Hi {{first_name|there}},
Next stop: San Diego🌴
At eTail Boston, AI moved from buzz to business, retail media’s pressure on margins came into sharp focus, and loyalty proved itself as a real growth engine. Now the conversation heads west for eTail Connect West 2025.
This year we’ll be diving into:
✨ AI that delivers ROI
✨ Loyalty and leadership in volatile times
✨ Growth through smarter collaboration
🔙 What We Learnt At eTail Boston
Community isn’t just a buzzword — it’s becoming the backbone of brand loyalty.
In Boston, Fospha’s, Dom Devlin joined Lindsay McClelland (Little Sleepies) to explore how today’s fastest-growing brands are building communities that power growth. The strongest ones aren’t built on transactions, but on trust, connection, and shared value.
Key lessons:
Meet customers where they already are (Facebook groups, due date forums, social touchpoints)
Use feedback loops as always-on focus groups
Reward engagement with access, not just discounts
Surprise-and-delight moments turn customers into advocates
Protect the community with clear guardrails
👉 The big takeaway: a community isn’t just a channel — it’s an ecosystem that fuels acquisition, retention, and advocacy simultaneously.
☝️Press here to read more
🔄 Spotlight Themes To Expect in San Diego
🧠 AI In The Retail Decision Loop
No more pilots — this year it’s about real deployments: demand prediction, reverse logistics, 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)
📺 Attribution And Measurement Pressure Points
Measurement is under the spotlight again. Expect fresh debate on how to connect omnichannel spend with real business outcomes.
Sessions to watch:
Panel 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
The customer relationship doesn’t end at checkout — post-purchase journeys and loyalty data are now 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
The DTC playbook is under pressure, but it’s also where brands can take control of data and margins.
Sessions to watch:
Presentation: Building a Thriving DTC Channel in a Crowded Marketplace (Stanley)
Case Study: How MaryRuth’s Scaled TikTok Shops to High 8 Figures Profitably
👥 Leadership and Culture
From tariffs to hybrid work, leaders are adapting fast — and under the spotlight.
Sessions to watch:
Panel: The Evolving Workplace: Mental Health, Hybrid Work, and Workforce Resilience (Advantice Health)
Keynote: Elevating Your Leadership Game During Times of Transformation (Fossil)
Boston gave us the signals. San Diego is where the retail agenda for 2026 begins to take shape.
📲 Like what you’re seeing?
Make sure you don’t miss us.
To keep these insights in your main inbox, follow these quick steps:
Gmail:
Mobile: Tap the 3 dots top right → ‘Move to’ → ‘Primary’
Desktop: Drag this email to your ‘Primary’ tab
Apple Mail:
Tap our email at the top → ‘Add to VIPs’Other apps:
Add [email protected] to your address book
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Independently Created. Not affiliated with eTail Boston.
Unofficially eTail is a ClickZ Media publication in the Events division