Welcome to a special episode featuring Mark from Guitar Guitar, who joins us to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary. Hosted by Ian Jindal, Editor-in-Chief of Internet Retailing, and Georgia from Adobe, this episode dives deep into the evolution of Guitar Guitar and its unique approach to music retail.

Mark shares the history of Guitar Guitar, from its humble beginnings to becoming a significant player in the music retail industry. He discusses the company's commitment to providing a personalized customer experience, both online and in-store, and the challenges and triumphs they've faced over the years.

The conversation touches on the innovative ways Guitar Guitar has integrated technology to enhance customer interaction, the importance of maintaining a physical store presence, and the company's recent transition to an employee-owned business model. Mark also highlights their efforts in music education and community engagement, reflecting on how these initiatives align with their core values.

Join us for an insightful discussion about the past, present, and future of Guitar Guitar, and learn how they continue to make music more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

-- Run time: 33 minutes

INFORMATION:

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Guitar Guitar - https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/guitar-guitar-limited/

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Mark McKenzie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mckenzie-uk/

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

Welcome to an illuminating discussion with Rad, VP of Supply Chain at Flaconi, Germany's leading online beauty marketplace. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating supply chain management domain within the beauty sector.

Since its inception in 2011, Flaconi has made gains in the German market, with over 25% share, and continues its successful journey across multiple European countries. Rad, with his extensive experience handling supply chains for luxury brands in Dubai, brings distinctive perspectives on the beauty industry.

Rad brings to life the transformative role of supply chain management in digital retail, emphasising viewing it as a value-adding function fostering business growth rather than a cost centre.

Rad offers an intriguing overview of the beauty industry’s dynamic nature. He illustrates how brands rise and fall in the blink of an eye due to fluctuating consumer preferences and intense competition. We discuss the benefits of leveraging customer data and predicting stock movements to optimize costs, allied to the notion of sustainability in business practices.

We learn not only about an agile supply chain to support flexible business, but also the dynamics of the online beauty market.

-- Run time: 28 minutes

INFORMATION:

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Flaconi - https://www.flaconi.de/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/flaconi-gmbh/

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Rad Jha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radharaman-jha/

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal

At the end of NRF 2024 in New York I was able to chat with Juliet Scott-Croxford of Brompton Bicycle. Juliet is President, North America, and leads the growth of this quintessentially British brand in the market.

Brompton is an urban-first, engineering-born, British-made success story, and so the transition to the US is an interesting one. Leading with a combination of product quality and clubhouse retail vibe, they have been at the vanguard of the city-centre, community cycling renaissance that brands like Rapha (just along the road from them in Soho) have embraced.

I caught up with Julia in the back-office stock area of their Soho store as she prepped for an evening event, hence a bit of "real life buzz" in the background of the recording 📼.

In our chat we cover their hire scheme, the Brompton Junction Stores concept, retail partnerships and expansion, Juliet's career path, the importance of a strong team, the "Activating Cities" strategy and the move to B-Corp status...

-- Run time: 32 minutes

INFORMATION:

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Brompton Bicycle: https://www.brompton.com/ and https://www.brompton.com/find-a-store/brompton-junction/new-york

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Juliet Scott-Croxley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliet-scott-croxford-72050313/

Georgia Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiajones1/

Ian Jindal: www.linkedin.com/in/ianjindal/ and www.twitter.com/ianjindal

[ 📷 ] (c) Ian Jindal / www.instagram.com/ianjindal