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In this episode of the Inside Commerce podcast, James Gurd interviews Seb Villien, the Digital Director at Smythson, discussing the nuances of customer experience and personalisation in the context of luxury brands.

They explore the differences between high street fashion and luxury retail, the importance of user experience, and how Smythson enhances customer service to drive revenue.

Seb shares insights on the role of AI, the significance of empowering customer service teams, and the strategies for measuring success and fostering customer loyalty. The conversation also touches on the challenges of internationalisation and localisation in delivering a consistent brand experience across different markets.

Key takeaways:

• Customer experience is crucial for luxury brands.
• Smythson focuses on storytelling in their collections.
• Post-purchase experience is key to customer satisfaction.
• AI is used to support, not replace, human interaction.
• Customer service can drive revenue and loyalty.
• Empowering teams leads to better customer experiences.
• Personalisation is essential in luxury retail.
• A thorough recruitment process is vital for customer service roles.
• Internationalisation requires balancing global brand consistency with local adaptation.
• Technology should be maximised before seeking new solutions.

In this podcast, Paul Rogers interviews Philipp Mensch, head of growth at Luca Faloni, an Italian premium menswear brand.

We explore the brand's recent replatforming to Centra from Shopify, focusing on the need for a scalable and flexible tech stack to support international growth.

Philipp shares insights on managing internal resources during the migration, the importance of internationalisation and localisation, and the brand's commitment to a direct-to-consumer strategy.

We also explore the omnichannel experience, customer services, and the evolving approach to loyalty programs, emphasising the need for a unique and engaging customer experience.

Philipp also provides his thoughts on the future roadmap for Luca Faloni, highlighting the focus on continuous innovation and improvement in the omnichannel space.

Key takeaways:

• Luca Faloni focuses on high-quality, timeless menswear.
• The decision to replatform was driven by international growth needs.
• Centra's headless solution offers flexibility and scalability.
• A hybrid approach was used for resource management during migration.
• Localisation includes language, currency, and seasonal content adjustments.
• Direct-to-consumer strategy is prioritised over wholesale.
• Omnichannel services include endless aisle orders and gift cards.
• Loyalty programs aim to create brand ambassadors, not just transactions.
• Integration of loyalty with CRM enhances customer experience.
• Future plans include improving omnichannel logistics and communication.

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Paul Rogers speaks with Anton Johansson, founder of Grebban, about the evolving landscape of ecommerce design and branding. They discuss the importance of creating a compelling brand experience, the shift towards investing in creative over development, and the role of AI in enhancing customer interactions.

The conversation also touches on the significance of community engagement, the impact of dopamine culture on design, and emerging trends in ecommerce. Through case studies like Djerf Avenue, they explore how innovative design can drive customer loyalty and conversion.

Key takeaways:

1. Investing in creative is essential for brands to engage customers.

2. Ecommerce design should focus on brand experience, not just transactions.

3. AI will significantly change the shopping experience in the future.

4. Community engagement is crucial for building brand loyalty.

5. Dopamine culture influences how users interact with websites.

6. Design subscriptions offer a continuous approach to creative needs.

7. Personalisation will become more advanced with AI technology.

8. Static websites struggle to retain user attention; interactivity is key.

9. Using two agencies can enhance both creative and technical aspects of projects.

10. Emerging design trends emphasise community and interactive elements.

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Flexible working is a hot topic. Amazon is the latest company to stir up debate around the virtues of giving employees the best possible work/life balance.

A CBI Employment Trends survey found that 99% of all businesses surveyed believe that a flexible workforce is vital or important to competitiveness. BUT...

Flexibility means different things to different people e.g. working around school runs, being able to work from home, starting later and finishing later, not having to take annual leave for appointments etc.

And you need to consider diversity and inclusivity.... it's not as easy as it looks!

We borrowed a quote from Sara Russell, Marketing Director at 5874 Commerce to kick start our debate:

“So does the eCommerce industry need flexible working? If we want to attract and retain top talent, keep our teams engaged and provide top-level customer satisfaction then yes we do.”

Tune in to listen to different approaches from three highly respected digital leaders: Ross Allsop, Director of Growth at PANGAIA, Dan Partridge, CEO at leading Shopify partner Swanky (Shopify Plus Agency) and Paul Rogers, MD at award winning digital agency Vervaunt.

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This podcast delves into the evolving landscape of return strategies in ecommerce, emphasising the need for retailers to shift their perspective from viewing returns as a cost & policy to recognising them as an important customer service.

The discussion highlights the complexities involved in managing returns, the hidden costs associated with poor return management, and the growing concern of return fraud. Additionally, we explore the impact of return policies on customer loyalty and the importance of defining fair usage.

As more major brands starts to embrace paid returns and reset customer expectations, we also explore technological innovations that can help you streamline return processes and improve customer experiences, ultimately helping you take greater control of your returns strategy and process.

Key takeaways:

1. Returns should be seen as a service, not just a cost line: services get invested in whereas costs get cut.

2. Poorly managed returns can lead to significant hidden costs.

3. Return fraud is a growing concern that needs addressing.

4. The impact of returns on customer loyalty is significant.

5. Defining fair usage in return policies is essential for sustainability.

6. Technological innovations can streamline return processes.

7. Data analytics is key to understanding return impacts.

8. The future of returns will involve more personalised and data-driven approaches.

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In this episode, James Gurd and Paul Rogers discuss examples of innovative and creative executions in ecommerce. They highlight features and designs that enhance the customer experience, add value, and drive smarter business decisions.

The examples include Lily's Kitchen, Atoms, Gymshark:, Rimowa, Civilist Berlin, Patagonia, Nudie Jeans, Motel Rocks & Djerf Avenue.

The episode emphasises the importance of standing out and creating points of difference in ecommerce.

Key takeaways:

1. Innovation in ecommerce involves finding creative executions that enhance the customer experience and drive smarter business decisions.

2. Features like personalised feeding guidelines, stock notifications with product recommendations, and complex product configuration can add value and improve the customer journey.

3. Collecting and utilising product reviews can provide valuable insights and help counter conversion barriers.

4. Customisation options, engaging storytelling, and interactive elements can make the shopping experience more enjoyable and memorable.

5. Size profiling, curated looks, and brand value storytelling can help customers find the right products and connect with the brand's values.

6. Attention to design details, such as animations, iconography, and typography, can create a unique and engaging website.

7. It's important to stand out and create points of difference in ecommerce to drive better outcomes and customer engagement.

In this episode, we discuss BigCommerce's latest product release with Jordan Sim, VP of Product Management, and Joe Comins, director of strategy at leading SI Codal.

The conversation covers topics such as the current direction of BigCommerce's product strategy, the integration of Makeswift into the Catalyst framework, the flexibility and control provided by the visual editor, the workflow management tools, and the advancements in B2B functionality.

Jordan and Joe highlight the importance of providing an unopinionated and flexible platform for businesses to customise their storefronts and manage content.

BigCommerce is focused on B2B strategy, offering unique use cases for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers. They are working on creating a marketplace for B2B and B2C experiences. BigCommerce is also developing AI technology to speed up the B2B quoting process.

They are expanding their multi-storefront functionality to support localised blogs, shipping methods, and variant product data. The ability to have subdirectories in domains is supported through Headless and will be available on Stencil in the future.

Tune in to hear directly from the people shaping BigCommerce's product strategy and implementing solutions for ecommerce businesses.

Key takeaways:

• BigCommerce's product strategy is focused on helping customers sell more and equipping them with tools to navigate the challenging retail landscape.
• The integration of Makeswift into the Catalyst framework provides a visual editing experience for composable storefronts, making headless builds more accessible to marketers.
• BigCommerce offers flexibility and control in managing content across the store, allowing developers and marketing teams to customise the visual editor based on their needs.
• The platform provides workflow management tools and publishing controls, enabling collaboration and efficient content creation.
• The advancements in B2B functionality, such as advanced account hierarchy, custom roles, and open-source fire port, cater to the needs of larger B2B enterprises and provide flexibility in mimicking their business structures and workflows.
• AI technology is being used to speed up the B2B quoting process.
• BigCommerce is expanding their multi-storefront functionality to support localised blogs, shipping methods, and variant product data.
• Checkout extensions allow for customisation without the need for a custom checkout.
• BigCommerce is also investing in feed dynamics, including a connector to the Shein marketplace and instant commerce for same-day delivery and in-store pickup.

Ecommerce is a fast-paced industry, with constant change, new market entrants and incumbents updating their products with new features and fixes.

James & Paul spend a lot of time looking at ecommerce strategy and technology, talking to agencies and technology vendors, so this series is a digest of what they’ve found interesting, what ecommerce teams should be thinking about, as well as highlighting interesting stories and cool tools they come across in their day-to-day work.

In this episode we cover the general, more positive market mood in the ecommerce industry. Inevitably we reference the dominance of Shopify in replatforming projects, the positive outlook for agencies, and the growth of other platforms like BigCommerce and Centra.

We also discuss interesting technology developments, including the launch of Blueprints by Patchworks and the ecommerce design subscription by Grebban. We then cover Amazon Prime Day, drone delivery, and collaborations between non-competitive businesses.

Key takeaways:

1. Shopify continues to dominate the replatforming market, but other platforms like BigCommerce and Centra are also seeing growth.
2. The market mood for agencies is more positive, with an increase in inbound leads and a surge in new projects.
3. Interesting tech developments include the launch of Blueprints by Patchworks and the ecommerce design subscription by Grebban.
4. Amazon Prime Day saw significant growth in mobile sales and a surge in high-ticket item purchases.
5. Drone delivery is gaining traction, with Amazon receiving FAA approval for longer flights and beyond visual line of sight.
6. Collaborations between non-competitive businesses, like Card Factory and Just Eat, are opening up new distribution channels.
7. Shein is suing Temu for selling counterfeit products, which affects brand reputation and drives up costs for brands.
8. Vervaunt's Pulse event in New York is expanding, offering a platform for ecommerce professionals to connect and learn.

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