Advertise on podcast: To Affinity and Beyond - Decision Intelligence for Retail

In this episode, HyperFinity CCO and Co-founder Tom Hill joins Tom to unpack the backlash after WIRED revealed what McDonald’s knows about one of its loyalty members. They get into why customer data drives better rewards, what McDonald’s gets right with its loyalty programme, and what retailers can learn from it.

In this episode, HyperFinity CEO and Co-founder Peter Denby joins Tom to explore how agentic AI is changing retail decision-making. They discuss how retailers can give teams access to consultancy-grade expertise, empower analysts to work more effectively and unlock new opportunities that were not possible before.

In this episode, Tom is joined by Jessie, Head of Analytics at HyperFinity, to explore what agentic AI really means for retail loyalty and pricing. They discuss how retailers can move beyond static campaigns, blanket promotions and slow pricing decisions, using AI to support faster, smarter and more commercially grounded action. From pricing guardrails and semantic layers to loyalty offers, boardroom decision-making and the role of human judgement, this episode looks at where agentic AI becomes practical, valuable and impossible for retailers to ignore.

In this episode, HyperFinity speaks with Andy Tudor, CEO of Clekt, about what retailers need to do to get ready for the agentic AI era. Tom and Andy explore why trusted, connected data is now a commercial necessity, how product feeds and semantic layers need to evolve, and why AI should be treated as assisted intelligence that helps great retail teams make better decisions faster.

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. For episode one of series five, we're joined by Thomas Hill, Chief Commercial Officer at HyperFinity. We're diving into the agentic AI opportunity for retailers; what it really means, where it can create commercial value, and how brands can move beyond the hype into practical action. From product feeds and agentic commerce to semantic layers, trading meetings and faster decision-making, this episode explores how AI agents can help retailers turn insight into action. In this episode, we dive into the what, the why and the what next.

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. For episode eight, we're joined by Thomas Hill, Chief Commercial Officer at HyperFinity. We're diving into the Retail Loyalty Index 2026; our definitive research into the UK's favourite loyalty scheme in collaboration with Bloomreach and Eagle Eye. The report reveals which programmes drive choice, which drivers convert satisfaction, and how brands can turn loyalty into revenue. In this episode, we dive into the hows and the whys. Download the report: ⁠https://hyperfinity.ai/retail-loyalty-index-2026

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. For episode seven, we're joined by James Mackenzie, Head of Insights at PZ Cussons. Customers don't suddenly become loyal at checkout. It happens over time through repeated experiences that feel easy, relevant and worthwhile. Emotional loyalty like this is rarely conscious - instead, it's instinctive. James talks us through how retailers can nurture emotional loyalty, then activate it. There's more on our website: https://hyperfinity.ai/loyalty

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. For episode six, we're joined by Zsuzsa Kecsmar, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Antavo. Loyalty programmes are evolving - including how we track their performance. Loyalty's in its value era, so measurement can no longer be confined to sign ups and redemptions alone. Zsuzsa explains what Antavo's latest Global Customer Loyalty Report 2026 tells us about improving loyalty programme performance. There's more on our website: https://hyperfinity.ai/loyalty Resources https://antavo.com/reports/global-customer-loyalty-report-2026/

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. For episode five, we're joined by Sebastian Wangerud, keynote speaker and founder of growth agency SCHMACK. The best loyalty programmes of 2025 look more like fan clubs than transaction schemes. Tom and Sebastian explore how loyalty, personalisation and AI are reshaping the relationship between retailers and their customers. There's more on our website: https://hyperfinity.ai/loyalty

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. For episode four, we're joined by Ed Child, Costa Coffee's Global Head of Consumer Data and Digital Analytics. Everyone’s talking about AI, but few retailers are making it pay its way. We dive into a how retailers can use AI to drive real commercial results, and explore why most AI projects fail (and how to avoid it). There's more on our website: https://hyperfinity.ai/loyalty

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. For episode three, we're joined by Rasmus Houlind, author of 'Hello $Firstname' and Chief Experience Officer at Agillic. Personalisation can be frustrating. It's been stretched to cover targeting, segmentation, automation and product recommendations - but more often than not, it fails to deliver. Rasmus explains how data alone isn't enough for successful personalisation - it also needs content and strategy. PS This is our first remote episode and it's complete with video footage, plus some bonus slides. Resources You can find the models mentioned in the discussion here: https://www.omnichannelinstitute.com/en/resources The cards discussed are available here: https://www.omnichannelinstitute.com/en/personalizationcards  And order Rasmus's book here: https://amzn.eu/d/5yrgx12  There's more on our website: https://hyperfinity.ai/loyalty

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. For episode two, we're joined by Toolstation's Senior Customer Insights Manager, Victoria Pickup. She explains how retail personalisation is more than just adding a first name to an email. Microsegmentation allows retailers to go deeper and truly treat customers as individuals. It's not optional. It's expected. There's more on our website: hyperfinity.ai/loyalty

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. We're back for season four. This time, we're interviewing leading retail experts on their views on customer loyalty. For episode one, we're joined by JD Sports’ Global Customer Director, Chris Chalmers. He explains how the real power of customer loyalty comes from the data it generates. For years, loyalty has been seen as a cost. But that's changing. The smartest retailers now see a loyalty data strategy as an investment that drives commercial growth. There's more on our website: hyperfinity.ai/loyalty

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. Join us for a summary of what we've covered in season three, including how to measure loyalty; why you need to explore supplier funding, and whether loyalty pricing is here to stay. We also round off the episode with our predictions for what's coming next in the world of customer loyalty. There's more on our website: hyperfinity.ai/loyalty

This is To Affinity & Beyond; HyperFinity's decision intelligence for retail podcast. Loyalty pricing is a growing retail trend right now. Tesco and Boots are leading the way with highly personalised prices and discounts; reserved for loyalty programme members only. But with some consumers wary of member pricing, we dive into whether it's a con, or a genuine benefit that's here to stay. There's more on our website: hyperfinity.ai/loyalty Resources mentioned in the conversation: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6749f28975bb645366b3a2a9/Executive_summary__2.pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/news/groceries-loyalty-prices-offer-genuine-savings-says-cma