Leading through new realities: Alain Bejjani on the retail crisis playbook

Episode notes

On this episode of Talking Shop I’m joined by Alain Bejjani - former Group CEO of Middle East retail giant Majid Al Futtaim, and author of the definitive new book, NEXT: Leading Through the New Realities. Drawing on his childhood in war-torn Beirut, and his experience steering a $9.5bn dollar retail and lifestyle empire through a global pandemic, Alain brings an unmatched perspective on leadership under pressure. Today, we break down his crisis survival playbook for retailers operating in distress. We discuss why resilience must always outpace efficiency, the four assets a brand must protect at all costs, and how to turn macro-turmoil into a long-term direction that scales.

• Beyond the visibility exercise: Sammy Allanson on winning regional retail growth62 / 100
• 'You shouldn't feel like you're being hard-sold - you shouldn't even know you're in an advert'
• The dark funnel: Nikki Baird on how LLMs are disrupting retail data
• Resisting the trend cycle: how &SONS scales on timeless design
• Cracking the American market: Dan Cate on the operational realities of retail expansion