Unpacking the Digital Shelf

How Cooki Haircare Turned Community Demand into National Distribution, with Jaimee Vilela, Managing Director, Cooki Haircare 30.06.2026 36λ

Many brands spend years trying to earn their place on retail shelves. They pitch buyers, fight for space and hope their products will sell once they finally get there. But what if you flipped that model? What if you built so much demand online that retailers actually came looking for you? That’s exactly what today’s guest has done. Jaimee Vilela is the Managing Director of Cooki Haircare, a fast-growing Australian haircare brand she acquired just a few years ago. At the time, the business was doing just four sales a day. Since then, Jaimee and her team have transformed Cooki into a multi-million-dollar brand powered by a passionate community of customers and a strong digital-first strategy. That demand has translated into retail momentum, with Cooki now ranged across the Go Vita network across Australia. In this episode, Jaimee shares the unconventional path from small eCommerce acquisition to national retail presence, and what it takes to build a brand that customers and retailers both want.

Consumers Don’t Want to Be Your Friend, and Other Truth Bombs, with Sarah Levinger, Behavior Strategist 29.06.2026 36λ

So it turns out when you survey brand marketers, and then their consumers, you all are not on the same page. But if you get on the same page, if you get past logic and really mine the emotional layer of your consumers, you will strike gold. Sarah Levinson is a behavioral strategist for D2C, B2B, for brands small and large, and she has honed survey strategies and deep data analysis to deeply understand what consumers want, and really don’t want, from your brand. That can turn your total addressable market into your immediate addressable market, and help you build the consumer relationship that meets them where they are at.

Make People the Center of AI Transformation, with Jason O’Toole, Head of Connected Commerce & Media at Gildan 22.06.2026 27λ

The apparel industry is super competitive, complex, and constantly in flux. No more than in how dramatically AI is transforming the industry and the way people work. Jason O’Toole, Head of Connected Commerce & Media at Gildan, has a saying that has served him throughout his experiences at brands like Spanx, Zegna, and his current role: when the game changes, you had better change with the game, and as soon as possible. He focused this sense of urgency and opportunity on what it means to the humans at the center of Gildan’s mission - the shopper. His team supercharges their digital experiences by empowering them to use AI to drive impactful outcomes. Jason explained it all to us.

You are the Agent of Your Own Future, with David Goodtree, CEO and Founder at Foodgraph 15.06.2026 35λ

The leadership guru James C. Maxwell said “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” Feels apt to this moment, doesn’t it? People are anxious about the impact AI will have on their lives and careers. The pace and intensity of the change around us is likely to continue, so it is incumbent upon each individual to find their way through - to be their own change agent. David Goodtree, CEO and Founder at Foodgraph, joins the podcast to talk through some of the best approaches to assess the opportunity and imagine your growth path.

Building the Right Mindset and Motivations for Successful AI in Ecommerce, with Joanna Lambadjieva, Founder and CEO of Amazing Wave 08.06.2026 39λ

As always with the three-legged stool of people, process, and technology, it’s the tech that gets all the buzz while it’s getting the other two legs right that really determine success or failure. Jo Lambadjieva, Founder and CEO of Amazing Wave and author of the AI in Ecommerce newsletter, invests all of her energy in helping ecommerce brands focus on enabling people to transform their processes using the right AI tooling for the job. She shares her advice 4 times a week with 70,000 newsletter readers and now, with all of you.

Inside Digital & eCommerce 2026: What Retailers & Brands Need to Know, with Teresa Sperti, Arktic Fox & Gill Smythe, Salsify 02.06.2026 37λ

In this episode, we unpack the key findings from the newly released Inside Digital & eCommerce 2026 report from Arktic Fox & Six Degrees Executive. The report is a deep dive into how Australian retailers and brand manufacturers are navigating the next era of digital commerce, drawing on insights from more than 100 senior leaders across retail, eCommerce, marketing, digital and retail media. The conversation explores how AI and agentic commerce are reshaping the digital shelf, why loyalty is becoming a bigger strategic priority, and how marketplaces, quick commerce and retail media are intensifying execution complexity for brands. We also examine the growing importance of product content and data foundations in an AI-driven discovery environment, the widening gap between ambition and capability, and where retailers and brands remain misaligned in the race to deliver better connected commerce experiences. From AI readiness and retail media investment to omnichannel execution and product data collaboration, this episode is essential listening for leaders shaping the future of retail and eCommerce in Australia. Download the full report here: https://www.arkticfox.io/inside-digital-ecommerce-2026

Driving Growth through Omnichannel Presence and Product Innovation, with Aaron Zagha, CMO at Newton Baby 01.06.2026 24λ

When last we met on the podcast in 2022, Aaron Zagha, CMO at Newton Baby, was selling some amazing baby mattresses through DTC. 4 years later, and a lot has changed - they’ve gone full omnichannel, expanded their product portfolio, and built a community of parents that are sticking with them, and their email list, for years. Managing all that change takes a ton of rigor, controlling the bottom line while fueling topline growth. Aaron walks us through this journey on today’s podcast.

Wielding the Levers of Growth at a Challenger Brand, with Matt Kreuger, SVP Digital Commerce and Marketplaces, Buffalo Games 25.05.2026 39λ

By the time he landed at his current Private Equity-led company, Matt Kreuger had 15 years under his belt building out ecommerce from scratch, growing global operations, and learning what it takes to drive growth across all different routes to the consumer. But as he says, “what was”doesn’t mean “what is”. Everything is always changing, and Matt, from his seat as SVP Digital Commerce and Marketplaces at Buffalo Games, is engineering growth with a lean and agile team and processes that are continually refined for today’s opportunities, and preparing for tomorrow’s. In addition to all the tech and the processes though, he finds more often than not that his secret weapon is empathy.

Parents and Carers: Driving Challenger Brand Growth Through Connection and Content, with Emily Jones, Ecommerce Channel Controller at HiPP Organic 18.05.2026 27λ

Being a challenger brand in the highly competitive baby formula category is not for the faint of heart. To the contrary, at HiPP Organic it takes a lot of heart, built from the family founders who needed a formula that their own child could tolerate. They now own 7% of the formula milk category in the UK and growing. Emily Jones, Ecommerce Channel Controller at HiPP Organic, joined the podcast to walk us through the omnichannel journey that is intensely focused on the needs of the parents and carers that they strive to connect with, wherever and however they want.

The 5 Key Principles of Best Practice in Retail Media with Bethanie Blanchard, Head of Strategy & Planning, Coles 360 13.05.2026 35λ

Retail media is attracting more investment than ever. Budgets are increasing. Networks are expanding. Expectations are rising. But one big question still sits underneath all of it: what actually drives performance? Because for many brands in the APAC region, retail media still feels like a black box. There are metrics. There are case studies. But there isn’t always clarity on what actually drives growth and which levers brands need to pull to shift performance. To answer that question, Coles 360 partnered with Circana to test a series of hypotheses around what truly drives retail media performance. Through the research, they identified eight potential growth drivers. Five were proven through the data and are now shaping how Coles works with suppliers across planning, scorecarding and growth. That’s exactly what today’s episode is about. Download the full Retail Media Best Practices Playbook: https://www.circana.com/perspectives/retail-media-best-practices-playbook-breaking-the-myths-and-building-the-future

Taking the DSI Community to the Next Level, with Jamie Clapper, Community & Content Manager at the Digital Shelf Institute 11.05.2026 38λ

After one of the first gatherings of some ecommerce leads that I helped put together around 10 years ago, I will never forget what one of the attendees said to me - “thanks to this, I found my people.” From that sentence, the seeds of the Digital Shelf Institute were born. The desire to unite a community to figure all this stuff out together. Now the DSI is most fortunate to have another leader from ecommerce join our ranks to put her expertise, passion, and energy to work on growing and inspiring the DSI Community. Our guest today is Jamie Clapper, who brings almost two decades experience in omnichannel commerce to the DSI as our new Community & Content Manager. She has some things to say.

Closing the Actionability Gap with AI, with Sunny Jiang, CEO and President at EyeBuyDirect Inc. and Sonal Gandhi, Chief Content Officer at The Lead 04.05.2026 36λ

EyeBuyDirect sells millions of pairs of glasses every year on their website, which makes every instant a shopper spends on their site a moment of truth. Sunny Jiang, CEO and President at EyeBuyDirect Inc, saw the potential of AI to use data to bring the insights of those millions of consumers to actionable life for every corner of the site and for every employee at EBD. She joins the podcast along with Sonal Gandhi, Chief Content Officer at The Lead to outline the details of an AI strategy that is laser focused on taking AI action for measurable results.

Uncork Some Context to Drive Growth in BevAlc, with Bailie Duncan, Product Manager, Marketing Systems at Jackson Family Wines 27.04.2026 34λ

The beverage alcohol industry is a complex beast with an intense regulatory environment and shifting consumer preferences. The foundational fuel for driving sales is product content that is always accurate and increasingly adaptive to the consumer’s context - an occasion, a specific meal, their budget. With 700 - 1000 new SKUs a year, Bailie Duncan, Product Manager, Marketing Systems at Jackson Family Wines has rallied a small but mighty digital shelf team to make data a secret weapon that meets the consumer where they are, and steers them toward the right product at the right time.

Getting to the Nano Layers of Product Experience Transformation, with Paige Chilson, Director of Site Merchandising at Jordan’s 20.04.2026 38λ

As someone who grew up in New England, 100 year old Jordan’s Furniture was a brand that stood out among the rest. Eliot and Barry Tatlemen were the brothers at the head of the company who dominated my childhood TV with the funniest and most memorable ads, and their stores became destinations. In the present, the company now known as Jordan’s is continuing to evolve to create the next generation of brand, product, and omnichannel shopping experience to drive even more loyalty and growth. One of the main forces of this change management is Paige Chilson, their Director of Site Merchandising, and she laid out the playbook and the humanity that will drive Jordan’s forward.

The Shopper is REALLY in Control Now, with Caroline Giegerich, VP, AI and Marketing and Collin Colburn, VP, Commerce and Retail Media at IAB 13.04.2026 38λ

There are lots of consumer polling out there about why and how shoppers are using AI in the buying journeys, but you can’t trust what people say, you have to know what they do. Bring in the IAB. They, along with TalkShoppe, put together research that took direct signals from hundreds of shopping journeys to understand what is really happening out there between shoppers and their agents. And what is not. Caroline Giegerich, VP, AI and Marketing and Collin Colburn, VP, Commerce and Retail Media at IAB, came armed with the facts to help you shape your AI and agentic strategies.

Relevance and Inspiration: The Twin Forces to Drive Incrementality in Retail, with Florian Clemens, Director, Strategy, Proposition, and Measurement at Tesco Media 06.04.2026 39λ

With a career spanning brand management at P&G and Danone, to 9 years at Amazon building out retail media globally, and now leading retail media at Tesco, Florian Clemens is a human representation of all sides of omnichannel marketing and consumer experience. He brings this deep perspective and insightful data to a rollicking conversation about how brands and retailers have ever better opportunities to drive incrementality. It’s as simple, and as hard, as putting each shopper in control and being their support system for what they are trying to get done.

Owning the Experience Without Owning the Transaction, with Vera Skocic, Head of Customer and Strategy (Consumer & Commercial) at Techtronic Industries (Ryobi) 31.03.2026 48λ

What happens when your brand doesn’t own the transaction, but still needs to influence the path to purchase and build a direct customer relationship? Ryobi is sold exclusively through Bunnings, which means the retailer owns the checkout. Vera Skocic, Head of Customer and Strategy (Consumer & Commercial) at Techtronic Industries, shares how Ryobi has built the right to play across the full customer lifecycle, from pre-purchase consideration to post-purchase onboarding and maintenance. We unpack how extended warranty became a powerful value exchange to grow first-party data, how lifecycle journeys and maintenance nudges extend the experience beyond the PDP, and how intent signals like wishlists, product comparison tools and add-to-cart integration help qualify demand and drive higher-converting traffic into Bunnings. Vera also walks through the foundational stack underpinning this work and explains why she’s taking a cautious approach to CDPs in an increasingly composable, AI-shaped landscape. If you’re a brand operating in a retailer-led ecosystem and looking to use data to strengthen customer experience and drive commercial outcomes, this episode is packed with practical insights.

Running a Spin Cycle of Content for the Digital and Agentic Shelf, with Marilia Moreira, Digital Marketing Director at Whirlpool Corporation 30.03.2026 36λ

Some of the most inspiring stories in our industry are when a company who has been a leader in their category for more than 100 years can find the grit, determination, and change management energy to transform to meet today and tomorrow’s shopper however and wherever they want. Like, say, Whirlpool. Marilia Moreira, Whirlpool’s Digital Marketing Director, has spent 18 years at Whirlpool, and is now focused on bringing their digital and agentic product experiences to life for consumers on every touchpoint. She shared the people, processes, and metrics they have devised to continually elevate their ability to help their consumer choose Whirlpool.

Precisely Curating Consumer Intent, Engagement, and Loyalty through Storytelling, with Dave Stamp, Digital Transformation & Consumer Experience Director at CVH Spirits 23.03.2026 35λ

Once a person takes a tour of Bunnahabhain, one of CVH Spirit’s renowned distilleries in Scotland, established in 1881, it is likely that their average order value will double. The experience is the key. The trick is then to turn that experience into a long-term relationship with the brand across every touchpoint. That challenge lies in the creative and capable hands of Dave Stamp, Digital Transformation & Consumer Experience Director at CVH Spirits. Dave joined the podcast to share the omnichannel customer experience journey they are investing in to create deep relationships through distinctive storytelling and rich data.

Calm the F&^% down, and Other Thoughts on Agentic Commerce, with Russ Dieringer, Founder and CEO of Stratably 16.03.2026 41λ

We really are trying desperately hard to be the no-hype machine on all this AI and Agentic stuff. We have an incredible partner in that effort, who brings outstanding research and analysis to the fight. Yes, listener, Russ Dieringer, Founder and CEO of Stratably, is back on the podcast following earnings season, CAGNY meetings, and his own research on behalf of his clients to present the reality of the agentic opportunity vs. the hype. It’s a great “deep breath” moment for all of us working amidst the hucksters and the shiny object crowd.