WeComm

🎙️ Tune In Next Wednesday 🎙️ In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Ivy Storvik, Brand and Content Director at Childrensalon. From navigating self-doubt at ELLE Magazine to driving innovation at MATCHES, Ivy shares how she built a career rooted in storytelling, authenticity and bold creative moves. Discover her insights on balancing work and life, overcoming creative blocks and redefining leadership with vulnerability and purpose. Tune in for a conversation full of wisdom, challenges and actionable advice for anyone carving their own path. Don’t miss it! 💡 Want early access to this episode? Comment ‘Failure Is As Important as Success’ and we’ll send you the link as soon as it drops! 👇🏻 Whilst you wait tune in to hear our previous episodes… Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e3byBkfk  Amazon Music: https://lnkd.in/eTbzQMqZ  Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e4c9KjFa ✨ Follow us now and be part of the WeInspire - Celebrating Women in Retail community! #WeInspire #podcast #Leadership #CareerGrowth #Authenticity #WomenInBusiness #MarketingStrategy #Retail #WorkLifeBalance #Fashion 

✨ Struggling with imposter syndrome? You’re not alone! Join us to discover how to silence that inner critic, gain confidence and connect with an inspiring community of retail professionals. 🚀 Empowering Women in Retail with Jessica Wiggins — our WeInspire - Celebrating Women in Retail coach! 📅 January 30th, 2025 | ⏰ 4pm - 6pm | 🎟️ FREE to attend 📍 Fashion Retail Academy’s stunning new college: Electra House, 84 Moorgate, London EC2M 6SE You'l be joined by amazing women like Georgia Merrington, Ellie Hopper and other incredible retail leaders! 💬 Interested? Drop us a message or email us at marketing@wecomm.co.uk At WeComm, we’re all about retail excellence. By focusing exclusively on the industry, we bring you: ✅ Relevant conversations that reflect today’s retail challenges. ✅ Actionable insights you can take straight to the workplace. ✅ A shared network of like-minded retail pros to inspire and uplift you. 💬 Interested? Drop us a message and secure your spot! #WomenInRetail #WeInspire #WeComm #Retail #Diversity #ImposterSyndrome #BusinessCoach #Development

We’re excited to welcome back Millie B. to WeComm, this time in the role of Executive Assistant to our CEO, Terry Cannon! Millie holds a special place in our journey as WeComm’s first-ever hire back in 2021. With over 4 years of experience working closely with Terry, she knows his vision, priorities, and approach inside and out. Her return marks a pivotal moment as we step into an exciting new chapter for the business. In her new role, Millie will play a key role in supporting our executive team as they travel across the UK and internationally, showcasing WeComm as retail’s most dynamic partner. With one major event every month in 2025 and a rapidly growing global presence, Millie’s expertise is invaluable. Her background includes working internally at one of Britain’s most iconic brands and navigating the fast-paced world of recruitment, offering a unique perspective that perfectly aligns with our mission. This is a game-changing addition and we can’t wait to see the positive impact Millie will bring as we continue shaping the future of retail together. Welcome back, Millie! 🎉 #WeComm #Retail #Events #Fashion #Beauty #Recruitment

Did you know that a study conducted by Accenture found that 83% of consumers show interest in making purchases via the Metaverse? Virtual Retail Experiences around Christmas time are a pretty new, and very exciting, way to drive customer acquisition and retention. They're great year round, but Christmas is a time that's generally synonymous with increased consumer spending - meaning that brands have an amazing opportunity to offer experiences and services that win new customers, and keep them coming back. If you're wanting to resonate with the Gen Z demographic, who have a natural affinity to digital-first experiences, these are a great place to start. Here are a few examples of some great Virtual Experiences: 1. Amazon Virtual Holiday Shop A 3D festive shopping experience; festive music, animations and visuals greet the customers in a virtual store-front where they can access items from categories including fashion, beauty, electronics and homeware. They've also integrated their AI shopping assistant, Rufus, who can aid customers in finding personalised recommendations. 2. Walmart Realm For the festive season, Walmart have introduced four virtual spaces, namely: Mountain Chalet, Hosting Holidays, White Elephant Wonderland, and Sweet Gifts. Each space has its own unique theme and features various AR-enabled items which allows shoppers to preview the items in their own space. 3. HUGO BOSS Holiday Set in a villa setting, visitors can move freely around the space perusing various items including styles from the holiday collection and top gifting choice items. 4. E.L.F. BEAUTY Virtual Luxe Lounge E.L.F. have partnered with virtual shopping platform Obsess to introduce a Christmas-themed virtual shopping experience for it's loyalty members. Here, customers can peruse new product drops for the holiday season and access exclusive coupons to redeem at checkout. I think this could be a big theme within retail throughout 2025 and beyond... Have you seen any other great examples of Virtual Retail Experiences? Follow WeTech for more insights and updates like this from Ben Gibbins our tech team leader! #VirtualRetail #MetaverseShopping #CustomerExperience #RetailInnovation #WeTech #Retail

🎙️ Listen now as we chat with Janis Thomas, Managing Director of Look Fabulous Forever, the beauty brand redefining what it means to age with confidence. In this episode, Janis shares her fearless career journey, from managing digital streaming before Netflix was a thing to planning Hugh Hefner’s birthday party at Playboy Enterprises, Inc., and now leading a groundbreaking brand for older women. Discover how she turned fear into fuel, mastered the art of reinvention, and learned the secret to rising through the ranks: bringing fresh perspectives and listening to what people really want. This conversation is packed with advice on embracing a non-linear career, pushing past comfort zones, and creating impact in everything you do. If you're figuring out your path, looking to make a bold move, or just love hearing how people turn ambition into action, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Listen now for an empowering, no-BS take on building a career and life you love. Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee-qmC3Y  Amazon Music: https://lnkd.in/eUUM2mJk  Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eps4dxXr ✨ Follow us now and be part of the WeInspire - Celebrating Women in Retail community! #CareerGoals #WomenInBusiness #FearlessLeadership #Reinvention #Inspiration #Podcast #BeautyForAll #GenerationZ #CareerGrowth

🎄 Top 10 Christmas Ads 2024 – Ranked by WeComm 🎄 The festive season is officially here, and you know what that means... Christmas ads are out in full force! These campaigns aren’t just about twinkling lights and holiday jingles; they’re a masterclass in how brands connect with audiences during the most wonderful time of the year. We’ve ranked our Top 10 Christmas Adverts of 2024: ✨ 10. Morrisons – Give a Little Love - Leo Burnett The return of Morrisons’ singing oven gloves brings nostalgia and joy, set to a heartwarming Bugsy Malone track. ✨ 9. Marks and Spencer – M&S Food Christmas 2024 - Inhouse Dawn French reprises her role as the Festive Fairy—sprinkling her wit and charm in this six-part holiday series. ✨ 8. Frasers Group with Sports Direct – New Traditions - Inhouse Sports icons like Frank Lampard and Lucy Bronze star in a campaign celebrating sporty, modern festive traditions. ✨ 7. Asda – Gnome of Christmas – Havas Asda’s cheeky garden gnomes remind us to “go big or go gnome” as they save Christmas from a snowy disaster. ✨ 6. Barbour – Shaun the Sheep x Barbour - Aardman Studios Aardman magic meets Baa Bour warmth in this whimsical tale of Shaun and friends preparing for a frosty carolling adventure. ✨ 5. John Lewis & Partners – The Gifting Hour - Saatchi & Saatchi This campaign combines iconic characters like the BFG and Kevin the Carrot with celeb guests for the ultimate festive feels. ✨ 4. Sainsbury's’s – BIG Christmas - New Commercial Arts. The BFG teams up with a real-life Sainsbury’s worker to make his Christmas “a bit more phizz-whizzing.” ✨ 3. Lidl GB – A Magical Christmas - BBDO Worldwide Lidl’s heartwarming ad focuses on community and sharing, spotlighting its toy bank scheme. ✨ 2. Amazon – Midnight Opus - Inhouse This one’s all about hidden talents and thoughtful acts that create unforgettable moments. ✨ 1. Tesco – Helping #FeedYourChristmasSpirit - BBH London Tesco tops the list with a relatable take on feeding our Christmas spirit—because we all need a little extra cheer sometimes! 🎥 Let us know which one’s your fave in the comments! 👇 #christmasadverts #retail #fashion #ad #Marketing #Brand #Storytelling #Campaigns #wecomm

🎄✨ Wrapping up 2024 with a HUGE Merry Christmas ✨🎄 As we close out this incredible year, WE just want to take a moment to THANK YOU! Thank you to all our amazing clients and candidates for your trust, partnership and support which have made 2024 unforgettable. WE are so grateful to have worked alongside you 💖 Here’s to a festive season filled with relaxation, good vibes and time to recharge for an even bigger and better 2025... Cheers to what’s next — WE can’t wait to continue the journey with you all in the new year! 🎉 #MerryChristmas #HappyNewYear #NewYearNewGoals #Retail #ThankYou

Updates from across the retail industry 🛍️ REI: Launching its AI-powered inventory system to optimize in-store and online stock availability, improving efficiency and reducing overstock by 15% Superdry: Announced a strategic partnership with digital payments firm Klarna to offer flexible payment solutions and drive online sales growth in 2025 Lidl GB: Set to invest €2 billion in store refurbishments across Europe, including energy-efficient lighting and self-checkout technology to enhance the customer experience GameStop: Reports a 9% decline in Q3 revenue but signals a digital transformation push with blockchain integration into its online marketplace Marks and Spencer: Piloting AI-driven virtual fitting rooms in select stores to boost customer satisfaction and reduce clothing returns by up to 20% LUSH: Announced a shift to plastic-free packaging for its holiday 2025 collection, aligning with its ongoing sustainability goals JD Sports Fashion: Expanding its North American presence by acquiring US-based sneaker retailer Shoe Palace for $500 million SEPHORA: Rolling out a new mobile app in Asia with AI-powered personalized skincare consultations to enhance customer engagement Dunelm: Announced a 12% increase in online sales for the first half of FY24 after implementing AI-powered personalized marketing tools. Inditex: Committing €300 million to expand its eco-friendly logistics centres to support Zara’s carbon-neutral goals by 2030 Follow WeTech for more insights and updates like this from Ben Gibbins our tech team leader! #RetailInnovation #AITransformation #SustainabilityGoals #DigitalCommerce #WeTech

This community is going from strength to strength. WE initially built, and am continuing to build, this community with the sole aim of providing our incredible network of retail leaders with a platform to connect and collaborate solely with like-minded people who experience the same challenges, see the same trends and consider and utilise the same solutions. There is no vendors, no sales, no BS. There is, however, really great conversation between really great people. It’s a safe space — operating under Chatham House rules — to share ideas, to learn and to enable one another. Conversations so far have been around: ✅ ERP systems and implementation ✅ eCommerce Platforms and Strategy ✅ Omnichannel Strategy ✅ AI use-cases ✅ Project & Product Delivery ✅ International Trading and Strategy ✅ Digital Transformation …And a few other interesting, important and relevant topics. In-person events will be run exclusively for the community, and some have even been planned off the back of the conversations within the group — which will enable deeper peer-to-peer learning and insight sharing, relevant growth of everyone’s networks and a stronger sense of community amongst the group. We have 115 members currently. Some of the absolute BEST Technology, Digital and Transformation leaders across the retail industry, with a broad range of brand sizes and categories represented, from across the UK, Europe, USA, Asia and the Middle East. WeComm & WeTech have received some amazing feedback on this group — and as a testament to its relevance and usefulness, a few members have been referred by mutual connections to join. If you’re a Technology, Data, Product, Digital or Transformation leader within the retail industry (operating at Director and C-Suite level) and you’d like to be part of an impactful group where you can get the answers to your burning questions, and share your insights and opinions with others who are all totally relevant to you, then drop me a note 👍 Follow WeTech for more insights and updates like this from Ben Gibbins our tech team leader! #RetailLeadership #CommunityBuilding #DigitalInnovation #PeerNetworking #WeTech #Tech

On Friday, I (Ben Gibbins) had a great conversation with a member of the Retail Technology Leaders Hub WhatsApp Community, Paul Morris, who is Chief Customer and Technology Officer at Alshaya Group. It was Paul who shared the "Customer Led, People Powered, Technology Enabled" mantra with me - which I'm a big fan of! Paul's background isn't solely technology-focused at all - he has a background that also encompasses Digital, Marketing and Business Strategy. Throughout our conversation, I got the sense that Paul was: - A true business strategist; adept in building roadmaps and strategic agendas based on organisational goals and desired outcomes - A great people leader; able to empower and delegate responsibility to his teams - An excellent story-teller; able to translate business outcomes into relevant, understandable, meaningful and beneficial journeys for his teams - Customer-obsessed; a true desire to best-serve internal and external customer wants, needs and expectations through the utilisation of technology, data and service. To me, the points above are a really strong example of what a modern day technology leader within retail looks like. Today, it's not solely about technicality. It's equally so about strong people leadership skills, a huge focus on customer centricity, and one's strategic building and execution capabilities. Follow WeTech for more insights and updates like this from Ben Gibbins our tech team leader! #RetailTech #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #CustomerFirst #WeTech