eTail London 2025 closed its doors, and two days of inspiring debates and bold reveals left us with clear themes powering the retail industry forward. Here’s what resonated most:
🎯 AI That Delivers
Presenters from Pandora to Lenovo sketched a picture of AI that isn’t futuristic fluff—it’s practical and profit-driven. From neuro-inclusive UX to auto-optimising CRO engines, more and more brands are aligning AI investments with measurable business results.
💥 Founder-Led Storytelling
The session with PerfectTed’s Levi Levenfiche stole the spotlight. He shared how he transformed a niche matcha brand into a mainstream staple by embracing their “too niche” label—building trust through education, community sampling, and authentic storytelling. His advice? Sell belief before selling products.
🔄 Omnichannel Measurement Matters — Big Time
Live commerce and shoppable streams are blurring marketing lines. The big challenge: measuring that top-of-funnel influence. As brands poured budgets into TikTok, Meta, and YouTube, they’re asking the hard question: “Did it drive revenue?”
👉 Enter Fospha, which surfaced repeatedly in backstage conversations. Their full-funnel measurement brings clarity to social and retail performance—even funneling insights into Amazon sales. In an omnichannel world, that visibility is gold.
❤️ Loyalty Reimagined
This year, loyalty wasn’t framed around apps, tiers, or transactional perks. It was about emotional stickiness—how brands create meaning beyond the checkout. The most effective strategies focused on post-purchase storytelling, and building habits, not just repeat purchases.
🛠️ Personalisation with Purpose
Personalisation talk matured this year. Less about knowing a customer’s name, more about anticipating needs responsibly. Sessions from Lenovo, SideChef, and Biotiful Gut Health leaned into real-time, inclusive personalisation without breaching consumer trust. GDPR-ready, first-party data strategies were emphasised as non-negotiables in post-cookie reality.
📌 Key Takeaways:
AI is back—but only where it proves value.
Brand-building works best when it’s founder-led and belief-driven. The strongest narratives this year came from leaders who were still close to the customer.
Measurement is under the spotlight. As omnichannel marketing gets noisier, tools like Fospha are helping cut through by showing what’s actually driving results.
Loyalty starts after the purchase. The experience matters.
Responsible personalisation isn’t optional. In a world of rising scrutiny, trust is the new currency.
What Others Are Sharing
Here’s a few thoughts from my closing remarks...
From the TikTok Shop dive into discovery commerce to hearing how brands like NET-A-PORTER, ŌURA, AKT London, D.LOUISE and Lucky Saint | B Corp™ are building and breaking boundaries, the energy in the room was amazing. We heard stories of bold growth, brave pivots and brilliant strategies.
However, if there’s one message that echoed through every session, it’s this:
✨Modern retail isn’t just about selling more, it’s about connecting better✨
With over 25 years in retail and through hosting The Retail Tea Break Podcast, I’ve had the privilege of hearing many industry voices, but yesterday reminded me again:
✨The future of retail is collaborative, curious and unapologetically customer-obsessed✨
Here’s to pushing boundaries, asking better questions, and always keeping people at the heart of what we do.
Could a single QR code on a dress rewrite fashion’s supply chain? | Alex R.
Could a single QR code on a dress rewrite fashion’s supply chain?
That’s the bet Andrew Xeni Founder & Chairman of Nobody's Child, laid out on stage with the Richard Lim CEO of Retail Economics at eTail™/ eTail EU hashtag#London.
“65–70 % of the items on our site already carry a Digital Product Passport, and we’re driving to 100 % by year-end,” Xeni told the room. Each passport tracks the garment to tier 5, listing every mill, wash, and trim, plus carbon, water, durability, and resale data all before you hit ‘Add to Bag.’
Lim pressed the point: is this compliance headache or growth engine?
Xeni’s answer was blunt:
“If you want to stay relevant in five years, you need to conform, seven of the UK’s top ten retailers are building with us right now.”
Why it matters
• EU legislation will soon make Digital Product Passports mandatory for textiles; early movers turn regulation into brand trust.
• Transparent data unlocks new revenue—Nobody’s Child sees a third of customers scanning passports, feeding personalisation at SKU level.
• NFC tracking can verify every hand-off, slashing counterfeits and easing returns.
Act now
1. Map your data gaps. If you can’t name every tier-3 supplier, start there.
2. Choose an open schema. Future audits will demand machine-readable fields, not marketing copy.
3. Pilot a product line. Prove the ROI, then scale passport tooling across the range.
Consumers and regulators are asking louder every quarter: Show me the story behind my clothes. Brands that answer first will own the narrative.
Sharing a quick brain dump as I gather my thoughts from the last few days at eTail™ London. | Lavina Suthenthiran
Right now I'm reflecting on why founder-led brands are making significant waves in today’s retail landscape.
With insights from The Sole Supplier, PerfectTed, and D.LOUISE, as well as many other outstanding brands, one thing stood out clearly: Real founder-led storytelling is driving genuine connections and community.
Levi Levenfiche from PerfectTed shared how he, his wife and brother launched the “coffee-tasting, caffeine-free matcha” brand after discovering that matcha helped his wife manage ADHD in ways coffee couldn’t (I had a try and it was pretty good without that usual matcha taste).
Olivia Jenkins created D.LOUISE as a tribute to her late mother, turning personal loss into a mission that resonates with her community (I shared her guide to starting and scaling on e-commerce yesterday- check it out if you have that entrepreneurial itch).
George Sullivan built The Sole Supplier from a personal passion for sneakers and a dislike for the regular 9-5, growing it into a trusted hub for enthusiasts by sharing his own journey.
These examples show how founder visibility and honest narratives can really build loyalty and community in ways traditional marketing can’t.
More thoughts, tips, trends & coverage, coming soon to RetailWire and right here, as I drink a little more tea and collect all my thoughts from an insight packed couple of days.
Unofficially eTail London Team
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