NRF APAC 2025: Day 1 Highlights with Ryf Quail & Guests

🎙️ 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 most excited about—from the FairPrice "Store of the Future" to the global tech showcased by emerging retail innovators.

Special guest Seth Webb gives us a quick behind-the-scenes look at the NRF Innovators Showcase, where 25 curated companies are answering the question: “What’s new, what’s next, and how is tech transforming retail?”

Plus, we get a sneak peek into the upcoming Ai-Media Southeast Asia event launching in Penang in 2026, with insights from Michael Lamb.

Top moments:

• What made the FairPrice exhibit so impactful

• The role of data in unlocking "Retail Unlimited"

• Where AI is being applied across the full commerce journey

• Why curated innovation matters more than ever

  
  

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello and welcome to live from NRF, the retail podcast.
I am with the man of the hour, my Co host for five things
Friday, Mr Reef Quail, managing director, fresh off stage,
centre stage. Wow, yes it was.
And the ribbon cutting session that we've had.
Reef, how are you doing? I'm pretty good.
It's been a bit of an emotional journey, but I'm fine.

(00:21):
I'm still standing. I'm still standing.
Actually, to be honest with you,this is the best part.
When soon as the doors open and the people are here, it's it
makes a huge difference. I, I noticed this morning we had
a whole full conference room foryou so that was really good to
see and the show floor was packed and I think one of the
things we're going to do now you're actually going to take me
through some of your your highlights if.

(00:42):
You like absolutely there's and there's some really cool stuff
on that highlight to it for me. You know, we have some really
cool global programmes, but it'salso really good local stuff as
well for local participation. So innovative showcase the
latest and greatest technology pitched by VCs around the world
and also Fair price. Singapore's largest retailer has
their own installation, the store of the future.

(01:03):
So I really. Cool.
I did have a look at it. It looked pretty, pretty
impressive in terms of the scaleand structure.
And I presume one of the feelings that I've got about
this NRF is this whole bringing data to life.
A lot of people focused on bringing that data life.
I don't know what the themes. Yeah, it ties beautifully with
the theme because really retail unlimited is not retail

(01:24):
unlimited without your data, without your data in order, I
can't say data, I say data, right.
So without without your data in order, you really can't take
advantage of the opportunity which is retail unlimited.
So it starts with data, it starts with getting that stuff
sorted, and then you can then scale your business.
Fantastic. Well, let's go inside and take
a. Look, absolutely.
Let's go. Hello, my name is Seth Webb.

(01:45):
I work with NRF to curate the Innovator Showcase here, which
is the only curated section of the Expo 4.
All of the these companies have to apply and demonstrate that
they have a new technology that's come to the market in the
last two to three years. They have to show how that
technology has been validated and, and, and proven market fit,

(02:05):
product market fit. And then they have to also show
why they're ready to scale because everybody who comes to
this show is ready to do something that can work
everywhere. So we've got 25 companies that
fit that bill. A lot of them are early stage,
some are, some have been around for a little bit and come up
with new innovations. We curate this based on
recommendations from a network of venture capitalist tech

(02:28):
accelerators and retail operators.
And we're hoping to answer the question for everybody who comes
to the show, What's new, What's next?
How is tech transforming retail?I've got a question.
I know you've got to go. He's an incredibly busy man.
We've just caught him off guard.What is that key trend people
should be watching apart from AI?
Yeah, AI. But.

(02:51):
What do you? Think we'll put him on the spot?
Because you said what you said, what is the trend?
And I was going to say, well, it's AI.
It's AI and it's AI. So, you know, I'm sorry that we
have a lot of the same. Here, but we actually outcomes
from. AI, look, here's what's
happening here and what you're going to see in the showcase is
you're going to see how AI is being applied to sourcing and
supply chain, product awareness,inventory, product

(03:14):
consideration, customer engagements, payments, service
of logistics, loyalty, like the whole commerce journey, right?
Like how is it fitting in? What's coming to market, what's
matured, and it's changing on a daily basis.
And you know, a lot of the things, one of the things that
we've been talking about here this week is how the

(03:35):
geopolitical shifts have createda challenging market and, and
how AI can help you with some ofthat regulatory compliance,
navigating some of the and, and staying up to up to.
Speed. On how there's different changes
in in some of your key markets? Fantastic.
And that's and that's, to be honest with you, why I love

(03:55):
working with Stephanie's team. The innovative showcase is a
complete feature of our floor and it's a really, it's a real
joy because these companies are from all, as I can see, Germany,
India, USA. That's right.
We've got we've got 12 Asian companies, 12 N American
companies, 4 European. Yeah.
And so that means that you're seeing companies from all over
the world that retailers, management specific would

(04:16):
normally not get to see in one place.
This is that's spectacular. That's right.
Great. Well, you know, look, besides
AI, we've got, we've got, we've got AI applied to robotics,
we've got it applied to software, we've got it applied
to in store hardware to create digital displays.
I mean, it's, it's, it's integrated in everything here.

(04:37):
How about this? I'll come back later when you've
not as pressed for time and we'll go and look at some of the
key ones. Yeah.
And we'll, we'll, we'll go in deep so that way you can get off
now and we'll come in and do a deep dive on that.
Thank you so much. That's OK.
Thanks. Thank you.
Right. Hello, everyone.
You are at the next level of five and five is where I take
over. And Alex stays quiet.

(04:57):
This will be challenging for him, but that's OK.
I've got this, I think, right. So today we're going to
introduce you to a new event that's coming to Southeast Asia,
Imedia. And, and what better person to
speak about this than Mr MichaelLambs, who's been involved with
Imedia for now for more than a decade.
This is true. Yes, it's true.
Tell me about. Tell me about the event,

(05:18):
Michael. So we are bringing the media
format to Southeast Asia in Penang next year, 2026,
September 2026. The idea for our media is we
bring together retailers from all over the region and we're
bringing together a senior groupof retailers who will be able to
share ideas and thinking with each other.
They'll experience some fantastic content from the stage

(05:40):
and they'll be able to mingle and interact with lots of
different solution providers whoare experts at what they do and
can bring solutions that will behopefully game changers in those
retailers businesses. And what and what I love about
our media is you, you, you, you take people away from the
office. You take people to a
destination, a beautiful destination in Benang, Malaysia.
Absolutely. And they don't.

(06:00):
They don't leave and they spend time together.
Yes, we lock them in. No, we don't.
But it's a, it's what's really lovely is when people to arrive
at the destination, people kind of decompress and walk into a
beautiful environment, but then they're confronted with all of
their peers and lots of fantastic people in the industry
that they're just itching to chat to.

(06:22):
The thing about our media is thequality of the conversations
that you can have there. It's such high level is that all
of the the retailers that come it's an invitation only events.
All the retailers attending haveall been selected for the
seniority and the the quality ofthe business that they
represent. And so everybody there is of a
is a is a high level business person that you with fantastic

(06:44):
conversations to be had amongst each other and with the vendors
there. Brilliant events.
So it's been very much part of my retail journey and I think
Southeast Asia get ready becauseit's going to be a lot.
Of fun. It is a lot of fun as well.
People will really enjoy themselves and come away
energised and lots of new ideas for their businesses so.
Thanks, Michael. If there's one thought left that
you want to talk about, I mean, you have.

(07:05):
We just got all the thoughts outtoday.
Come along and experience it. So we run these events across
the region. So we've run Australia and New
Zealand. We've our colleagues in Japan
run the events there. Our colleagues in India run the
events there. So we've been going for a long
time. A fascinating is a brilliant
format and we always have peoplecome back to us after the event
saying how much they've enjoyed it, how much value they've got.
So bring on Southeast Asia. Thank you, Michael.

(07:28):
My pleasure. Glad to have you involved.
My friend, fantastic. Enjoy, see you.
So we're outside the store of tomorrow, but Reef, we're not
going to get a chance to go in there today because it's five
things. Friday.
It's not even Friday, but we're just doing a really quick
overview. Tell me about it.
What is this? This is Fair Prices Store of the
Future, So Fair Prices Store of the Future is really
highlighting some of the technologies that will be part

(07:52):
of the shopping experience with Fair Price as they view the
future of retail. Fair Price is one of
Singapore's, if not Singapore's largest retail group.
They have fish everything from from great screen technology to
smart carts to AI to facial recognition.
There's so many cool things in this exhibit.
It's curated by fair price. So it's actually curated by a

(08:13):
retailer, not a vendor. Yeah.
So it's their view of the futureas a retailer.
So it's something special, something not to be missed.
And what I'm sure Alex will catch up with these guys and do
it a real tour through that, through the experience.
Well, hopefully day 2 tomorrow you'll TuneIn and your day three
you'll see the outcome. So anyway, thank you so much for
giving us your time until tomorrow.

(08:34):
We're signing off now.