eTail London, decoded.

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?
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.

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.