The Retail Leadership Lens

In today’s retail landscape, where disruption feels like the new normal, there’s immense pressure to fill a leadership gap immediately. But a hasty permanent hire often adds more instability to an already turbulent situation. With recent data showing that the average time to hire for a permanent role in the UK is over a month and often much longer for senior positions, that’s a long time to leave a critical function exposed. This is where the strategic use of an interim leade

Your company’s AI strategy will likely fail. So what separates that successful minority from everyone else? It often comes down to a new type of leader: the "Head of AI." From my conversations with boards, it’s clear this leader’s success depends less on their technical skills and more on their ability to operate as a true business leader. This is especially true as powerful new tools like Agentic AI, which can automate entire workflows, raise the stakes even higher.

The most powerful person in the room is rarely the one speaking the most. We call this quality ‘gravitas’. It’s a word that can feel a bit old-fashioned, but it’s the defining factor in moments that truly matter: navigating a difficult turnaround, steering a major transformation, or holding the line in a tense board negotiation. In a world saturated with noise, gravitas is what gives your voice weight. So, how do we cultivate it?

Feeling like your retail leadership job search is stuck on repeat? You’re not alone. It’s a strange time. You send out applications that feel perfect, you have conversations that seem promising, and then… silence. Or worse, you get feedback that feels so generic it could apply to anyone. The market is crowded, decision-making seems to have slowed to a crawl, and the goalposts for what employers want appear to be shifting daily.

As we hit the halfway mark of 2025, the UK hiring landscape looks noticeably more cautious than it did this time last year.

Imagine that “someone” is an AI system helping you choose your next regional lead, predict sales volumes, or decide whether to close a struggling store. You’d want more than just the answer. You’d want to know the logic behind it. The “why”. That’s exactly the problem a new research project from Anthropic is trying to solve. It’s called Project VEND, and although the name sounds like it belongs to a dystopian thriller, the idea is refreshingly practical: get AI to explain its

Losing a job is tough. There's no getting around it. It can shake your confidence, disrupt your routine, and leave you feeling lost and uncertain. But it's also an opportunity, a chance to reassess your goals, acquire new skills, and ultimately, find a role that's even more fulfilling. Let’s talk about how to bounce back and land on your feet.

Think about the last time you had a truly great shopping experience. What made it stand out? Chances are, it wasn't just one thing. It was the combination of factors, maybe a helpful salesperson in-store, a personalised email offer, and the ability to effortlessly return an item online. And that’s the aim here! I think it’s time to stop juggling and think about how to create a captivating show.

Something that often gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the retail world: the importance of networking. How do we make connections?

We're seeing brands and stores that are not only surviving, but thriving, by adapting and innovating. The key? Embracing technology.

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping retail, making operations smoother, customer experiences more personal, supply chains more efficient.