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PODCAST

Buying and Beyond

Buying & Beyond

Welcome to the Buying & Beyond podcast, the podcast for all things Retail Buying...and more!Join us, Kate & Lyns, buyers and best friends, each week for industry insights, stories and expertise from real people in retail. Enjoy honest stories and conversations, retail therapy and learn bite-sized tips from us and our guests from across the industry.Season 1 starts with Becoming a Buyer - the background to how we started in the industry, what exactly is a Buyer, working your way up the ladder

business careers

All Episodes

51:29

S9 E1: From the Supplier Side: Holly Stafford Smith...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/04/22

This week, we’re joined by Holly Stafford Smith from GH Stafford & Son limited a fourth-generation family business that’s been supplying leather goods and accessories to retailers across the UK and Ireland since 1947. Holly gives us a rare look at the supplier side of the buyer-supplier relationship and honestly, the overlap is bigger than you might think. Having joined the business back in 2007, Holly has shaped her role from the ground up and now leads across buying, supplier relationsh...

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69:54

S8 E10: Building Brands That Stand the Test of Time...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/04/15

This week's episode is a special one co-host Lynsey is joined by her old friend and former London College of Fashion classmate, Jodie Blake, now CMO at Manolo Blahnik. What starts as a nostalgic trip down memory lane (lemon poppy seed muffins from Starbucks, high heels to lectures, and getting the tube one stop instead of walking) quickly turns into one of the most insightful conversations we've had on the show. Jodie's career is a masterclass in building from the ground up. She started...

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56:32

S8 E8: From Buyer to Supplier: A Journey Through the...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/04/08

Claire McIlroy returns to the pod for a deep dive into the fascinating and surprisingly complex world of grocery buying. Having started her career on the buying side at DHL and Morrisons before moving into sales and her current role as Sales Director, Claire brings a rare dual perspective on what it really takes to get food from farm to shelf. She's also co-founder of the W Collective, a community dedicated to empowering women in their corporate careers. In this episode, we hear how Claire wo...

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44:58

S8 E8: Ginny & Me- Pre-Order Power & The Rise of...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/04/01

In this episode, Yasmin O’Donnell shares the story behind Ginny & Me a social-first fashion brand that has quickly built a cult following around its hero flared-sleeve windbreaker jacket. What began in her Oxford Brookes University bedroom, experimenting with Amazon-bought fabrics and hand-stoning garments, has grown into a brand that now sells out monthly pre-orders, has been featured in Vogue and Vanity Fair, and operates with a fiercely loyal community, all without a traditional retail...

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41:52

S8 E7: Introducing... The Buyers Club

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/03/26

In this special episode, we’re doing something a little different. Before we dive into our usual conversations, we’re sharing something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for a while- the launch of The Buyer’s Club. This has been a long time coming, and it’s something we feel incredibly passionate about because it really started with our own experience. Throughout our careers in buying, we’ve always leaned on each other to sense-check decisions, share the highs and lows, and navigate wha...

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42:55

S8 E6: Rental, Resilience & Redefining Maternity...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/03/18

In this episode, we sit down with Lyndsay Mason, founder and CEO of For The Creators, a business transforming maternity and early parenthood fashion through a sustainable rental model. What began as a personal frustration with the lack of stylish, practical options for expectant and new mothers has evolved into a comprehensive platform offering curated clothing rental, thoughtfully selected lifestyle products, and soon, a dedicated community space. Lyndsay shares her journey from global digit...

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58:39

S8 E5 Burnout Isn’t a Badge of Honour with Janine...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/03/11

This week we’re joined by Janine McManus - former fashion buyer, therapeutic coach and founder of We Beam - for a powerful and honest conversation about burnout, identity and redefining success. Janine began her career as a print designer before carving her way into buying at Burton, later spending formative years at ASOS during its meteoric rise. She shares what it was like to be part of that high-energy growth phase - the creativity, the camaraderie, the culture that made it feel like anyth...

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56:30

S8 E4: From Fashion Buying to Building Club Mera with...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/03/04

In this episode, we sit down with Amy Rollings, a commercial leader with over 20 years of experience at some of the world’s most influential fashion and lifestyle brands, including Burberry, Michael Kors, Kurt Geiger and Pangaia. Amy takes us on her journey from a fashion intern in New York to building a deep foundation in retail buying, where she learned to understand product, customer behavior, and brand storytelling at scale. She reflects on her time at Burberry during its “golden years” u...

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55:37

S8 E3: Podcast LIVE at Top Drawer - Getting started...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/02/25

This week’s episode is split into two parts. The first was recorded live at Top Drawer back in January, where we sat down with Hannah Adams to talk about AI and what it really means for buyers and brands. The second dives into Hannah’s career journey from buyer to business transformation specialist and what that evolution teaches us about modern retail careers. Part One: Live from Top Drawer - AI in Retail Recording live brought such energy to this conversation. We wanted to strip AI back to ...

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45:43

S8 EP2: From shop floor lessons to commercial...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/02/18

S8 EP2 From shop floor lessons to commercial confidence with Dahlia Stroud This week we’re joined by Dahlia Stroud, a retail and FMCG leader whose career spans Nestlé, Asda and Co-op, where she’s led commercial strategy, online trading and multiple buying teams (without ever officially holding the buyer title). Today she hosts Stressed But Well-Dressed, exploring the link between confidence, mindset and how we show up at work. In this episode we go back to the start- field sales, Christmas ai...

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43:25

S8 E1: Behind every great product, is a product tech...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/02/11

This week we are joined by Claire Ward- a senior product technologist. This episode is a particularly special one for us. Claire, Kate and Lyns all met right at the very beginning of our careers at Accessorize, learning the ropes of retail together so recording this felt like a real full-circle moment. We start by reminiscing about those early days before diving into the journey Claire has taken since, building an impressive career across some of the UK’s best-known fashion brands inclu...

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67:04

S7 E10: Progress Over Perfection: Making Circular...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/02/04

This week’s episode is a big one and a conversation we’ve been really excited to share. We’re joined by Nick Lambert, Head of Circularity at Primark, whose career journey is a powerful example of how deep commercial experience can drive real, meaningful change in sustainability. Nick started his career like many in retail working his way up through buying, beginning as a buying admin assistant at Arcadia (Topshop/Topman), before becoming a buyer and eventually moving to Primark ne...

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37:26

S7 E9: Why we fell in love with retail buying - and...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/01/28

In this episode, Kate and Lyns reflect on seven seasons of Buying and Beyond and take on one of the most pressing - and personal - topics in retail today: why so many buyers are leaving the industry they once loved. With no guest this week, the conversation is honest and unfiltered. They explore the realities facing buying teams today, from shrinking budgets and growing workloads to the erosion of creativity and the frustration caused by unclear or constantly shifting brand strategies. T...

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57:52

S7 E8: Building beauty brands with Harry Zalk CEO of...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/01/21

In today’s episode, we’re delighted to be joined by Harry Zalk, CEO of ARKIVE Headcare at Matrix Brands an innovative, B Corp–certified brand incubator creating and scaling some of the most exciting names in health and beauty. Matrix is behind an award-winning portfolio spanning skincare, haircare, bodycare and fragrance, including Cowshed, ARKIVE Headcare and Soho Skin. Beyond their own brands, they also develop private label products and brand-led experiences for major retail, travel and ho...

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62:03

S7 E7: Burnout & building confidence in Buying &...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/01/14

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Katie and Clare, the brilliant duo behind The W-Collective - a platform built on honest conversations, practical tools, and real support for working women. If you haven’t come across The W-Collective yet, their mission is refreshingly clear: no “girl boss” clichés, no fluff - just real talk about careers, confidence, burnout, and navigating the realities of work while staying human (and keeping your sense of humour). Between them, Katie and Clare brin...

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48:32

S7 E6 - Expertise That Grows: Buying Plants with...

Buying and Beyond ·

2026/01/07

In today’s episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Claire Bishop, Senior Plant Buyer at Dobbies Garden Centres and one of the most knowledgeable people we know when it comes to all things horticulture. Claire and Lynsey first met during our time at Dobbies, and I’ve always been in awe of her depth of plant knowledge and her genuine passion for the role plants play in people’s lives. When it comes to plant care, trends, and buying live product, Claire is a true specialist - what she doesn’t kno...

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61:04

S7 E5: What makes a standout retail range?...

Buying and Beyond ·

2025/12/17

In this episode, we’re joined by two absolute gems of the design world - Sarah Spires and Rachel Perkins - the creative duo and big-hearted energy behind Everley Studio. Before launching Everley, Sarah and Rachel spent years inside retail working for some of the biggest names on the UK high street: Next, George, F&F, and Laura Ashley. Between them, they’ve designed across womenswear, menswear, kids, knitwear, swim, and everything in between. They’ve lived the fast-paced, slightly chaotic,...

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41:08

S7 E4: How a former M&S and Amazon Buyer turned her...

Buying and Beyond ·

2025/12/10

We’re so excited to welcome Alex Standley to the podcast this week! Alex has spent over 15 years navigating the high-stakes, fast-paced world of fashion buying at global giants like Marks & Spencer and Amazon - from trend-spotting and category strategy to negotiating those all-important big meetings. After a successful career in buying, Alex made a bold leap into entrepreneurship and founded her own personal styling company, helping high-performing women align their wardrobes ...

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46:03

S7 E2: What’s Next for Retail? AI, Innovation & Big...

Buying and Beyond ·

2025/12/03

In Part 2 of our conversation with Julia Darlington, we shift from her remarkable career journey to the future of the retail industry and the work she’s doing now to shape the next generation of female leaders. With decades of senior experience across some of the UK’s most iconic retailers, Julia brings a clear-eyed, forward-thinking perspective on what’s changing, what still needs to evolve, and how retailers can prepare for the market of tomorrow. We unpack the role of AI and digital innova...

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44:08

S7 E2 Inside Julia Darlington’s Retail Career:...

Buying and Beyond ·

2025/11/26

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we’re thrilled to welcome Julia Darlington a woman whose career spans some of the UK’s most iconic retailers including M&S, French Connection, Habitat, Coast, Tie Rack, Arcadia, and Accessorize (and breathe!). Julia began her retail journey back in the 1980s, giving her a front-row seat to the industry’s evolution over several decades. She brings a wealth of experience, insight, and perspective and is a passionate advocate for female empowerm...

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96 results

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