All Podcast Episodes
The Interview: Retail Trust
The Interview - Retail Trust: In this episode, host Mark Faithfull returns to the important issue of wellbeing, as we mark Mental Health Awareness Week and the Retail Trust’s Together Fest 2022, which takes place in London today. Recorded at Spring Fair 2022, Retail Trust wellbeing consultant Andrea Woodside joins us to examine whether retail is a happy place, why kindness and empathy is not rocket science (but can be rocket fuel), and why it’s important to give retail leaders permission to focus their energy and efforts on signposting support to make a meaningful difference to employees.
In Focus: Beauty Retail
In Focus - Beauty Retail: In this episode, we explore how the beauty industry can capitalise on the booming consumer demand to feel good again, by bringing joy and discovery to the retail experience. Host Karl McKeever sits down with Benefit Cosmetics UK & Ireland marketing director Lou Bennett, Cosmetic Executive Women editor Sallie Berkerey and arken P-O-P International head of insights Aimee Grandfield.
In Focus: Employee Wellbeing
In Focus - Employee Wellbeing: In this episode, host Mark Faithfull talks wellbeing. Employee wellbeing doesn’t stop at the store or office entrance. We sit down with Claire Kershaw, Wellbeing Offer at Next and Terry Streather, Director of Oakwood Training to discuss the importance of achieving buy-in at a senior level, why the narrative needs to switch from reactive to one that’s proactive, how to empower managers to spot the warning, and what wellbeing will look like in the future.
The Interview: Little Moons, CEO & co-founder Vivien Wong
In this episode of The Interview series, host Karl McKeever sits down with Little Moons CEO and co-founder Vivien Wong. As children growing up in their parents’ bakery in London, Vivien (and her brother Howard) were surrounded by a passion for creating amazing food.
In 2010, they set up Little Moons; making a Japanese-inspired dessert called "mochi”. After enjoying steady growth, the company set up a Little Moons TikTok account and began posting videos… and then things began to get really interesting.
The Interview: British Independent Retailers Association CEO Andrew Goodacre
In this episode of The Interview series, recorded at Spring Fair 2022, host Karl McKeever is joined by British Independent Retailers Association CEO Andrew Goodacre and Jayne Weldon, ECommerce Manager of new BIRA-backed online trading platform Neartoo. While The Retail Exchange’s Mark Faithfull talks to Claire Leigh, founder of award-winning independent retailer, Two Ducks.
During the pandemic, customers were increasingly keen to support smaller, independent and community retailers. But will bricks-and-mortar independent retail still be popular and relevant as we move forward? BIRA CEO Andrew Goodacre believes so. Now it’s time for independent shops, run by owners with passion and commitment, to seize the moment.
The Interview: Green & Black’s, co-founder Jo Fairley
In this episode of The Interview series, recorded at Spring Fair 2022, host Karl McKeever is joined by Green & Black’s co-founder Jo Fairley as she shares her experience of founding a business during a recession and discusses the importance of staying true to her core belief that doing good for your people and the planet simply makes good business sense.
Event Review: Spring Fair 2022
For those who have an eye on wholesale retail, Spring Fair has traditionally had a strong spot on their roster. Its physical presence may well have been on pause since 2020 but this year it's back, to claim the mantle of being Europe's biggest post-pandemic industry event to date. And with a distinct era of hope and optimism as well. In this special episode, The Retail Exchange reports from Spring Fair 2022 at the NEC Birmingham to bring you a review of the flagship four-day wholesale retail event.
The Interview: Mintel, director of trends EMEA Simon Moriarty
As we look ahead to Spring Fair 2022, host Karl McKeever sits down with Mintel Director of Trends EMEA Simon Moriarty to discuss post-pandemic consumers trends and the big changes that will impact the world in which we all live and work within in 2022, and beyond.
The Interview: Pets at Home, chief people & culture officer Louise Stonier
The Interview: Pets at Home: In this latest episode of The Interview Series host Karl McKeever is joined by Pets at Home chief people & culture officer Louise Stonier. She explains the retailer’s focus on people, as well as pets. Why loving what you do is key to giving it your all. And why meaningful engagement and flexible working ultimately pays off when it comes to delivering lasting improvements in performance.
The Interview: BOXPARK founder Roger Wade
The Interview: BOXPARK x London Designer Outlet: In this latest episode of The Interview Series host Karl McKeever is joined by BOXPARK founder Roger Wade and London Designer Outlet general manager Sue Shepherd. Together, they discuss strategies for making neighbourhoods a pleasing place, and the formula that will ensure bricks-and-mortar retail and hospitality doesn’t just survive, but thrives.
The Special Live
The Special Live - The CEOs…: In this special episode of the podcast, presented by Trust Systems and recorded on stage at Retail Week Live 2021, Retail Week Connect’s Isobel Chillman is joined by The Very Group group chief executive Henry Birch, Wickes CEO David Wood, and Fenwick CEO John Edgar.
The Special: 2020 Year in Review
The Special - 2020 Year in Review: As 2020 rolls to a close, our final podcast episode of the year reflects on the year that was. A year in retail, like no other. Special co-hosts Karl McKeever and Natalie Berg reflect on the past year in retail and look ahead at what’s to come in what everyone hopes will be a brighter 2021.
The Special: Retail Wellbeing
The Special - Retail Wellbeing: In our final episode of ‘The Special’ series, we take an in-depth look at the human impact of the pandemic and the importance of wellbeing for retail employees in these unprecedented times.
The Special: Braking Point
The Special - Braking Point: In our latest episode of ‘The Special’ series, we bring listeners a special report from the US and Canada, as stores across both countries close their physical stores in response to the global pandemic.
The Special: New Normal?
The Special - New Normal? In this episode of ‘The Special’ series, we explore the ramifications of the retail apocalypse that nobody saw coming, as stores around the world close their physical stores.
The Special: Feed the Nation
The Special - Feed the Nation: In the first in our new series of ‘The Special’, we explore how the pandemic is affecting food retailers. Our guests try to make sense of the volatile, fast moving and hugely complex situation facing grocery retail.
The Special: Retail Technology
The Special - Retail Technology: As the decade draws to a close, we bring you three special episodes exploring the challenges and opportunities that will lie in store for retail in the next ten years. In this first episode, we talk technology. In association with World Retail Congress.