The Retail Podcast

What happens when brands can no longer rely on social media to reach younger consumers?In this week's Five Things Friday UK, retail expert Simone Oloman, Co-Founder and CEO of NIFT, joins us to discuss one of the biggest questions facing retail marketers today: how brands stay connected to youth culture as social media regulations evolve.We explore:✅ The potential impact of proposed social media restrictions for under-16s✅ Why brands may need to return to real-world community building✅ The rise of experiential retail and in-store activations✅ What Coach's Selfridges pop-up teaches us about modern retail✅ Deliveroo's latest retail partnership and the growth of instant delivery✅ How physical stores are becoming fulfilment centres for modern commerce✅ Why customer experience is becoming the biggest competitive advantageFeaturing real-world examples from Coach, Selfridges, H&M, Deliveroo and leading retail brands, this episode explores how retail is evolving beyond transactions into experiences, community and convenience.https://uk.coach.com/Featured GuestSimone OlomanCo-Founder & CEO, NIFTTopics CoveredGen Z marketingYouth consumer behaviourSocial media regulationRetail innovationExperiential retailCoach at SelfridgesRapid deliveryRetail mediaStore transformationCustomer engagementSubscribeSubscribe for weekly insights into retail innovation, commerce, customer experience and the future of shopping.Chapter Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Meet Simone Oloman01:19 What NIFT Does: Instant Delivery Infrastructure01:58 How Social Media Restrictions Could Change Youth Marketing03:17 Why Physical Experiences May Matter More Than Algorithms05:20 Deliveroo's Football Campaign & Instant Retail Delivery06:55 Why Stores Are Becoming Fulfilment Centres08:55 Coach's Selfridges Pop-Up Experience10:06 Retail Roadshow: London, Coach & Selfridges12:09 H&M and the Premiumisation of Retail12:30 Can Physical Retail Compete with AI and E-Commerce?13:06 Coach's Multi-Generation Retail Strategy14:16 Retail Innovation Across Europe

Global retail is moving fast and this first international briefing looks beyond the US to track where the biggest growth stories are happening.In this episode, we cover Frasers Group’s reported $2 billion takeover bid for Hugo Boss, JD.com’s UK expansion through Joybuy and its summer Black Friday positioning, Lulu Retail’s ambitious store growth across the GCC, Dubai’s two-month summer shopping push, and Jenni Kayne’s move into international markets through partners including Selfridges and TNT in Toronto.Key themes include:International retail expansionLuxury and premium brand positioningMiddle East retail investmentHoliday shopping moving earlierE-commerce growth and loyaltyGlobal department store and marketplace strategyThis briefing is designed to track retail stories outside the US and spotlight where consumer demand, investment, and brand expansion are shifting globally.Subscribe for more international retail briefings.

Recorded live at NRF APAC 2026, this episode features Toru Koyama, Executive Officer & Head of IT and Digital Promotion Group at H2O Retailing Corp., and Executive Officer & GM of Digital Innovation Division at Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, Inc. In this conversation, Toru shares H2O Retailing’s transformation journey — from backend IT and ERP foundations to CRM, unified commerce, retail media, customer data platforms and AI-powered customer communication.The central idea is the “communication retailer”: a retailer that does not simply sell products in-store, but builds trusted, permission-based relationships with customers across stores, e-commerce, data, service and AI-enabled interactions.Guest BioToru Koyama is Executive Officer & Head of IT and Digital Promotion Group at H2O Retailing Corp. and Executive Officer & GM of Digital Innovation Division at Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, Inc. His background includes roles at IBM Japan, Pfizer and PwC, and he previously served as President & Representative Director of Isetan Mitsukoshi System Solutions, where he led structural reforms. He assumed his current H2O Retailing roles in April 2021 and has been associated with the company’s group-wide digital transformation.

“90% of Zalando’s marketing content is now AI generated.”Fresh from World Retail Congress, Alex sits down with Ian and Niamh to unpack the retail leadership signals shaping the industry’s future.Featuring insights from Zalando, Primark, Fressnapf, Action and Unhidden, this episode explores how AI is changing organisational structures, marketing execution, customer engagement and long-term growth strategy across global retail.Topics include:Why graduate and entry-level retail jobs are shrinkingHow AI is compressing traditional organisational structuresZalando’s AI-powered marketing transformationWhy community-led brands are outperforming mass-market retailThe rise of ecosystem-led retail growthHow retailers are redefining customer relationshipsWhy knowing your customer still matters more than technology aloneThe discussion also explores how retailers can balance efficiency with leadership development while adapting to AI-driven operating models.This episode is for retail executives, ecommerce leaders, strategy teams, innovation leaders and technology partners tracking the future of AI in commerce.00:00 World Retail Congress Key Takeaways01:02 AI and the Decline of Graduate Retail Jobs03:45 The Leadership Pipeline Risk Retailers Face05:15 Zalando’s AI Marketing Transformation07:12 AI, Marketplaces and Retail Operations08:40 Why Community-Led Retail Brands Are Growing10:24 Primark, Accessibility and Underserved Customers12:15 Fressnapf’s Ecosystem Growth Strategy14:18 How Pet Retail Is Expanding Beyond Products15:28 Customer Strategy vs AI Automation17:35 Action’s Ultra-Efficient Retail Model19:10 Retail Leadership Lessons for 2030Optimised Chapter TitlesFollow The Retail Podcast for weekly retail leadership insights, AI transformation analysis and global commerce strategy conversations.