Putting Customers First, with Special Guest Martin Newman

In our second episode recorded live at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona, our special guest is author and customer-centricity thought leader Martin Newman.

While being customer-centric is a stated priority of most brands, many have a hard time delivering on the promise. Martin helps us understand the challenges and the essential building blocks of putting customers first, while laying out how to find your brand's North Star and assemble a truly holistic approach.

First up, however, are our hot-takes on the week in retail news, including another trip to the Wobbly Unicorn Corner as "retail disruptors" like Allbirds and Wayfair continue to set alarms off with disappointing earnings results. Better news comes from Walmart with the naming of a new top merchant, while Amazon offers Prime customers an incentive to play fetch.

About Martin

Martin is one of the world’s leading authorities on customer centricity, and a force for positive change for consumers and brands.

As well as fighting for consumer rights Martin is an advocate for diversity, social responsibility and employee engagement for all consumer facing sectors. These issues top the agenda in his media appearances across national press and television.

He appears regularly on BBC TV and Radio, on Sky, ITV, Channel 5 and a host of other media channels such as LBC, The Times and FT to discuss consumer issues relating to the retail, travel, casual dining, automotive and financial services sectors.

Martin has worked for 40 years leading the multichannel operations for some of the world’s most recognisable retail brands. These include Burberry, Intersport, Pentland Brands (Speedo, Berghaus), Harrods and Ted Baker. His bestselling book 100 Practical Ways to Improve Customer Experience, is seen as definitive within the sector and was shortlisted for the Business Book of the Year Award 2019.

Following his career in the consumer sector, Martin founded global ecommerce and digital consultancy Practicology, which was sold in 2018 after having scaled up to a global staff of 100 in offices across the UK, EU, Middle East and Asia. Martin has since set up The Customer First Group and new consumer facing website Customer Service Action.

Martin delivers keynote presentations and chairs many leading industry events around the World. He has shared stages with innovators and entrepreneurs alike, including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, to discuss the future of the internet and its implications for retailers.

Amongst Martin’s many accolades, he has featured in various industry leader lists including Retail Week’s top 50 eTail Power List five years in a row. He has also been named consecutively in the Retail Insiders top 100 Retail Movers & Shakers list, as well as the British Vogue Online Fashion 100.

Martin judges numerous industry awards such as the World Retail Awards, the Customer Experience Awards, the Retail Insider Awards, the PayPal eTail Awards, the Online Retail Awards of Australia and the Great British Entrepreneur awards.

Martin’s counsel also encompasses roles as Non-Executive Chairman of Scout Store, and Board Advisor working with the Boards of consumer-facing businesses on their key strategic questions and challenges. He is also a board advisor to Clearpay, the Mayborn Group and is a Trustee of In Kind Direct and a member of the prestigious KPMG IPSOS Retail Think Tank.

About Us

Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his website. The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel here.

Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.