Kraft Heinz Chief Growth Officer on Power of Partnerships

How does Kraft Heinz decide what shoppers actually want next — from a viral vodka pasta to zero sugar, zero salt ketchup? Karen Owen, Chief Growth Officer, Europe & Pacific Developed Markets, at Kraft Heinz, joins Natalie Berg to discuss how to turn consumer obsession into commercial growth — from spotting viral trends and building true brand partnerships to testing flavour and creative with AI as one tool in a bigger innovation engine. A playbook for commerce leaders on reading shoppers and scaling what works. 📺 Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXchNfFHWyU  WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: • How Kraft Heinz reads consumer signals — Gen Z, singletons and QSR inspiration — before committing to launch • Inside the Ocado test-and-learn partnership: joint consumer data, co-developed ranges, and Ocado's role testing pack, range and on-shelf execution • From viral to bestseller: How Gigi Hadid's vodka pasta (500M+ impressions) led to the creation of Heinz x Absolut — #3 in UK supermarkets at launch and Kraft Heinz's best-selling limited edition — and why Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero is now +26% YoY • Where AI saves hundreds of hours (flavour profiling, creative pre-testing) and where human insight still leads, plus early signals on agentic commerce ABOUT OUR GUEST Karen Owen oversees innovation, marketing and brand strategy for Kraft Heinz' European and Pacific Developed Markets, united by the company's crown jewel, Heinz - a global brand icon with roots in Karen's hometown of Wigan, where her love for the billion-dollar brand began. A seasoned CPG executive with a passion for building high performing teams, Karen has a track record of spearheading innovation and creativity to drive top and bottom-line growth for global brands like LIPTON Teas and Infusions, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer prior to joining Kraft Heinz. Karen has also held leadership roles at Diageo, Coty Beauty and P&G. ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a 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  

70% of whiskey shoppers in Germany start on Amazon — even if they don't buy there.  It's a powerful reminder that digital commerce is about more than the transaction; it's about discovery, inspiration and brand-building - important for a category like alcohol where just 6-7% of sales take place online. In this episode of Retail Disrupted, Natalie Berg sits down with Danson Huang, Global Vice President of Connected Commerce at Diageo, to explore how AI, quick commerce, retail media and digital discovery are reshaping the consumer journey. 📺 Watch this episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS1z5pMKVAg&t=239s  Danson and Natalie discuss: • Why consumers are prioritizing occasion-led thinking over product-led search • How brands should optimize for recommendations from LLMs and shopping agents • Why agentic commerce may make sense for some purchases (the weekly Guinness order) but not others (the single malt whiskey gift) • How quick commerce can turn live moments — from football wins to Eurovision — into real-time, relevant shopping occasions • The role of retail media in quick commerce and why brands needs to improve relevance here • The foundational data and organizational challenges holding AI projects back and why businesses should focus on outcomes — not "AI for AI's sake" 💡One of the key takeaways from Danson: "Consumers don't live in their CHANNELS. They live with their NEEDS." 🤝 This episode is part of our Shoptalk series, sponsored by Manhattan Associates. https://www.manh.com/   ABOUT OUR GUEST Danson Huang leads Diageo's global B2C digital transformation across pure-play, e-grocery, quick-commerce, D2C platforms, and brand ecosystems. With over 20 years of experience spanning China, Singapore, the US, France, and the UK, he has built and scaled digital commerce, innovation, and omnichannel growth capabilities across global consumer brands. Danson is recognized for his work in connected commerce, MACH-enabled transformation, and the integration of technology, data, and consumer experience to drive sustainable growth. ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a 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 

AI is a bigger wave of disruption than e-commerce or mobile because it isn't just changing how consumers behave; it's fundamentally changing how businesses operate. Romain Roulleau, Group Digital & E-Commerce Director, Kingfisher, joins Natalie Berg to unpack how Kingfisher — the £13 billion home improvement giant behind B&Q, Screwfix, Castorama, and Brico Depot — is at the forefront of this next retail transformation.  In this episode, Romain reveals how Kingfisher's marketplace now drives 50% of e-commerce GMV, why they're betting on AI-powered conversational commerce with Google Cloud's Vertex AI, and what "agentic commerce" means for the future of retail. Romain also unpacks the store-centric marketplace model that's become a differentiator against pure players — including click-and-collect and in-store returns for third-party products — and explains why 78% of Kingfisher's business still happens in physical stores, making expert advice the next frontier for AI. If you're a retail leader navigating the shift from omnichannel to AI-powered commerce, this is your briefing. 🤝 This episode is brought to you by Manhattan Associates and was recorded in Barcelona at Shoptalk Europe. https://www.manh.com/  ABOUT OUR GUEST As Group Digital & E-Commerce Director at Kingfisher, Romain is responsible for leading all marketplace, retail media, e-commerce and innovation activity within the Group and its banner brands. Prior to his current role, Romain spent five years as Chief Marketing, Digital & Customer Officer at Castorama, one of the leading home improvement retailers in France, driving the brand's digital strategy and e-commerce growth. He has also previously held a number of senior digital and e-commerce roles within the travel industry globally, over the course of more than a decade, including as SVP, Digital & E-Commerce at AccorHotels, one of the world's largest hotel groups. ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg.   👉 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  

Your brand believes it's trusted. Your customers disagree. Dr Amna Khan is a renowned retail and consumer behaviour expert with a PhD in trust development from Alliance Manchester Business School. She's observed the trust contract between businesses and consumers unravel in real time. She joins Natalie Berg to unpack what this means for retailers and brands. 📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g02sjV7Kako&t=1827s  What you'll learn:  Why emotional trust builds resilience.  Why founder-led brands like P. Louise are flourishing and how transparency strengthens trust when things go wrong. How Gen Z discover products through creators, not advertising — and how that permanently rewires the path to purchase. The imperfection advantage. AI-generated content is flooding every channel. Human flaws — typos, rough edges, unscripted moments — are becoming the new trust signals. Where AI helps vs where it hurts. Holland & Barrett uses AI to free up staff for personalised advice. But when AI generates flawless, homogenous content, consumers trust it less — not more. What AI agents will do to your brand if you haven't built trust by 2027. CONNECT WITH DR AMNA KHAN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dramnakhan/  ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg.  👉 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   

Modern retail is globally efficient but emotionally bankrupt. Marc-Antoine Barrois, founder of the luxury fragrance house MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS, and architect Antoine Bouillot join Natalie Berg to discuss their shared belief: a store should prioritize emotion over the transaction. In this episode, they reveal how they design flagship spaces in London, Paris, and New York that deliberately increase dwell time, why sales associates are trained to tell customers to leave without buying, and how they were inspired to create the "IRL is Better" campaign. 📺 Watch on YouTube to see inside Marc-Antoine Barrois stores: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pub_PiUReKA  We discuss: ▶ Why efficiency has stripped retail of emotion — and how to put it back ▶ The architectural toolkit for deceleration: treasure-hunt layouts, suspended furniture, and materials built to last ▶ Sales advisors, not salespeople: training staff to prioritize connection over conversion ▶ "IRL is Better" — inside the anti-social media campaign that doubled down on real-world intimacy ▶ How handwritten notes and personal emails extend the flagship experience online ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg.  👉 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 

In 1985, two federal prosecutors walked away from their careers and mortgaged their homes to open a pizza restaurant in Beverly Hills. They wound up inventing an entirely new dining category. Rick Rosenfield, co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen, joins Natalie Berg on Retail Disrupted to share the unfiltered story: the one menu hit that redefined casual dining, the culture that made CPK somewhere people genuinely wanted to work, how it beat the odds to survive bankruptcy and the reinvention chapter that followed. Rick shares lessons from his new book: The California Pizza Kitchen Story: How Two Federal Prosecutors Changed the Way America Eats Pizza. https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/leadership-and-management/the-california-pizza-kitchen-story/  This is a masterclass in innovation, differentiation, and ethical leadership for anyone building a brand, scaling multi-site retail, or navigating private equity-backed growth. What retail leaders take away: How two lawyers created upscale casual dining at shopping centers with zero restaurant experience How BBQ chicken pizza became the brand's defining product Why CPK became the first national chain to go non-smoking — and what it reveals about culture-led decisions The private equity warning: what founders lose when new owners sideline the vision How CPK is diversifying into packaged goods and airport retail to future-proof the brand Watch this episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8WT_w571no&t=790s  ABOUT OUR GUEST Rick Rosenfield is a former federal prosecutor and defense attorney. He is the co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen, the restaurant brand that helped redefine how America eats pizza and reshaped modern casual dining. Before entering the restaurant business, Rosenfield began his legal career at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC, where he worked on cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals.  In the mid-eighties, Rosenfield and his partner, Larry Flax, made the unconventional decision to leave the law field and open the first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills. What began as a single restaurant grew into a global brand while maintaining a distinctive culinary vision and culture. ABOUT THE PODCAST  🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg.   👉 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   #CaliforniaPizzaKitchen #CPK #RestaurantStrategy #BrandBuilding #RetailDisrupted #RetailPodcast #FoodBrand #FounderStory

The UK's third biggest fashion retailer doesn't own a single store, design a single garment, or hold a single unit of inventory. Natalie Berg sits down with Olivia May, Partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants, to deliver the strategy briefing retail leaders need on the resale revolution. In this episode: ▶ Why Vinted overtook established names to become the UK's #3 fashion retailer ▶ The data advantage first-hand brands hold over pure-play resale platforms ▶ Why luxury resale is harder to scale than it looks — from retail theft to $78 item processing costs  ▶ Vinted vs Depop: what separates a platform winner from a challenger ▶ The "say-do gap": why the same customer shopping resale is also buying Shein For retail leaders evaluating their own resale channel — or trying to understand where their margin is going — this episode is for you. 🤝 This episode is sponsored by OC&C Strategy Consultants. https://www.occstrategy.com   📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN3rfoutHxc  ABOUT OUR GUEST Olivia May is a Partner in the Global Retail Practice at OC&C with a particular focus on developing winning strategies and game-changing customer propositions for apparel businesses, marketplaces and digital native brands. Olivia has over 14 years of experience working closely and collaboratively with retailers and brands to both develop customer-centric strategies and help put them into action in a way that transforms and future-proofs client businesses. In particular, she works closely with platforms, brands and investors looking to participate and win in recommerce markets. ABOUT RETAIL DISRUPTED Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg. 👉 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 

Gregor Ulitzka (President, Europe at Ocado Group) makes the case that online grocery isn't a sprint — it's a decathlon. The path to profitability requires retailers to master logistics, availability, pricing, last-mile, customer experience - the works! From Ocado's origins as the UK's first pure-play online grocer to a technology platform and solutions business powering e-commerce for some of the world's biggest grocers — this is a masterclass in what it actually takes to make online grocery work. Gregor and Natalie discuss: The "detail, detail, detail" principle behind sustainable online grocery profitability Shifting consumer habits & the 2-hour delivery myth Global partnerships: from Alcampo to Asda (hot off the press) In-store solutions vs CFCs: the infrastructure decisions Where AI genuinely adds value in grocery (and where human beats algorithm every time) Retail 2036: will AI agents be doing all the grocery shopping for us? 🤝 Today's episode is brought to you by Manhattan Associates https://www.manh.com/  ABOUT OUR GUEST Gregor is president of Europe at the Ocado Group. As the first person to hold this role, he is responsible for the growth and operations of Ocado Solutions across the region. Prior to joining in 2023, Gregor built and scaled the vendor-facing supply chain at Amazon for over 10 years, with his most recent role for the business being director of supply chain and inventory management for Europe. ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg. Subscribe: 👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted  👉 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/retail-disrupted/id1676107321   👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn63ov2VAIJPNi3FM   👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/  👉 Newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com  

Most DTC brands struggle to make the leap from online-only to physical retail. Vuori didn't just make the transition -they're now scaling stores across Europe, Asia, and beyond. Recorded live at Shoptalk Europe, Global President Ashley Kechter shares the playbook behind the California athleisure brand's retail expansion, international growth, and what's required to scale a modern consumer brand. Ashley explains why Vuori's stores function as community hubs and customer acquisition engines — not just sales floors — and how international markets act as early-warning systems for product trends before they hit the US. Key topics covered: Vuori's brand DNA: how does it stand out in a crowded market? The "density within markets" approach: clustering stores before diversifying geographically How e-commerce data in 30 countries pinpoints the next store location Why international markets are Vuori's trend-forecasting advantage Balancing global brand consistency with hyper-local community activations The role of stores in acquiring omnichannel customers who still value the opportunity to "touch and feel" the product 🤝 This episode is sponsored by Manhattan Associates - the unified foundation for global supply chains and commerce. ABOUT OUR GUEST As Vuori's Global President, Ashley Kechter is responsible for overseeing the brand's global business strategy, driving the financial process, and overseeing retail, eCommerce, planning and wholesale internationally and domestically. Prior to joining Vuori, Kechter served as global president of eComm, retail, wholesale and International for Fabletics, and previous roles include Chief Business Officer and GM for Banana Republic, and Chief Merchandising Officer and GM of Merch, Planning, eCommerce, Sourcing, Inventory Management, and Product Development at Restoration Hardware.  ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg.  👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted 👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/ 👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com 

A third of shoppers now expect grocery delivery within two hours. That's a huge shift in customer expectations – and one that Wolt is well placed to meet. The Helsinki-based delivery platform (owned by DoorDash / sister company to Deliveroo) is now the #1 delivery app outside China and among the top 10 online grocers in Europe. Marianne Vikkula, Head of Wolt, joins Natalie Berg to unpack the strategy behind one of Europe's leading local commerce platforms. And it's no longer just about takeaways and groceries - retail now makes up more than 25% of Wolt's global sales.  Marianne shares how Wolt+ has evolved from a subscription that waived delivery fees to a lifestyle membership program, why baskets are a third larger when they include a promotional item, and why the average Wolt order travels under three kilometres.  📺 Watch the episode on YouTube. Key themes:  → Why quick commerce isn't just about speed (selection, quality, and affordability are essential)  → How Wolt's hyper-local model - 200,000+ merchants, sub-3km radius - unlocks categories beyond groceries  → The role of AI, autonomous delivery, and logistics tech in making quick commerce profitable  → What retailers get wrong about platform cannibalization — and why these channels are "much more incremental than many retailers fear"  ABOUT OUR GUEST Since joining Wolt in 2018, Marianne has led the company's expansion from 6 to more than 30 countries across EMEA, while launching new businesses including Wolt Market and Ads. She oversees a cross-functional team of over 15,000 people. Previously, she was CEO of Slush, helping grow it into one of the world's leading tech and investor events. Marianne also serves on the boards of Slush and Marimekko. ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg.   👉 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retaildisrupted  👉 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retail-disrupted/  👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com