Retail Disrupted

Your store is no longer just a place for transactions – it's your best marketing channel.
Jack Stratten, Director of Insider Trends, sits down with Natalie Berg to explore how to repurpose stores for a digital era.
Jack shares what he is seeing on the ground, from Gentle Monster building stores where marketing is a main KPI to brand takeovers in Sephora Barcelona where, alongside traditional sales metrics, the retailer is also assessing dwell time, traffic and conversion. 
You'll learn why Sostrene Grene is among Europe's fastest growing physical retailers and how winning retailers design their stores for content creation, build treasure-hunt discovery, and connect store and digital teams to drive engagement that online alone cannot deliver.
Connect with Jack on LinkedIn.
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
👉 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

The Body Shop is in transformation mode. Two years after its rescue from administration, the globally renowned ethical beauty business is moving from stabilization to its next phase of growth under Mike Jatania - Co-Founder of Aurea Group and CEO & Chairman of The Body Shop.
Mike joins Natalie Berg to discuss what it takes to revive one of the world's most recognizable and purpose-driven brands. 
📺 You can also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRM5IbolyHw&t=1s 
Retail leaders will learn:
Why loyal customers were never the problem and how to win new customers in a disrupted market.
The 5-pillar turnaround: brand positioning, meeting shoppers where they are, data-led decisions, speed to market, and operational focus.
Why stores still matter: creating relaxed, personalized, experience-led spaces and a seamless online to in-store journey.
The digital growth plan: growing D2C e-commerce from 15% to 40% of sales within the next 3 years - and getting the assortment right for marketplaces and quick commerce..
How The Body Shop returned to the US exclusively through e-commerce and Mike's plans to selectively return to bricks & mortar in the future.
The opportunity in wholesale and travel retail. One of The Body Shop's best performing stores in Germany? A railway station in Cologne.
How The Body Shop is using AI across marketing, supply chain, demand planning, legal, and more.
What Gen Z really wants: purpose plus performance, backed by clinical proof.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Mike is CEO & Chairman of The Body Shop and Co-Founder of Aurea Group, a specialist private equity firm focused on beauty, wellness and longevity. A seasoned entrepreneur and a visionary leader in the beauty and personal care industry, Mike previously served as CEO of the Lornamead Group where he played a pivotal role in transforming the company into a global powerhouse, managing a portfolio of more than 30 personal care brands distributed across 50 countries.
In 2021, Mike Jatania co-founded Aurea Group with former UBS Vice Chairman, Paul Raphael. In September 2024, through Auréa, Mike led a consortium of investors to acquire The Body Shop, where he now serves as Executive Chairman and CEO. Mike aims to usher in a new chapter for The Body Shop, driving growth and enhancing its global presence while preserving its core values and ethos.
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 
👉 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

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
👉 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

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