Beatriz believes that the best use case for AI in fashion retail is markdown optimization.
    • Can fashion retail ever be truly sustainable? Get Beatriz’s view on why retailers need to rethink the entire sourcing process.

    This episode is brought to you by Centric Software. Centric Software provides an innovative and AI-enabled product concept-to-replenishment platform for retailers, brands and manufacturers of all sizes. As experts in fast-moving consumer goods like fashion, outdoor, luxury, home, multi-category retail, grocery, food & beverage, cosmetics & personal care and consumer electronics, Centric Software delivers best-of-breed solutions to plan, design, develop, source, buy, make, price, allocate, sell and replenish products.

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

  • Every Little (Bit of Innovation) Helps: Chatbots, Digital Twins, Autonomous Stores, and Drones With Tesco

    Jane Mustoe, Senior Technology Director at Tesco, joins Natalie to discuss how Tesco is using tech to redefine both customer and colleague experiences. They explore:

    • Tesco’s recent innovations – GetGo and frictionless shopping, gen AI chatbots, digital twins, mobile apps for store associates, and more.
    • All about the margins – the importance of achieving marginal gains in a low-margin industry.
    • Always keeping an eye on future innovations and finding pockets of “reality” amongst the “hype”.
    • Why over half of innovations fail, why that’s important, and lessons from Tesco’s drone trial.
    • Why getting the culture right is ‘make or break’ for organisations and the need to balance agility with operational efficiencies.
    • DEI and advice for the next generation of female tech leaders.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Centric Software.

    Centric Software provides an innovative and AI-enabled product concept-to-replenishment platform for retailers, brands and manufacturers of all sizes. As experts in fashion, luxury, footwear, outdoor, home and related goods like cosmetics, food & beverage and multi-category retail, Centric Software delivers best-of-breed solutions that optimize planning, pricing, design, product development, sourcing and production.

    📣 Register for Centric Connect 2025.

    Connect with Jane on LinkedIn.

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

  • Keep the Customer in the Room: Marketing Insights from Asda and Waitrose

    Martin George, former Customer Director at Waitrose, and Jessica Cole, Senior Director Own Brand, Masterbrand, Customer Strategy & Propositions, at Asda join Natalie to discuss the evolving role of marketing in retail.

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    They explore:

    • Retail disruption – how has AI impacted retail marketing? How have legacy retailers responded to disruption? Which grocery innovations haven’t stuck?
    • Customer centricity – how to embed this in the organization and learnings from other sectors.
    • Understanding diverse customer needs and how some low-tech solutions (ie. spending time on the shop floor) can be among the most effective.
    • What skills are required of retail marketeers today and how might this evolve in the future? 
    • Is the CMO role still relevant in retail? Should they have a seat on the board?
    • Tesco Clubcard’s 30th anniversary – what is the role of data in retail marketing today and how do you measure success?
    • Do customers expect the same experience in an airport as a supermarket (ie. frictionless, self-service, personalization) or are needs more individualized? Martin shares his views from his time as Commercial Director at BA.

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    This episode was brought to you by the Richmond Retail & E-commerce Directors’ Forum. Are you a retailer interested in attending? Email Natalie to secure your seat.

    Bios:

    Jessica Cole has spent the past 15 years working in the Retail industry and has held senior roles with Morrisons, Selfridges, Accenture Strategy, Monitor Deloitte and most recently Asda as Senior Director Own Brand, Masterbrand, Customer Strategy & Propositions. Jess specialises in setting and executing strategies, leading large scale transformations, building brands and driving profitable sales growth.

    Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn.

    Martin George is the former Customer Director at Waitrose. He started his career at Cadburys and held a number of senior roles including Commercial Director at British Airways, Group Development Director at Bupa and most recently as Customer Director at Waitrose where he was responsible for Marketing and Customer Experience. He has previously held a number of Non-Executive Director roles as well as setting-up businesses in the hospitality, travel media and healthcare sectors. 

    Martin is now a Non-Executive Director at Goodwood, Visit Jersey and Trust Alliance Group. He is also a School Governor and working with the Marketing Academy to increase diversity in the marketing profession.

    Connect with Martin on LinkedIn.

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

  • Post-Death Consumerism

    What happens in the digital afterlife? Do you even need to be alive to be a consumer? Should retailers and brands be thinking about a post-death strategy?

    VML’s Naji El-Arifi and Hugh Fletcher join Natalie on the podcast to discuss all of this and more:

    • Digital avatars and virtual goods – what are the opportunities for brands?
    • Why retailers need to be paying more attention to gaming.
    • The evolution of AI and delegation of purchasing tasks.
    • Grocery e-commerce – addressing perennial challenges with AI.
    • Digital immortality – just how ethical is this?

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    Links:

    VML Future Shopper Report

    OpenAI/Instacart news mentioned by Naji 

    Connect with Naji on LinkedIn

    Connect with Hugh on LinkedIn

    Bios:

    Naji El-Arifi:
    As the Head of Innovation at VML Enterprise Solutions, Naji spearheads transformative solutions for businesses navigating the digital landscape. With a robust background in Product Management and Innovation, he has collaborated with an impressive array of companies and start-ups, including DFS, Lego, Domestic & General, Sainsbury’s, Shop Direct Group, Audi, Lloyds Bank, Kobalt, and BP. Naji consistently demonstrates how cutting-edge technology can address and overcome industry challenges.

    Hugh Fletcher:
    Hugh is an internationally sought after digital commerce futurologist, heading up the Demand Content Thought Leadership team at VML. As an ex-Audi digital guru, Hugh uses his client-side experience and unique take on the future of commerce to help organisations set up for, and implement, digital change in the constantly evolving commerce market. His work focuses on helping ambitious Clients to transact more digitally through strategic consultancy, covering digital business transformation, the future of ecommerce and conversion. He is a go-to spokesperson in press and TV for tech trends impacting ecommerce, and author of reports, white papers and articles covering future shoppers, Generation Alpha, Digital Commerce Leaders, space commerce and peak selling.

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