Whistl: Why Fulfilment is the Backbone of E-commerce Success

Whistl’s James Hayes joins Natalie on the podcast to talk about the critical role of fulfilment in e-commerce success. They discuss: The evolution of online shopping: with e-commerce now accounting for nearly 30% of UK retail sales, how can retailers evolve to meet shifting consumer demands? The delivery experience: what’s the risk of getting it wrong? Returns aren’t going anywhere, so how can retailers manage this as efficiently as possible? Should they charge for returns? What role does a 3PL play? Supporting growth: how does Whistl help businesses scale? Don’t overpromise and underdeliver: tips to prepare for peak season. Understanding the true cost of fulfilment.  Whistl is one of the UK’s leading logistics providers, offering scalable and tailored fulfilment solutions for e-commerce retailers and brands. From warehousing to delivery, every solution is built around the needs of their customers to help them scale with confidence.  James’ bio: James Hayes is Whistl Fulfilment’s Director of Business Development. Named one of Scurri’s top 50 e-commerce and shipping influencers, he brings extensive experience in logistics and technology. Previously, James founded Parcel Station, exiting in 2018 to drive growth at Whistl. He specialises in helping brands scale through innovative fulfilment strategies and optimising final-mile delivery for a superior customer experience. A frequent speaker at industry events, podcasts, and webinars, James shares expert insights on building 3PL partnerships to fuel business growth and delight customers.  

Ahti Heinla is the Co-Founder and CEO at Starship Technologies. Previously, he was one of the founders and developers of Skype. He joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss the rise of autonomous delivery and the future of grocery e-commerce. They explore: Skype’s legacy in transforming modern global communications. The future of grocery delivery: drones in the sky and robots on the ground? The economics of autonomous delivery: just how cost-effective is it for retailers to deliver by robot? Are robots the most sustainable form of last-mile delivery? Following on from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent encounter with a Starship robot, what kind of regulatory change would Ahti like to see in the UK? The opportunities for humanoid robots: does Ahti agree with Elon Musk that robots will be babysitting our kids in the future?! 📣 REGISTER -> Join me, Zebra Technologies, and Retail Gazette on July 16 for this webinar on transforming frontline comms. 📣  More on Ahti: In 2013, Ahti Heinla designed a sample retrieval robot to compete in a NASA contest for Mars missions. Armed with that experience, Ahti and his co-founder Janus Friis, realized there was a huge opportunity to disrupt a delivery industry which has yet to be revolutionized by technology. They set to work creating a last-mile robotic delivery solution, which is when Starship Technologies was born. Founded in 2014, Starship now operates in more than 100 service areas worldwide, and its robots have completed more than 8 million deliveries. The company has headquarters in Tallinn, in Ahti’s native Estonia.

Rosie Bailey is the CEO & Co-Founder of Nibble, an AI negotiation chatbot which can agree deals in less than a minute on anything from luxury watches to your next broadband subscription. She joins Natalie on the podcast to explain how Nibble allows customers to negotiate prices directly on a retailer’s website, and how this benefits both brands and customers.  They discuss the psychology behind digital negotiation (far less intimidating than haggling in-person), what happens if someone offers £5 for a mattress, and why the online shopping experience must evolve. Rosie also shares her view on the future of AI in retail and why we must tread carefully with agentic AI. In closing, she provides valuable advice for retailers looking to integrate AI into their operations effectively. More on Rosie: Rosie passionately supports STEM education and anyone honing their real-life negotiation skills. She started her career in investment banking, negotiating multi-million deals for companies as diverse as Wagamama, Unilever and Jimmy Choo. She’s now deployed that negotiation expertise into Nibble.

Lisa Weaver-Lambert is the author of The AI Value Playbook, an essential handbook empowering non-technical business leaders to formulate a perspective on how to leverage AI. She joins Natalie on the podcast to discuss the key findings from her book and share her views on AI’s impact on retail. Retail Disrupted listeners can use the code 20RETAIL for an exclusive discount on the book. Purchases must be made before June 26, 2025. Natalie also speaks to Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economics, about their latest research on the cost of payment failures. You can read more about on Natalie’s blog or check out the full report from FreedomPay.

Jamil Ghani is the Worldwide Vice President of Amazon Prime, leading product, technology, marketing, decision science, operations, and finance teams that build and operate the membership program for over 200 million members across 26 countries.   He sits down with Natalie at the end of the Amazon Prime analyst event in Seattle to discuss the latest innovations and strategic direction of Prime. They explore: The key pillars of Prime: convenience, savings, entertainment. With new Prime markets like Colombia and Ireland, Jamil discusses why Amazon aims to launch Prime internationally “as quickly as possibly but as slow as necessary”. What Prime is NOT: Jamil says it’s not a loyalty program, not a breakage model, and not a loss leader. Is Prime nearing saturation? Learn where Jamil sees opportunities for further customer acquisition in the US. The first half of the episode focuses on Natalie's takeaways from the Amazon Prime analyst event. If you'd like to skip straight to the interview with Jamil, this starts at 10 minutes. * Natalie will be releasing a Forbes article with more insights from the event later this week. * Jamil’s bio: Over his 7-year tenure, Jamil has accelerated Prime’s growth, tripling the membership and doubling per member spend. He has also broadened Prime's offerings, expanding to 13 new countries and launching new benefits in multiple high-value categories, including health care, grocery, and restaurant food delivery. He works across Amazon’s consumer businesses to innovate on behalf of customers, build the Amazon and Prime businesses, and make customers' life better every day. Before coming to Amazon in 2017, Jamil served as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Strategy, Digital & Innovation, for Target Corporation. Before that, he spent five years at The Walt Disney Company focused on identifying, developing, and launching travel and leisure growth initiatives. This included the MyMagic+ experience system, Shanghai Disneyland Park, and Aulani destination resort. Jamil holds a BA magna cum laude from Harvard College in economics and computer science and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where he was selected as a Baker Scholar. Jamil lives with his wife and two (soon to be three) daughters in Bellevue, WA.

Global fashion designer Nadine Merabi shares her inspiring journey, from teaching herself how to sew by watching YouTube to becoming a successful fashion entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of building her eponymous brand, NADINE MERABI, emphasizing the importance of community, sustainability, and empowering women through fashion. Nadine shares the rationale for the brand's move into bricks & mortar retail and the significance of creating a positive company culture. She offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, highlighting the power of self-belief and passion in achieving success. Today’s episode is brought to you by the Richmond Retail and E-commerce Directors’ Forum. To learn more about the event, visit: https://www.richmondevents.com/forums/details/ret26 This is a video episode and can also be watched on YouTube.  

Pacsun CEO Brieane Olson sits down with Natalie on the sidelines at the World Retail Congress. They discuss: Staying culturally relevant: how Pacsun transitioned from a “house of brands” in malls to a purpose-driven, culture-first youth brand. Are Gen Z and Gen Alpha actually brand loyal? What are the misconceptions of these digitally native generations? The power of co-creation: how Paris Hilton and A$AP Rocky are helping Pacsun to position their stores as culture and community hubs. Physical retail: why is Pacsun opening 75 new stores in the US and what are the opportunities globally? Social commerce: As an early adopter, how is Pacsun reaching shoppers on TikTok and China’s Douyin? Conscious capitalism and being clear on purpose. Women in retail: as the first female CEO of Pacsun, does Brieane think the industry has made sufficient progress? 📢 Sign up to hear Natalie speak at the definitive e-commerce loyalty event, Loyalty Connect 2025, going live 10-12 June 2025: https://loyaltylion.com/resources/loyalty-connect 

Andrew Xeni is the Founder/Chairman of Nobody’s Child and Soreto, and Founder/CEO of Fabacus. He joins Natalie for a video episode which can be watched on YouTube.  Andrew discusses the evolution of Nobody's Child, an M&S-backed fashion brand known for its commitment to affordability and sustainability. He shares insights on the brand's transition from pure-play e-commerce to physical retail and the importance of product diversification and brand elevation in order to achieve profitable growth.  We also get Andrew’s views on sustainability – how NC is embedding it into the organization and how other retailers should respond to growing demands for circularity. They discuss digital product passports – Andrew has been a real trailblazer here through his other venture, Fabacus, and soon every NC product will have a digital product passport. He shares how it’s enabling the business to enhance transparency and deepen customer engagement. This episode is sponsored by Aptos, a leading provider of Unified Commerce solutions for retail. For more, visit https://www.aptos.com/  Andrew’s bio: Andrew Xeni is a visionary technology and retail entrepreneur; founder of award-winning businesses that are reshaping their industries. After building a successful family manufacturing business supplying the UK high street, Xeni went on to establish responsible fashion brand, Nobody’s Child, named 2023 & 2024 Drapers Retailer of the Year ( Passionate about shaping the future of sustainable retail, in 2023, Fabacus and Nobody’s Child collaborated to launch a Digital Product Passport solution driven by compliant product catalogues, in preparation for incoming legislation around the world, set to redefine and evolve the retail landscape. Xeni is backed by a number of leading financial institutions and prominent individuals and in addition to managing a diverse portfolio of businesses, he is an active angel investor and mentor.  

Andrew Busby joins Natalie live from the World Retail Congress to reflect on key takeaways from the event. They discuss why AI is only as good as the data you feed it and why Gen Z shoppers are loyal to trends and not brands, picking up on insights shared by Estee Lauder and Albert Heijn. For the second half of the conversation, they turn to sustainability in fashion retail. Are we doing enough in the West? Is the ease of buying preloved online encouraging shoppers to actually buy more clothes? And whether it’s charging for returns, banning serial returners, or educating consumers, how can retailers stem the tide of returns? Andrew’s bio: A well-known retail industry expert, speaker, and writer, Andrew Busby has extensive experience and knowledge in the retail sector, particularly in areas such as retail technology, customer experience, and emerging trends. He is Senior Industry Adviser at BOXTEC, Board Adviser at The Industrious and founder of Redline Retail Consulting (formerly Retail Reflections), a retail consultancy firm that provides strategic advice and insights to the industry community. He is a retail writer at Fortune Magazine and also a regular contributor to various media outlets, including retail trade publications and national news media where he is known for his expertise in analysing and commenting on the latest developments, challenges, and opportunities in the retail industry. Author of the best-selling retail book, ‘Harry Was Right All Along’, and ‘Breathless – Covid, Two Metres and Me’, Busby is recognised by the industry as a global thought leader and is a member of the exclusive global retail community ReTHINK Retail. In a retail career spanning over 25 years, he held senior positions at Kingfisher and Superdrug before joining a number of leading technology partners to bring innovative solutions to many retail businesses. In addition to publishing many retail blogs and articles, Andrew is a member of the IORMA Advisory Board, Advisory Board member at Retail Week, Founder of the Retail Advisory Board and is also editor at large for Retail Technology magazine. Check out Andrew’s articles at Fortune and Substack.

Live from Amazon's 'Delivering the Future' event in Dortmund, Germany, Natalie speaks to three Amazon execs about today's announcements: Rocco Bräuniger - Vice President, Country Manager Germany & Expansion Countries EU Nicola Fyfe - Vice President, Amazon Logistics Europe Sarah Rhoads - Vice President, Global Workplace Health & Safety We explore the launch of Vulcan, Amazon's first robot with a sense of touch. This is tech that Amazon says was unimaginable just three years ago and is now transforming their operations. We also discuss the all-important last mile. What actually happens after you place an order on Amazon? What role do Amazon's delivery stations play and how is technology improving that experience? We unpack (no pun intended) Amazon's plans to roll out same-day delivery to 20 more locations across Europe, as well as extend order cut-off times to as late at 6:15pm in some postcodes. We discuss how technology isn't just about driving efficiencies for retailers and enhancing the experience for customers; it's also, critically, improving workplace safety. More on today's announcements: https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/company-news/introducing-vulcan-amazons-first-robot-with-a-sense-of-touch https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/company-news/amazon-is-investing-more-than-700-million-in-delivery-station-technology-across-europe  https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/company-news/amazon-is-expanding-and-accelerating-same-day-delivery-across-europe