The Space Bar Podcast by Space 48
Space 48
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The Space Bar podcast from Space 48. We are a remote-first ecommerce agency who designs high performing, technologically superior ecommerce stores for global brands across retail.
We have teamed up with our ecommerce network of clients and tech partners to produce a focused podcast just for people working in our industry. Our aim is to share the latest news, tips and advice for growing your brand online and provide as much value as possible to the ecommerce community.
We hope you enjoy it and make sure you subscribe for the latest episodes and leave a review to let us know what you think.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Jun 14, 2022
#34: An Insight Into An Agency Acquisition With Brave The Skies
On this week's episode of the Space Bar Podcast, we have an exclusive first interview with the team that were involved in the acquisition of the Shopify Plus agency, Brave the Skies into the Space 48 family. We speak to Laura Black and Lucy Roberts, GM and MD of Brave the Skies to get some background on the agency and about their experience of the acquisition and what the future holds for the business. We're also joined by CEO and founder of Space 48, Jon Woodall and also Stephen Kenealy, strategy director at Space 48 to get their take on why the acquisition was important for both Space 48 and Brave the Skies.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Head Of Commerce Consultancy at Space 48
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May 31, 2022
#33: A Retro On A BigCommerce Re-platforming Project With Sarah Raven
In this week's episode we talk to one of our customers, Sarah Raven about their recent re-platform over to BigCommerce.
We discuss how the platform and partner selection process ran, why they ended up working with BigCommerce and some of the other supporting technologies they selected for their tech stack. We also hear about the design process as well as what they learned from the project and what their advice would be for other retailers who are looking to embark on a similar project.
We're joined by Ashley Pallett - Digital Marketing Manager at Sarah Raven, Jim Herbert - Vice President and GM for EMEA at Bigcommerce, Claudia Ditri - Head of Partnerships for Klevu EMEA and Holli Barrett - Head of CX Design at Space 48.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw - Head of Commerce Consultancy at Space 48
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May 17, 2022
#32: The challenges home and garden retailers face post-pandemic with J.Parkers
In this episode, we discuss the home and garden sector. The last two years have seen exponential change for online retailers due to the pandemic. With this new 'norm' comes challenges; we cover what this looks like going forward and discuss some potential solutions for brands. If you're a home and garden retailer looking for some tips on what you should include in your ecommerce strategy, this episode is for you.
Topics:
* J.Parkers: the shift from offline to online
* How the pandemic changed J.Parkers' business
* Turning marketing and sales off to protect the customer experience
* Changing the tech infrastructure to get to the next level of growth
* Challenges retailers have faced in fulfilling consumer demand
* The need for a digital roadmap
* The need for talent and increased costs
* Keeping a competitive edge and focusing on customer experience
* Investing in your customer data
* Retention is more important than ever
* Buy now, pay later payment options
* Investing in Product Management (PIM)
* Merchandising solutions
* Experimentation, engagement, and experience
* Whatever you do, has to benefit your customer
* Understanding the 'considered commerce' customer journey
Guests:
* Jonathan Bracewell, Head of Digital at J.Parkers
* Holli Barrett, Head of Customer Experience, Space 48
* Pete Robertshaw, Head of Commerce Consulting, Space 48
Hosted by:
Paul Casey, Head of Account Management
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May 4, 2022
#31: Martin Boddy: From co-founding Jaywing to transitioning to Non-Exec Chairman of Space 48
Martin Boddy is Space 48's Non-Executive Chairman and chairs several other businesses. Having founded the listed data, creative and performance marketing agency Jaywing plc, Martin has an impressive track record and experience when it comes to accelerating growth. He has extensive commercial acumen while also being a data-digital innovator.
This episode with Martin is a special one. Space 48's Managing Director, Jon Woodall, sits down with Martin to get an insight into his successful career. He talks about his journey from co-founding Jaywing in Sheffield with three people to becoming AIM-listed with offices internationally and over 300 people.
You can expect a look into Martin's entrepreneurial mind, golden nuggets of advice and a plethora of sports analogies for business. Thank you to Martin for sitting down and sharing his journey with us. We hope you find this episode as enjoyable as we did to record!
Topics:
* How Martin became a Middlesborough fan
* How his career began
* How he came to co-found Jaywing
* From start-up to 120 people in two countries
* Taking some time out
* Angel investing
* Batman and Robin are back together at Jaywing
* The pressure of a CEO of an AIM-listed business
* Transitioning to the world of Non-Exec Chairman
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Apr 20, 2022
#30: Succeeding in Global Ecommerce
In this episode, we're going to cover global ecommerce and the challenges you may face as a retailer when growing internationally and, through our experience, how we can help solve those challenges.
Cross border shopping has grown exponentially. With the lack of physical retail stores being open in the last two years, consumers have gone online and found new brands, and the likelihood is these brands are from overseas.
This online drive provides businesses more power to reach and sell to consumers globally.
This new era of global commerce requires brands who maybe haven't always dealt with international ecommerce to step up and create excellent customer experiences in their home market and overseas. How can brands replicate this model and hedge on technology to provide the experiences, scalability and data needed to keep pace with the rapid changes?
Our guests are:
Pete Robertshaw, Head of Commerce Consulting at Space 48
Ollie Lees, Head of Data and Insight at Space 48
Paul Casey, Head of Account Management at Space 48
Hosted by Molly Smith, Head of Marketing at Space 48.
For more information, download our global ecommerce guide at https://www.space48.com/downloads/global-ecommerce-guide/
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Apr 5, 2022
#29: What are you doing if you're a merchant and don't have Klarna?
What are you doing if you're a merchant and don't have Klarna? With the Klarna app having over 40 million downloads, what it can offer for brands and consumers is game-changing.
Beginning as a payments provider that has disrupted the retail banking industry, today, Klarna is a very diverse business in terms of its products. In this episode, we find out what has made Klarna the renowned brand for frictionless shopping for consumers and retailers. We cover the following topics:
* The history of Klarna
* The rebrand of Klarna
* Innovation, acquisitions and product releases
* Tackling financial wellness and consumer protection
Our guests are Rob Beattie, Commercial Manager for UK partnerships at Klarna, and Anisha, Mohammed, Head of UK Partnerships at Klarna.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw
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Mar 22, 2022
#28: Thriving remotely: How culture is key to success
This episode discusses our journey of going remote overnight and not looking back. Space 48 closed its offices in March 2020 and permanently embraced a remote work culture. As ecommerce boomed in the last two years, we've seen rapid growth as a business and with our people. Keeping a solid company culture is at the heart of this success. As we transition into the world opening up again, we reflect on what we've learned and how we'll adapt. This episode covers:
* Adapting and changing to a remote-first work culture
* How do you drive culture remote?
* Growing, developing and supporting a remote team
* Keeping the human connection while remote
Our guests are:
* Jon Woodall, Managing Director, Space 48
* Stephen Kenealy, Strategy Director, Space 48
* Jake Smith, Operations Director, Space 48
* Hannah Eames, Finance Director, Space 48
* Erica Mackay, Head of People and Culture, Space 48
Hosted by Molly Smith, Head of Marketing, Space 48
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Mar 6, 2022
#27: Inside The Very Group with Paul Hornby, Digital Customer Experience (DCX) Director
We sit down with The Very Group's Digital Customer Experience (DCX) Director, Paul Hornby. Get a look at the 2.3 billion pound company behind the scenes with this high-performing digital leader.
Paul combines the ecommerce growth journey and strategy at The Very Group with his lessons learned over the years and advice for fellow ecommerce professionals.
This conversation is not to be missed with lots of insightful knowledge around building outstanding customer journeys and being ahead of the curve. There are plenty of valuable lessons for you to take away.
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Jan 16, 2022
#26: The Battle Of SaaS - Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce
In this episode of the Space Bar Podcast we compare the two heavy hitters in the SaaS eCommerce Platform space where we put Shopify Plus head to head against BigCommerce. We look at how flexible and extendable each platform is, what their tech architecture looks like, how they perform out of the box, as well as a host of other topics including SEO, B2B and pricing.
Discussing the differences and similarities are 2 of the Space 48 team. We have Peter Hicks, a Technical Lead on the SaaS side of the business who knows everything there is to know about Shopify Plus, and also Sam Brown, a Systems Architect who has worked on numerous BigCommerce projects over the past few years.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Head of Commerce Consulting at Space 48.
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Dec 19, 2021
#25 - The state of eCommerce on the web
The Web Almanac report is an annual review of the state of eCommerce which was authored this year by our very own Tom Robertshaw. We discuss how eCommerce websites are built, their performance, and other technologies that are commonly used by eCommerce sites.
Topics we cover from the report:
* An introduction to Web Almanac and the methodology from the report
* Top eCommerce platforms and what are the changes in the market
* The impact of COVID-19 for the eCommerce industry
* Lighthouse scores for platforms and what can we learn from the data
* Site speed Performance & Core Web Vitals for eCommerce platforms
* A summary of the state of the web for eCommerce
You can read the Web Almanac report today, it is completely free and it has lots of interesting data, graphs and commentary to help you understand the state of e-commerce at the end of 2021.
Guests - Rockey Nebhwani - eCommerce Consultant and Tom Robertshaw - Innovation Director at Space 48.
Host - Paul Casey, Head of Account Management at Space 48.
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Nov 30, 2021
#24: Top 10 BigCommerce Apps
Do you have a BigCommerce store but you don't know which apps are the best...? Don't worry, we have got you covered.
We have used our experience as BigCommerce Agency Partner of the year to shortlist the best apps in the BC App Marketplace based on the following categories:
* CMS
* Shipping Experience & Back office Workflows
* Back in stock notifications
* ESP
* Subscriptions
* Search & Merchandising
* Back ups
* Reviews
* Analytics & Data
* Retention
3rd party tech is a huge party of the SaaS eCommerce model and it allows you to add functionality to your website quickly and easily without building a custom feature or integration. There are nearly 1,000 apps in the market place and it can sometimes be difficult to navigate so we have enlisted the help of Paul, Tom and Kieran to help you get some expert advice.
We hope you enjoy the podcast and please feel free to reach out to us for more information.
Presented By Paul Casey, Head of Account Management at Spac…
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Nov 15, 2021
#23: Secrets To Making The Most Of The B2B eCommerce Opportunity
The B2B customer is evolving, they’re no longer a user of fax machines or even a mobile device to make calls. They’re shoppers like you and I so how should B2B businesses be changing their approach to digital commerce to accommodate for this new generation of B2B customers. How does the commerce experience differ and where does it start to cross over into B2C? Should eCommerce technology companies be focussing their products in this ever evolving B2B market or should their products already cater for the B2B customer anyway?
To answer these questions, on this week's episode of the Space Bar Podcast, we're joined by the IT and Operations DIrector at the B2B Health & Beauty wholesaler Ellisons, Lee Farmer and the Sales Director for the UK & Ireland at Factfinder, Stuart Patterson.
Presented By Pete Robertshaw, Head of Commerce Consulting at Space 48
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Oct 10, 2021
#22: Don’t Get Caught Out! The Hidden Risks Of Failing To Prepare For BFCM
What is generally considered as the busiest week of the year for most retailers, the Black Friday / Cyber Monday period can see many retailers doing over 50% of their annual sales in just 7 days. With opportunity comes risk so what can retailers be putting in place to make sure their peak period doesn't end in disaster?
On this week's episode of the Space Bar Podcast we talk to two technology companies who sit behind the scenes in your tech stack, but two that are equally as important for maximising opportunity and reducing risk. We're joined by Daniel Sim - General Manager at Rewind, a SaaS backup solution, and Ti Osnat, a sales engineer at Signifyd who are fraud prevention company using AI and machine learning to help businesses reduce fraud and increase acceptance rates.
Make sure you listen ahead of your BFCM week and take on board their tips and advice for how to make sure you fully capitalise on one of the biggest weeks of the year.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commer…
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Sep 26, 2021
#21: How Headless Technology Can Deliver High Performing Commerce Experiences
In this week's episode we discuss a topic which has been the source of much debate within the digital commerce industry over the past couple of years and that is Headless. We breakdown what headless actually means at a non-technical level and why it's important for the future of digital commerce. We discuss why merchants should consider a headless approach, including the benefits it brings them and more importantly, their end customers.
To discuss this, we're joined by Franz Riedl, COO of the front end experience platform Styla, and Thom Armstrong - VP of Go to Market Solutions and Strategy at Fast, the one click checkout solution. We discuss with them how headless has enabled their businesses to move forward and how it's enabling them to deliver great commerce experiences to their customers.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant at Space 48.
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Aug 22, 2021
#20: What Physical Retail Must Learn From Digital Commerce
With the high street still recovering from a traumatic period where for many weeks and months, many retail stores were unable to open, we discuss what physical retail can and must learn from digital commerce. Now that many consumers have found a new and more convenient way to shop online, what must the high street do to lure consumers back into their stores? We discuss our personal frustrations from shopping back on the high street again and what technology could help join up that online / offline journey to give consumers a more seamless experience with the brands they love.
To discuss this topic, we're joined on the Space Bar this week by Laura Harnett, Founder of Seep, a direct to consumer challenger brand in the sustainable household essentials space. As well as founding Seep, Laura has worked in the retail industry for a number of years for businesses such as Selfridges and the Kingfisher Group. Joining Laura is Imran Choudhary, VP of Strategic Growth at Attraqt who work with som…
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Aug 15, 2021
#19: When Did Payments Become So Complicated?
This week's episode of the Space Bar is addressing payments in digital and physical retail and asking the question, when did payments become so complicated? There's a wealth of different payment service providers (PSPs) in the market now, all offering a multitude of different options for consumers to choose from. But why have we seen this steady rise in the number of providers out there and how should merchants choose one supplier over another? What options should they offer their consumers at checkout - how many different payment options is too many?
To discuss this, we're joined by Moshe Winegarten who is the Senior Vice President of Commercial at Checkout.com and Rob Beattie, Partner Manager at Klarna.
Hosted by Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant at Space 48.
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Aug 2, 2021
Product Discovery with Attraqt
Globalisation is providing new opportunities for online retailers. As the world becomes more connected and selling across borders becomes more efficient and easier to handle, online brands and retailers are embracing the opportunity to expand their market presence and to make their offers available to a broader consumer base. However, the rise of internationalisation has also forced online retailers to adapt. They have had to extend their online presence to cater for a more diverse audience and to ensure that their offering, content, and experience match the precise needs of their consumers in each market that they now do business in. This episode aims to provide an overview of how to deliver the very best ‘Product Discovery’ experiences on a global basis. Product Discovery is the process of effortlessly guiding shoppers to find exactly what they’re looking for quicker. It sits at the core of a successful ecommerce visit, wherever you are in the world. We're joined by our partner…
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Jul 19, 2021
#18: A Team Sport - How 2 Sports Retailers Are Growing Their Online Businesses With Shopify Plus
On this week's episode we talk to 2 retailers in the sports vertical to get their take on how they have been using Shopify Plus to grown their online businesses. We discuss their journeys to selecting Shopify Plus as their eCommerce platform, what it's like to work with day to day, including their go to apps to help improve their customer experience. We also discuss what the future holds for their respective businesses and their partnership with Shopify.
We are joined by Ben Slaven, co-founder of online golf apparel retailer Function18 and Conor Forde, Head of eCommerce at Kinetica Sports, a sports nutrition brand who are part of the Boyne Valley Group.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant at Space 48.
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Jul 8, 2021
#17: A roundup of the major announcements from Shopify Unite - Your questions answered
On this episode of the Space Bar Podcast, we're discussing the much anticipated announcements from the recent Shopify Unite partner and developer conference. Every year Shopify hold an event to discuss what they've been working on for the past 12 months and very often announce some major bombshells! This year was no exception so we're joined by Peter Hicks, Tech Lead at Space 48 and Kieran Cole, a Front End Developer also at Space 48, to discuss the announcements and what they mean for merchants and developers.
This is an episode you don't want to miss!
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant at Space 48.
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Jul 4, 2021
Product Experience Management for International eCommerce with Akeneo - Go Global With Your eCommerce Mini Series
Welcome back to the Go Global With Your Ecommerce mini-series on the Space Bar Podcast in partnership with BigCommerce. In episode 4, we're focusing on product information and product experience management with our partner Akeneo, discussing the differences between PIM and PXM and how to avoid common mistakes in setting up your product data in international commerce. We're joined by James Barlow, Country Manager for the UK at Akeneo, our eCom Platform partner and co-host of the series, Jim Herbert, GM for EMEA at BigCommerce, Pete Robertshaw, DIgital Commerce Consultant at Space 48 and our host, Stephen Kenealy, Strategy Director at Space 48.
Thank you for listening to the Space Bar Podcast, please remember to subscribe, leave a review and share the podcast with your network. For more information about our Going Global Ecommerce series, please visit www.space48.com/internationalecommerce or find us on social media for the latest e-commerce content.
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Jun 13, 2021
Cross-border Shipping With ShipperHQ - Go Global With Your eCommerce Mini Series
Welcome back to the Go Global With Your Ecommerce mini-series on the Space Bar Podcast in partnership with BigCommerce. In episode 3, we're focusing on shipping and fulfilment in international ecommerce with our partner ShipperHQ and discussing how to deliver an Amazon style checkout experience to your international customers. We're joined by Quentin Montalto, COO, ShipperHQ, our eCom Platform partner and co-host of the series, Nicole Walker, Senior Partner Manager, BigCommerce, and our host, Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant, Space 48. The insightful conversation covers the following:
* What's driving international growth for retailers
* Important considerations for retailers when looking to start shipping internationally
* Success stories of businesses that are smashing international fulfilment
* Top tips for merchants to think about with their global delivery operations
Thank you for listening to the Space Bar Podcast, please remember to subscribe, leave a…
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Jun 1, 2021
#16: Is Hyvä the future of Magento?
In this episode we discuss the changing landscape of Magento following the Adobe Summit with official updates on the future and we also discuss the future from the Magento Community. We breakdown the announcements, how the platform will change under the stewardship of Adobe and what this means to merchants, developers and agencies.
We also discuss Hyvä Themes and how it is shaking up the world of front end development in the Magento community, although the technology is new we discuss the back story with it's inventor, the reasons why it's so good to work with and the future roadmap for re-imagining the Magento front end theme.
We have a special guest Willem Wigman who is a Magento developer and the Inventor at Hyvä Themes as well as Space 48's very own Technical Director Nick Jones and Magento Practice Lead Tomas Gerulaitis.
Thanks you for listening to the podcast, please make sure you subscribe and give us some feedback in the reviews.
Presented by Paul Casey, Digital Commerc…
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May 23, 2021
Local Payment Options and International Expansion with Adyen - Go Global With Your eCommerce Mini Series
Welcome back to the Go Global With Your Ecommerce mini-series on the Space Bar Podcast in partnership with BigCommerce. In episode 2, we're focusing on payment gateways in international ecommerce with our partner Adyen and discussing the need for local payment methods in each region, how these can affect conversion and some examples of retailers who are doing this really well. We're joined by Brian Mapley, Head of Mid-Market Sales, at Adyen, our eCom Platform partner and co-host of the series, Jim Herbert - General Manager, EMEA, at BigCommerce, and our host, Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant, Space 48. The insightful conversation covers the following:
* Local payment options
* Alternative payment options and conversion rates
* Success stories where businesses are nailing internationalisation
* Advice for retailers looking to expand internationally
Thank you for listening to the Space Bar Podcast, please remember to subscribe, leave a review and share the podcast…
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May 16, 2021
#15: BigCommerce Apps with Tom Robertshaw
In this episode we discuss the wonderful world of BigCommerce Apps with our Innovation Director Tom Robertshaw.
We discuss the BigCommerce platform and how the app ecosystem works within the Open-SaaS approach to e-commerce plus all the learning along the way. We compare and contrast the process of building apps and extensions on other platforms Vs BC as well as share more about our future plans.
Tom is documenting the whole journey which is available on the Space 48 blog and he posts regular updates on his LinkedIn and Twitter.
Episode content
* Why BigCommerce Apps?
* Mission: Being your second favourite app developer
* How we have approached the app development process
* Space 48 Hack day for BC apps
* Our Automated categories App is live on the BC app market
* Key learning and take aways
* Future roadmap for Space 48 Apps
Thanks you for listening to the podcast, please make sure you subscribe and give us some feedback in the reviews.
Presented by Paul Casey, D…
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May 9, 2021
Taxes and Customs in International Ecommerce with Avalara - Go Global With Your eCommerce Mini Series
Welcome to the Go Global With Your Ecommerce mini-series on the Space Bar Podcast in partnership with BigCommerce. In this episode, we are starting the series with taxes and customs in international ecommerce with our partner Avalara. We cover tax obligations, customs rules and regulations to consider when trading in new markets with:Mark Carpenter, Senior Manager, Strategic Alliances, at Avalara
Jim Herbert - General Manager, EMEA, at BigCommerce & co-host
Stephen Kenealy, Strategy Director, Space 48 & our hostThe insightful conversation covers the following:
* Businesses in lack of preparation for Brexit
* Common mistakes with the new regulations
* Success stories where businesses have pivoted their model
* Expanding into new markets post-Brexit
Thank you for listening to the Space Bar Podcast, please remember to subscribe, leave a review and share the podcast with your network. For more information about our Going Global Ecommerce series, please visit www.space48.com/in…
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May 4, 2021
#14: 5 Pillars for success in Considered Commerce journeys
In this episode, we discuss our Top 5 actionable tactics of how you can grow your e-commerce business if there is more of a considered customer journey involved.
For Vertices such as home furniture, white goods, electrical equipment or gadgets i.e. drones you need to adapt your approach and you will get advice on how you can improve from our team of consultants.
Top 5 Tips for Considered Commerce journeys:
* Customer - Running regular customer research
* Acquisition - Focus on each stage of the funnel
* Operations - Selecting the right carriers
* Conversion - Conversion tips for considered commerce
* Technical - Missing 3rd parties to tech stack
Merchants often find it difficult to create an amazing Commerce Experience at every level so we wanted to share some client challenges and solutions we have found over time.
Presented by Paul Casey and our two guests were Holli Barrett and Pete Robertshaw.
Subscribe, leave a review and share with your network.
All the Space…
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Mar 28, 2021
#13: Acquisition, Conversion & Retention Strategies For Home & Garden Retailers
In this episode we discuss the Home & Garden online retail vertical which in 2020 was estimated to have grown by over 20%. What makes Home & Garden different from other retail verticals and how do strategies for acquisition, conversion and retention of new customers differ from that of fashion or other verticals?
We are joined by Mike Murray, MD and Founder of bed and mattress retailer, Land of Beds, to get his take on the strategies they employ to keep their customers engaged and how retention for them is focussed more around referrals. We are also joined by Claudia Ditri, Senior Partner Manager at Klevu who are an AI driven product discoverability company, providing enhanced site search and merchandising to retailers. We get Claudia's on how important site search plays in helping customers at every stage of their buying journey. Finally we are also joined by Oliver Lees, Head of Data & Insight at Space 48 to get his thoughts on how Home & Garden differs from other verticals and how…
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Mar 24, 2021
#12: An interview with Brent Bellm, CEO of BigCommerce - Part 2
This episode is part 2 of our exclusive interview with Brent Bellm, the CEO of the eCommerce platform, BigCommerce.
In this part, our MD Jon Woodall gets more into Brent's role at BigCommerce, why BigCommerce is different to the other eCommerce platforms out there and what his vision is for the business.
We talk future expansion plans, the ecosystem that surrounds BigCommerce and how BigCommerce has pivoted during the Covid Pandemic.
Brent also gives some great advice on what it takes to become a successful business leader and more generally, a success in your career.
It really is an interesting insight into the future of BigCommerce and Brent's aspirations for the business and an episode not to be missed!
Presented by Jon Woodall, MD of Space 48
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Mar 21, 2021
#11: An interview with Brent Bellm, CEO of BigCommerce - Part 1
In this special 2 part episode, Space 48's Managing Director has a one on one intimate chat with the CEO of BigCommerce, Brent Bellm.
We get to find out about Brent's childhood and his family history, what he got up to at school, college and university and what set him up on his path to being the CEO of one of the biggest eCommerce platforms in the world.
We discuss who inspired Brent in his earlier years and what some of his earliest leadership roles were, which ultimately gave him the foundations to become the leader he is today.
There was so much to discuss, we decided to split the interview over 2 parts so make sure you subscribe and watch out for the second episode dropping. This is an interview you do not want to miss.
Presented By Jon Woodall, MD of Space 48.
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Mar 10, 2021
#10: How Communities Drive Innovation in eCommerce - An Interview With Ben Marks
In a special bonus episode of the Space Bar Podcast, we have an exclusive interview with former Magento Evangelist, Ben Marks on the day he officially announced he had joined German based eCommerce platform Shopware.
We get the inside scoop on his decision to join Shopware and what led to him moving on from Magento after nearly 7 years. We discuss his new role at Shopware and how he hopes to continue on his mission to promote Open Source eCommerce.
We also discuss the importance of eCommerce communities in driving innovation within the digital industry and what the future of eCommerce communities will look like in a SaaS era. Is there still a place for communities to thrive and if so, where do we see these working well?
If you're not sure if SaaS or open source is the way forward, we have an open discussion on where each technology fits in the market.
Also giving their take on these topics are Tom Robertshaw, Innovation Director at Space 48 and Jon Woodall, Managing Director at Spa…
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Mar 7, 2021
#9: The Push For A Gender Balance In Tech
On this special edition episode in honour of International Women’s Day, we’re discussing the subject of pushing for a gender balance in tech.
It’s no secret that there is a gender imbalance in the industry. We want to know what’s behind this gender imbalance and how can we encourage more women into the industry and the less represented roles?
Our host, Erica is joined by three amazing women in the industry who all have their own experience to discuss what’s behind this gender imbalance and how we see things progressing.
Our guests:
* Aggie Grabowska, Partner Manager at Shopify Plus
* Sam Sargison, Head of Digital & Corporate at Bettys
* Alex Devanna, Senior Project Manager at Space 48
Hosted By: Erica Mackay - Head of people and culture at Space 48
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Feb 21, 2021
#8: Know Your Numbers! The Key to Digital Marketing Success in a Global Retail Business
In this week's episode we interview Cat Evans, Marketing Director at Tech 21 to get a behind the scenes look at what makes the business so successful and a personal insight into how Cat ended up in a marketing career, despite her interests being in a completely different area!
We discuss her previous role at Amazon, and how if you didn't know and own your numbers, you wouldn't make a success of yourself.
We also discuss the transformation that Tech 21 has gone through in the past 12 months with a re-platform from Magento 2 over to Shopify Plus and get to understand the reasons that led to the move.
We also get a valuable insight into what metrics Tech 21 look at on a regular basis to manage the business effectively.
It's a great insight into a very successful business and more interestingly, how Cat's career has progressed and why she loves her job so much and her advice for anyone looking at getting into marketing.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant at Space…
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Feb 7, 2021
#7: The changing face of retail
On this week's episode we're unpicking the top eCommerce stories of the past few weeks and discussing what is happening on the high street and what it will look like when we get out of the current lockdown.
We specifically cover:
1. Primark 'refusing' to go online despite suffering a rumoured £1bn loss during the pandemic
2. The Boohoo acquisition of Debenhams
3, ASOS acquiring the Arcadia group brands such as TopShop, TopMan and Miss Selfridge.
To help us dissect these stories, we're joined by industry experts Richard Marshall, the VP of Buying at Sweaty Betty, Gordon Newman, the Go To Market Director at Life Style Sports and also by Paul Casey, Digital Commerce Consultant and Co-Presenter of the Space Bar Podcast.
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant at Space 48.
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Jan 31, 2021
#6: The early impact of Brexit on eCommerce
In this week's episode we have an open discussion around the impact we've seen so far of Brexit on both retailers and customers in the UK and in the EU. There's been so many stories coming out in the news over the past few weeks with consumers being hit with large duty and import tax charges, we wanted to get to the bottom of what's going on and how the trade deal is affecting merchants shipping into and out of the UK.
We're joined by our guests Marc O'Donnell who is the eCommerce Manager at luxury country boot manufacturer and retailer, Dubarry of Ireland along with James Hayes, Director of Business Development at Parcelhub, who are a shipment aggregator helping merchants get the lowest rates on their parcel shipments, and Stephen Kenealy, Strategy Director at Space 48 to give his take on the Brexit trade deal and what the world is making of it all.
You'll hear all about how Dubarry have been coping with the changes, the problems they've faced, what they're doing for their customers…
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Jan 10, 2021
#5: Review of eCommerce in 2020 and Predictions for 2021
In this week's episode of the Space Bar Podcast, we're joined by Tom Robertshaw, Director of Innovation at Space 48 and Oliver Lees, Head of Data Insight. We review some of the eCommerce news stories from 2020 which you might've missed and we also discuss how 2020 will shape retailer's strategies for 2021. We also make some predictions for what 2021 will bring for retailers and technology developments we're hoping to see, including an insight into Oliver's innovative idea for online clothing returns - it's an episode you do not want to miss!
As ever, if you like what you hear, please make sure you subscribe!
Presented by Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant at Space 48
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Dec 22, 2020
#4: I've got 99 problems but Front-End ain't one!
In this episode we are going to talk about how front end development has changed with Dan Davies who is a Commerce Interaction Designer from our CX Team and Peter Hicks who is a Technical Lead in one of our development squads.
We cover a range of topics including:
* Changes to front end development over time
* Skills required (CSS, HTML, Javascript, React, Vue, Devops )
* Tools and techniques (Task runners like Gulp, Grunt, Bootstrap )
* Keeping up to speed (JS frameworks, CSS frameworks )
* The importance of site speed (fine balance over what is easily fixed to stuff out of control like 3rd party solutions )
* Expectations of clients and consumers ( Good UX, Fast site, look good, mobile friendly)
* How can we approach projects in different ways? (pattern libraries, wireframing, breaking down into components, working together early on rather than a big reveal after weeks of secrecy, developers in from the start, promotes ownership but also ensures what is being designed…
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Dec 13, 2020
#3: Human Commerce Experiences
In this week's episode, we're discussing the importance of offering a human element to the commerce experience and what that actually means for customers and retailers.
We also discuss common pain points for customers during the commerce journey as well as discussing some great retailers who are really getting this right for their customers.
If you enjoy this episode, make sure you subscribe and please leave us a review!
Host: Pete Robertshaw, Digital Commerce Consultant at Space 48
Guests: Holli Barrett, Head of CX at Space 48 and Katy Collins, Head of Partnerships at Threekit.
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Dec 6, 2020
#2: Adapting to change in 2020
In this episode we discuss the rollercoaster year that has been 2020 with Jon, Stephen, Erica and Paul. Like most companies, Space 48 have had to adapt to a lot of change this year and we focus in on the key challenges and opportunities that we have been able to capitalise on.
We hope you enjoy the episode and please make sure you subscribe and leave a review with your feedback.
Host - Paul Casey - Digital Commerce Consultant
Jon Woodall - MD & Founder
Stephen Kenealy - Strategy Director
Erica Mackay - Head of People & Culture
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Nov 29, 2020
#1: Top 5 E-commerce Stories in November
Welcome to the Space Bar. This is the podcast by Space 48 made for the e-commerce community.
The main topics we are going to discuss in this episode are:
* Black Friday 2020
* Tech Partner Investment Updates
* The TikTok & Shopify Deal
* BigCommerce’s Open Source Checkout
* Space bar podcast launch
This is a new podcast so please support us by leaving a review and share the podcast with your network.
Host: Paul Casey
Guests: Tom Robertshaw and Pete Robertshaw
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