RetailCraft - digital retail, ecommerce and brands - Retail Podcast

Some 'summer listening' in this episode, where we take as our theme "retailers and the arts". There's a long and illustrious history of retail professionals swapping the stores for galleries, but with our current digital dimension there's still a consumer/customer/visitor/individual connection.

In the studio today we have Ros Lawler, COO of the National Portrait Gallery, fresh from a multi-year reworking of the space, the interpretation and the visitor facilities. Widely hailed as a triumph, Ros reflects on an extremely varied career that spans music, publishing, retail and the arts - all, however with a distinctly digital and transformational flavour.

Zia's retail career has been customer-focused and digital since her time in retail, consulting, then Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason. Moving to the high end of the arts market at Hauser and Wirth, as well as engaging with an inspiring and stimulating arts group in Peckham, London (Bold Tendencies) we hear of the consistent threads throughout retail and the arts - the focus on the consumer's experience and the integrity of the product.

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Run time: 40 minutes

INFORMATION:

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National Portrait Gallery: https://www.npg.org.uk/

Bold Tendencies: https://boldtendencies.com/

Ros' previous visit to our studio while at Crabtree & Evelyn: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retailcraft-08-hands-made-conversation-with-made-com/id1418542382?i=1000431732461

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Ros Lawler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roslawler/

Zia Zareem-Slade: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziazareemslade/

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Tales of transformation in the studio today. First up a conversation with Guy Magrath, recently Chief Digital Officer at Electrocomponents PLC (better known in the UK as the owners of RS Components, purveyors os millions of plugs, bulbs, suppliers for makers and menders around the world).

Guy talks us through many years of change and progress at this global, complex business, culminating in his 5 steps that are very persuasive indeed.

Along the way we pay tribute to the makers of the world, and a moving example is that of Ben Ryan who set out to create a new type of prosthetic arm for his 10-day old son. You can read Ben's story here: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=fortheinspired/customer-ambionics and see the video story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOBVuy2FxoA

Graham Wilson joins us from Sofology, the specialist sellers of Sofas. Selling sofas at the best of times can be a challenge, with lead times, checking colour and seating options, envisioning the sofas in your own home... Graham takes us through some of the digital innovations underway that are enhancing the selling and service propositions and giving the stores a dynamic role during the lockdown(s).

Our thanks to Chris for giving us so much time, and we'll pick up with him again post-Christmas to see how the peak-upon-peak of trading turned out.

Run time: 55 minutes

Guy Magrath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-magrath-ned/

Graham Wilson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-wilson-b854594/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal.

Our first episode of 2021 continues our Grocery theme, with this in-depth and wide-ranging conversation with Chris Conway, eCommerce Director at the Coop.

We had recently interviewed Chris for our Grocery Innovation Report (https://internetretailing.net/groceryinnovation2021) and couldn't wait to bring his insights to life on the podcast. Sadly, the gremlins of the internet decided we'd had too easy a run over the last year and so it took several attempts, many disconnections, much patience and a fair wind to get this episode on 'tape'. Massive thanks to Chris for his humour and perseverance! Jamie and I were desperate to ensure that we (re)covered the same topics so that nothing was lost!

We hear about the Coop's response to COVID and how their existing plans were accelerated by the pandemic. Chris paints a clear picture of the values at the centre of the business, as well as key behaviours like partnership, openness and flexibility that have created an opportunity for the Coop's food business. Following on from our interview with Chris Poad of Tesco we can see that the Coop's path started in a different place and follows a different trajectory - yet equally innovative and illustrating why the UK's grocery sector is so varied and dynamic.

In conversation we cover their roll-out with Deliveroo and other local distribution partners, their blending working and hyper-local approach, the injunction from the CEO to be the "Transformer in Chief" and how partnership is a way of doing business.

Run time: 39 minutes

Chris Conway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-conway-76ba2b19/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

Jamie Merrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemerrick/

Recorded remotely and at Spiritland Studios, UK.

Episode photo credit: Ian Jindal (https://www.instagram.com/p/CLGv5-JpCSU/)

Paddy joined us in the studio with "time" clearly on his mind. Throughout our zinger-filled, high-protein chat, Paddy returned to the theme of "if you find a fix for time, you'll see the sales".

B&Q is the £4bn-ish turnover DIY retailer that is now part of the Kingfisher PLC group (which also includes in its portfolio the trade-focused Screwfix, plus Castorama and Brico Depot in France and Koctas in Turkey.

During our conversation it was clear that Paddy's broad experience (financial services, department stores, logistics and final mile) has created an omnivorous approach to references and models. A synthesis of this is his contention that "to remain as #1, you have to think like you're #2". Seeking ideas from across the D2C realm, he's "receptive to what's good in the space" and looks at others' capability with 'envy and with pride' - taking the best of ideas and applying them to what B&Q already does well.

Listening to the recording, it's noticeable how frequently the ideas of "time" and convenience appear as a central theme. As their trade-only Tradepoint service has shown, "time is money", but the service also needs to be tailored to the consumer. We talk about just-in-time trade deliveries, and Paddy notes drily that "you can't deliver a fence post on the back of a moped".

Paddy's focus on time and efficiency is all in service of an emotional bond with the customer and products. Noting that in DIY customers seek "to improve their homes so that they can build their lives", we talk about layering emotion into the sales process while simultaneously making that service zippy and on-trend.

A high-speed (of course!) tour de force of insight.

-- Run time: 47 minutes

INFORMATION:

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B&Q is at DIY.com: https://www.diy.com/

Kingfisher PLC information from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingfisher_plc

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Paddy Earnshaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paddy-earnshaw-aa84882/

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

A dress for a special occasion, a designer handbag, even curated wardrobes - this episode will look at how retailers are renting their fashion out. But it is not simply apparel that is rentable, we are joined in the studio by The Bike Club’s founder James Symes.