Retail Reckoning - Retail Stories from Retail Frontlines
Clare Bailey (Retail Champion)
Recent Episodes
Black Friday and Cyber Monday might be over, but the real story is only just emerging.
Hi, I'm Clare Bailey, founder of Retail Champion.
In this episode, I'm reflecting back on Black Friday 2025 and Cyber Monday.
This year we saw shoppers spend £3.8B online, yet trust took a hit, margins suffered, and some of the UK’s most established retailers ended up in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
I dig into what Black Friday 2025 actually revealed about today’s shopper — from scepticism around fake discounts to the growing pressure on frontline staff and the operational cracks that show up every year.
If you want clarity on what really happened, how it affects the rest of peak season, and what retailers should change right now, this is the episode for you.
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Mentioned in this episode:
Retail Reckoning Podcast Insights Newsletter
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This year’s Christmas ads are… something else.
Hi, I'm Clare Bailey, founder of Retail Champion.
In this episode I'm sharing what I feel are my winners and losers of this year's Christmas TV ads offerings.
Aldi’s running a full carrot-wedding cinematic universe. Waitrose is flirting with nostalgia. Sainsbury’s has the BFG saving Christmas and partnering with Comic Relief. And John Lewis… well, I’m still trying to work out what actually happened there.
I'll walk you through the standout festive campaigns of 2025 — the clever ones, the chaotic ones, and the ones that accidentally make you question how a five-year-old can afford Pandora jewellery.
We talk emotion, nostalgia, characters, purpose, retail logic (or lack of it), and which ads genuinely nudge shoppers to take action.
Expect honesty. Expect a few eye rolls. And expect to walk away seeing Christmas advertising a little differently.
Thanks for listening, and remember — if you see a carrot on a plate before Boxing Day, it’s probably Aldi’s fault.
Subscribe to the Retail Reckoning Newsletter - https://retailreckoningpodcast.co.uk/newsletter
Mentioned in this episode:
Retail Reckoning Podcast Insights Newsletter
Get Retail Reckoning Podcast Insights and Goodies - https://retailreckoningpodcast.co.uk/newsletter
This fiery bonus episode pulls no punches, cutting through the Autumn Statement spin with outrage and insight.
Hi, I'm Clare Bailey, founder of Retail Champion.
In this one, we head from the unprecedented OBR leak and Kemi Badenoch’s scathing budget roast to a “minimum wage” hike that isn’t what it seems and a bizarre new “milkshake tax” – we’re calling out the nonsense head-on.
We expose how rising business costs are gutting our high streets and question if energy “support” comes with rationing vibes. We even flag the safety risks of the new self-check-in era, and ask who really wins when small shops get a boost at big retailers’ expense.
Customers are getting wise to the Boxing Day Blues. Gifts that drop to half price two days after Christmas, last-minute discount emails, and retailers training shoppers to hold back are fuelling frustration and eroding trust.
Hi, I'm Clare Bailey, founder of Retail Champion.
In this episode, I explain how post-Christmas behaviour has shifted, why bargain hunting is now a year-round reflex, and what retailers can actually do about it.
I look at the rise of cash, gift cards and experiences, the emotional shift from “stuff” to “memories,” and what the data is showing us about who’s buying what. I also explore the truth about unredeemed gift cards, and why pairing products with small experiences can boost value perception.
Then we take a look at Boxing Day trading culture itself. Should staff work? Should shops stay open? And what really happens when teams feel unsupported at the busiest time of year?
Finally, I lay out the simplest solution of all: honesty. And how you can apply that to your business as a retail decision maker.
What are you waiting for? Click play to hear all the insights.
Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction: The Boxing Day Blues
00:20 — The Gift Receipt Era
01:06 — Why Shoppers Feel Cheated
02:23 — Scarcity, FOMO and Late Buying
03:40 — The Game of Chicken
04:41 — Cash, Gift Cards and Digital Wallets
05:34 — The Gift Card Secret
06:00 — The Experience Boom
07:11 — Pairing Products With Experiences
08:13 — Boxing Day Betrayal
08:52 — The Price Promise Solution
09:49 — Should Retail Staff Work Boxing Day?
11:19 — Resentment on the Shop Floor
11:42 — Final Retail Reckoning
Mentioned in this episode:
Retail Reckoning Podcast Insights Newsletter
Get Retail Reckoning Podcast Insights and Goodies - https://retailreckoningpodcast.co.uk/newsletter
