Hosted by retail industry expert Melissa Moore, The Retail Tea Break podcast brings together retailers, brands and thought leaders to decode the myths, share knowledge and give you fresh insights into the ever-evolving world of retail.
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June 11, 202643 min
Samsung, Sculpted by Aimee & Barbour: AI, Data and Digital Growth
In this special eTail UK mash-up episode, Melissa Moore is joined by three industry leaders who are helping shape the future of retail, e-commerce and digital marketing.Samantha Mo from Samsung, Abdu Alhadithi from Sculpted by Aimee, and global digital operations expert Ben Newbon-Stead share their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing retailers today. Together, they explore how businesses can make better use of AI, create stronger customer experiences, improve data strategies and build organisations that can adapt in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.From authentic marketing and customer-centric product development to digital transformation, operational excellence and the importance of experimentation, this episode is packed with practical insights for retail leaders looking to drive growth and stay ahead of change.Topics DiscussedAI adoption and practical implementationCustomer experience and customer-centric thinkingDigital transformation and organisational changeData strategy and personalisationInfluencer marketing and authentic contentE-commerce operations and optimisationLeadership, culture and innovationJoin in the conversation at this year’s eTail UK. 16th & 17th June in Manchester. Register now for eTail UK https://etailuk.wbresearch.com/Sculpted by Aimee: https://www.sculptedbyaimee.comSamsung: https://www.samsung.com
June 4, 202634 min
Retail Without Silos Featuring Curvy Kate, Blackcircles & Persi
Ahead of eTail UK, this special mash-up episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast brings together conversations with Persi, Curvy Kate and Blackcircles to explore how retailers are connecting AI, brand, marketing and digital to create stronger customer experiences. From smarter personalization and AI implementation to full-funnel thinking and breaking down internal silos, this episode looks at how retail businesses are adapting to changing customer expectations while keeping the human touch at the centre of the experience.Key talking points:Why disconnected teams often lead to disconnected customer experiencesHow Persi is using AI to rethink product discovery and personalization in fashion retailThe importance of balancing creativity with commercial performance across every touchpointWhy Curvy Kate believes retention and lifetime value matter more than short-term acquisition How Blackcircles is embedding AI across multiple business functions while focusing on people and cultureThe shift from acquisition-first thinking to lifetime value and retention strategiesWhy the retailers seeing the biggest AI success are the ones aligning teams around clear business outcomesJoin in the conversation at this year’s eTail UK. 16th & 17th June in Manchester. Register now for eTail UK https://etailuk.wbresearch.com/Curvy Kate https://www.curvykate.com/Black Circles https://www.blackcircles.com/Persi https://www.yourpersi.com/
May 28, 202628 min
Building an Irish Brand People Love with Pawpear
What does it take to turn a creative idea into a globally stocked Irish brand? In this episode of The Retail Tea Break, Melissa chats with Kim Whyte about the journey behind Pawpear and the lessons learned along the way.From her early design career in London to building a business inspired by Irish culture, language and landscape. Kim shares the realities of entrepreneurship, the value of community and why authenticity matters more than following trends. The conversation also explores how meaningful customer relationships can shape a brand’s growth, why thoughtful retail experiences still matter and how creative collaborations can bring heritage stories to life in a modern way.Kim also reflects on working with iconic Irish institutions including the Guinness Storehouse and the Book of Kells Experience at Trinity College Dublin, sharing insights into balancing creativity with commercial growth while staying true to the heart of the brand.Key Topics CoveredGrowing Pawpear to 90+ retailers worldwideThe importance of mentorshipSupporting Irish manufacturers and suppliersCustomer communication and emotional brand connectionCollaborating with Guinness Storehouse and Trinity College DublinExperiential retail and creative storytellingScaling a business while protecting brand identityVisit Pawpear www.pawpear.ieThis episode of the Retail Tea Break podcast is brought to you by SCAYLE, the enterprise commerce platform empowering B2C brands and retailers to easily create outstanding customer experiences with a seamless and flexible feature set that can be extended through APIs. Trusted by brands like Levi Strauss®️, Harrods, Manchester United and Deichmann, SCAYLE enables businesses to accelerate innovation and drive real growth.AI fashion photo shoots at scale: Visit Tayla.aiBuilt for retailers, by retailers: Visit: www.scayle.com
May 21, 202628 min
From Inspiration to Purchase: How Pinterest Is Changing Retail
In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break, Caroline Orange-Northy, UK and Ireland Managing Director at Pinterest explores how the platform has evolved from a source of inspiration into a powerful retail and shopping destination.The conversation dives into why Pinterest operates differently from traditional social media platforms, focusing on purchase intent rather than the attention economy and why that matters for retailers trying to connect with today’s consumer. You’ll hear insights into Pinterest’s “taste graph,” visual search, and how retailers can use trend data more commercially to better understand customer behaviour and improve discovery.The episode also explores Pinterest Predicts 2026 wedding trends, including emerging colour palettes, non-traditional venues and the growing demand for personalisation. Grab your cuppa and a notebook.Topics covered include:• Why Pinterest users behave differently from users on other platforms• The shift from inspiration to full-funnel shopping• What the “taste graph” means for retailers• How visual search is changing product discovery• Why Pinterest trends last longer than trends on other platforms• 2026 wedding and lifestyle trend predictions• How retailers can use Pinterest data to improve marketing and merchandising strategiesVisit Pinterest today: https://business.pinterest.com/en-gb/Pinterest Wedding Trends Report: https://newsroom.pinterest.com/ This episode of the Retail Tea Break podcast is brought to you by SCAYLE, the enterprise commerce platform empowering B2C brands and retailers to easily create outstanding customer experiences with a seamless and flexible feature set that can be extended through APIs. Trusted by brands like Levi Strauss®️, Harrods, Manchester United and Deichmann, SCAYLE enables businesses to accelerate innovation and drive real growth. AI fashion photo shoots at scale: Visit Tayla.aiBuilt for retailers, by retailers: Visit: www.scayle.com
May 12, 202634 min
The Next Storefront Is AI with Tarek Müller
What happens when AI becomes the storefront?In this episode of The Retail Tea Break, I’m joined by Tarek Müller, Co-Founder and MD of About You and SCAYLE, for a fascinating conversation on the future of commerce. From SCAYLE’s expansion into the US market and its recent Levi Strauss & Co. partnership, to the growing role of AI and Large Language Models in retail discovery, Tarek shares why the industry is entering another major shift in consumer behaviour. We also explore how AI is changing operational efficiency, personalisation and even fashion photography through TAYLA, a platform already transforming digital content production at scale.If you want to understand where retail is heading next, this episode is essential listening.Key TopicsWhy LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini are becoming major traffic sources for retailersHow brands need to rethink visibility and discovery in an AI first worldThe significance of SCAYLE’s partnership with Levi’s and expansion into the USWhy retailers relying solely on product catalogues risk becoming commoditisedHow ABOUT YOU is using AI to reduce content production costs while improving conversion, introducing TAYLATarek’s predictions for the future of e-commerce, AI transactions, and social commerceFor more information:AI fashion photo shoots at scale: Visit Tayla.aiBuilt for retailers, by retailers: Visit: www.scayle.comThis episode of the Retail Tea Break podcast is brought to you by SCAYLE, the enterprise commerce platform empowering B2C brands and retailers to easily create outstanding customer experiences with a seamless and flexible feature set that can be extended through APIs. Trusted by brands like Levi Strauss®️, Harrods, Manchester United and Deichmann, SCAYLE enables businesses to accelerate innovation and drive real growth.
April 23, 202635 min
The Customer-First Mindset Driving Change at Holland & Barrett
In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break, I’m joined by the Group CFO of Holland & Barrett to explore what happens when finance leadership truly puts the customer first. Vineta Bajaj’s career spans high-growth, tech-led businesses including Ocado and Rohlik Group. She brings a fresh perspective to the CFO role, one that goes far beyond traditional metrics and into customer experience, culture and long-term value.From scaling online grocery operations to transforming physical retail into community wellness hubs, we explore why stores still matter. We also discuss the role of culture in driving performance and why engaged teams are critical to long-term commercial success.Together, this conversation offers a clear and practical view of what modern retail leadership really looks like. A must-listen for anyone leading, or aspiring to lead, in modern retail.Episode HighlightsWhy customer experience should drive business decisions, even in financeWhat it really takes to scale fast-growth, multi-market retail businessesHow culture and employee experience directly impact performanceThe shift towards Holland & Barrett stores as community-led wellness hubsHow technology, data and personalisation are reshaping retailFinding the balance between digital growth and human connection in-storeConnect with Vineta via her website: www.vinetabajaj.comVisit www.hollandandbarrett.comThis episode is brought to you by SCAYLE! The enterprise commerce platform empowering B2C brands and retailers to easily create outstanding customer experiences. It provides an intuitive, seamless feature set, which can be flexibly extended via API. Brands like Levi’s®, Harrods, Manchester United and Deichmann choose SCAYLE to accelerate innovations and drive growth. For more information, check out www.scayle.com
April 16, 202641 min
Retail Sustainability: The Uncomfortable Truth with Steve Lister
In this episode of The Retail Tea Break Podcast, Melissa is joined by Steve Lister. The sustainability consultant has over 20 years’ experience working with some of the world’s biggest retail brands.Known for his straight-talking approach, Steve lifts the lid on what’s really happening behind the scenes in retail sustainability. From the hidden inefficiencies driving waste, to the disconnect between head office decisions and in-store reality, this conversation challenges the narratives the industry is often reluctant to confront.Looking ahead, Steve also shares what’s coming next; including the impact of new legislation and why the future of sustainability in retail will be defined less by messaging and more by how effectively businesses actually operate.Key Discussion Points:Why up to 40% of retail displays never reach the shop floor and what that reveals about executionThe true scale of in-store waste and packaging disposal and the cost retailers carry behind the scenesThe disconnect between design, head office strategy and operational reality in storesHow upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation legislation (2026) will force major changes in packaging and retail practicesThe gap between what customers say about sustainability and how they actually shopWhy the future of retail sustainability will be driven by operational excellence, not marketing claimsCheck out www.stevelister.comThis episode is brought to you by SmartGifty, the modular digital platform connecting gift cards, loyalty and data into one experience layer. It is used by destinations, shopping centres and retail chains to personalise customer journeys, gain behavioural insight and treat customers as guests rather than transactions. Check out www.smartgifty.com
April 9, 202632 min
The Retail Nomad’s Playbook for Global Retail Success
In the latest episode of The Retail Tea Break, Melissa is joined by Nick Harbaugh. The retail project management leader has more than 35 years of experience in commercial construction and large-scale store rollouts. He founded Retail Marketing Services and went on to lead international programs for major global brands, delivering complex retail execution across hundreds of locations and multiple countries.Now based in Costa Rica and known as The Retail Nomad, Nick shares his global perspective on brick-and-mortar retail, operational discipline and what it truly takes to deliver projects at scale.Key Discussion PointsManaging store rollouts across 600+ locations in 15 countriesThe importance of cross-department collaboration between marketing, construction and operationsWhy strong project management protects timelines, budgets and client relationshipsCost control, scope clarity, and knowing when to walk away from the wrong projectsRelationship-driven business development and long-term networking strategiesLife in Costa Rica and building The Retail Nomad brand!Check out The Retail Nomad: https://www.youtube.com/@theretailnomadThis episode is brought to you by SmartGifty, the modular digital platform connecting gift cards, loyalty and data into one experience layer. It is used by destinations, shopping centres and retail chains to personalise customer journeys, gain behavioural insight and treat customers as guests rather than transactions. Check out www.smartgifty.com
April 2, 202630 min
Powering Retail Transformation: River Island, Nobel Panacea & Pentland Brands
Inside Mr Price: Building an Inclusive Retail Culture
Melissa is joined by Edel McSorley, Operations Director at Mr. Price Branded Bargains, to explore how inclusive leadership is driving performance in modern retail.With over 25 years of experience in retail operations and change management, Edel shares how a strengths-based, human-first approach has shaped a culture where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to grow.Episode Highlights:How inclusive retail leadership improves productivity and customer experienceUsing strengths-based management in retail that focuses on employee capability rather than limitationsMoving from policy-driven HR to a human-first workplace cultureThe impact of programmes like Women at Work and Tribe on employee confidence and retentionRetail employee retention strategies; early engagement, mentorship and confidence-buildingCreating psychological safety in store environmentsThis episode is a masterclass in diversity and inclusion in retail; showing how DEI, employee engagement, and strengths-based management directly impact retention, growth and commercial success.This episode is brought to you by SmartGifty, the modular digital platform connecting gift cards, loyalty and data into one experience layer. It is used by destinations, shopping centres and retail chains to personalise customer journeys, gain behavioural insight and treat customers as guests rather than transactions. Check out www.smartgifty.com
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