Hi {{first_name|there}},
eTail Boston is where the most forward-thinking brands, retailers, and tech leaders come together to rethink how growth happens.
As an official media partner, Unofficially eTail, brought to you by ClickZ, is your backstage pass to the insights, strategies, and operator-tested ideas shaping retail’s next chapter. From marketing measurement to creative collaboration, our coverage cuts through the noise to help you get the most from this year’s summit — and stay ahead of what’s coming next.
🔁 What Last Year Taught Us
🧵 Storytelling became a growth lever
Content strategy moved beyond conversion checklists. Lauren Livak Gilbert from The Digital Shelf Institute stressed the importance of aligning story formats with how consumers actually make purchase decisions. Teams focused on rewiring their creative briefs to support brand narratives that build trust and relevance.
🔐 Personalization became a value trade
Jason Davis from Simon Data explained how most brands still miss the mark—because they’re optimizing for targeting, not understanding. First-party data is being used to fuel personalization that feels timely and contextual, rather than generic or transactional.
👀 Gen Z discovery shifted channels
Sessions from The Z Suite keynote highlighted how Gen Z is reshaping the path to purchase. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and niche creator communities now play a central role in product discovery—but these touchpoints don’t always lead to immediate conversion. Instead, they trigger a non-linear journey where traditional attribution models fall short, especially those still anchored in last-click logic.
👉 That’s where a partner like Fospha comes in.
Their full-funnel measurement platform helps marketers see how early engagement on channels like TikTok and Meta drives incremental revenue—even when purchases happen later on platforms like Amazon. With unified ROAS and daily forecasting built to global privacy standards, Fospha replaces guesswork with evidence, helping brands defend brand spend and scale with confidence.
📊 Want the data behind it? Fospha’s latest Glow Report shows how brands like Sweaty Betty and Lounge Underwear are using early signals—like branded search and engaged visits—to tie inspiration to revenue and prove impact across the funnel.
🧭 Leadership was tied to team design
At the Women in (R)eTail panel, executives including Mimi Swain (Ring & Blink) and Courtney Graybill discussed how scaling requires more than hiring fast. Strong operators are auditing skill gaps early and setting cross-functional principles to align teams before launch.
🧃 Omnichannel was not a tactic but the model
IKEA’s Christina Monkman shared how customer behavior is pushing the brand to remove the wall between digital and in-store teams. The focus is shifting toward building systems that allow both to move together, not compete.
📌 What We Saw at eTail West and London
🤖 AI shifted from idea to execution
At eTail West 2025, speakers reported AI handling up to 50% of inbound customer service requests. Retailers leaned into AI-based triage and workflow tools to free up human support for retention-driving tasks. Paid media fatigue pushed more brands to double down on email and owned channels.
🔁 Loyalty now starts after checkout
eTail London made it clear: post-purchase is no longer just operations. Brands are using return behavior, reviews, and referral triggers to power CRM strategy. One common thread was the move to integrate this data directly into campaign cycles.
🔮 What to Watch at eTail Boston 2025
This year’s summit is about execution under pressure.
With tighter budgets, rising acquisition costs, and fractured shopper journeys, 2025’s sessions are dialing into sustainable, scalable growth. Brands are here to solve for efficiency and creativity.
Here are a few major threads running through this year’s agenda — and the sessions you won’t want to miss.
💡 Loyalty Beyond Points
Post-purchase engagement has matured. It’s about experiences that feel thoughtful, emotional, and reciprocal.
Sessions to Watch
🔹 Creating Surprise and Delight Moments for Lasting Customer Loyalty — J.McLaughlin, Michaels Companies, DudeRobe
🔹 We’re in D2C 3.0 — What Does That Mean? — Lalo
📲 Community Commerce Goes Mainstream
Social-led discovery is no longer a Gen Z quirk — it’s reshaping how every generation shops. Retailers are adapting to fractured, fast-moving journeys that start on TikTok and end on Amazon or in-store.
Sessions to Watch
🔹 The Traditional Marketing Funnel is Dead, Long Live the Funnel! Following New Non-Linear Customer Journey — Therabody, Boathouse Sports, Resident, Goop, Tailor
🔹 Making the Most of TikTok: Keeping Up with Current Trends to Boost Sales — Henkel, Fospha, Mid-Day Squares, DMi Partners
🧱 Retail Resilience Through Collaboration
Legacy vs. digital-native is no longer the dividing line. Brands are finding resilience in strategic partnerships, cross-brand collaborations, and retail media that fuels mutual growth.
Sessions to Watch
🔹 Mastering Brand Collaborations for Mutual Growth — Lands’ End, Nuuly, Shinola, Reserve Bar
🔹 Respecting Brand Heritage While Focusing on Innovation and Growth — Nuts.com
📰 Have a story to tell or results to spotlight?
ClickZ is on-site and lining up quick interviews.
📲 Like what you’re seeing?
And that’s just the beginning. We’ve got exclusive insights and game-changing ideas coming your way in the next few weeks — all designed to keep you ahead of the curve. Stay tuned, because eTail Boston 2025 is about to get even more exciting!
Unofficially eTail Boston Team
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Unofficially eTail is a ClickZ Media publication in the Events division