Editor of Convenience World magazine, Hailey Settineri is taking a little break from the world of writing and convenience news to embark on a massive new adventure! We take a look on the successful, and exciting career Hailey has had so far with Retail Media.
Please remind us when this all began – how long have you been working with Retail Media?
I first joined Retail Media in 2007. I started out as a journalist across a number of industry titles before working my way up to Deputy Editor of Retail Pharmacy and Editor of Canteen News. In 2010 I left Australia to do some travelling. When I returned in 2012 I was fortunate that there was another opening at Retail Media, this time on the Retail World and Convenience World teams. I became Deputy Editor of both titles in 2014 and Editor in 2018.
Has there been a story that you’ve worked on (for Retail Media) that stands out/has stuck with you? If so, what story was it and why?
I love seeing retailers doing things a little different to ensure they met the needs of their local community. A few years ago I wrote about a convenience store that hosted a street library onsite, allowing residents to freely exchange books when they visited.
How has the retail industry changed over the years that you have been involved in this category? What future predictions do you have for the retail industry?
There has been so much change in the past decade but the biggest, and one that will continue to change the industry, is consumer expectation. From what shoppers seek to how they pay, retail is a whole different beast to what it was only a short time ago.
The convenience industry has been quick to adapt to changing needs and I think the current COVID-19 pressures are going to force further innovation even quicker than before. With many businesses in other areas being forced to close their doors, consumers will be turning to the convenience sector for new solutions.
In current times, the world is experiencing a number of hardships that is in turn having a major impact on retail businesses – what advice do you give to anyone right now who is struggling, whether that be financially, socially, emotionally etc.
There are certainly a lot of outside factors shaking up our industry at the moment. No sooner had businesses around the country begun to recover from the horrendous bushfires, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit – forcing retailers to face new supply chain challenges on top of panicked customers. These pressures are not going to alleviate any time soon, so I urge everyone in the industry to stay connected and support each other.
