Retail Disrupted

What happens when a major retailer hands the reins to AI? In this episode, Natalie Berg is joined by Simon Ellis, Head of AI Transformation and Enterprise Architecture at Pets at Home, to unpack how AI is quietly reshaping the way we shop – from loyalty and personalisation to agentic shopping and AI search.
We dig into how Pets at Home is using AI to:
- Turn a traditional loyalty scheme into a real-time, intelligent pet-care companion
- Move from "segment marketing" to genuinely individual experiences at scale
- Connect data across stores, vets and e-commerce to power smarter decisions
- Prepare for a world where AI agents do more of the shopping for us
🤝 This episode is brought to you by The Richmond Retail & eCommerce Directors' Forum, where Simon will be taking part in our AI session. Retailers, there's still time to register your interest here: https://www.richmondevents.com/contact/request?Item=DelegateInvite&EventCode=RET26
THIS EPISODE IS FOR RETAIL LEADERS WHO WANT TO:
- Understand the real opportunities of AI beyond hype and pilots
- Work out where agentic shopping fits into their strategy
- Futureproof their customer experience, loyalty and retail media plans
- Learn how to organize teams, data and governance for AI transformation
ABOUT MY GUEST
Simon Ellis is Head of AI Transformation and Enterprise Architecture at Pets at Home, the UK's leading pet care business. He sits at the intersection of tech, data and commercial strategy – turning AI from a buzzword into measurable value across the group.
ABOUT THIS CHANNEL
Retail Disrupted™ is a Top 5% Global Podcast hosted by retail analyst and author Natalie Berg. Every episode is a strategy briefing for leaders navigating the future of shopping – from AI and agentic commerce to loyalty, retail media and store innovation.
If you're a retailer, brand, investor or board member who needs clear answers on where retail is headed – you're in the right place.
Subscribe for weekly learnings from the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail.

On this episode, Natalie Berg welcomes Tim Payne, Managing Director of Charles Clinkard, a leading UK independent footwear retailer with over a century of heritage. Join us as Tim shares invaluable insights from the frontlines of retail, detailing Charles Clinkard's remarkable evolution from a 97% in-store operation to a diversified business that has successfully transformed for a digital era.
You'll learn how Charles Clinkard prioritizes customer service and meticulous brand curation as core differentiators in a competitive market. We dive deep into the intricate "SKU problem" unique to footwear - navigating vast sizing complexities, low stock holdings, and the ever-present challenge of markdown risk. 
A highlight of this discussion is Charles Clinkard's pioneering work with AI. Tim details their successful three-year project, which led to a 6% sales increase alongside a 10% profit boost through saved margin and reduced markdowns. You'll learn how this foundational AI implementation is now paving the way for future operational efficiencies, including automatic replenishment and faster speed to market.
This is an essential listen for retail leaders navigating the future of shopping, seeking to futureproof their businesses through unified inventory systems, data-driven decision-making, and a culture of continuous adaptation.

Delivery isn't a back-end operation anymore – it's a frontline customer experience. In this episode of Retail Disrupted, we unpack the psychology of delivery and why retailers are now held responsible for every knock, delay and "Sorry we missed you" card.
District Marketing Director Morgan Rivers (UPS - UK, Ireland and Nordics) joins Natalie Berg live from The Delivery Conference to explore how choice, control and trust are reshaping last-mile strategy – and why 40% of cart abandonment is delivery-related.
In this episode, retail leaders will learn:
• How delivery has become a critical extension of your brand experience – not just the carrier's job
• Why predictability often beats speed and how to design delivery promises customers actually believe
• The optimal number of delivery options (and why too much choice kills conversion)
• What the rise of lockers and out-of-home delivery really means for convenience and sustainability
• How international shoppers think differently about delivery – and why "one size fits all" no longer works
• Practical ways to communicate delays, failures and issues without destroying trust
• How to prepare for AI, real-time tracking and new consumer expectations in the last mile

This episode is brought to you from The Delivery Conference, powered by Metapack. Learn more here: https://www.thedeliveryconference.com/TDC2026 

If you're a retail leader, GM or board member navigating disruption in e-commerce, fulfilment and customer experience, subscribe for weekly deep dives on the future of shopping.

The center of retail gravity has shifted. On this episode of Retail Disrupted, Natalie Berg sits down with Jonathan Reynolds, Associate Professor in Retail Marketing and Deputy Dean at Oxford's Said Business School, to dismantle the Western-centric view of retail innovation.
They explore why the US and UK are no longer the primary testbeds for new concepts and outline the 3 Rules for Futureproofing Retail Strategy:
Rule #1: Look East, Not West. Why innovation has migrated from New York/London to Shanghai/Seoul, and why Western retailers must study the Asian "ecosystem" model.
Rule #2: Tech is a Catalyst, Not a Strategy. Jonathan warns against the "Tech Trap"—implementing solutions in search of problems—and explains why AI should enhance human capability, not replace it.
Rule #3: Beyond the Transaction. Why the store must be a hub for experience, service, and brand media – and what that means for KPIs, retail jobs, and investment.
They also debate whether AI and quick commerce will trigger a new wave of grocery e-commerce adoption – and what kind of culture retailers must build to genuinely futureproof their businesses.

Retail is entering the age of Agentic Commerce – where AI agents don't just recommend products, they autonomously sense, decide, and act to achieve customer goals.
In this episode, sponsored by NCR Voyix, Amit Acharya unpacks what this shift really means for enterprise retailers: why you must design simultaneously for two customers – the human in the aisle and the AI agent acting on their behalf – and why a unified commerce foundation is non-negotiable.
You'll learn:
What Agentic Commerce Actually Is – and how it differs from today's search- and recommendation-based systems.
The Two-Customer Challenge – humans wanting inspiration, discovery and joy vs. agents optimising for relevance, availability and speed.
Why Unified Commerce Is The Real Prerequisite – open APIs, microservices and a single source of truth so agents can access clean, decomposed data.
From Months To Minutes – how modern architectures slash deployment cycles and reduce the risk of "working" 40-year-old systems.
Store-Level Impact – from reducing self checkout interventions to using edge computing so stores keep trading even when networks are choppy.
Featuring: Amit Acharya, Corporate Vice President of Product & Design for Retail Commerce, NCR Voyix 
Hosted by: Natalie Berg, Retail Disrupted