Highlights from Sorted Retail Sessions Series 1.

When we launched the Sorted Retail Sessions podcast back in November 2020, the retail industry (and the wider world) was facing more disruption and uncertainty than ever before. Approaching Brexit deadlines, the first pandemic peak trading period, an ongoing hangover of H1 lockdowns and the looming threat of the inevitable winter wave of infections… ‘unprecedented’ was an over-used, but extremely fitting, description.

The podcast quickly became a hub of discussion and learning. We gathered guests for every corner of the retail industry, to share knowledge, tips and opinion about the changing state of the sector – and the lessons and learnings are still as relevant and rewarding as they were when they were released.

So, as we draw the first series of the Sorted Retail Sessions to a close, here are some of the key takeaways and unmissable moments from the 11 episodes so far.

1. Chris Haighton, Head of Outbound Logistics at the Very Group, discussing how they coped with surges.

2. True reflections on how to measure customer experience in the warehouse.

3. A different perspective on how much retailers should actually listen to customers.

Yes, everyone agrees that customer feedback is important. But is the customer always right?

Throughout the podcast series, there are a number of views on just how much the customer knows about what they want… and whether retailers should base customer journey and transformation decisions on data, feedback, behavior, or other insight.

When we look at consumer demand as a yardstick for innovation, it’s too slow. Consumer demand is evolution, we need revolution. We need radical action. You look at the planet demand; we need to do everything the consumers don’t realise yet, yesterday.

– James Lovett, General Manager UK at Paack

4. The introduction of the lazy brain, by consultant and neuromarketing expert Steven Cozens.

5. Customer experience meeting customer expectations.

Of course, customer experience was a reoccuring theme throughout the podcast series – by far the hottest topic on the lips of our experts.

Johnathan Beirne, Head of Customer at musicMagpie, shared his view on how customer experience needs to keep up with customer expectations.

6. The trade off between sustainability and CX

7. High street purpose and the death of ‘omnichannel’.

The brilliant Miya Knights wrote the book on omnichannel commerce, quite literally. In our podcast episode, she discussed what that means for the ‘new world’, and how store estates need to change to accommodate digitally native shoppers.

Chris Brook-Carter also shared some stats, facts and opinions on what the government can do to help retailers plan their physical and online space in the future. Plus, he discussed how high street trends have accelerated during the pandemic, rather than started from scratch.

8. An insider insight on the importance of mental health provision in the retail industry.

9. EU distribution centres… from both a retailer and a cross-border specialist

10. A lesson on importing and exporting a bendy mouse, from Gill Holloway (Operations Director at Insight)

Keep your eyes peeled for series two of the Sorted Retail Sessions podcast – sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about new episodes.

Don’t forget… every episode of the Sorted Retail Sessions is available to listen to on demand…