The Better Retailing Podcast

It’s Series 2, Episode 2. And it’s an emotional one.This week the team - Atul Sodha, Natalie Lightfoot and Aman Uppal – are joined by Amrit Singh, Walsall retailer, wholesale entrepreneur, forward-thinker and brilliant human.We hear from Amrit about his journey from a speculative call about babyfood sales to becoming an award-winning convenience store retailer, and the trials and tribulations of trying to take his business empire even further.It’s a real must-listen episode, and if there’s a thread throughout it’s about the importance of networks – as retailers, sharing the good AND the bad with each other to help make the channel and the stores within it, better. As Amrit says: no-one understands a shopkeeper better than a shopkeeper - so use those who know the issues, pleasure and pain as well as you.Dig in for all of this, as well as a dive into the problem with the marketing of "It Ends With Us" and why a trip to the wholesaler to pick up some Flora will seemingly haunt Amrit for the rest of his days.Hopefully the stories in this episode resonate with retailers out there – please do share your own stories and feedback with us via any of the methods below.---------------------------------------------------------------------To hear more about Retailers4Retailers, please visit: retailers4retailers.co.ukYou can connect with Amrit on his brand-new LinkedIn page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritsinghpahal/---------------------------------------------------------------------To get in touch with us, ask a question of our retailer panel, or get involved with any of the conversations, please email betterretailing@newtrade.co.uk, or send us a message via Newtrade Media on LinkedIn.

Happy New Year! In the first episode of 2025, the team - Atul Sodha, Natalie Lightfoot and Aman Uppal – talk to us about Christmas, Easter, community, hampers, jacket potatoes and, of course, stacks.With Christmas sales down year-on-year, we hear how retailers are moving into new areas - air fryers, fragrances and wax melts, to name but three - and how the build-up to Easter is now the really exciting retail event.It isn't just looking back though, as the team also look forward and give us their Retail Resolutions for the new year. What should you be focusing on over the next 12 months, and should it be resolution - or revolution!Hopefully the stories in this episode resonate with retailers out there – please do share your own stories and feedback with us via any of the methods below.---------------------------------------------------------------------To get in touch with us, ask a question of our retailer panel, or get involved with any of the conversations, please email betterretailing@newtrade.co.uk, or send us a message via Newtrade Media on LinkedIn.

The latest issue of the Better Retailing Podcast is a real “get to know you” episode. Our retailer panel - Atul Sodha, Natalie Lightfoot and Aman Uppal – talk to us about the good, the bad, and all the bits in between, that they have experienced in store.It is a real podcast of two halves – in the first, we learn who metaphorically nearly killed a customer, who Arnold, Axe and Ann are, who has customers that look like horses, and who definitely didn’t attempt to assassinate Donald Trump.In the second, we hear stories of how community-based stores really can be there to help the most vulnerable people in their local areas. Atul, Aman and Natalie tell us about spotting the signs of dementia, helping regular customers who are substance-dependent, and implementing banning orders.Hopefully the stories in this episode resonate with retailers out there – please do share your own stories and feedback with us via any of the methods below. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To get in touch with us, ask a question of our retailer panel, or get involved with any of the conversations, please email betterretailing@newtrade.co.uk, or send us a message via @betterretailing on X or Newtrade Media on LinkedIn.

The second episode of the Better Retailing Podcast sees our retailer panel - Atul Sodha, Natalie Lightfoot and Aman Uppal - talk with Chris Noice, Communications Director of the Association of Convenience Stores, about the recent General Election results and what they might mean for independent convenience retailers.What can retailers expect from a new "business focused" Labour government, and what should they do to make their voices heard by those in power? What are the key issues that the new government should focus on delivering - how can they tackle topics like crime and the increasing cost of doing business?Elsewhere, you'll hear from our first ever Gobby Podder, celebrate Natalie's recent award wins and hear about how Ats is doing a great job in "empowering" his staff to look after his store while he takes care of some very important networking.---------------------------------------------------------------------To get in touch with us, ask a question of our retailer panel, or get involved with any of the conversations, please email stefan.appleby@newtrade.co.uk, or send us a message via @betterretailing on X or Newtrade Media on LinkedIn.

The first episode of the Better Retailing Podcast sees our retailer panel – Atul Sodha, Natalie Lightfoot and Aman Uppal – talk with Andrew Pheasant of Hell Energy and tackle this week’s biggest issues.How can retailers make the most of the Euros – and use space or promotion to drive sales around big events in-store and online?As we enter Award Season, we talk about whether entering awards is worth it for retailers, what value award-winners get, and whether suppliers add bias into judging proceedings.All of this, via the importance of “stacks” and the pain of “small shop syndrome”.---------------------------------------------------------- To get in touch with us, ask a question of our retailer panel, or get involved with any of the conversations, please email Stefan.appleby@newtrade.co.uk, or send us a message via @betterretailing on X or Newtrade Media on LinkedIn.