From Police Scotland to IKEA’s shop floor, Alan Cotton brings straight-talking insight and sharp humour to this week’s episode…

This week Paul is joined by Alan Cotton, UK Loss Prevention & Security Manager at IKEA. A former detective with Police Scotland, Alan reflects on some of the most memorable incidents from his 20 years in the force and explains why dark humour often became a vital survival tool on the job.

We hear about his journey back into retail – a full-circle moment, having started his career on the shop floor before joining the police – and how a timely nudge from the LinkedIn algorithm gods led him into a role that perfectly blends his policing skills with a personal mission: protecting shop workers.

Alan also talks us through his day-to-day role at IKEA, offering insight into several exciting initiatives, including the expansion of live CCTV monitoring across the retail estate. One particularly thought-provoking discussion centres on facial recognition technology, with Alan explaining why he believes it should be embraced as a tool to keep people safe, rather than feared.

He reflects on the importance of intelligence sharing too, sharing his optimism at seeing retailers collaborate more closely – a genuine glimmer of hope for the industry.

And of course, no episode would be complete without Paul asking the really important question: Alan’s coffee order. The verdict? A skinny latte paired with “posh” toast and Lurpak!