All Podcast Episodes
Event Review: World Retail Congress
Event Review - World Retail Congress 2023: In this episode, we bring you more highlights from World Retail Congress 2023 in Barcelona.
Host Karl McKeever is joined by Deloitte chief global economist, Ira Kalish, and Matahari Department Store CFO, Niraj Jain. Together, we discuss the economic headwinds that the industry is facing in 2023, and how retailers can create the financial foundation to deliver resilience and growth in the months ahead. Plus we are joined in conversation by Havaianas President EMEA, Guillaume Prou, to explore his company’s extraordinary brand journey and why investing in product innovation remains vital in the face of growing additional ‘distractions’ to the day job of retailing.
The Interview: The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. VP Innovation & Technology, Ophelia Ceradini
The Interview: The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. In this episode, host Karl McKeever is joined by Ophelia Ceradini Vice President of Digital Technology and Innovation at The Estée Lauder Companies.
Artificial intelligence and augmented reality are transforming the beauty shopping experience through seamless and omnichannel experiences. In our latest of episode of The Interview Series, recorded live in the heart of New York City during NRF 2023, Ophelia explains how, using technology to offer interactive, immersive, and sustainable solutions, brands in the beauty space are creating a solid foundation to solving consumer pain points and firming up loyalty and sales.
Presented by Peak Technologies
Event Review: Shoptalk Europe 2023
Event Review - Shoptalk Europe 2023 - Ep03: in the final of our daily podcast episodes from Shoptalk Europe 2023 in Barcelona, host Karl McKeever brings you highlights from Day Three at the event. We hear from some of the sharpest minds in retail, at some of Europe’s leading retailers and brands, as they discuss, debate and present the solutions that are redefining thinking… in an ever-shifting landscape.
Event Review: Shoptalk Europe 2023
Event Review - Shoptalk Europe 2023 - Ep02: in the second of our daily podcast episodes from Shoptalk Europe 2023 in Barcelona, we pick our way through some of the highlights from Day Two at the event. Host Karl McKeever brings you highlights of what was on show (and discussed) during what was another busy day at Shoptalk Europe 2023. We hear from some of the sharpest minds in retail, at some of Europe’s leading retailers and brands, as they discuss, debate and present the solutions that are redefining thinking… in an ever-shifting landscape.
Event Review: Shoptalk Europe 2023
Event Review - Shoptalk Europe 2023 - Ep01: In this latest episode of The Retail Exchange podcast, host Karl McKeever brings you highlights from the first day of Shoptalk Europe 2023 in Barcelona. The event promises to unite Europe’s entire retail ecosystem. And the first day did not disappoint as retail leaders and some of the industry’s leading innovators came together to discuss and debate the trends that are shaping the industry… and present solutions that are providing a glimpse into what the future of retail might look like.
Event Review: World Retail Congress
Event Review - World Retail Congress 2023: In this latest episode of The Retail Exchange podcast, host Karl McKeever brings you highlights from World Retail Congress 2023 in Barcelona, as we pick our way through some of the topics, insights and conversations that are inspiring and challenging the retail ecosystem, and that interested us the most.
Event Review: Retail Week Live 2023
Event Review - Retail Week Live 2023: In this latest episode of The Retail Exchange podcast, host Karl McKeever brings you highlights from Retail Week Live 2023 in London, as we pick our way through some of the topics, insights and conversations that are inspiring and challenging the retail ecosystem, and that interested us the most.
The Interview: FitFlop CTO Sal Usmani
The Interview: FitFlop. In this episode of The Interview Series, host Karl McKeever is joined by Sal Usmai, CTO of ergonomic and wellness footwear brand, FitFlop. Leading the company's transition to an omnichannel organisation, Sal is a seasoned technology leader with 20+ years of experience managing multichannel business applications in a strategic environment, Sal joined FitFlop in 2022 as chief technology officer to ensure that innovation, data, technology and a customer-first approach are central to the retailer's overall growth plans. Before joining FitFlop he led technology teams at Belstaff, LVMH and the Conran Group. In our latest of episode of The Interview Series, recorded live in the heart of New York City during NRF 2023, Sal joins host Karl McKeever to discuss the changing face of digital transformation, and explore FitFlop's journey to becoming an AI-driven retailer.
Presented by Peak AI
The Interview: Neighborhood Goods CEO and co-founder Matt Alexander
The Interview: Neighborhood Goods. In this episode of The Interview Series, host Karl McKeever is joined by Matt Alexander, Co-Founder and CEO of Neighborhood Goods, as well as the brand’s President, Ashley Shelton Conger. Recorded live in the heart of New York City during NRF 2023, together we explore the brand story of Neighborhood Goods, the future of department stores, and the shift towards community-focused retailing.
. Presented by Peak Technologies
The Interview: Organic Garden CEO and co-founder, Martin Wild
The Interview: Organic Garden. In this episode of The Interview Series, host Karl McKeever is joined by Martin Wild, founder and CEO of Germany-based food-tech start-up, Organic Garden. As Martin prepares to take to the stage at Shoptalk Europe 2023 in Barcelona, we sit down together to discuss the brand’s journey, how the retail food industry can pursue a future that is good for people, the environment, and for business, and the story behind an unexpected appearance in Playboy magazine. Presented by Shoptalk Europe 2023
The Interview: Dickies Global VP of Digital Strategy, Calvin Anderson
The Interview: Dickies: In this episode of The Interview Series, host Karl McKeever is joined by Calvin Anderson, Global VP of Digital Strategy at Dickies.
Founded a century ago, the Dickies brand originated as a denim bib overall company, selling workwear to farm and ranch hands around the Southwest. Acquired by VF Corporation in 2017, today it is a global brand found in more than 100 countries —with a style that resonates as much with pop culture icons as it does with auto mechanics.
Calvin currently serves as Global VP of Digital Strategy for Dickies, as well as two other brands within the VF Corporation stable of brands – Altra and Smartwool – overseeing digital technology, customer lifecycle, data analytics, engineering, and science.
Prior to his role at VF Corp, Anderson served in several executive positions within the hotel industry including Head of Commercial at OYO NORA, the world’s fastest growing economy hotel chain.
Recorded live in the heart of New York City during NRF 2023, together we explore changing face of digital transformation, and what retailers can learn from Calvin’s experience in the hospitality industry.
Presented by Peak Technologies.
Event Review: NRF Big Show 2023
Event Review - NRF 2023 Retail’s Big Show - Day Three: In this latest episode of The Retail Exchange podcast, host Karl McKeever reports from NRF 2023, Retail’s Big Show, in New York City. We bring your highlights from the Javits Convention Center, where retail leaders and some of the industry’s most pioneering vendors, discuss, debate, and present the key topics that provide a glimpse into what the future of retail might look like. In this episode, we picked our way through some of the highlights from the final day at the Show.
Event Review: NRF Big Show 2023
Event Review - NRF 2023 Retail’s Big Show - Day Two: In this latest episode of The Retail Exchange podcast, host Karl McKeever reports from NRF 2023, Retail’s Big Show, in New York City. We bring your highlights from the Javits Convention Center, where retail leaders and some of the industry’s most pioneering vendors, discuss, debate, and present the key topics that provide a glimpse into what the future of retail might look like. In this episode, we picked our way through some of the highlights from Day Two at the Show.
Event Review: NRF Big Show 2023
Event Review - NRF 2023 Retail’s Big Show - Day One: In this latest episode of The Retail Exchange podcast, host Karl McKeever reports from NRF 2023, Retail’s Big Show, in New York City. At the start of a franticly busy three days in the Big Apple, we bring your highlights from the Javits Convention Center, we picked our way through some of the highlights from Day One at the Show, where retail leaders and some of the industry’s most pioneering vendors, discuss, debate, and present the key topics that provide a glimpse into what the future of retail might look like.
The Special: US Retail
The Special: US Retail. In this episode of The Special, we report from our New York studio to focus on the latest developments in US retail. Host Karl McKeever is joined by Laura Lewi, associate and concept designer at global architecture and design practice CRTKL to discuss the importance of reimagining physical retail for our new reality.
We speak to Neil Saunders, retail analyst and managing director of GlobalData Retail in Arizona about the current state of US retail, consumer confidence, and the prospects for growth ahead of the Golden Quarter. Plus: we’re joined by Aimee Grandfield, head of insights at retail display specialist arken P-O-P International to talk beauty retail, following her own recent visit to New York City.
The Interview: Spotify Head of Industry – Retail Vertical, John Gregory
The Interview: Spotify: In this episode of The Interview Series, host Karl McKeever is joined by John Gregory, Head of Industry – Retail Vertical at Spotify. From bombs, to beer, to Bloomingdale’s. Gregory has enjoyed a varied and storied career that has seen him involved in everything from the F-15 fighter program to the role of VP Marketing at the US luxury department store chain.
We explore the secrets to delivering a successful digital customer experience; how technology and data can be used to truly understand the individual and appeal to consumer senses and emotions; and what retailers can do to inspire shoppers through the joy of discovery.
Recorded at Retail Week Live 2022
The Interview: Majid Al Futtaim – Retail, CEO Hani Weiss
The Interview: Majid Al Futtaim: In this episode, host Karl McKeever is joined in conversation by Hani Weiss, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim – Retail, the exclusive partner of choice for international hypermarket and supermarket brand, Carrefour.
The last few years have brought profound, powerful change to retail. The critical factor holding everything together is Leadership. Hani’s own career began at Majid Al Futtaim - Retail in 2001, as a Section Manager at Carrefour in City Centre Deira, the firm’s first hypermarket in the region. Today, as its CEO, Hani leads a business of 37,000 colleagues, operating over 450 Carrefour stores across 16 countries in the region, and serving more than 750,000 customers a day.
We sat down with him to explore the story behind the Majid Al Futtaim Retail business; the challenges of operating a successful grocery retail franchise business in the Middle East, and to hear his thoughts on what great leadership looks like today and, more importantly, for the future.
Recorded at Shoptalk Europe 2022.
The Interview: UGG, VP of Global Marketing Carole Diarra
The Interview: UGG: In this episode, host Karl McKeever is joined in conversation by Vice President of Global Marketing for global lifestyle brand UGG, Carole Diarra.
Diarra reflects on how a brand can stay relevant in today’s uncertain times, and the enduring principles that make great brands stand out. She also shares the story of her own personal career journey that saw her spend 15 years in New York honing her skills at L’Oreal, before eventually settling in her current role (and into a new life) in Paris.
Recorded at Shoptalk Europe 2022.
The Interview: Frugi, Chief Executive Officer Sarah Clark
The Interview: Frugi: In this episode, host Mark Faithfull is joined by Sarah Clark, CEO of UK organic clothing brand, Frugi. We to explore how sustainable fashion has changed; the brand’s plan for growth; what a sustained approach to business growth looks like; how to better influence and empower customers to live more sustainably; and how can it replace the pursuit of profit, and to reflect on her first year in post.
Recorded at Retail Week Live 2022.
The Interview: LIFVS, co-founder and COO Daniel Lundh
The Interview: LIFVS: In this episode, host Karl McKeever is joined by LIFVS co-founder and COO Daniel Lundh to explore the story behind Europe’s largest unstaffed grocery chain; why it classes itself as a technology start-up first and retailer second; and how its business model could teach others a thing or two about how to enjoy retail success in low traffic areas and rural communities. Recorded at Shoptalk Europe 2022.