Episodes
Friday Jul 31, 2020
Friday Jul 31, 2020
Still in lockdown limbo, we use the internet to speak with two guests from the beauty and electricals sectors.
First up is Aaron Winsloe, the Head of eCommerce USA for The Hut Group. We spoke with Aaron in his new office just before the group results were announced - an impressive 24% revenue growth to £1.1bn and a 22% increase in profits. With 66% of group turnover coming from the international operations, it was a timely moment to catch up with Aaron, and in particular the trading and learning experience over COVID.
Next up is John Roberts, founder and CEO of AO.com. John has some very pithy sayings, as well as a lovely 'origin story' for how 'Appliances Online' (as it was 20 years ago) was founded. This interview was recorded as a keynote for IRX Engage's inaugural digital event, and in discussion we hear about the 'pivot' to a direct-selling brand and the values that underpin the business' success. The sound quality is more "phone line" than "BBC Studio" but John is such a compelling speaker that we had to share the interview.
Run time: 26 minutes.
INFORMATION:
Aaron Winsloe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-winsloe-a0a30680/
John Roberts: https://twitter.com/johnrobertsAO
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/
Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.
Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Monday Jun 15, 2020
Monday Jun 15, 2020
As Lockdown continued, we caught up with our guests 'over the web'.
Our first guest is Gracia Amico: chair, non-executive advisor and experienced CEO. In the past, she’s held senior digital and commercial roles at Burberry, TopShop and Hobbs, as well as CEO at Pets Pyjamas. After a period as Head of Digital Operations at Sun Capital, Gracia is now a non-executive Director at Stitched (the online curtains and blinds seller) and Chair of the pet technology company, Pet Mate.
With Gracia we learn about the dynamics of the 'pet' market, discuss the role of the CEO and the skills needed as Chair, and touch on an investor view of the skills needed to thrive as we emerge from lockdown.
Robin Phillips is our next guest. Robin is the CEO of The Watch Shop, but his career has seen him cover the gamut of ecommerce. He was Ecommerce Director at Waitrose, then Director of Omnichannel for Boots, before joining Kurt Geiger as Director of Digital. Robin’s experience then across fashion, food and pharmacy mean that he’s got a unique take on retail over the COVID lockdown, as well as some interesting insights on how The Watch Shop can be a brand platform for watch brands to sell.
Run time: 40 minutes.
INFORMATION:
Gracia Amico: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracia-amico-7aa9b0/
Robin Phillips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-phillips-rgp/
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/
Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.
Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
RetailCraft 17 - Lockdown with Alexander Wang and De Bijenkorf
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Thoroughly grounded in London, I luckily had some interviews from the ’time when travel was allowed’ and so we hear from Rikard Frost, Chief Consumer Officer of Alexander Wang Inc, when we visited him in New York City in January 2020. Then, further back in time, we chat with Pieter Heij, Multichannel Director at De Bijenkorf, the Netherland’s premier department store (and part of the Selfridges group). We chatted with Pieter just before an autumn dinner in Amsterdam - such proximity is much missed as we socially distance!
Run time: 33 minutes.
INFORMATION:
Rickard Frost: www.linkedin.com/in/rikardfrost/
Pieter Heij: www.linkedin.com/in/pieterheij/
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios and New York, USA and Amsterdam, NL. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Monday Jan 20, 2020
Monday Jan 20, 2020
Jamie and I kick off this episode with our thoughts on NRF2020 - the National Retail Federation’s "Big Show" in New York. Held in January each year, this 40,000-visitor-1000-exhibitor behemoth is gradually turning into a packed ’retail week’. Jamie and I cover our impressions of the show and what’s new and noteworthy, as well as giving a summary of the highlights of our store tour in which we visited Showfields (see RetailCraft 15 for an interview with one of the founders), Amazon 4-Star, Atelier Beauté Chanel, Glossier, The Real Real, Gucci, Camp and Neighborhood Goods.
You can see the details of the store tour here: airtable.com/shr6VPGFXHB4LNBoU/tblIQv68dVMxyALSJ
Next we travel back in time to NRF itself, when we were joined in the podcast studio by Laura Padfield, Head of Strategy and Business Development, International at Marks & Spencer. We cover a range of topics from the international growth and approach, differences between regions as well as hearing Laura’s reflections on the stores we’d visited.
Run time: 36 minutes.
INFORMATION:
Laura Padfield: www.linkedin.com/in/laura-padfield-1bb80b21/
Jamie Merrick: www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios and at the NRF Podcast Studio in New York, USA. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Thursday Dec 19, 2019
Thursday Dec 19, 2019
This bumper edition of the podcast is our ’Christmas present’, bringing interviews from New York retailers from three different sectors, but each innovative.
First of all we hear from Savannah Sachs. Avid followers of IR will remember that Savannah featured on the cover of our Magazine in March 2018 when she was with Birchbox, one of the early beauty-sector disruptors. Now we catch up with her as CEO of Tula - a skincare company that’s bringing to life "clean" cosmetics, linked to the skin biome, and focused on efficacy. Savannah brings clarity to these trends and it’s a fascinating insight to a business, with Savannah’s lucid and engaging explanation.
Then we head to meet Amir Zwickel, co-founder and Chief Property Officer of Showfields. This is a genuinely interesting and distinctive evolution of trends in pop-ups, department stores, experience places and location. We join Amir in the bustling "Lounge" on the top floor of their Soho store and get a fast-paced take on this evolved and distinctive business.
Finally we visit Marianna Satanas, Global Digital Sales Director at Eton Shirts. We’ve wanted to chat with Marianna for a while to learn about her experiences at Mr Porter, DKNY and others, but in her current role we have a combination of direct-to-consumer and digital wholesale, in a century-old brand that operates globally.Candid, fun and energetic as always, Marianna gives us an excellent view of the brand’s direction and journey.
Thanks as always to our guests. Let us know suggestions for 2020 (including volunteering yourself!). We will be back in January at NRF’s Big Show in NYC (where we are an official podcast partner of the event) and then in London again with the interviews from the Big Apple.
Merry Christmas, and best wishes for 2020 from the whole team at InternetRetailing.
Run time: 62 minutes.
RetailCraft 15 - "Loyalty and desirability" - Tula Skincare, Showfields and Eton Shirts
This bumper edition of the podcast is our ’Christmas present’, bringing interviews from New York retailers from three different sectors, but each innovative.
First of all we hear from Savannah Sachs. Avid followers of IR will remember that Savannah featured on the cover of our Magazine in March 2018 when she was with Birchbox, one of the early beauty-sector disruptors. Now we catch up with her as CEO of Tula - a skincare company that’s bringing to life "clean" cosmetics, linked to the skin biome, and focused on efficacy. Savannah brings clarity to these trends and it’s a fascinating insight to a business, with Savannah’s lucid and engaging explanation.
Then we head to meet Amir Zwickel, co-founder and Chief Property Officer of Showfields. This is a genuinely interesting and distinctive evolution of trends in pop-ups, department stores, experience places and location. We join Amir in the bustling "Lounge" on the top floor of their Soho store and get a fast-paced take on this evolved and distinctive business.
Finally we visit Marianna Satanas, Global Digital Sales Director at Eton Shirts. We’ve wanted to chat with Marianna for a while to learn about her experiences at Mr Porter, DKNY and others, but in her current role we have a combination of direct-to-consumer and digital wholesale, in a century-old brand that operates globally.Candid, fun and energetic as always, Marianna gives us an excellent view of the brand’s direction and journey.
Thanks as always to our guests. Let us know suggestions for 2020 (including volunteering yourself!). We will be back in January at NRF’s Big Show in NYC (where we are an official podcast partner of the event) and then in London again with the interviews from the Big Apple.
Merry Christmas, and best wishes for 2020 from the whole team at InternetRetailing.
Run time: 62 minutes.
Click here to listen on PodBean
INFORMATION:
Savannah Sachs: www.linkedin.com/in/savannahsachs/
Amir Zwickel: www.linkedin.com/in/amirzwickel/
Marianna Satanas: www.linkedin.com/in/marianna-satanas/
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Savannah’s cover interview in InternetRetailing Magazine: internetretailing.net/magazine/internetretailing-magazine--march-2018
Recorded on location in New York, USA and at Spiritland Studios, London. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Saturday Nov 16, 2019
RetailCraft 14 - “We’re never monotone” - Fortnum & Mason and Liberty London
Saturday Nov 16, 2019
Saturday Nov 16, 2019
Podcasts really shouldn’t be this much fun! The word “iconic” is for once apt, as we have a wide-ranging chat in the studio with these two UK-yet-global retailers, Fortnum & Mason, and Liberty London. With over 400 years of history being them we hear how focus, sticking to your DNA and having a real personality infuse both retailers.
Zia Zareem-Slade (Customer Experience Director at Fortnum & Mason) and Eric Fergusson (Ecommerce Director at Liberty London) join Jamie Merrick and Ian Jindal in our London studio.
We discuss their roles, what makes their businesses distinctive, “a celebration of the exceptional” and retail ‘as a movement’; from ‘joy-giving gifts’ to being ‘more relevant to more people more often’, via ‘how I got my job’. During this free-ranging conversation you’ll certainly agree that they are ‘never monotone’.
We mention the insta feeds a couple of times in the podcast so do get a slice of the glamour at www.instagram.com/fortnums and www.instagram.com/libertylondon
Run time: 45 minutes.
INFORMATION:
Gail Schuman: www.linkedin.com/in/gailshuman/
Jennifer Roebuck: www.linkedin.com/in/jroe/
Robin Phillips: www.linkedin.com/in/robin-phillips-rgp/
Vera Hartmuth: www.linkedin.com/in/vera-hartmuth-7405962/
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Tuesday Sep 03, 2019
Tuesday Sep 03, 2019
We’re back to school in style as Gail Shuman (Group eCommerce Director at Harvey Nichols), Jennifer Roebuck (Chief Marketing Officer at Feelunique.com) and Robin Phillips (CEO at The Watch Shop) join Vera Hartmuth and Ian Jindal in our London studio. We discuss luxury experience to sustainability and transparency, via brand management and business models to thoughts on loyalty and desirability in this engaging free-ranging conversation.
INFORMATION:
Gail Schuman: www.linkedin.com/in/gailshuman/
Jennifer Roebuck: www.linkedin.com/in/jroe/
Robin Phillips: www.linkedin.com/in/robin-phillips-rgp/
Vera Hartmuth: www.linkedin.com/in/vera-hartmuth-7405962/
Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Thursday Aug 15, 2019
Thursday Aug 15, 2019
In the spirit of 'summer reading' and bookclubs, we asked our community on Linkedin what books they were reading on retail, and which authors would they like to hear us interview in the studio. As a result we're pleased that four of the most-suggested authors agreed to brave the oppressive humidity of a London 'summer' day to chat with us about their latest books, their experiences, motivations and ideas.
"Authors" is probably not the best description since our group are retailers, entrepreneurs, technologists, analysts... who have happened to write books.
Our conversation covers customers, culture, Amazon, technology, university education and the process of writing.
Run time: 65 minutes.
Information:
Martin Newman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martindnewman/ ("100 Practical Ways to Improve Customer Experience: Achieve End-to-End Customer Engagement in a Multi-Channel World" - https://amzn.to/31IyVp8 )
Natalie Berg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-berg-ba20931/ ("Amazon: How the World's Most Relentless Retailer will Continue to Revolutionize Commerce" - https://amzn.to/2TB1bHz ; and her previous book on Walmart, https://amzn.to/33wkEOl)
Miya Knights: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miyaknights/ (co-author with Natalie of "Amazon", above, and of "Omnichannel Retail: How to build winning stores in a digital world", https://amzn.to/2N4Unkh )
Richard Hammond: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uncrowdceo/ (author of "Smart Retail: Winning Ideas and Strategies from the Most Successful Retailers in the World (4th edition)" - https://amzn.to/2KLe5ih - and the newly-released "Friction/Reward: Be your customer's first choice" - https://amzn.to/2KNccS9
Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Friday Jul 19, 2019
Friday Jul 19, 2019
Back in the studio for this episode we're joined by three retailers covering feet, handbags and vintage.
David Williams is the Senior Director of Direct to Consumer, EMEA and Japan for Deckers Brands and we hear about the multichannel business, skills and working in Japan. Deckers brands comprise Ugg, Teva and Hoka.
Rhea Jeffery is the Head of eCommerce at Beyond Retro and we hear of the global scale of the business, their "Rag Pickers", sustainability, and the role of data is planning the myriad trends and supply chain challenges.
Rachel Glynn is the head of ecommerce at Radley and we hear about the brand's journey from Camden Market stall in London to a global brand that blends luxury with playfulness.
Vera Hartmuth is Marketing Director at Salesforce and joins us as co-host for the first time! Welcome, Vera :)
Run time: 50 minutes.
Information:
David Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilliams-ecommerce-and-omnichannel-director/
Rhea Jeffery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheajeffery/
Rachel Glynn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelglynn/
Vera Hartmuth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vera-hartmuth-7405962/
Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.
Thursday Jun 27, 2019
Thursday Jun 27, 2019
This month we’ve let Ian Jindal out of the studio, and he’s been on a road trip to Copenhagen. Ian was there to host a RetailCraft Dinner, where we bring together the people behind brands’ successes for an off-the-record evening of conversation. During the day, however, he visited two Danish-yet-global jewellery brands to see how they are delivering multichannel sales and experience.
First stop was the Georg Jensen HQ where Ian met with Will Lockie, the global head of e-commerce. Will showed Ian around the silversmiths workshops. Photos of the visit are linked below.
We then visited David Walmsley, recently appointed as chief digital and omnichannel director at Pandora.
The craft and product focus within both of these businesses is exceptional, and we learn from both David and Will some of the challenges and approaches of running a global operation.
Run time: 49 minutes.
Information:
Will Lockie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willlockie/
David Walmsley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwalmsley0/
Ian Jindal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal
Recorded on location in London, UK at Spiritland Studios, and in Copenhagen at the offices of Georg Jensen and Pandora. Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal. Photograph of Will Lockie and a bust of Georg Jensen in their foyer, along with silversmiths’ hammers.