The Retail Podcast

ASOS launches a next‑gen loyalty ladder, LVMH test‑drives autonomous AI agents, luxury pop‑ups swamp central London, and JD Sports opens a 42 K ft² “department store for trainers.” In the debut Five Things Friday – UK Edition, Alex welcomes Simone Oloman (Co‑Founder & CEO, Need It For Tonight) to decode four trends and preview the quick‑commerce future.

This week’s five things

1. Loyalty 2.0 at ASOS – Tiered access, FOMO perks,...

Luxury malls in Dubai and Riyadh are booming while China cools; LVMH parks a “cruise‑liner” flagship in downtown Shanghai; Australian retail sales jump—but the growth comes from Shein, Temu and other bargain imports; Reliance Retail strikes a game‑changing partnership with Shein, blending Indian and Chinese fast‑fashion supply; and live‑commerce numbers in Southeast Asia prove the next big shopping format is travelling east‑to‑west...

Dynamic pricing, omnichannel fulfilment & sustainable retail in 2025.

AI rewired retail—and Abhijit Niyogi built the circuit. In this 28‑minute masterclass, TCS’s Retail VP breaks down:

• Why stores behave like software post‑pandemic

• How AI pricing drives margin without raising shelf prices

• Electronic shelf labels: ROI thresholds & rollout traps

• Retail media networks: monetising Gen Z attention

• Store‑as‑micro‑DC: omn...

Mobile wallets now power 73 % of APAC e-commerce checkouts, same-day shipping prices hit record lows, and Australia’s Country Road Group faces a 93 % profit plunge. In this Five Things Friday episode, Alex (The Retail Podcast) joins Ryf Quail (Managing Director, NRF APAC) and Laura Doonin (Retail & Digital-Tech Advisor) to unpack:

• Mobile Wallet vs. Credit Card Shift – QR pay, A2A rails, WeChat Pay, Alipay, UPI, DuitNow

• Same-D...

Customer-acquisition costs exploded online. Smart brands are responding with bricks, data—and a dash of theatre.

⚡️ What we tackle in 20 minutes

1. ​Physical retail as the new CAC – DTC brands discover rent can be cheaper than Meta ads when the store becomes a stage.
2. ​Aesop’s $2.5 billion masterclass – From Melbourne to 400 boutiques, every location is bespoke, scented, and digitally wired for replenishment.
3. ​Digital-first, st...

Braze’s Global Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, James Herridge-Leng, lays out a blueprint for retailers who refuse to be trapped by channel silos or third-party walled gardens. Expect hard numbers: a 200 % jump in ROAS, email open rates doubling when WhatsApp joins the mix, and loyalty lift when zero-party data fuels real-time journeys.

Key Topics

• Composable vs monolithic engagement stacks

• Zero- vs first- vs third-pa...

Retail evolves faster than it’s ever moved. This week Alex, Ryf, and Laura unpack five forces reshaping the industry—and the brands proving each point.

1. Asia’s five-element advantage – Emotional value, community identity, nighttime escapes, immersive art, smart-health choices. Gentle Monster, LVMH, Hermès, Burberry, and Lefty’s show why experience beats merchandise.

2. Australia’s IT breakout moment – A fresh fiscal year releases...

Alex Rezvan from The Retail Podcast sits down with JillDvorak, SVP of Content at NRF, and Ryf Quail, Managing Director of NRF APAC.

Recorded live from NRF APAC 2025 in Singapore, this conversation explores why the next generation of consumers is not just arriving—they’re here and reshaping retail in profound ways. Discover how retailers can navigate the challenge of catering to a generation that shops with individuality, ethics, and...

🎙️ Podcast Title (Apple & Spotify) NRF APAC 2025: Day 1 Highlights with Ryf Quail & Guests

🎧 Podcast Episode Description Kicking off Day 1 of NRF APAC 2025 in Singapore, Alex is joined by Ryf Quail, Managing Director and co-host of Five Things Friday, for a fast-paced walk-through of the opening highlights. Fresh off the ribbon-cutting, Ryf shares his first impressions, the emotional energy of the show floor, and what he’s...

Recorded live at NRF APAC 2025, this short soundbite features Panchalee Weeratammawat, Chief People Officer of Central Retail. With nearly 80,000 employees across Thailand, Vietnam, and Italy, Panchalee shares what’s top of mind for retail leaders in Asia today.

Key Highlights:

• Why employee happiness drives customer loyalty

• Retail’s evolving role: from reactive to behavior-shaping

• What stood out on Day 1 of NRF APAC 2025

  
  

Welcome to a special APAC edition of Five Things Friday from The Retail Podcast.This week, host Alex is on the cusp of two retail mega-events: Shoptalk Europe and NRF APAC in Singapore. With Laura under the weather, we’re joined by special guest Reef Quail, Managing Director at NRF APAC, for a candid, front-line take on the pulse of Asian retail.In this episode:

• How Asia-Pacific is rewriting retail’s playbook—diversity, part...

The pace of retail transformation hasnever been faster—and Microsoft is at the heart of it.

In this exclusive interview, Alex fromThe Retail Podcast sits down with Keith Mercier, Vice President ofWorldwide Retail & Consumer Goods at Microsoft. They explore:

·How generative AI and copilots are reshaping the frontlineexperience

·The myth of data readiness—and how to get unstuck frompilot purgatory

·Why conversational commerce is the...

In this special “Five Things Friday: APAC Edition,” Alex from The Retail Podcast and Laura from Neat sit down with Ryf Quail, Managing Director of NRF APAC, to unpack the biggest trends shaping retail in Asia-Pacific ahead of NRF APAC in Singapore.🎙️ Topics covered:

• Ryf’s top insights for APAC retail leaders
• Digital transformation: AI, 5G, and cloud
• Shopify Editions: Key updates, global e-commerce, new “Horizon” theme
• The futu...

In this powerhouse episode of The Retail Podcast, Alex sits down with Ben Miller, VP of Content at Shoptalk, to unpack what’s really shaping the future of global retail.

From rising pressure on operational efficiency to the explosive growth of retail media and AI-powered discovery, this conversation goes deep into:

• How leaders are navigating uncertainty

• Why in-store tech investment is skyrocketing

• The mindset shift retailer...

In this episode of Five Things Friday, Alex and Laura break down the strategies, trends, and tensions shaping the retail landscape.

Fresh from the World Retail Congress in London, Alex shares how Morrisons is rebuilding trust with a simple but powerful 5-5-5 framework. Laura brings sharp insights from Australia, highlighting Shein’s explosive $12B sales surge and what it means for domestic retailers.

They also explore:

• The ove...

Welcome to Five Things Friday—your new weekly dose of insights, hosted by Laura & Alex from The Retail Podcast!

In this debut episode, we explore:

- 🌟 Luxury Wellness Clubs: How Sunday Sporting Club is reshaping social gatherings through fitness and meaningful connections.

- 🛍️ World Retail Congress 2025: A sneak peek at next week's event in London, highlighting innovative store tours at Selfridges, John Lewis, and IKEA.

...

Join Alex on The Retail Podcast as he speaks with Andrew Doyle, VP of Frontline Workers at Jabra, about how cutting-edge audio technology and AI are revolutionizing frontline communication in retail. Discover how Jabra enhances productivity, customer engagement, and employee satisfaction by enabling crystal-clear audio interactions and seamless integration with AI-driven applications. Andrew explores why voice-driven interfaces and...

Returns are costing retailers nearly $900 billion annually—and the problem is accelerating.

In this episode, Sender Shamiss, CEO and co-founder of ReturnPro, joins The Retail Podcast to expose the operational chaos, financial impact, and future-facing solutions around retail returns.

We explore why returns are no longer a back-office issue—but a strategic lever that can drive or destroy margin. From brand protection and machine learn...

Step backstage at the NRF APAC Big Show 2025 with Ryf Quail, Managing Director at Comexposium, as he reveals the powerful growth, strategic decisions, and transformative experiences shaping retail across Asia-Pacific. Ryf shares candid reflections from NRF APAC 2024, dives into what's driving the 2025 agenda, and highlights unique regional retail trends—from lightning-fast delivery revolutions in India to cross-cultural collaborati...