The Resilient Retail Game Plan - retail insights, retail trends and best practices

Hosted by Resilient Retail Club's Catherine Erdly

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Jun 2026

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Welcome to the Resilient Retail Game Plan - giving you retail insights, retail trends updates and best practices for any retailer, from Shopify stores to bricks and mortar units. I'm Catherine Erdly, veteran retail expert and consultant and also founder of The Resilient Retail Club. This is the podcast for anyone wanting to start, grow, or scale a profitable small medium or large product retail business. Aimed at independent retailers, e-commerce brands, indie sellers, online shops, independent boutiques, shopkeepers, brands and makers. I'm dedicated to breaking down the concepts and tools I’ve gathered from twenty years in the retail industry in the UK and USA and showing you how you can use them in your small business.

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June 11, 202623 min

How retailers can build demand on TikTok

What would it mean for your retail business if — right now, at this very moment — three thousand creators were actively requesting samples to promote your brand? That's not a fantasy for Luke Arnall-Cameron, founder of YAS CLEAN. It's Tuesday. That's just how his business works.Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly.In this episode, I sit down with Luke Arnall-Cameron — a former John Lewis graduate buyer and marketing director turned TikTok creator and brand founder — to unpick one of the most significant shifts happening in retail right now: discovery commerce. TikTok Shop has fundamentally changed how products reach consumers. Instead of paying for ads, brands are now building creator networks — and the smartest ones are doing it in a way that mirrors exactly what every good retailer already knows about range building, customer loyalty, and repeat purchase.Luke launched YAS CLEAN in November 2024. His first livestream generated £70,000. Within his first year he fulfilled over 650,000 orders across six countries, sold 10,000 bottles of one product in seven days, and achieved 45% repeat customer rates in December — for a cleaning brand, in the hardest trading month of the year. He also won TikTok's Breakout Seller of the Year Award.But what makes this conversation genuinely useful for any product business owner isn't the headline numbers. It's the retail logic behind every decision he made — why virality isn't a strategy, how to think about product range in a world driven by social selling, and what discovery commerce means for anyone selling physical products. If you want to understand whether TikTok Shop belongs in your channel mix, this episode is for you.Chapter Timestamps00:00 — The hook: 3,000 creators waiting to promote one product01:26 — Luke's retail career: From John Lewis buyer to TikTok creator04:12 — YAS CLEAN launch: £70K first livestream and 650,000 orders in year one10:02 — Building a product range vs chasing viral moments15:45 — Discovery commerce explained: How TikTok Shop's creator model works19:34 — Live shopping as real-time customer feedbackUseful LinksYAS CLEAN on TikTok: @yascleanResilient Retail Club: www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast/Catherine on LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/catherineerdlyMentioned in this episode:Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'

June 4, 202620 min

Retail Trends 2026: How Independent Retailers Should Use Generative AI

AI is everywhere in retail right now — but are you actually using it in a way that's helping your business grow, or could it quietly be working against you?This episode features a free downloadable resource. Go to http://resilientretailclub.com/ai to claim it.Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly. And in this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I'm sharing the honest picture of how independent retailers are actually using generative AI in 2026.According to government data, just 16% of UK businesses are formally using AI — yet surveys suggest up to 80% of SME decision-makers have tried it in some form. The reality? Most people are using it to write emails faster, draft product descriptions, handle awkward customer messages, and generate ideas. And that's where it genuinely shines.But there are pitfalls too. I'm talking through the messy data problem that makes AI-powered sales analysis fall flat, the real concerns around AI imagery and brand trust, what I think went badly wrong with AI content (including something from my own business that I'm still mortified by), and why leaning on AI for big decisions might be giving you confidence you haven't earned.If you want to use AI smarter — and stay distinctly, unmistakably you — this episode is for you.In this episode:• How retailers are really using AI in 2026 — the stats and the reality• Product pages, agentic AI, and why clarity beats fluff• The messy data problem and what to fix first• AI customer service: the triage approach that works• AI imagery — the jury's still out, and here's why• What NOT to use AI for (including fully AI-written content)• The voice note / brain dump method that keeps your content sounding like you• The confirmation bias problem with using AI for decisionsCHAPTERS:00:01:25 How Retailers Are Using AI Right Now00:07:32 Customer Service, Data & AI Imagery00:13:43 What Not to Use AI For — and the Voice Note MethodConnect with Catherine:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineerdly/Podcast: resilientretailclub.com/podcastMentioned in this episode:Get 50% off at FaireGo to Faire.com and enter code "Resilient50"Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'

May 28, 202615 min

Retail Outlook 2026: Why 71% of Independent Retailers Are Growing - And How to Join Them

71% of independent retailers in the UK are growing or stable. And 9 in 10 shoppers say AI has made them MORE likely to trust your shop over an algorithm. Here is what the data actually says.(Our sponsor Faire are offering 50% off and free shipping on first orders until July 31st. Simply add the code "Resilient50" at checkout) Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly.Are you tired of reading headlines that make it sound like independent retail is finished? The noise about AI, empty high streets, and big-box competition can feel genuinely frightening if you are running a small business. But what if the data tells a completely different story — and what if that story is one you desperately needed to hear?In this episode, I sit down with Elyse McAvoy from Faire to unpack the Voices of Retail report — a landmark piece of research that surveyed 650 independent retailers and over 2,000 UK consumers. It is the first time a report of this kind has merged the retailer perspective and the consumer perspective into one honest picture of what is actually happening on Britain's high streets. And the findings will surprise you.Once you listen, you will leave with a clear understanding of what is separating retailers who are growing from those who are struggling, a completely new perspective on AI and your business, and three specific actions you can take this month. If you have been feeling uncertain about whether your shop has a future, this is the episode that will give you the data — and the confidence — to move forward.CHAPTERS00:00 — Introduction: Why This Report Matters for Every Independent Retailer02:30 — Key Findings: AI, the 71% Statistic and the Branding Gap07:13 — Consumer Spending Power: What Shoppers Are Ready to Spend With You10:28 — What to Do Now: Three Practical Actions to Take This MonthUSEFUL LINKS📥 Download the Voices of Retail report free from the Spring Fair website — link in show notes🛒 Explore Faire as a wholesale marketplace: faire.com🎙 More episodes: resilientretailclub.com/podcast🔗 Connect with Catherine: linkedin.com/in/catherineerdlyMentioned in this episode:Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'This podcast uses chapters

May 21, 202622 min

Retail Time Management: Stop Juggling Everything and Finally Get Ahead!

Do you ever feel like you're doing everything right, yet somehow still falling behind?If you run an independent retail business, you are not imagining things. Between buying stock, managing your team, keeping up with your marketing, handling customer service, and everything else that lands on your desk — the sheer volume of what your job involves would overwhelm anyone.This is not a time management failure. It is simply the reality of running a retail business single-handedly.But there is a question underneath all of this that most retailers never stop to ask, and it is the one that changes everything.Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly. And in this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I'm unpacking the framework I use with my one-to-one clients in my Retail by Design programme — a step-by-step approach to understanding how you're really spending your time, building a structure that actually works, and protecting the focused work hours that move your business forward.If you have been telling yourself for months that you will start that project "when things slow down" — this episode is for you. I work with clients who have just two hours a day after the kids are in bed, and clients who get one day a week away from the shop floor. The system I'm sharing works at every capacity level. Listen to the end to discover a clear, practical path out of the overwhelm — and toward a calmer, more intentional, and ultimately more profitable week.Listener Benefits (What You'll Discover)Why most independent retailers have less time than they think — and why that's actually the start of something usefulThe exact time-tracking method that reveals where your hours are really going (with a free tool recommendation)How to build a weekly structure around your BAU tasks so you're not starting from scratch every MondayWhy being "always available" is silently costing you hours every week — and the simple boundaries that fix it📍 Ready to reclaim your time? Free resources: resilientretailclub.com/juggleChapter Timestamps00:00 – Introduction: Why Independent Retailers Are Always Falling Behind02:34 – Steps 1 & 2: How to Track Your Time and Understand What's Really Happening06:10 – Steps 3 & 4: Building Your Weekly Structure and Batching Your Tasks12:35 – Steps 5 & 6: Quarterly Planning, Decision Fatigue, and Knowing When to Let GoLinks & Resources🔗 Free time management resources: resilientretailclub.com/juggle🔗 The Resilient Retail Club: resilientretailclub.com📱 Toggl (free time-tracking app): toggl.com🎙️ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube — new episodes every ThursdayMentioned in this episode:Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'

May 14, 202613 min

Retail Stock Ordering: Two questions every product business must answer

"How much should I order?" sounds like one question. It's actually two — and most product business owners only ever answer one of them.(This episode features a free download resource at http://resilientretailclub.com/order)Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly.In this episode, I'm breaking down the critical difference between product-level stock ordering (the tactical "how many of this line") and business-level stock planning (the strategic "what can I afford overall"). Drawing on my time as a buyer at Paperchase and the frameworks in my book Tame Your Tiger, I'll explain why forecasting apps, Shopify Sidekick, ChatGPT and Claude can all give you the right answer to the wrong question — and how that slowly turns a healthy business into a cash-hungry "tiger".In this episode:Why most stock forecasting tools assume you have unlimited cashThe simple reorder calculation that still mattersWhat "the tail" isThree better questions to ask before you place a single orderThe supermarket scanner analogy that makes stock budgeting clickIf you're constantly reordering but never feel on top of your stock, pause and plan with this one.🐅 Tame Your Tiger — my book on stock, cash flow and building a calmer product business💬 Come and say hi on Instagram: @resilientretailclubPrefer to watch podcasts? Here's mine - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFwdhK_WMJvXntxKLZj83Inz1fFNAN2PMentioned in this episode:Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'

May 7, 202611 min

Retail insights around the "Invisible Ceiling": Why Your Shop Has Stalled

You’ve opened your shop. You’re selling. You have loyal customers. And yet something feels stuck... (this episode features a free download resource at http://resilientretailclub.com/systemsYour sales are inconsistent, stock builds up or runs out, cash feels tight even on the good weeks.Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly.In this episode, I'm naming the “invisible ceiling” independent retailers hit when they move from opening a shop to running a proper retail business — and explain exactly what structure the next level needs.Drawing on my recent road trip through Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, and nearly 20 years inside seven-, eight-, nine- and ten-figure retail chains, I'll talk you through the systems that separate hobby shops from real businesses: sales plans, stock plans, trading calendars, cash flow visibility, team roles and SOPs.If you’ve ever wondered “is there more to this?” — this episode is your answer.In this episode:Why so many independent retailers start their business “almost by accident”The invisible ceiling that stalls shops around the 1–3 year markThe difference between opening a shop and running a retail businessThe six systems every next-level retail business needsWhy there is no such thing as a “natural business person” — and what to do insteadHow to know whether you need the Stock Doctor, Retail by Design, or just the back catalogueResources mentioned:Episode 299 — Retail Bottleneck: How to Stop Being the “Go-To” for Every Answer in Your BusinessBook: Tame Your Tiger: How to Stop Your Product Business Eating You AliveStock Doctor — done-for-you stock managementRetail by Design — my 1:1 serviceThe Resilient Retail Club — reopening later this yearresilientretailclub.comMentioned in this episode:Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'

April 30, 202614 min

Retail Stock, Profit and Mindset: Three Pillars of a Resilient Retail Business

This episode contains a freebie download. Scroll down to find it.Believe it or not — today is episode 300 of the Resilient Retail Game Plan.Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly and in this episode, which is six years, 300 episodes, and over 1 million downloads later since I started this podcast, I'm sharing a fast track to the biggest themes that have shaped this podcast and the retailers who listen to it.In this milestone episode, I'll walk you through the four essential episodes from the back catalogue that I believe every independent retailer needs to hear.Whether you're brand new to the show or a long-time listener, these are the ones that cut to the heart of what it really takes to build a resilient retail business.So what are the three big themes?Stock. Profit. And mindset.Visit the episode's show notes for links to all the episodes mentioned at https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast-episode/retail-stock-management-profit-and-mindset/And ensure you go to this link for your free download: resilientretailclub.com/300.

April 23, 202615 min

Retail Bottleneck: How to stop being the go-to for every question in your business

This episode is sponsored by Intuit Mailchimp. Do your retail team ask you the same questions over and over? Has "what are we focusing on this week?" become the soundtrack to your inbox?Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly and in Episode 299 of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I'm explaining why so many independent retailers and product business owners accidentally become a bottleneck inside their own business — and walk you through exactly how to fix it.You'll learn why the classic wheel-and-spoke information flow creates constant delays, inconsistency and interruptions; why growing your team makes it worse rather than better; and how to build a single source of truth that finally gets your team self-serving the answers they need.I'll also share a £100,000 lesson from my Coast days on what poor information flow really costs a business, the categories to include in your single source of truth (weekly focus, key dates, stock and order trackers, priorities, SOPs), and the crucial step most business owners skip — how to actually make your team use it.If you've built a business that can't run without you in the room, this is the episode to start unpicking it.Chapters00:00 Why Everyone Asks You01:18 The Bottleneck Wheel02:52 Build One Source of Truth04:20 What £100,000 of Poor Information Flow Really Costs05:50 What to Put in Your Single Source of Truth08:27 Why It Won't Stick (And How to Fix It)10:22 Holding the Line With Your Team13:05 Where to Start (Small and Specific)14:20 Wrap-UpRelated linksResilient Retail Club: https://resilientretailclub.comRetail Roar 2026 summit: https://retailroar.co.ukListen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcastsPrefer to watch? Full episode playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFwdhK_WMJvXntxKLZj83Inz1fFNAN2PAbout the podcastThe Resilient Retail Game Plan is a podcast for independent retailers and product business owners who want to build more profitable, sustainable businesses. Hosted by Catherine Erdly — retail expert, coach and founder of The Resilient Retail Club.If this episode helped, hit like, subscribe and share it with another retailer who needs to hear it.Mentioned in this episode:Mailchimpresilientretailclub.com/mailchimp

April 16, 202631 min

Retail Growth Through Data: Email & SMS Marketing Secrets with Intuit Mailchimp

If you're sending the same email to everyone on your list and wondering why it's not driving the sales you expected, this episode is for you.I'm Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.In this episode I'm sitting down with Ali Wood from Intuit Mailchimp to get practical about how independent retailers and e-commerce brands can get dramatically more from their email and SMS marketing — using data they already have.We talk about why fragmented data is costing retailers real money, how segmentation can transform your customer relationships, and why the retailers who win over the next few years won't be the ones with the biggest budgets — they'll be the ones who are smartest with their data.In this episode you'll hear about:Why sending the same message to your whole list is leaving money on the tableHow to use customer lifetime value and buying propensity to automate smarter campaignsThe power of combining email and SMS — including a 22x ROI stat from SMS alone, and 41x when Shopify data is in the mixCreative ways to collect richer customer data through quizzes, pop-ups and behavioural signalsWhat clean data + AI + human creativity actually looks like for a lean retail teamWhether you're just starting to think about segmentation or already running email campaigns and want to level up, this conversation will leave you with a genuinely different way of thinking about your marketing.CHAPTERS00:00:40 The Gold Mine Independent Retailers Are Sitting On00:02:10 Meet Ali Wood from Intuit Mailchimp00:04:40 How Intuit Mailchimp Evolved from Email Tool to Full Automation Platform00:08:22 The Segmentation Shift: Stop Sending the Same Email to Everyone00:11:29 Creative Ways to Collect Better Customer Data00:14:45 Using SMS to Drive Email Open Rates00:15:11 How We're Working With Intuit Mailchimp00:16:33 Measuring What's Actually Working Across All Your Channels00:18:30 Think Strategy, Not Just Open Rates00:21:17 SMS Best Practices: What's Working for E-Commerce Brands00:23:24 The Trust Factor: Why Phone Numbers Are Different from Email Addresses00:23:44 The Numbers: 22x ROI on SMS, 41x with Shopify00:25:58 AI + Human Creativity: The Future of Small Business Marketing00:27:45 Clean Data, Automation & Analytics: The Loop That Wins00:29:07 Catherine's Key Takeaways & Call to ActionMentioned in this episode: resilientretailclub.com/mailchimpNote: This episode was produced in partnership with Intuit Mailchimp. All views expressed are Catherine's own.Mentioned in this episode:Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'

April 9, 202622 min

The Shop Window Pyramid: Visual Merchandising Secrets for Independent Retailers

Your shop window isn't just a display — it's a salesperson working for you around the clock.I'm Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.In this episode, I'm joined by Sarah Manning, visual merchandising consultant and course leader, for a practical masterclass on how to make your window impossible to walk past.Sarah shares her four guiding principles — including her signature framework, The Power of the Pyramid — and explains exactly what should (and shouldn't) go in your window. You'll learn why putting your bestsellers on show is usually the wrong move, how to refresh your display every four weeks without a full rebuild, and practical solutions for shallow, narrow, or open-backed windows.We also explore how post-2020 customer expectations have shifted the balance between product display and brand storytelling, and discuss the concept of 'external theatre' — the tools even small independents can use to draw customers in before they reach the window at all.Whether you sell from a shop, at markets, or at events, this episode is packed with actionable insight you can put to work immediately.What You'll Learn:The Power of the Pyramid framework and how to apply it to any displayWhy new, seasonal, and promotional products belong in the window — not your top sellersHow to change your window every four weeks without starting from scratchCreative solutions for awkward, shallow, or open-backed windowsHow the hotspot inside your store connects to your window displayWhere to find visual merchandising inspiration on a limited budget📌 CHAPTERS:00:37 About this episode — how the topic came from Spring Fair01:35 The Power of the Pyramid — Sarah's four guiding principles02:30 Brand story vs. product push: what's changed since 202004:36 What should actually go in your window?05:53 How often should you change your window display?07:27 The permanent skeleton approach08:33 Working with difficult or shallow windows10:18 Open windows vs. backed windows11:55 External theatre: beyond the glass14:57 The hotspot — your 'third window' inside the store16:45 Where to find visual merchandising inspiration20:00 Outro and where to find Sarah ManningConnect with me 🔗:→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineerdly/→ Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resilientretailclub/🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR FAVOURITE PODCAST APP:→ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/resilient-retail-game-plan/id1558090069→ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2EIPFznxQFQHIXmC3QoBFQResources Mentioned:Sarah Manning: visualmerchandisingcourses.co.uk | @visualmerchandisingcoursesThe Shop Drop Blog by Tim Nash — free newsletter every ThursdayMentioned in this episode:Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'Mailchimpresilientretailclub.com/mailchimp