Retail Disrupted

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

How does a challenger brand disrupt a legacy category dominated by giants?
SURI co-founders Gyve Safavi and Mark Rushmore have a few ideas. They join Natalie Berg to share how they're reinventing oral care with a sustainable, design-led electric toothbrush that consumers actually love to use. 
We unpack how they quickly scaled from D2C startup to a multi-million-dollar business stocked in Boots, Target, Goop and other major retailers — all while maintaining their core mission: sustainability, design and performance. 
We dive into: 
Why the toothbrush market was ripe for disruption
The "secret sauce" behind SURI's cult-like customer love
Scaling challenges: under-hiring, cash flow, and staying true to mission
How high-profile fans (from Sir Jony Ive to the Kardashians) became organic advocates
US expansion and learnings from bricks & mortar
Lessons for any challenger brand looking to compete with giants 
If you're a retail, CPG or D2C leader looking to build more sustainable, design-led products – or to understand how challenger brands can take on incumbents – this conversation is packed with actionable insight. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and check out our relaunched YouTube channel!

Retail is evolving fast — but physical stores still matter more than ever.
In this episode of Retail Disrupted, Natalie Berg is joined by Melissa Gonzalez — design strategist, entrepreneur, author of The Purpose Pivot, and Principal at MG2 — to explore the future of experiential retail, why digitally native brands are investing in physical stores, and how purpose-led leadership is reshaping the industry.
From pop-ups and Gen Alpha to AI, wellness, and community-driven retail spaces, Melissa shares practical insights for brands navigating the next era of commerce — plus the personal wake-up call that inspired her new book.
🎙 Expect real talk on leadership, vulnerability, and what makes retail experiences truly resonate today.
Melissa's book: The Purpose Pivot https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Pivot-Dynamic-Vulnerability-Intuition/dp/1394329474  
Melissa's podcast: Retail Refined https://marketscale.com/shows/retail-refined/

Can "soft" skills really deliver hard numbers?
In this episode of Retail Disrupted, Natalie Berg sits down with Matt Close, a 30-year Unilever veteran who proved that building a "happiness culture" isn't just nice to have—it's a massive growth engine.
Matt served on Unilever's Executive Committee and led the €8B Global Ice Cream business for 8 years. During his tenure, he added €3B in growth by taking an end-to-end approach to transforming value creation. His secret weapon? Building what he calls a 'happiness company'.
This episode is brought to you by The Richmond Retail & eCommerce Directors' Forum, where Matt will be hosting a session this April on how to create a people-first culture.
Retailers: register your interest here: https://www.richmondevents.com/contact/request?Item=DelegateInvite&EventCode=RET26
IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE:
The literal business case for happiness: How it drives risk-taking and entrepreneurship.
Why culture matters just as much in the factory as it does in the boardroom.
Quick commerce and other forces reshaping the ice cream category
Leadership lessons from 3 decades at one of Britain's biggest listed companies.
Listen here or head over to watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4ZfjADu1DxY?si=IWEGChY62MAiRxBI