The Retail Tea Break

The Retail Tea Break Podcast is five!
And we’re kicking off Season 11 with a returning guest. Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy & Insights at CI&T, joins me one year on to share fresh consumer insights into how AI and agentic commerce are reshaping the shopping journey.
A retail futurist whose work is rooted in cross industry consumer insights and innovation, Melissa brings a global perspective on changing shopper behaviour and what it means for retailers.
As shoppers become more informed and increasingly in control, what does that mean for retailers? We explore the latest UK & Ireland and US research, the evolving path to purchase and what retailers need to consider to remain relevant, visible and valuable.
In this episode, we explore:
Why AI shopping adoption is accelerating in the UK and Ireland and how behaviours differ from the US.
What changing search behaviour means for retail discoverability and the traditional path to purchase.
How AI is creating new opportunities for smaller retailers and brands to reach consumers.
Why “shopping smarter” means better value to UK&I consumers but more research to US consumers.
Why strong, integrated data remains the foundation of any successful retail AI strategy.
How retailers can differentiate their channels and create a stronger, more connected omnichannel experience.

This episode of The Retail Tea Break podcast is supported by International Retail magazine, check out the latest edition here: International Retail Magazine!!! The Retail Insiders Guide
CI&T report: https://ciandt.com/uk/en-gb/report/retail-tech-report-agentic-edition

Listen back to Melissa’s last episode here: Episode 106

Season 11 is here and The Retail Tea Break is celebrating five glorious years!
I look back at that very first episode from September 2021 and ask how much has retail really changed? From Google search and e-commerce to AI, personalisation and the ever-evolving customer journey, the technology may have changed, but many of the retail fundamentals haven’t.
Plus, get a sneak peek at what’s coming in Season 11! There’s fresh retail insights from Ireland, the UK and the US, ambitious growth stories, innovative products, scaling brands and plenty of conversations about people, stores, customers and tech.
And The Retail Tea Break is back on the road, with a very special episode coming from Amsterdam.
So after five years of stirring curiosity and brewing ideas… I feel like we’re only getting started.
Grab that cup of tea and let’s get into Season 11!

What happens when a retailer combines a relentless focus on value with one of the fastest-growing marketplace channels in the world?
In this episode of The Retail Tea Break, Melissa Moore is joined by Edward Chary, Managing Director of Purston Park Group, and Spencer Saunders, Marketplace Director at Spot On-Line Limited.
Together, they share how Temu became a major sales channel for the business, growing from a small trial to generating £20,000 a day within just 18 months. Along the way, they discuss the realities of scaling a modern retail business, creating jobs, navigating multiple marketplaces, and why understanding your customer remains the key to long-term success.
In this episode:
How a value-first mindset continues to drive growth
The journey from £1,000 a month to £20,000 a day
The operational reality of scaling at speed
Creating jobs and expanding warehouse operations
Balancing Temu alongside Amazon, eBay and other sales channels
Why retailers need to be where their customers are
Future plans for European expansion

For more information visit: seller.temu.com

What happens when retailers become so focused on efficiency that they lose the flexibility needed to serve customers at their best?
In this episode, Melissa Moore is joined by Sue Hedaux, Co-Founder and Head of Insights at ReThink Productivity, to discuss the findings from the Future Ready Retail Report. Together, they explore the growing productivity paradox facing retailers today, where stores can appear highly efficient on paper while colleagues feel stretched and customers still face queues, delays and poor availability.
Sue shares practical insights on capacity planning, hidden productivity drains, self-checkout optimisation and why retailers need to focus on creating value rather than simply cutting costs. The conversation also looks at the future role of AI in retail and how businesses can ensure technology supports both colleagues and customers.
In This Episode
Why retailers are hitting a "capacity ceiling"
The hidden cost of time-filling tasks
How to spot wasted effort in store operations
Making self-checkout work more effectively
Why customer experience and productivity must work together
The opportunities and challenges AI presents for retail

Find out more at: https://rethinkproductivity.co.uk/

In this special eTail UK mash-up episode, Melissa Moore is joined by three industry leaders who are helping shape the future of retail, e-commerce and digital marketing.
Samantha Mo from Samsung, Abdu Alhadithi from Sculpted by Aimee, and global digital operations expert Ben Newbon-Stead share their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing retailers today. Together, they explore how businesses can make better use of AI, create stronger customer experiences, improve data strategies and build organisations that can adapt in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
From authentic marketing and customer-centric product development to digital transformation, operational excellence and the importance of experimentation, this episode is packed with practical insights for retail leaders looking to drive growth and stay ahead of change.
Topics Discussed
AI adoption and practical implementation
Customer experience and customer-centric thinking
Digital transformation and organisational change
Data strategy and personalisation
Influencer marketing and authentic content
E-commerce operations and optimisation
Leadership, culture and innovation

Join in the conversation at this year’s eTail UK. 16th & 17th June in Manchester. Register now for eTail UK https://etailuk.wbresearch.com/
Sculpted by Aimee: https://www.sculptedbyaimee.com
Samsung: https://www.samsung.com