Early Risers

06/08/21 • 29 min

Who hasn’t seen headlines heralding the death of the high street? Woolworths, Debenhams, Arcadia Group - do the the failure of these brands point to an overall demise? Is ecommerce taking the place of physical retail? Or is something different going on?

To learn more about where we are now, we need to look back a few years. In this first episode of Retail Reawakened, we track the digital transformation of global fashion brand Burberry and see the ways they’ve maintained their brand identity while adapting to an increasingly online world.

Over the past 20 years, Burberry has established its reputation as an industry-leader in digital transformation. Long before its competitors, it embraced digital technologies to create high-end experiences for their customers in-store and online. Former head of operations Steve Ibrahim and digital transformation strategist Craig Crawford walk us through the changes the brand made, both logistically and conceptually, to bring a sense of luxury to every part of the customer journey. We’ll also examine how businesses can ensure their digitisation remains true to their brand and centers on the customer.

In the second half of the episode, The Retail Champion, aka Clare Bailey of the BBC, will help us explore the bigger picture, providing a recent history of the UK’s retail evolution. She places store closures in context and challenges the notion that ecommerce is the harbinger of high street’s collapse. What are the opportunities presented by retail’s rush to digital? How can companies integrate their experiences and create a seamless path for the customer across all channels? What’s new for food and beverage? Clare gives you a snapshot of all of it.

If you want to find out more about digital transformation and adaptation, visit adyen.com/ukretailreport and download Adyen’s latest research report.

If you want to find out more about digital transformation and adaptation, visit adyen.com/ukretailreport and download Adyen’s latest research report.

Previous Episode

Introducing Retail Reawakened

2020 didn’t grind retail to a halt—it threw it into overdrive. Food and beverage reinvented themselves and took huge risks to stay in business. Incremental change went out the window as companies fought to survive. Now, as we return to normal, normal will look very different.

Digital transformation, social commerce, experiential emphasis—what big swings are here to stay? And what’s on the horizon? On Retail Reawakened, host Colin Neil takes you through the latest consumer research and the trends that are shaping the UK’s retail landscape today and for years to come.

Why are some companies more resilient than others? How has consumer behaviour changed during the pandemic? What makes for a memorable customer experience?

For more information, visit https://www.adyen.com/landing/online/uk/retail-reawakened-podcast

Next Episode

Wake Up Call

In 2021, it's not enough just to have a website anymore. You need a full ecommerce strategy. That means online stores, social media presence, seamlessly integrated online and in-store customer journeys and more.

In this episode of retail reawakened, we explore exactly what it is that brands need to do to remain competitive in a retail landscape where customers demand multiple ways to shop. We examine the ways that brands are constantly innovating their online experience and how they’re creating more sales channels while simultaneously unifying them.

Since 1707, Fortnum and Mason has been at the forefront of luxury retail, showcasing the finest products in lavish London locations with the help of passionate and knowledgeable salespeople. Over the centuries the brand has been able to capitalise on its heritage and prestige; but how you bring that luxury experience to an online platform? We speak with Fortnum and Mason’s chief transformation officer Jon Weg and former director of IT, Tony Longhurst, to find out how this historic brand translated its top-tier customer experience to ecommerce in just a few short months in order to continue serving new and existing customers as high street stores were forced to close their doors.

We also hear how international food and beverage retailer, Joe and the Juice, utilised their app to provide its customers a truly omnichannel experience, allowing patrons to order food, pay for meals and collect loyalty points however they want. And we talk with Saad Usman of Miniso UK, one of the newest variety retailers to hit British high streets, about how this previously brick-and-mortar-only brand went from focusing solely on stores to placing ecommerce at the centre of its business strategy.

And Adyen’s own product manager for data, Quirijn Meulenberg, and head of retail and hospitality solutions, Jan-Pieter Lips explain why it’s crucial for brands to know who their customers are and how businesses should integrate their sales channels to create frictionless experiences for shoppers.

If you want to find out more about unified commerce and frictionless experiences, visit adyen.com/ukretailreport and download Adyen’s latest research report.