It's Chloë’s Weekly Update

⏩ Forwarded this email? Subscribe to get your own copy here

eCommerce Expo Takeaways

Hello {{first_name | there}} ,

With eCommerce Expo happening last week, what else could this week’s newsletter be about?!

What was it like this year?

Buzzing - through both days. No chance anyone was leaving their stands early! As I left (about 3pm on day 2) it was still busy.

Lots of retailers - all the stands I spoke to seemed happy enough with the quality of delegates

Tech issues on day 1, something wasn't right with the badge and scan machines… cue VERY long lines, and eventually everyone being let in without badges, which led to an amusing domino effect as those with badges realised they could get away with hiding their own badges. Amusing to watch, not amusing if you've paid for accurate scan data from your stand or sessions.

Outside events - as per usual I avoided all of these, but heard nothing bad (or out of this world good) about any of them. I also think we have reached peak “partner piss up” - LinkedIn post on that coming soon…

Best non-eCommerce reason to attend a stand? The marshmallow on a stick booth.

Best place to find a seat… no where - by 11am you just had to hustle.

Would I recommend The Growth Summit to a retailer?

For the first time this year, I got a ticket to the IMRG Growth Summit because I was hosting a panel there in the afternoon.

It's a separate retailer-only conference happening in the Excel on day 1 of the eCommerce Expo. A mix of presentations, panels, and speed networking-style discussion sessions.

If I were a retailer, I'd definitely bag a ticket - some fascinating content, and people in the room to connect with, great food too.

But I'd probably pop in and out, nipping down to the full Expo when I was less interested in the agenda.

Big themes.

I mean, there was a LOT of AI.

Which was fascinating, as the other side of Excel was taken over by IAAPA Expo Europe - the events and entertainment industry - everything from Museums and Art Galleries via Theme Parks to Children's soft play areas.

All industries that ARE eCommerce and that handle huge amounts of data…

But over there, no one was talking about AI at all.

Mad isn't in?

Is there less money to spend on events?

I'm pretty certain it was smaller than last year (if only because you had space to write on the map, and the networking bar area was massive).

And there was some noticeable downsizing of stands…

Klaviyo was still big, much smaller than previous years - especially in the air.
Mailchimp were just an upright on the Hyva stand
Shopify stand looked smaller - but they were taking a lot people to the VIP lounge that they'd also sponsored, so many a strategic twist? (as this post from their team suggests).
No Commerce

PLUS no one had bought the entry to the expo - you get all the way from the train station to the badge pick up without seeing a single advert for an expo exhibitor. First time I've ever experienced that.

I suspect this less of a “don't spend on events” and more of “spend differently on events” - but it'll be interesting to see if the trend continues next year.

Where will we all meet in the spring?

With IRX no longer in existence - where will we all gather in Spring 2027? Seems to long to wait until next September.

Future post-expo updates to come either here on LinkedIn include:

My speaker session on second-hand and returns
Thoughts on AI implementation by retailers
The ace case study presentation I did with Doofinder
Peak partner piss up.

So keep reading…

Keep Optimising!

Chloe

Podcast Host, Author, and now... Chief Success Strategist @ Emetko Media

Poll time:

We want to learn a bit more about you and your eCommerce world - so welcome to our brand new “Poll time” section of the newsletter - just click to vote.

How ready are you for Black Friday?

Go on, be honest...

We Recommend:

Brand new episode: Ciaran Crean, Mick's Garage

Since recording Mick’s Garage has been sold… so we obviously don’t talk about that… but can you hear it in Ciaran’s voice?

Fascinating chat about a very big, very successful eCommerce store.

Find the show on all the top podcast players including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

You can also find the notes and listen on the website, just click here for this week's new episode.

One of Europe’s biggest fashion marketplaces cut photo production costs by up to 90%

SCAYLE STUDIOS is the AI-powered content engine helping fashion and lifestyle brands create eCommerce imagery faster, cheaper, and at scale.

Starting with just one product image, brands can:

Choose models, styling, poses and settings
Create and edit images and videos in just a few clicks
Scale content production without traditional studio bottlenecks

Built on real-world learnings from ABOUT YOU, one of Europe’s largest online fashion retailers, SCAYLE STUDIOS is already delivering measurable results:

Up to 90% lower production costs
More than 95% faster time to market
9.2% higher sales volume in an A/B test with 500,000+ users
5.1% higher add-to-cart rate vs. traditional studio photography
Around 90% of ABOUT YOU’s eCommerce content production now runs through AI-powered workflows

More than 100 brands already use SCAYLE STUDIOS, including Betty Barclay Group, s.Oliver Group and Goldner Fashion.

Less studio production. More content. Faster to market.

Get started with 50 free credits

Meet this week’s newsletter sponsor

eCommerce Marketing: How to Get Traffic that BUYS to Your Website

Have you read Chloe's book all about B2B eCommerce yet?

Well, now's a good a time as any to grab a copy.

Available in paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

Grab your copy now!

New on Keep Optimising: Google Ads: Which New Features Should You Use (and Which Should You Skip)? with Jyll Saskin Gales, Inside Google Ads

When I started planning this year’s Google Ads series on Keep Optimising - the first name I wrote down was Jyll Saskin Gales.

I invited her back on the show to talk about what she thinks you most need to know about Google Ads before going into peak - so prepare of an ace run down of everything you need to know about all and any new feature on Google Ads!

Find the show on all the top podcast players including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

You can also find the notes and listen on the website.

Brand New on YouTube: 5 eCommerce Conversion Mistakes That Are Killing Your Sales | Ashu Dubey, Alhena AI, interviewed by Chloe Thomas

Ashu Dubey is CEO of Alhena AI, where they’re focused on reshaping the future of online shopping through AI innovation from AI Search engines through to every customer interaction. Clients include Victoria Beckham, dryrobe, Crocus, and Unilever Prestige.

In this episode, Ashu joins Chloe to break down the five conversion mistakes quietly costing eCommerce brands sales, from confusing product pages to underused AI tools. He shares practical fixes you can implement quickly to improve conversions, create a better shopping experience, and turn more visitors into buyers.

Watch to hear:

💸 5 eCommerce conversion killers that can reduce sales fast
🎯 The CTA mistake that distracts shoppers from clicking “Add to Cart”
🤖 How brands are using AI product recommendations to increase conversions
📲 Why testing on a real phone can uncover conversion problems your desktop misses n