2024 eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing closes with focus on customer service

2024’s eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing came to a close today with a headline session on the balance between brand building and performance marketing.

Chaired by Farzana Nasser, eCommerce Growth Marketing & Business Transformation at Chameleon Collective and supported by execs from GNC, Movado Group and Houzer, the session looked at the impact of differing strategies between the two and the pitfalls of leaning too much into either side.

Elsewhere, Kimmo Jukuri is the Global Head of External Products & Partners and interim Head of Marketplaces at H&M talked about the importance of technology and data and how it has helped the retailer better serve its customers. “We put AI and data at the heart of our fashion project,” said Jukuri. “The core offering of H&M’s digital experience is focused on flexibility and personalisation for the consumer, and the ability to offer complex and compelling data analysis means we can further curate the customer experience.”

The future of customer service was a big topic over the two days of the conferences. Gareth Franks, Director of Operations at Nationwide said that the service industry “Has the opportunity to elevate its future by leveraging technology”, but that human involvement “remains critical”.

Also speaking on the topic was Martin Oakley, Operations Director for Laithwaite Wines who argued that, although customer service is constantly evolving, “technology is empowering people to perform better.”

Simon Shaw, Director of Digital Care at Virgin Media O2, added that “The rising expectations of younger generations, such as instant gratification, are pushing the customer service sector to innovate, driving significant investment and opportunity.”

Younger customers were also front of mind, with a panel session focused on the topic of Gen Alpha discussing the demands of the generation and what retailers and brands can do now to put them in a good place for the future.

“Gen Alpha has a completely different language than any generation before,” said Lea Karam, Consulting Director at BEHAVE. “As a retailer or brand, they need to look at the trends and micro identities of these people and adapt their voices and experiences to attract the customers of the future.”

Ruth Arber, Head of Fashion, Retail & Travel Verticals at SNAP said: “The nature of online shopping, such as the seamless experience and next-day delivery, is normal for Gen Alpha. But the ability to go into the store is much more exciting for them as they can physically enjoy something different. Retailers need to focus on connecting the physical with the digital.”

eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing will return to ExCeL London in 2025.