Welcome to a special APAC edition of Five Things Friday from The Retail Podcast. This week, host Alex is on the cusp of two retail mega-events: Shoptalk Europe and NRF APAC in Singapore. With Laura under the weather, we’re joined by special guest Reef Quail, Managing Director at NRF APAC, for a candid, front-line take on the pulse of Asian retail. In this episode:

• How Asia-Pacific is rewriting retail’s playbook—diversity, partnerships, and global scale
• Why the retailer-to-vendor ratio makes or breaks a great event
• What Western brands get wrong (and right) when expanding in Asia
• The rise of homegrown brands like Anko, and the secret to successful cross-border expansion
• Big tech, AI, and the looming disruption in retail jobs

Alex shares milestone listener numbers, thanks the global retail community, and raises the alarm for leaders who think digital disruption is “someone else’s problem.” This is your behind-the-scenes pass to the real stories, challenges, and opportunities in global retail right now. Don’t forget to rate, follow, and share the show! Connect: The Retail Podcast on LinkedIn The Retail Podcast website Contact: Email Alex at [your email here]—he reads every message. Timestamps: 0:00 – Welcome & Retail Event Preview 1:30 – Milestones & Listener Shoutouts 3:45 – AI in Retail: Opportunity or Threat? 8:15 – Reef Quail on the Ground in Singapore 10:00 – The Secret to a Great Retail Event: Ratios 13:30 – The Diversity Challenge in APAC 16:00 – Anko: An Aussie Brand Goes Global 18:30 – Lessons from Japan: Long-Term Partnership Success 20:00 – Closing Thoughts & Next Week’s Preview