Retail Disrupted

TikTok is sending shoppers back to stores, not away from them.
Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg, this episode features Paul Mears, Group Vertical Director of Retail and E-Commerce at TikTok, on why discovery on TikTok is driving footfall and sales to independent shops, cafes, and restaurants.
We open with analyst reaction to the Primark news: Primark plans to launch home delivery in the UK after years of resisting online. Read Natalie's comments on the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c89jdl0j5x4o 
Paul then shares new data on TikTok's £10 billion contribution to the UK economy, why TikTok live shopping doesn't need to be overly produced - just authentic - and what retailers can learn from sellers winning beyond beauty and fashion. Even butchers and veg box suppliers are finding success on the platform.
Listen to the end to hear how TikTok plans to use AI to enhance the customer experience. 
You can also watch this discussion on YouTube 
Mentioned in this episode:
📄 Transporeon Whitepaper: Retail Logistics Trends & Transportation Solutions
📺 Webinar with Tesco: Managing Retail Logistics in the Era of Uncertainty

How does Kraft Heinz decide what shoppers actually want next — from a viral vodka pasta to zero sugar, zero salt ketchup?
Karen Owen, Chief Growth Officer, Europe & Pacific Developed Markets, at Kraft Heinz, joins Natalie Berg to discuss how to turn consumer obsession into commercial growth — from spotting viral trends and building true brand partnerships to testing flavour and creative with AI as one tool in a bigger innovation engine. A playbook for commerce leaders on reading shoppers and scaling what works.
📺 Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXchNfFHWyU 
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
• How Kraft Heinz reads consumer signals — Gen Z, singletons and QSR inspiration — before committing to launch
• Inside the Ocado test-and-learn partnership: joint consumer data, co-developed ranges, and Ocado's role testing pack, range and on-shelf execution
• From viral to bestseller: How Gigi Hadid's vodka pasta led to the creation of Heinz x Absolut tomato vodka pasta sauce — #3 in UK supermarkets at launch and Kraft Heinz's best-selling limited edition — and why Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero is now +26% YoY
• Where AI saves hundreds of hours (flavour profiling, creative pre-testing) and where human insight still leads, plus early signals on agentic commerce
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Karen Owen oversees innovation, marketing and brand strategy for Kraft Heinz' European and Pacific Developed Markets, united by the company's crown jewel, Heinz - a global brand icon with roots in Karen's hometown of Wigan, where her love for the billion-dollar brand began.
A seasoned CPG executive with a passion for building high performing teams, Karen has a track record of spearheading innovation and creativity to drive top and bottom-line growth for global brands like LIPTON Teas and Infusions, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer prior to joining Kraft Heinz. Karen has also held leadership roles at Diageo, Coty Beauty and P&G.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast. Every week, retail analyst Natalie Berg speaks with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail.  
👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted 
👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321  
👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM  
👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/ 
👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com

70% of whiskey shoppers in Germany start on Amazon — even if they don't buy there. 
It's a powerful reminder that digital commerce is about more than the transaction; it's about discovery, inspiration and brand-building - important for a category like alcohol where just 6-7% of sales take place online.
In this episode of Retail Disrupted, Natalie Berg sits down with Danson Huang, Global Vice President of Connected Commerce at Diageo, to explore how AI, quick commerce, retail media and digital discovery are reshaping the consumer journey.
📺 Watch this episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS1z5pMKVAg&t=239s 
Danson and Natalie discuss:
• Why consumers are prioritizing occasion-led thinking over product-led search
• How brands should optimize for recommendations from LLMs and shopping agents
• Why agentic commerce may make sense for some purchases (the weekly Guinness order) but not others (the single malt whiskey gift)
• How quick commerce can turn live moments — from football wins to Eurovision — into real-time, relevant shopping occasions
• The role of retail media in quick commerce and why brands needs to improve relevance here
• The foundational data and organizational challenges holding AI projects back and why businesses should focus on outcomes — not "AI for AI's sake"
💡One of the key takeaways from Danson: "Consumers don't live in their CHANNELS. They live with their NEEDS."
🤝 This episode is part of our Shoptalk series, sponsored by Manhattan Associates. https://www.manh.com/  
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Danson Huang leads Diageo's global B2C digital transformation across pure-play, e-grocery, quick-commerce, D2C platforms, and brand ecosystems. With over 20 years of experience spanning China, Singapore, the US, France, and the UK, he has built and scaled digital commerce, innovation, and omnichannel growth capabilities across global consumer brands. Danson is recognized for his work in connected commerce, MACH-enabled transformation, and the integration of technology, data, and consumer experience to drive sustainable growth.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast. Every week, retail analyst Natalie Berg speaks with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail.   
👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted
👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321
👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM
👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/
👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com

AI is a bigger wave of disruption than e-commerce or mobile because it isn't just changing how consumers behave; it's fundamentally changing how businesses operate.
Romain Roulleau, Group Digital & E-Commerce Director, Kingfisher, joins Natalie Berg to unpack how Kingfisher — the £13 billion home improvement giant behind B&Q, Screwfix, Castorama, and Brico Depot — is at the forefront of this next retail transformation. 
In this episode, Romain reveals how Kingfisher's marketplace now drives 50% of e-commerce GMV, why they're betting on AI-powered conversational commerce with Google Cloud's Vertex AI, and what "agentic commerce" means for the future of retail.
Romain also unpacks the store-centric marketplace model that's become a differentiator against pure players — including click-and-collect and in-store returns for third-party products — and explains why 78% of Kingfisher's business still happens in physical stores, making expert advice the next frontier for AI.
If you're a retail leader navigating the shift from omnichannel to AI-powered commerce, this is your briefing.
🤝 This episode is brought to you by Manhattan Associates and was recorded in Barcelona at Shoptalk Europe. https://www.manh.com/ 
ABOUT OUR GUEST
As Group Digital & E-Commerce Director at Kingfisher, Romain is responsible for leading all marketplace, retail media, e-commerce and innovation activity within the Group and its banner brands. Prior to his current role, Romain spent five years as Chief Marketing, Digital & Customer Officer at Castorama, one of the leading home improvement retailers in France, driving the brand's digital strategy and e-commerce growth. He has also previously held a number of senior digital and e-commerce roles within the travel industry globally, over the course of more than a decade, including as SVP, Digital & E-Commerce at AccorHotels, one of the world's largest hotel groups.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg.  
👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted 
👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321  
👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM  
👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/ 
👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com

Your brand believes it's trusted. Your customers disagree.
Dr Amna Khan is a renowned retail and consumer behaviour expert with a PhD in trust development from Alliance Manchester Business School. She's observed the trust contract between businesses and consumers unravel in real time. She joins Natalie Berg to unpack what this means for retailers and brands.
📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g02sjV7Kako&t=1827s 
What you'll learn: 
Why emotional trust builds resilience. 
Why founder-led brands like P. Louise are flourishing and how transparency strengthens trust when things go wrong.
How Gen Z discover products through creators, not advertising — and how that permanently rewires the path to purchase.
The imperfection advantage. AI-generated content is flooding every channel. Human flaws — typos, rough edges, unscripted moments — are becoming the new trust signals.
Where AI helps vs where it hurts. Holland & Barrett uses AI to free up staff for personalised advice. But when AI generates flawless, homogenous content, consumers trust it less — not more.
What AI agents will do to your brand if you haven't built trust by 2027.
CONNECT WITH DR AMNA KHAN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dramnakhan/ 
ABOUT THE PODCAST
🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg. 
👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted
👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321
👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM
👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/
👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com