In this episode of ‘RLI Talks’, Jayne speaks to Ali Rubinstein, the Co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Meow Wolf. Meow Wolf creates immersive experiences and art installations, and Ali discusses the new exhibitions opening in Las Vegas and Denver next year - their most ambitious to date. With a background of working at Disney in the Far East, Ali also talks about which markets excite her the most when it comes to further expansio...

In this episode of ‘RLI Talks’, Jayne speaks to Facebook Director Vincent DeSantis, who heads up Facebook’s Retail vertical looking after large enterprises to help them solve their biggest challenges and to grow their businesses through the Facebook platform.  2020 has of course been a difficult year for many retailers, but the holiday period now offers them a good opportunity to make up for potential losses, especially with event...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to João Cepeda, the Founder, President & Creative Director of Time Out Market.  João describes himself as a journalist and it was whilst he was Editor of ‘Time Out Magazine’ in Portugal that he created the ‘Time Out Market’: a food hall concept based in one of Lisbon's beautiful landmarks, the Mercado da Ribiera.  João talks about how the Market concept grew from the events that t...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of Dubai Duty Free.  Colm started Dubai Duty Free nearly forty years ago, and has grown it in to one of the largest airport retailers in the world. But it's not just about turnover - Colm also talks about the DDF Foundation Fund which is helping people in need across the globe.  Colm, of course, discusses the huge impact that COVID...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to Peter Wilhelm, CEO of Wilhelm & Co and Chairman of ESCP, the newly launched European Council of Shopping Places and Joost Koomen, Secretary General, ESCP.  Peter and Joost discuss the impacts COVID-19 has had on the industry from the viewpoint of Europe as a whole, and how they believe the shopping experience has now changed forever. Things on the ground aren't necessarily as ba...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to Mario Bauer, the Co-Owner and CEO of restaurant brand Vapiano. With restaurants across the globe, Mario talks about just how quickly the business is having to respond to challenges presented by COVID-19, not just due to different rules in different areas but because of how regulations vary from country to country. Mario suggests ways in which restaurateurs should look at the future, inc...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to Bernardine Wu, the Founder and CEO of FitForCommerce, an ecommerce and omnichannel consultancy. Bernardine talks about just how quickly the digital landscape is changing for retailers as a result of the pandemic, and how it is now essential (rather than preferable) for brands to adopt new ways of connecting with - but also serving - their customers. She also refers to a recent report th...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to Xavier López Ancona, Founder, President & CEO of Kidzania. Xavier gives a fascinating insight into the concept of Kidzania, from the jobs that children can try their hand at to how the Kidzania economy works from transactions to taxes. He also talks about how they innovate and stay relevant at Kidzania and what their plans for the future are with a brand new wellness concept for sho...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to David Sylvester, Executive Vice President of Global Retail for the Las Vegas Sands Corp.  David discusses the success of the group's properties in Singapore and Macao. He also talks about their latest project in the region, The Londoner, which will feature landmarks from the UK's capital, a wide food and beverage offering including a restaurant by Gordon Ramsay and how the style...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to the CEO and Founder of Boxpark, Roger Wade. Roger talks about his journey from launching retail brand Boxfresh to founding the iconic Boxpark concept and his vision behind it. He speaks passionately about where he feels the Government should step in to help the hospitality industry in regards to rising rents. He also offers his thoughts on the future of the food and beverage industry an...

In this episode of RLI Talks Jayne speaks to the former President and CEO of Godiva, Mohamed Elsarky, to talk about the future of retail and in particular the challenges behind acquiring brands during a pandemic. Mohamed gives an insight in to what he looks for when acquiring a brand and how there isn't necessarily a checklist to follow; failing businesses present opportunities for investors but successful brands can be just a...

In this episode of RLI Talks, Jayne talks to the Founder & CEO of WIT Fitness, Daniel Williams. Daniel talks about his disruptive and unique fitness offering, and the preparations they've had to make as a business to re-open their bricks and mortar location in the City of London. He also talks about how the retail side of their business has helped them throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with exclusive brand partnerships, and...

In this episode of RLI Talks, Jayne talks to Ishwar Chugani, the CEO and Managing Director of Giordano Middle East. Ishwar talks about how the UAE is going to recover with visitor numbers diminishing following lockdowns across the world and how locals have responded now that things are going back to normal. He also talks about why he is confident that there is now light at the end of the tunnel and his belief that business won'...

In this week’s episode Jayne talks to Nick Woodhouse, President and CMO of the Authentic Brands Group, which has grown exponentially over the last ten years to become one of the largest licensors in the world. Nick discusses the importance of e-commerce to the business and how he is still a big believer in brick and mortar. He also talks about how ABG's strategy is led by their digital team across many different platforms, and...

In this week’s episode Jayne talks to Salvatore Tramuto, Former CEO of Roberto Cavalli America, EVP of Retail at Versace USA and now CEO of his own company Retailineering which helps retailers that may feel out of date or challenged by the rise of digital to transform. They talk about why brands fail and how brands can actually benefit from the changes that recent events have forced businesses to make. They also talk about how dig...