This week on the Mr. Beacon Podcast, we’re joined by one of retail’s most insightful thinkers: Leon Nicholas, Vice President of Retail Insights & Solutions at Smurfit WestRock—the world’s largest packaging and display manufacturer and a quiet powerhouse at the center of global commerce. Leon combines decades of operational, analytical, and strategic experience to reveal what’s really happening inside retail’s engine room—and what’s coming next.
We begin the conversation with a candid look at what keeps today’s retail CEOs awake at night. From volatile regulations to unpredictable supply chains, shifting consumption patterns, and the relentless pace of digital transformation, leaders are operating in an environment where the “race car” is always redlining. Leon breaks down why longevity and relevance are now existential challenges, and how TikTok trends, AI agents, and generational change are reshaping demand faster than retailers can adjust.
The conversation then turns to smart packaging and displays—a domain where Smurfit WestRock plays a foundational yet often invisible role. Leon describes packaging as a portal that will soon connect products, retailers, and consumers across their entire lifecycle. Smart displays that report placement, stock levels, and theft signals; packages that guide shoppers post-purchase; digital layers that personalize information or support sustainability claims—all of these become possible when packaging can “raise its hand” and communicate. But the real breakthrough, Leon argues, is the arrival of a practical AI layer that can translate millions of data points into intelligent action.
Looking ahead, Leon predicts a future where everything is tagged, checkout experiences fade away, automated replenishment becomes pervasive, and shoppers navigate stores through deeply personalized, programmatic paths. In this world, smaller regional retailers can use AI to “punch above their weight,” while innovators face a strategic choice: pilot quickly with small chains or scale slowly but massively with the giants.
Leon also shares the origin story behind his career—from stocking shelves to becoming one of retail’s most trusted strategic voices—and even closes with three songs that shaped his life, touching everything from college memories to karaoke misadventures.
If you’re building the future of retail, designing connected solutions, or just fascinated by the collision of physical and digital worlds, this episode is a must-listen.
Leon’s Top 3 Songs:
- “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4zPu3ISCGs
- “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYvyzg3KtpY
- “Endless Love” by Diana Ross: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubrfaD9DIus
Mister Beacon is hosted by Steve Statler, CEO of ambientChat.ai — Using AI to connect people with places and products with an app that puts you in control of YOUR data.
Our sponsor is Identiv https://www.identiv.com, whose IoT solutions create digital identities for physical objects, enhancing global connectivity for businesses, people, and the planet. We are also sponsored by Blecon http://www.blecon.net. Blecon enables physical products to communicate with cloud applications using Bluetooth Low Energy.