The Resilient Retail Game Plan - retail insights, retail trends and best practices

This episode contains a freebie download. Scroll down to find it.Believe it or not — today is episode 300 of the Resilient Retail Game Plan.Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly and in this episode, which is six years, 300 episodes, and over 1 million downloads later since I started this podcast, I'm sharing a fast track to the biggest themes that have shaped this podcast and the retailers who listen to it.In this milestone episode, I'll walk you through the four essential episodes from the back catalogue that I believe every independent retailer needs to hear.Whether you're brand new to the show or a long-time listener, these are the ones that cut to the heart of what it really takes to build a resilient retail business.So what are the three big themes?Stock. Profit. And mindset.Visit the episode's show notes for links to all the episodes mentioned at https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast-episode/retail-stock-management-profit-and-mindset/And ensure you go to this link for your free download: resilientretailclub.com/300.

This episode is sponsored by Intuit Mailchimp. Do your retail team ask you the same questions over and over? Has "what are we focusing on this week?" become the soundtrack to your inbox?Hi, I'm Catherine Erdly and in Episode 299 of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I'm explaining why so many independent retailers and product business owners accidentally become a bottleneck inside their own business — and walk you through exactly how to fix it.You'll learn why the classic wheel-and-spoke information flow creates constant delays, inconsistency and interruptions; why growing your team makes it worse rather than better; and how to build a single source of truth that finally gets your team self-serving the answers they need.I'll also share a £100,000 lesson from my Coast days on what poor information flow really costs a business, the categories to include in your single source of truth (weekly focus, key dates, stock and order trackers, priorities, SOPs), and the crucial step most business owners skip — how to actually make your team use it.If you've built a business that can't run without you in the room, this is the episode to start unpicking it.Chapters00:00 Why Everyone Asks You01:18 The Bottleneck Wheel02:52 Build One Source of Truth04:20 What £100,000 of Poor Information Flow Really Costs05:50 What to Put in Your Single Source of Truth08:27 Why It Won't Stick (And How to Fix It)10:22 Holding the Line With Your Team13:05 Where to Start (Small and Specific)14:20 Wrap-UpRelated linksResilient Retail Club: https://resilientretailclub.comRetail Roar 2026 summit: https://retailroar.co.ukListen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcastsPrefer to watch? Full episode playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFwdhK_WMJvXntxKLZj83Inz1fFNAN2PAbout the podcastThe Resilient Retail Game Plan is a podcast for independent retailers and product business owners who want to build more profitable, sustainable businesses. Hosted by Catherine Erdly — retail expert, coach and founder of The Resilient Retail Club.If this episode helped, hit like, subscribe and share it with another retailer who needs to hear it.Mentioned in this episode:Mailchimpresilientretailclub.com/mailchimp

If you're sending the same email to everyone on your list and wondering why it's not driving the sales you expected, this episode is for you.I'm Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.In this episode I'm sitting down with Ali Wood from Intuit Mailchimp to get practical about how independent retailers and e-commerce brands can get dramatically more from their email and SMS marketing — using data they already have.We talk about why fragmented data is costing retailers real money, how segmentation can transform your customer relationships, and why the retailers who win over the next few years won't be the ones with the biggest budgets — they'll be the ones who are smartest with their data.In this episode you'll hear about:Why sending the same message to your whole list is leaving money on the tableHow to use customer lifetime value and buying propensity to automate smarter campaignsThe power of combining email and SMS — including a 22x ROI stat from SMS alone, and 41x when Shopify data is in the mixCreative ways to collect richer customer data through quizzes, pop-ups and behavioural signalsWhat clean data + AI + human creativity actually looks like for a lean retail teamWhether you're just starting to think about segmentation or already running email campaigns and want to level up, this conversation will leave you with a genuinely different way of thinking about your marketing.CHAPTERS00:00:40 The Gold Mine Independent Retailers Are Sitting On00:02:10 Meet Ali Wood from Intuit Mailchimp00:04:40 How Intuit Mailchimp Evolved from Email Tool to Full Automation Platform00:08:22 The Segmentation Shift: Stop Sending the Same Email to Everyone00:11:29 Creative Ways to Collect Better Customer Data00:14:45 Using SMS to Drive Email Open Rates00:15:11 How We're Working With Intuit Mailchimp00:16:33 Measuring What's Actually Working Across All Your Channels00:18:30 Think Strategy, Not Just Open Rates00:21:17 SMS Best Practices: What's Working for E-Commerce Brands00:23:24 The Trust Factor: Why Phone Numbers Are Different from Email Addresses00:23:44 The Numbers: 22x ROI on SMS, 41x with Shopify00:25:58 AI + Human Creativity: The Future of Small Business Marketing00:27:45 Clean Data, Automation & Analytics: The Loop That Wins00:29:07 Catherine's Key Takeaways & Call to ActionMentioned in this episode: resilientretailclub.com/mailchimpNote: This episode was produced in partnership with Intuit Mailchimp. All views expressed are Catherine's own.

Your shop window isn't just a display — it's a salesperson working for you around the clock.I'm Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality.In this episode, I'm joined by Sarah Manning, visual merchandising consultant and course leader, for a practical masterclass on how to make your window impossible to walk past.Sarah shares her four guiding principles — including her signature framework, The Power of the Pyramid — and explains exactly what should (and shouldn't) go in your window. You'll learn why putting your bestsellers on show is usually the wrong move, how to refresh your display every four weeks without a full rebuild, and practical solutions for shallow, narrow, or open-backed windows.We also explore how post-2020 customer expectations have shifted the balance between product display and brand storytelling, and discuss the concept of 'external theatre' — the tools even small independents can use to draw customers in before they reach the window at all.Whether you sell from a shop, at markets, or at events, this episode is packed with actionable insight you can put to work immediately.What You'll Learn:The Power of the Pyramid framework and how to apply it to any displayWhy new, seasonal, and promotional products belong in the window — not your top sellersHow to change your window every four weeks without starting from scratchCreative solutions for awkward, shallow, or open-backed windowsHow the hotspot inside your store connects to your window displayWhere to find visual merchandising inspiration on a limited budget📌 CHAPTERS:00:37 About this episode — how the topic came from Spring Fair01:35 The Power of the Pyramid — Sarah's four guiding principles02:30 Brand story vs. product push: what's changed since 202004:36 What should actually go in your window?05:53 How often should you change your window display?07:27 The permanent skeleton approach08:33 Working with difficult or shallow windows10:18 Open windows vs. backed windows11:55 External theatre: beyond the glass14:57 The hotspot — your 'third window' inside the store16:45 Where to find visual merchandising inspiration20:00 Outro and where to find Sarah ManningConnect with me 🔗:→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineerdly/→ Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resilientretailclub/🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR FAVOURITE PODCAST APP:→ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/resilient-retail-game-plan/id1558090069→ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2EIPFznxQFQHIXmC3QoBFQResources Mentioned:Sarah Manning: visualmerchandisingcourses.co.uk | @visualmerchandisingcoursesThe Shop Drop Blog by Tim Nash — free newsletter every ThursdayMentioned in this episode:Mailchimpresilientretailclub.com/mailchimp

Have you ever looked at the news and wondered whether it's even appropriate to be selling your products right now?If you're an independent retailer or product business owner and the state of the world is making you hesitate about showing up and selling, this episode is for you.I'm Catherine Erdly, and this is Resilient Retail Game Plan — practical product business advice with a healthy dose of reality. This week, one of the most common questions I get from product business owners: should I keep selling when the world feels uncertain?In this episode:→ Why big brands never pause their marketing — and what that means for you→ Why independent retailers are a genuine force for good→ The lipstick effect and what consumer spending data actually shows right now→ A practical social media tip to help you show up more consistently📌 CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction & the question everyone's asking00:00:44 When selling feels wrong: the shared experience00:01:42 Why this feeling is so common in product businesses00:02:51 The mental noise of running your own business00:06:04 The self-fulfilling prophecy & the big brand reality check00:08:25 Why small businesses are a force for good00:09:55 Your duty to share what you do00:11:30 The lipstick effect: are people actually spending?00:12:18 A visit to Columbia Road Flower Market00:12:57 Products are how people show love00:13:31 None of this is trivial00:14:23 Practical tip: separate your social media accounts00:16:08 How Catherine implemented this herself00:17:25 A message for every independent retailer🔗 LINKS MENTIONED:→ Mean Mail: https://www.meanmail.co.uk→ Retail Roar 2026: https://retailroar.co.uk→ Resilient Retail Club: https://www.resilientretailclub.com🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR FAVOURITE PODCAST APP:→ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/resilient-retail-game-plan/id1558090069→ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2EIPFznxQFQHIXmC3QoBFQMentioned in this episode:Mailchimpresilientretailclub.com/mailchimp