Hi {{first_name|there}},
We’re back - and this time, it’s San Diego!
Earlier this year, we brought you inside the playbook at eTail Palm Springs 2025, where the conversations circled around AI’s first big leap into retail workflows, the mounting pressure of retail media, and loyalty programs becoming profit engines.
That conversation continues at eTail Connect West 2025. Taking place September 15–17 at Loews Coronado Bay, this invite-only summit is built around three themes: AI and efficiency, leadership and loyalty, and collaboration-driven growth. The agenda is stacked with candid C-level keynotes, brand case studies, and innovation workshops that drill into how retail leaders are recalibrating for 2025.
🔄 What’s still echoing from Palm Springs
AI moved from hype to operations: Retailers shifted focus to ROI. Attribution, demand forecasting, and customer support were tested in the wild - and judged on results.
Retail media pressed into margins: Clean room fatigue was real, and brands demanded clarity in how spend links to growth.
Loyalty was reframed: Ulta and Kroger showed how loyalty programs are now engines for retail media and growth, not just engagement.
Leadership under scrutiny: Economic uncertainty raised the stakes on strategy, resilience, and culture.
Those signals are converging again in San Diego - with sharper questions, new case studies, and a focus on what it takes to sustain momentum.
🔮 What to Watch at eTail Connect West 2025
🧠 AI in the retail decision loop
AI is no longer about pilots. Sessions dig into applied use cases — from predictive demand and reverse logistics to AI-powered order management and search.
Sessions to Watch:
- Keynote Panel: Show Me the Money! AI Use Cases to Increase Productivity and Drive Results (IPSY, Stitch Fix, Williams-Sonoma, Boiron, Coframe)
- Client Case Study: Real-World Applications of Agentic AI in Order Management (Kibo)
- Case Study: Applied AI Powering Brand Transformation (1-800-Flowers)
And here’s where Fospha comes in. With AI accelerating, measurement is the missing link. Fospha gives marketers full-funnel clarity on what channels really drive profitable growth - cutting through dashboards and noise to enable decisions, not just reporting.
📺 Attribution and measurement pressure points
Attribution is in the spotlight again, with brands demanding better ways to connect spend and results across channels.
Sessions to Watch:
- Panel Discussion Remix: Revolutionizing Your Approach to Attribution in an Omnichannel Environment (MotoSport, Advantice Health, Draper James)
- Innovation Workshop: From Attribution to Action – Building a Growth Engine with Advanced Analytics (Affordable Care Inc)
💳 Loyalty and post-purchase innovation
Customer value isn’t in the cart anymore; it’s in the moments after. From post-purchase strategies to data-driven loyalty, these sessions tackle lifetime value as the growth lever.
Sessions to Watch:
- Panel Remix: Beyond the Cart – Transforming Post-Purchase Moments into Lifelong Loyalty (Mattel, JustFoodForDogs, Manscaped, Fashionphile, GHD)
- Panel: Harnessing Brand Innovation and Data Driven Insights to Lead Market Differentiation (BÉIS Travel)
🛍️ DTC resilience in a crowded market
DTC may be tougher than before, but brands are doubling down on ownership of customer data and margin control.
Sessions to Watch:
- Presentation: Building a Thriving DTC Channel in a Crowded Marketplace (Stanley)
- TikTok Shops Case Study: How MaryRuth’s Scaled to High 8 Figures Profitably
👥 Leadership, culture, and the evolving workplace
From tariffs to hybrid work and burnout, leaders are navigating complexity on all sides.
Sessions to Watch:
- The Evolving Workplace: Mental Health, Hybrid Work, and Workforce Resilience (Advantice Health)
- Fossil Keynote: Elevating Your Leadership Game During Times of Transformation
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 Connect West 2025 is about to get even more exciting!
Unofficially eTail Team
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