ReThink Productivity Podcast

Basket & Barometer Nov 2025 - Jan 2026 NotebookLM Summary

Send a textWe gave NotebookLM our podcasts from November 2025 to February 2026 with Diane Wehrle CEO at Rendle Intelligence and this is what it came up with...We test a hard question: are UK retail’s brutal numbers a structural reset or a severe cyclical slump? We argue both sides with data on jobs, wages, footfall, discounts, online share, and consumer psychology, and find common ground on how to survive right now.• Structural shift versus cyclical contraction• Job losses, wage compression, and automation incentives• Consumer confidence, high savings, and spend mix• Black Friday’s pull-forward and the golden quarter• Footfall declines, online stabilization, and hyper localism• Store productivity, time-use, and ATV strategy• Rates, taxes, and hiring freezes shaping near-term demand• Shared focus on margin protection and experience #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumFind us in the Top 50 Productivity PodcastsConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

Basket & Barometer February 2026

Send a text Diane Wehrle CEO at Rendle Intelligence and Insights joins Simon for their monthly chatA cautious consumer shows up in January with fewer trips but bigger baskets, while retail parks gain and high streets hold on. We dig into youth unemployment, wage compression, AI’s impact on entry roles, and why productivity must carry the next phase of retail.• January footfall near flat with retail parks up• Sales values rise while transactions fall• Food inflation props value; non-food softens• High street sales close to parity year on year• GfK confidence slips, savings tick up• Youth unemployment at 16% drives concern• Wage rises meet NI pressures and job cuts• Pay bands compress between colleague and supervisor• Housing sales drop chills discretionary categories• Shift focus from process to experience #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumFind us in the Top 50 Productivity PodcastsConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

Productivity Pulse Episode 4

Send a textHear directly from our experts—Sue, Simon, & James—who share real-world trends, new data findings, and actionable productivity insights. This month they are joined by special guest Ed Thompson We unpack how quick service restaurants (QSR) cut through rising costs and sharper peaks by separating delivery from dine‑in, scaling kiosks, and engineering seconds out of core tasks. Ed shares ground‑truth from trials that reveal hidden costs, smarter layouts, and why testing beats gut feel.• Defining QSR and why delivery changed everything• Price ceilings versus operational innovation• Separating driver pickup to protect space and speed• Hot hold units and lockers preserving food quality• Kiosks driving consistent upsell and lower labour• Loyalty and simple personalisation improving repeat visits• Micro‑layout tweaks multiplying capacity gains• Testing trials to surface hidden operational costs• Moving tasks out of peak to protect throughput• Staffing thresholds for sharper peaks and channel mixWe will be at the Retail Technology Show the 22nd and 23rd of April at the Excel in LondonWe’ve got the VIP party in partnership with Solvedby.AI on the 22nd April. Register here... VIP AftershowOur Productivity Forum takes place on 10th September in Birmingham. Register here... ReThink Forum 2026 #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumFind us in the Top 50 Productivity PodcastsConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

Using MTM To Improve Methods, Not Just Set Time

Send a textWe explore with ReThink Productivity’s Simon Woodfield and Ed Thompson how MTM drives method improvement, not just time measurement, and share real case studies across logistics, retail food, and warehousing. We show how operator involvement, ergonomics, and clear coding lead to standard work, stronger business cases, and better rollouts.• Method determines the time, not the stopwatch• Ergonomic gains from reducing reach distances• Testing layouts and methods before rollout• Surprising warehouse findings beyond the scope• Operator buy-in through iterative coding and trials• Standard work supported by reusable MTM codes• Low-barrier adoption using spreadsheets or software Find out more at the UKMTM Website #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumFind us in the Top 50 Productivity PodcastsConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn

Basket & Barometer January 2026

Send a textBuilding on the success of footfall insights we broaden the conversation with the Basket & Barometer podcast. Diane Wehrle CEO at Rendle Intelligence and Insights joins Simon for their monthly chatWe unpack December’s retail data: footfall fell most in shopping centres, high streets held up better, and sales rose only because food prices stayed high. Confidence is inching higher, small towns are gaining share, and the high street is evolving rather than dying.• Footfall down overall, led by shopping centres• High streets more resilient than retail parks• Sales growth driven by food inflation• Discretionary categories fall in towns and cities• Average transaction value up as visits fall• Consumers stay local to cut travel and parking costs• Savings ratio high despite wage growth• Retail churn continues with notable brand moves• High street evolves through mix, value, and relevance #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumFind us in the Top 50 Productivity PodcastsConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn