Functional and Fabulous

In this, the pronunciation episode, Marshall David Johnson of UK designer department store Fenwick joins Gordon and Ger to talk about the challenges of luxury retail. Marshall guides you through a world in which luxury brands call the shots over retailers, and styling and managing products for online goes beyond anything mere mortals should attempt. Dive into the realm of retail opulence and find out how to pronounce 'luxury', 'Ciarán, 'Fenwick' and 'Fraser'.

Andrew Ostcliffe of Oxfam in the UK navigates e-commerce waters that many other hardened online retailers would avoid. Three revenue streams, products distributed over more than 600 locations, 250,000-plus SKUs, and a diverse inventory that changes by the minute. Welcome to the world of decentralised charity retail—both online and in store. Join Andrew as he leads Ger and Gordon through this daunting, yet highly effective, e-commerce maze. A maze that's built on employee experience (EX)—in more ways than one.

This time out, Gordon and Ger check-in to fly social with Ryanair (no checked luggage and the crisps are extra). Their pilot is Michael Corcoran, until recently Ryanair's Head of Social and Creative Content. Michael talks about the importance of reach over followers, why community matters, what social media really is (and isn't), and outlines a non-scientific (but completely scientific) way of effective content creation. Beware: this episode may even make you like Ryanair—the airline we all love to despise, but fly with anyway.

Our guide in this episode is retail technology publisher, author and consultant Miya Knights. She talks to Gordon and Ger about how the use of cutting-edge technology can put the retail experience in service of the customer. Miya discusses three vital customer considerations that retailers (and retail tech) need to address in order to be successful. But that's only the half of it. She also talks about how technology is helping retailers answer key questions about their customers and their products. This is literally the hottest episode so far—there was no air conditioning in the studio. Listen to find out whether Ger or Gordon succumbs to the heat first.

eBay's GM Global Fashion, Kirsty Keoghan, takes Ger Keohane (StudioForty9) and Gordon Newman (Omnichannels Stories) on a journey through the mind-blowing world of pre-loved fashion. They stop off at an authentication warehouse (where trust is built), negotiate a mountain of discarded fashion items, and visit Love Island. To keep never-worn and rarely-worn fashion out of landfill, eBay is going back to its roots so consumers and retailers can enjoy the many benefits of buying and selling pre-loved fashion. The numbers will make your ears pop.

Growth expert Richard Chapple (The Growth Foundation) sets sail with Ger Keohane (StudioForty9) and Gordon Newman (Omnichannels Stories) to talk about growing your retail business, scaling up and brilliant basics. Along the way, the episode is boarded by pirates and parrots. But karate keeps them at bay. -- Richard's notes and the strategy information he spoke about can be accessed here: Where to Play and How to Win

Retail futurist Matthew Brown (Echochamber) guides Ger Keohane (StudioForty9) and Gordon Newman (Omnichannels Stories) through excellence in retail customer experience. Along the way, we unbox an absolutely lush gift package from Faerly, an Irish online retailer that specialises in local and sustainable products that deliver the right amount of happy moments. But Matthew, Gordon and Ger aren't alone! Audio gremlins manage to slither in and feast on the audio in places. Does it stop the intrepid trio? It does not.

Gordon Newman (Omnichannels Stories) and Ger Keohane (StudioForty9) are joined by ecommerce strategist and trainer Vinny O'Brien live on stage at StudioForty9's annual Excellence in Ecommerce Conference in Dublin.

Join Ger Keohane (StudioForty9) and Gordon Newman (Omnichannel Stories) as they embark on a voyage of discovery in the world of online retail. In this episode, their guide is Dean McElwee, Director of Global eCommerce Collaboration and Director of International eCommerce Strategy, Global Tools and Storage with Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Their journey starts with an unboxing experience provided by Velo Coffee Roasters in Cork.