Retail Disrupted

How did a third-generation butcher from Wolverhampton use TikTok to become one of the UK's most recognisable halal brands? 
Manny Malik from Malik Butchers joins Natalie Berg at TikTok's live shopping event in Covent Garden.
Manny explains the Halal Family Series that hit up to 9 million views, how they ship fresh meat across the UK via TikTok Shop, and why TikTok Shop buyers became inbound wholesale leads. 
He also shares how customers now travel from as far as the US and Australia, just to visit their counter.
For retail leaders, this is a practical look at content to commerce, TikTok Shop as an extra revenue stream, and how social can build national distribution from one store.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
🎙️ Retail Disrupted is an award-winning 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
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Live every day for 18 months: how Cheeky Wipes turns awkward questions into sales on TikTok.
In this mini episode, Helen Rankin, founder of Cheeky Wipes and Cheeky Pants, shares how daily TikTok Lives build community and remove barriers to buy. She speaks to Natalie Berg at TikTok's live shopping event in Covent Garden.
Cheeky Wipes and Cheeky Pants is a reusable hygiene brand founded by Helen Rankin in 2008 after she struggled to find baby wipes suitable for eczema-prone skin. What started as Helen packing boxes in her garage has grown into a team of 20. The company sells reusable wipes, period products, cloth nappies and incontinence solutions, helping consumers reduce waste and save money.
On TikTok, the brand has built a loyal community through educational livestreams, sustainability content, and product demonstrations. The focus is on educational and relatable content, demystifying sensitive topics and creating a space where customers feel comfortable asking the awkward questions they might not ask elsewhere.
For retail leaders, Helen explains why consistency beats virality, how live Q&A helps shoppers try education-heavy products, and how TikTok and cheekywipes.com work together.
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBKrO5D-mk8 
🎙️ Retail Disrupted is an award-winning 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

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