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Next-level customer experience is a goal for many brands. But creating innovative spaces for those next level customer experience is something else. Transforming retail physical platforms to become more impactful is high on most retailers' agendas. Though creating spaces that are unforgettable and that offer a seamless on- and off-line experience takes innovation and some out of the box ingenuity. Former Optus Director of Retail Design Ben Hawkins joins "Fashion Is Your Business" podcast and host Marc Raco on location in front of a live audience at Online Retailer 2019 to discuss the opportunities and mindset required for a new paradigm of retail store design, and what that has to do with one of the largest telecommunications companies in Australia.

New retail means new ideas, new technology, new leaders who are thinking with new strategies. In some cases, that means strategies about people. Millennial workforces have created a cultural shift in the way retailers manage and cultivate their people. Last year Lowes, a leading Australian menswear, young menswear, and schoolwear retail chain offering well-made clothing at affordable prices, won Retail Employer of The Year. Jason Heap, Head of People at Lowes, joined Marc Raco on location at Online Retailer 2019 to discuss how they developed their people strategy and the lessons the retail industry can learn from exemplary people strategies; the challenges and knowledge required to take the next step; and the next level of ethical advancement required to meet an aware and conscious consumer. Session Participant: Jason Heap, Head of People at Lowes ABOUT THIS PODCAST SERIES For the second year in a row, the Live Podcast Series with NORA Network and Mouthmedia Network made a triumphant return to the Online Retailer expo floor - featuring a selection of prominent retailers in lively discussion around the latest trends, challenges and solutions in our ever-changing industry.

Most millennials are screening out brands that aren’t relevant, unique or ethical - this has created sharp growth in the rise of artisan and street brands. Eric Phu joins Marc Raco in front of a live audience on location at Online Retailer to discuss how deep authenticity can be cultivated and how to remain relevant a growing marketplace of unique brands. Session Participant: Eric Phu, Founder, Citizen Wolf ABOUT THIS PODCAST SERIES For the second year in a row, the Live Podcast Series with NORA Network and Mouthmedia Network made a triumphant return to the Online Retailer expo floor - featuring a selection of prominent retailers in lively discussion around the latest trends, challenges and solutions in our ever-changing industry.

In a tumultuous environment of constant change it’s imperative to gain clarity on the emerging forces. While there are obvious trends arising there are also unpredictable behavioural shifts expected that will have meaningful impact on the online and off line retail market place. This podcast session will explore the next wave of digital evolution and how to prepare. Session Participant: Mark Teperson, Chief Digital Officer, Accent Group ABOUT THIS PODCAST SERIES For the second year in a row, the Live Podcast Series with NORA Network and Mouthmedia Network made a triumphant return to the Online Retailer expo floor - featuring a selection of prominent retailers in lively discussion around the latest trends, challenges and solutions in our ever-changing industry.

Panel: Lessons From Retail’s Most Effective Social Advertising Social Marketing continues to surprise in its integration of innovation and creativity. Generating compelling, authentic and meaningful engagement is key for retail social success. Unfortunately, there is no set social formula for any organisation, although it’s highly beneficial to hear from those who are raising the bar on impactful content creation. This session explores what’s required in 2020 to curate relevance and depth in social communication. Session Participants: Olivia Carr (Shhh Silk) Travis Wright (Esther & Co.) Oliver Rhodes (Peoplevox) Marc Raco (MouthMedia Network) ABOUT THIS PODCAST SERIES For the second year in a row, the Live Podcast Series with NORA Network and Mouthmedia Network made a triumphant return to the Online Retailer expo floor - featuring a selection of prominent retailers in lively discussion around the latest trends, challenges and solutions in our ever-changing industry.

In a first for Online Retailer, NORA and Mouth Media are proud to present the NORA Podcast Series, recorded at Online Retailer Conference & Expo 2018, featuring prominent retailers discussing the latest trends, challenges and solutions in our ever changing industry. In this episode: Hear Julie Mathers (Chief Experience Office (CEO) & Founder Flora & Fauna), Phoebe Yu (Founder and CEO of ettitude)and Anna Julia Forster(Passionate Shoemaker, and Sustainability Advocate), join Pavan Bahl on location in Sydney, Australia at Online Retailer and Nora Network, for a conversation presented by Fluent Commerce. The award-winning Mouth Media Network is a vibrant media company based in the US. With an audience size of over 400,000 each month, their globally leading podcasts cover the business of lifestyle including retail, fashion, travel, beauty, and real estate. Building the online side of a company that has half of the ecommerce business in several categories in Australia…

Australia’s largest global retailer Cotton On Group, known for fast-fashion, on embracing ecommerce, sustainability, and the power of connecting with the next generation… Brendan Sweeney, General Manager of Ecommerce for Cotton On Group joins Pavan Bahl and guest host Salena Knight (retail strategist, and host of the “Bringing Business to Retail” podcast), on location in Sydney, Australia at Online Retailer Conference & Expo and NORA Network, for a conversation presented by Fluent Commerce.

In a first for Online Retailer, NORA and Mouth Media are proud to present the NORA Podcast Series, recorded at Online Retailer Conference & Expo 2018, featuring prominent retailers discussing the latest trends, challenges and solutions in our ever-changing industry. In this episode: Why is customer experience core to what drives both Australia’s larger online apparel rental business and Australia’s online destination for furniture & homewares? Dean Jones, CEO/Co-Founder of GlamCorner, and Yosuke Hall, Managing Director of Zanui, joins Pavan Bahl and Nora Network, for a conversation presented by Fluent Commerce. The award-winning Mouth Media Network is a vibrant media company based in the US. With an audience size of over 400,000 each month, their globally leading podcasts cover the business of lifestyle including retail, fashion, travel, beauty, and real estate. Building the online side of a company that has half of the ecommerce business in several categories in Australia…

In a first for Online Retailer, NORA and Mouth Media are proud to present the NORA Podcast Series, recorded at Online Retailer Conference & Expo 2018, featuring prominent retailers discussing the latest trends, challenges and solutions in our ever changing industry. In this episode: John Winning, CEO of The Winning Group (a fourth generation Australian family owned and run kitchen and laundry specialist focusing on excellent shopping experiences and running a very successful commerce business), joins Pavan Bahl on location in Sydney, Australia at Online Retailer City and Nora Network, for a conversation presented by Fluent Commerce. The award-winning Mouth Media Network is a vibrant media company based in the US. With an audience size of over 400,000 each month, their globally leading podcasts cover the business of lifestyle including retail, fashion, travel, beauty, and real estate. Building the online side of a company that has half of the ecommerce business in several categories in Australia…

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Krissie Milan Rebecca Minkoff, about developing a holistic approach to embracing the future of retail: - Leverage the store of the future and connect offline to your online business - Infuse ideas and innovation into your business with customer focused technologies - Increase the overall customer experience with social and community integration to enable stronger affinity with your brand Krissie is a recognised leader in the retail/luxury and digital space, where she drives growth by focusing on strategy, marketing, innovation and technology, and customer strategies across digital channels. She is currently Vice-President, E-commerce and Digital Innovation at Rebecca Minkoff, where she is scaling their direct-to-consumer e-commerce business while leveraging omnichannel technology and data to bridge online and offline view of the customer and develop targeted customer experiences. Before joining Rebecca Minkoff, Krissie worked at Reed Krakoff, where she built their e-commerce business, and at Tiffany & Co., where she drove digital marketing. In addition to her retail experience, Krissie spent ten years at McKinsey & Company, advising global Fortune 500 companies on digital, growth, and customer strategies. Krissie also has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Robin Li, Vice President, GGV Capital about what venture capitalists are really looking for, and what do you need investment for: - Technology trends and business models that excite VC the most - Understand the way VC anticipate how consumers discover, shop and buy - Special look at the Chinese market Robin Li is a Vice President in GGV Capital’s Silicon Valley office. She focuses on investments in ecommerce and consumer internet. She is a member of the board of directors for Lively and is actively involved with Boxed, Bustle, Function of Beauty, musical.ly, OfferUp, Poshmark, Prynt, Xiaohongshu and more. Prior to joining GGV, Robin worked at Flextronics’ Venture Arm covering hardware and technology investments and at Qiming’s Beijing office. Before venture capital, she spent three years at Teach For America as a teacher and administrator. Robin holds an M.B.A from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an M.S. from Hunter College in Education and Special Education, and a B.A. from Rutgers University in Art History and Economics.

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Paula Mitchell, eCommerce Manager of General Pants about: - Understanding your local market and tailoring the experience - Centralise core content with local variances - Changing your marketing in each region to maximise results and engage the local audience When it comes to e-commerce, Paula Mitchell is leading the charge within the retail industry. With over 10 years experience across some of Australia’s leading retail brands, Paula has pioneered digital and e-commerce strategies while building a solid track record through the delivery of multi-channel projects, developing teams, and most importantly driving e-commerce growth for brands like Rebel, Dan Murphy’s, Bendon, and currently General Pants Group. As the e-commerce GM, Paula has delivered a responsive website design, a complete platform overhaul, all whilst managing the global e-commerce strategy, website optimisation, operations and fulfilment, digital marketing, CRM and customer service functions.

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Irene Falcone, founder & CEO of NourishedLife.com.au, to take a close look at the sustainability of pure-play models: - Why more and more online retailers are opening stores - Do you need a store or does the problem lie elsewhere Irene Falcone is the founder and CEO of Nourished Life. A store that provides sustainable, eco-friendly, and natural personal care, beauty & lifestyle products – all backed by substantiated information. Winner of the 2016 Telstra Business Women’s NSW Entrepreneur Award, Irene leads the toxin-free beauty and eco-friendly space. After spending 18 years in advertising, with 10 of those years in senior marketing roles for the world’s largest brands, Irene took a leap of faith and swapped the glamour of the movie industry for a warehouse, a forklift and team of local mums. Irene created Nourished Life with just $100 in October 2012 and grew it to a $20m+ business in just 4 years. As a 100% owner, she is responsible for all management decisions from creative direction to financial planning. Nourished Life springs from Irene’s passion to help women shop with confidence for healthier beauty and lifestyle products. Nourished life closes the gap between ‘health’ and ‘beauty’ by sifting through the mixed messages on labels and confusion in the marketplace. Nourished Life brings together an extensive range of comprehensively researched, affordable, eco-friendly products that are good for us and good for our planet. Irene’s sound reputation as a trusted natural beauty trail-blazer is supported by advisory positions with several industry bodies and her role as the exclusive Australian distributor for 100% Pure, one of the most sustainable and innovative personal care brands in the world.

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Michael Donath, Multichannel Manager, IKEA about creating a blueprint for delivering the omni-channel promise: - Build and use a single customer profile to ensure consistency across channels - Display real-time store-by-store inventory information on your webstore - Engage your customers with personalised marketing - How company culture impacts innovation and change Michael Donath leads IKEA’s multichannel transformation in Australia. Looking after expansion planning, new store formats, eCommerce, Web & Digital as well as Multichannel initiatives, Michael’s role will transform IKEA into a retailer that supports customers across all channels and provides a great shopping experience wherever and whenever a customer engages with IKEA. Michael has had broad experience in IKEA covering Logistics, Store Operations and Projects as well as a background in Manufacturing and Wholesale.

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Alistair Venn, Managing Director of Australian pioneering food ordering business Menulog about: - Using the speed and scale of online to grow brick and mortar businesses - Getting the marketing mix right; customer acquisition through Omni Channel Marketing - Delivering results for restaurants; driving online customers with effective co-Marketing Alistair Venn is Managing Director of Menulog in Australia and New Zealand, leading a team of more than 300 staff to drive the region’s largest and most popular food delivery service. Alistair joined Menulog, part of the JUST EAT group in May 2016, following four years as the CEO of Groupon Australia. In this role, Alistair created one of Australia’s most engaging e-commerce marketplaces, facilitating interaction between more than 5 million members and over 5,000 local businesses every day. Alistair’s mandate when joining JUST EAT was to transform the Menulog team, processes and technology to further accelerate the meteoric rise of the brand and, in just a few short months, Alistair has already made significant progress towards this goal. With more than a 30% increase in local staff in the past four months, the local Menulog team has grown significantly and now works to support more than 8,500 restaurant partners, serving more than 2.8 million active customers across Australia and New Zealand. Having led the re-launch of the Menulog platform earlier this year, 2017 will see unprecedented tech innovation for the brand. With a career spanning high-tech mining, manufacturing and e-commerce across five continents, Alistair has developed a unique skill set that allows him to deliver not just percentage growth, but dollar growth, by providing the vision and leadership required to grow businesses at scale, and deliver substantial returns for investors. Originally trained as an electronic engineer, Alistair held operations and leadership roles at global organisations such as Siemens and Rolls-Royce Aerospace. Having achieved a Bachelor of Engineering from Stellenbosch University, Alistair went on to complete an MBA at INSEAD business school in France and Singapore. “It’s a really exciting time (for) Menulog, amidst Australia’s online food delivery boom. The industry has seen a new wave of growth, and my role (is) to ensure Menulog continues to lead the charge in Australia’s food delivery space." - Alistair Venn

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Brain Hay, Lead CISO Advisor – APAC, Unisys, about: - How to collaborate within the industry to tackle organised retail crime - Build a cyber crime culture in your organisation to understand security in the digital world - A view of the most compelling issues we can expect and prepare for over the coming years Detective Superintendent Brian Hay has been a member of the Queensland Police Service for 34 years. Since 2004, Mr. Hay has had principal responsibility for the management and direction of the Fraud & Cyber Crime Group, State Crime Command. Mr Hay has a broad investigative background with forays into the investigation of drugs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, sexual predators and public sector corruption. These duties have been interspersed with uniform general duties and corporate responsibilities. He is often sought for media comment within the fraud and cyber environments. Mr Hay was a pivotal driver in a number of key national initiatives and has a proven record in partnering industry. He is Chair of the ANZPAA (Australia New Zealand Police Advisory Agency) eCrime Working Group and a member of the National Cybercrime Working Group. In 2006 Mr. Hay completed a Masters in Public Policy and Administration. In 2009 he was the recipient of the Australian Police Medal. In 2009 he was the recipient of an international award from McAfee for efforts in combating cyber crime. In 2010 he was the recipient of the National AusCERT Award for Individual Excellence in Information Security.

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Drew Green, founder of Indochino about reinventing retail through custom products, personalized experiences, on-demand manufacturing and moving from a purely online business, to a clicks and bricks model. Drew Green is a seasoned entrepreneur and expert in managing fast-paced, high-growth companies. A visionary leader, Drew joined INDOCHINO in 2015 and, within months, set the made to measure menswear retailer on a path to success. His focus, dedication and decisiveness has led to the company achieving record growth, expanding its retail showrooms in North America, and dramatically increasing its product assortment to become the undisputed leader in made-to-measure menswear. Prior to INDOCHINO, Green spent his career connecting online audiences with retailers through advertising technology and e-commerce and marketplace platforms, helping create billions of dollars in shareholder value. "By pioneering a Made for You retail experience built on innovative product design and exemplary service, we are now poised more than ever to vastly impact the men’s apparel industry." - Drew Green, Indochino

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Grant Arnott, Publisher of powerretail.com.au and co-founder of Click Frenzy, about the state of play of online retail in Australia, and disruptions on the horizon including; the impending arrival Amazon into the Australian market place and the rise of AI in the shopping experience.

Recorded at Online Retailer 2017 in Sydney, here we chat with Wayne Baskin, Deputy CEO & Chief Technology Officer, Booktopia, about optimising the checkout experience to minimise cart abandonment: - Overview of key reasons for customer cart abandonment - Design optimisation tips for increased conversion - Tools and solutions for monitoring and minimising cart abandonment – Google analytics, follow up email Wayne started with Booktopia in 2008, as the only in-house Java J2EE developer. Intent on not being the ‘small cog in a big wheel’, Wayne left GE Commercial Finance to focus on making an impact in a smaller company where he felt he could actively contribute to it’s growth and success. Seven years later, Wayne has evolved from a software developer cutting code and building Booktopia’s bespoke website to become one of the key leaders in the business. At Booktopia, Wayne is responsible for all systems, both internal and external and also sits on Booktopia’s Board. In his time at Booktopia Wayne has been responsible for a number of major projects including the development of all aspects of the Booktopia website, the design and development of their custom built warehouse management system and their recently released and ever evolving eBook platform. With the recent acquisition of Angus & Robertson Bookworld Wayne now oversees all technology across both brands and was responsible for the integration of Angus & Robertson Bookworld into Booktopia’s systems. Wayne was recently named as on of Inside Retail and Deloitte’s Top 50 People in E-Commerce and in 2013 was a finalist for the BRW’s Best Rising Star Award. Recent Key Achievements: • Key player in the design an implementation of Booktopia’s new 10,000sqm automated Distribution Centre including the design and development of Booktopia’s Warehouse Management System. This includes the release of a mobile version to compliment the processes of the new automation. • Design and development of Booktopia’s custom built search engine. Booktopia’s website search allows customers to search of over 14 million SKUs in under 2 seconds to find exactly what they are looking for. • Design and continual improvement of Booktopia’s mobile site to increase conversion rate by close to 20% in 2014. • Implementation of algorithms throughout the business that allows Booktopia to hold over 100,000 products in stock and ready for next day shipping. • Implementation of Booktopia’s eBook platform that allows customer’s to read eBooks wherever they are across multiple devices. • Integration of the Angus & Robertson Bookworld business into Booktopia’s systems.

Recorded at Online Retailer 2016 in Sydney, here we chat with Scott Emmons, Head of Innovation Lab, Neiman Marcus about creating the store of the future through integrating technology to enhance in-store experience. • Understand when, how, and what customers want – stay on top of the game • Infuse ideas and innovation into your business with customer-focused technologies – beacons, memory mirror and others • Use imagination as your only boundary to follow – allow to fail and learn from it