Knowledge Library

Innovate at Speed

At our Innovate At Speed dinner hosted in Amsterdam, we asked our audience of retail professionals the following questions via a live survey.

The Beauty Breakfast

The only place beauty is going is up. It’s estimated that this year, the average person will spend £51.98 on cosmetics and personal care and that the beauty industry’s worth is expected to grow by 3.76% per year between now and 2026.

The Beauty Breakfast

At our annual Beauty Breakfast, we asked our audience of retail professionals the following questions via a live survey.

The New Store Experience

In June 2020, global retail ecommerce traffic hit a record 22 billion monthly visits, and in that same year, online retail sales surpassed 4.2 trillion US dollars worldwide1.

Global Christmas Window Audit

This is the 4th edition of the Global Christmas Window Audit. It has always been a visual reference for Festive Window Display, but this year it has evolved.

Subscription Addiction Europe

At the start of 2020, the retail subscription services market was already growing.

Subscription Addiction

At our Subscription Addiction Conference, last month, we asked our audience of retail professionals the following questions, via a live survey.

Subscription Addiction

Retail subscription services have been around for a long time. However, the combination of continued growth in online retail plus the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many of us seeking new ways to shop, has furthered heightened their popularity.

Luxury Wine Tasting

This year, the three course meal in a beautiful London venue was replaced with a relaxed but enjoyable evening in the comfort of our own homes over fun, indulging in wine tasting from The Little Fine Wine Company! Despite the change, we still held a group of attendees with over 50 years of luxury brand experience between them, and the discussions still remained the same - what is a luxury digital experience? Everyone’s on a mission to create brand advocacy and a compelling story.

Sports And Outdoor

At our annual Sports & Outdoor conference in March, we asked not only our audience of retail professionals but shared the questionnaire with our friends at Alpkit, ZAAZEE, HIGH5 and Reflex, and the results from over 4000 responses are shown here.

Content & Commerce

Our annual Content & Commerce conference has gone from strength to strength, and although COVID-19 has put some barriers in the way for us we couldn’t let that stop our fun, so we decided to hold the event virtually and all our amazing speakers allowed us to record the session to share with those who were unable to make it!

Customer Trust

At our first ever Customer Trust conference this Autumn, 2020, we asked our audience of professionals within retail the following questions during a live survey, and the results are shown here.

Small Talk - Digital Culture

Kate has 15 years of experience in digital, having pioneered optimisation at LateRooms.com ao.com and more recently headed up e-commerce teams at Bensons for Beds, DW Sports and led trading teams at N Brown group and now Forest Holidays.

Small Talk - What To Do Next

During this workshop with Andrew Mann, Non-Exec Director at Oxfam (Ex Tesco, Sainsburys Asda, Coop M&S), he explained how to align board members around an agreed definition of the problem, and create effective solutions from his firsthand experience.

Small Talk - User Experience

During this workshop with Cher Lowies, User Experience Researcher at Well Pharmacy, she shared how to keep user research central within your team and business, by keeping users at the front of everyones mind.

Small Talk - The Amazon Journey

During this workshop, Frankie Thorogood, Founder and CEO of TCA, explained how TCA went from £100 to 1m customers on Amazon, and how you do it

Sports & Outdoor

This years Sports & Outdoor conference had a slightly different set-up this year. With some of the conference taking place in central London with a small live audience and also streamed online for a audience at home for those who are isolating due to Covid19. Within this document we share a brief overview of what we learnt from a morning of great content from our speakers.

Tough Trade

"We Integrate everything with everything” Geoff Travis, Rough Trade Records founder and pioneer.

Points Don’t Always Mean Prizes

“Life is the name of the game and I wanna’ play the game with you!” Bruce Forsyth, 1973

Content & Commerce

This years Summer Content & Commerce conferences in London and Berlin were ran as virtual events online due to Covid19’ lockdown. Within this document we’re comparing answers from both locations, from the live survey ran throughout the events and this is their responses.

The Surge of the Silver Surfer

“I’ve a dream, a Sliver Dream Machine” From Silver Dream Racer, by David Essex - 1980

Animate the Inanimate – Let’s get physical!

“To retain their relevance brands will have to innovate and activate with synchronicity (did you see what I did there) across content, commerce and media in what will become an even more crowded world of communication”

Content & Commerce

When business is quiet or there are shifts in the retail landscape, it’s a good time to take stock of your activities and decide both where your priorities lie and the value of spending time and money on each one. Ultimately, everything you do reflects on your brand, but for some this may be a good time to focus specifically on brand-building instead of, or in addition to, crafting direct sales pitches…

I'll have a C please Bob!

That may be a cultural reference that will fall on stony ground for people below a certain age. However, the iconic reference to Blockbusters, and its legendary host Bob Holness, does resonate with the payment and shopping priorities for brands in our, involuntarily, redesigned way of selling goods to customers.

The Banana Bread Files

How sustainable are the shifts in Grocery consumption during lockdown?

Witness The Fitness II

A change is gonna come!

Thrive, Strive, Survive

“The reinvention of daily life means marching off the edge of our maps”. - Bob Black

Witness the Fitness

Are we witnessing the new fitness?

Beauty In Transformation

Just like fashion, beauty is an industry that has existed for millennia and, bar some unimaginable change in human behaviours, always will. The current size of the beauty market is debatable…

Digital Style

Digital Style 2020 invited professionals from a range of different sectors tasked with balancing meaningful experience, proving ROI and encouraging retention to discuss their perspectives on where digital retail is heading. We asked a few of our speakers, sponsors and delegates why they attended the event, the benefits of the day and this years trends.

Digital Style

As we enter a new decade, the retail environment is more challenging than ever, particularly for those with brick-and-mortar stores. In the UK, total retail sales are relatively stagnant, and even declining in some sectors. At the same time, consumers are increasingly demanding when it comes to their retail experience and evermore focussed on ethical and sustainability issues…

Digital Style

At our fourth edition of Digital Style conference this January, in London we asked the industry professionals within eCommerce the following questions within a live survey throughout the day, and here are their responses.

Content & Commerce

At this years Content & Commerce conference we asked a few of our speakers, sponsors and delegates why they attended the event, the benefits of the day and this years trends.

Winning In The Age Of Open Banking

So where have we got to in this new Open Banking age? And how do companies move forward and succeed now that customers are increasingly taking the reins when it comes to their data – and their allegiance?…

Content & Commerce

At our sixth edition of Content & Commerce conference this May, in London we asked over 70 industry professionals within eCommerce the following questions within a live survey throughout the day, and here are their responses.

Content & Commerce

Good online content contributes to a brand’s success. That’s indisputable. But what kind of content should that be? How big a factor is social media? And how should the continuing shift to mobile influence your content plans? In this whitepaper, we’ll present the thoughts of practitioners from companies large and small, new and old, who have all been tackling these challenges in different ways.

Conversion Commerce

When running a business, every single thing you do has one ultimate end goal: to make a profit. Whether you’re choosing or creating products or services to sell, trying to capture the attention of people or companies who might buy those products or services, or moving them through the sales funnel (and back through it multiple times), it’s all about the bottom line.

Sports And Outdoor

Sport and exercise lovers really are a unique group. In the over-serviced retail sector, relatively few consumers could really be described as obsessive about shopping or desperately loyal to specific brands. Athletes and keep-fit fans, on the other hand, are often very passionate about their hobby and this strongly influences how and where they spend their money. The challenge is to monetise this passion with appropriate digital solutions, both clientfacing and behind the scenes…

Digital Style

At our recent Digital Style conference in Manchester, among the brand values that were universally agreed to be vital were authenticity, integrity and consistency. Other key values are being relatable, professional and relevant. All of these should inform your content and communications across all channels.

Digital Style

At this year's Digital Style conference we heard from industry leaders sharing their opinions and brand journey through their digital strategies. We asked a few of our speakers, sponsors and delegates why they attended the event, the benefits of the day and this years trends.

Digital Style

In any race, knowing the prize is the single biggest incentive to do your best. For eCommerce, that prize is a share of a total market that, according to Statista, is predicted to be nearly £70 billion in the UK alone in 2019, out of a European market of £284 billion and a global market of £1.5 trillion.i And it’s growing fast: the global compound annual growth rate over the next 5 years is expected to be 8.0%.

Global Commerce

At our Global Commerce breakfast conference we asked our audience of brand and retail professionals about their current and future international expansion strategies.

Global Commerce

Most companies want to grow and many will do that by looking beyond the UK’s shores, where there are myriad opportunities for those that choose the right locations and implement well-planned strategies.

Content & Commerce

Consider this: social media, video and online shopping are where internet users are devoting most of their time, with those aged 16 to 64 spending a total of over 6.5 hours a day consuming content online across different channels.i This presents huge opportunities to capture the attention and imagination of consumers, no matter what you are trying to sell.

Content & Commerce

At our second edition of Content & Commerce Conference this September, 2018 in Manchester we asked over 50 industry professionals within eCommerce the following questions within a survey, and here are their responses.

Interview - Kate Mitchell

Kate explains how her team within eCommerce is delivering a digital transformation - putting the customer service at the heart of their ideas. Her challenge remains delivering a ‘great helping hand’ within the CX strategy.

Interview - Rebecca Scott

Rebecca explains the importance of being relatable and engaging with their audience is the key to their Instagram strategy, and how all the team are aware of the brand voice! She then goes on to explain NEUapparel has no desire to have a physical store and will continue to build CX throughout their website but have plans to be physically present using pop ups in the future.

Interview - Stephanie Nash and Paul Martin

Steph explains the transition Graham & Brown went through from a traditional bricks-and-mortar store to creating an eCommerce team, breaking the boundaries. Paul explains the fundamental changes they had to go through to grow as a business by implementing systems and having a ‘Can Ban’ approach.

Interview - Antony Comyns

Antony describes the way Hawes & Curtis link their channels to optimise sales, conveying the benefits to in-store staff of having a multichannel approach, and the journey towards a true single-customer view.

Interview - Rob Feldmann

Rob, the CEO of BrandAlley tells us about BrandAlley's customer base and how they effectively engage with them. He also goes on to explain how they share customer insights (purchase history, postcode analysis, brand data, age, gender etc.) with their brand partners to help them try and convert to full-price spend direct from the brand.

Interview - Janis Thomas

Janis Thomas explains how Birchbox are able to use a wide variety of customer data to provide truly personalised recommendations for customers. She also goes on to tell us how further investment in AI can only be beneficial for the business going forward.

Interview - Andrew Mann

Andrew explores the importance of pulling customers into the business – "more customers visiting more often..." – and what drives those customers to choose your business, even if only for smaller transactions.

Perfecting Personal

The concept of personalised goods and services has been around for a very long time. For most of that time, it was made possible by our propensity to shop locally. However, since the advent of eCommerce, where you never meet your customer and margins can be slim, successful personalisation has been one of the holy grails.

Interview - Usman Riaz

Usman tells us how the majority of EGO's traffic comes from mobile, so therefore everything from content to web design is always thought out and created with mobile in mind.

Interview - Hannah Bennett

Hannah briefly tells us the key reasons Paul Smith moved and updated their website in order to futureproof it. She also goes on to say why she likes our events.

Interview - David Kohn

David explains how Heal's manage their budget around content and how selective they have to be with their investments – making sure they get tangible results.

Interview - Jim Warren

Jim explores how Bloom & Wild increased conversion on the website as well as providing a better customer experience. They used their data to target people better by showing them relevant products and gifts at the right time.

Interview - Michelle Corp

Michelle talks to us about how Hotel Chocolat are really digging through their customer data and segments to truly understand what to give their customers from a content perspective.

Content & Commerce

At our 5th annual Content & Commerce conference in May 2018 we asked our select audience of over 100 eCommerce, digital, content, marketing and retail professionals to answer the following questions, and here are their responses.

Interview - James Gold

How Skinnydip have fully utilised Social Media.

Interview - Jonny Quach

Jonny discusses AirHelp's growth strategy.

Content & Commerce London

Producing the right content to sell your products.

Sports And Outdoor

Sport and activity are high on the news agenda, as many bemoan the UK’s apparent lack of interest in keeping t and the growing problem of obesity. Yet according to Sport England, three-quarters of adults in the UK are ‘active’ or ‘fairly active’. That’s a lot of people who need the right clothes, equipment and support to take part in whatever activity piques their interest...

Sports And Outdoor

At our Sports & Outdoor conference in April 2018, we asked our selected audience of eCommerce, digital, marketing and retail professionals to answer some questions. Here are their responses.

Interview - Andrew Manteit

Andrew explores how having a community and fans who buy into your brand can make for lifelong customers. He also tells us how Active In Style utilise their community across digital platforms, not only to create content, but also share it and drive new customers.

Interview - David Hanney

David describes how Alpkit was founded. He tells us how the passion & love for outdoor pursuits - climbing, bouldering, camping etc. - makes for a fantastic brand ethos that customers really want to buy into.

Interview - Emma Reid

Emma explains the desire Tribe Sports had to capitalise on the running market and produce high quality, good performing, stylish running gear. She also goes on to tell us how they use social and influencers to drive the business.

Mastering Multichannel

Unless you are one of the rare companies that already has an operational omnichannel setup, how do you make your channels work together to provide a multichannel experience that will win both the hearts and the pounds of today’s buyers?

Interview - Matthew Henton

Matthew – Head of eCommerce at Moss Bros. – explores the rate of change in eCommerce and retail, how Moss Bros. needs effectively use customer data, and keep improving experiences both digitally & in-store.

Digital Style

At our Digital Style conference in January 2018 we asked our select audience of eCommerce, digital, marketing and retail professionals to answer some questions, and here are their responses.

Digital Style

According to BoF and McKinsey & Company, “adoption of disruptive technologies...is accelerating, with the potential to disrupt entire industries – including fashion.” They also note that “the modern shopper’s comfort with digital channels and content has changed the consumer purchase journey from a traditional linear model, to a complex journey across online and offline touchpoints.”

Interview - Erik Bergstrom

Erik talks about how Grand Frank are looking to build the business differently and without resellers - keeping the products unique and cool.

Interview - James Wehner

James explains how it's easy to get caught up in a big corporate company and the nuances that can be learnt from startups. Also, about how the overall commerce experience needs to be great for every customer.

Consumerology

The inexorable rise of online commerce has left many wondering how best to approach retail overall – not only to maximise sales, but also to strike the right balance between online and instore sales, and across all the channels used to communicate with customers. Companies that are serious about growth need to be ‘omnichannel’ businesses, but getting that right is not straightforward.

Interview - Ian Whittingham

Ian told us how Sigma Sport want to keep a 'single view' of their customers in order to truly tailor the content and experience, making sure everyone is receiving correct & relevant communication.

Content & Commerce

In a world of marginal gains, content is the last battleground. Yet people are consuming content in an ever more complicated fashion, with entertainment mixed with consumerism, and media effectiveness becoming less predictable.

Content & Commerce

At our most recent annual Content & Commerce conference we asked our audience a series of questions around their online content strategy, the rise of social media as a channel, and where to improve the customer journey.

Future Commerce

Persuading someone to buy from you is harder than it’s ever been. At a time when there are so many ways available to reach out to potential customers, that may seem an odd thing to say, but it is the broad range that is the problem. Where do you focus your efforts and what kind of content do you employ in order to persuade people to buy something – and buy it from you, not someone else?

Future Commerce

Infographic from the Future Commerce event, discussing modernising the content layer.

Cross-Atlantic Commerce

How to maximise your chance of success. In the UK, retail has reached a plateau – indeed, by some measures it is declining. So if you want your retail business to grow, looking beyond the confines of your national market is a must. And the most obvious place to start is the largest retail market in the world – the United States, where online sales are growing at around 15% year-on-year.

Digital Style

The results are in from our survey at Digital Style 2017.

Interview - Charlotte Thomée

Charlotte tells us about the value of having a localised offering in every territory that you’re operating in, especially with regards to calendar-based promotions, discounts and offers.

Interview - Spencer Hudson

Spencer explores the challenges of having a website that can deliver content across various platforms and to differing global markets, along with the importance of having good local contacts in country.

Interview - Paul Giuffredi

Paul discusses growing the business into new territories by using online marketplaces as a trial, then based on the success set up a localised website offering.

Interview - Susanne Given

Get to know Susanne Given, SuperGroup's COO.

Interview - Karen Moon

Get to know Karen Moon, Trendalytics's Founder.

Interview - Donna Kelly

Get to know Donna Kelly, Dressipi's Co-Founder.

Interview - Claire Goodman

Meet Claire Goodman, L.K. Bennett's CRM Manager.

Paperchase Launch New Responsive Design Website

Responding to increased consumer demand for mobile shopping opportunities, Paperchase have launched a new responsive design website. The new site, which uses the Magento Enterprise platform, aims to offer online shoppers the fastest and most efficient online shopping experience, regardless of whether they are using a mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.

Interview - Julia Elliott Brown

Get to know Julia Elliott Brown, Upper Street's Founder.

Interview - Lindsay Clifford-Smith

Get to know Lindsay Clifford-Smith, Jimmy Choo's Global Head of eCommerce

Where Content Meets Commerce

What was the underlying theme of the recent eCommerce Futures conference on Content & Commerce? I'd say it was the paramount importance of knowing your customer – and therefore of mastering the many techniques that now exist for extending and deepening that knowledge.

Interview - Gerald Dawson

Get to know Gerald Dawson, Long Tall Sally's Marketing and eCommerce Director.

Interview - André Brown

Meet André Brown, Locayta's CEO.