10 Things I Wish I’d Learned Sooner

November 21, 2023

As we mark the milestone of 10 years in business, we asked our Founder and CEO, Tim Roedel, to reflect back on the last decade, and look specifically at lessons learned along the way:

  1. Poor communication will destroy your business very quickly 

As a leader and business owner, your communication both internally and externally has to be clear, consistent, and timely. Internally, clarity in conveying expectations and goals fosters a positive work environment and provides purpose – but it must be grounded on a vision that is shared across the entire business. Externally, clients, suppliers, and stakeholders rely on your ability to articulate information clearly and promptly, building (and then maintaining) trust and a positive reputation. In any business landscape, the precision and timeliness of your communication can be the decisive factor between success and failure, so making time to hone this skill is vital from the get-go.

  1. Have the right people, doing the right things

This may seem obvious but when you’re in the thick of running a business it often gets overlooked. Identifying and leveraging the unique strengths, skills, and expertise of each team member is essential for maximising productivity and achieving optimal results. Of course, that only starts with a good understanding of individual capabilities and the strategic alignment of roles with the key business objectives. Continually assessing what both are critical, and being prepared to flex, change things about, and refocus is also vital – especially in a decade that has seen a global pandemic, cost-of-living-crisis, and political instability – amongst other challenges.

I’ve also learned over the years that Pareto’s law was right. Managing a business means you have limited time; spend as much of it on the 20% of people that really WANT to work with you driving towards your vision. And accept that inevitably, not everyone does.

  1. Have self-awareness (or develop it quickly) 

You must know what your strengths are, and you must hire people (the best possible you can afford even) to do those things that you are not good at. Knowing (and accepting) your limitations is good for personal growth and even more so for strategic decision-making, meaning you end up with a dynamic, well-rounded, and high-performing team around you. On a similar note, do you not feel that you must know everything. Nobody knows everything, and it is OK to simply say “I don’t know, but I will find out”. In short – don’t be afraid of demonstrating humility.

  1. Listen

In meetings particularly, be the last to speak. You will often find your team will get to the position you hope they will without your input. You must allow your team the space to grow and if you dominate the conversation they will not be learning – or indeed, contributing invaluable insights, ideas, and feedback to make your business and services better than they were yesterday. Success is not a solo act – it is a collaborative effort, and fostering a culture of open dialogue where everyone has a voice (and is heard!) is incredibly important.

  1. You must say no

Once you have decided on your vision, doing anything that is not actively driving the business towards that is wasting time, effort, and resources – and runs the risk of completely setting you off-course. Saying ‘no’ shouldn’t be seen as negative. It’s about staying true to your goals and objectives and maintaining an unwavering focus on what matters.

  1. Never stop engaging with clients

As the business owner and CEO, YOU are ultimately the face of the business and without doubt, the best-placed person to sell your services and value to your clients – and that remains true as your business grows and you have a dedicated function to focus on this also. On the flip side, it’s essential to engage with clients directly about their current challenges, changing needs and preferences so that you can bring tangible insight back into the business and adjust if needed.

  1. Understand what good looks like – in every part of your business

Understanding what good, or better, ‘great’ looks like across every part of your business is paramount. As a leader, it’s essential to first articulate a clear vision of what good looks like, setting clear expectations, and aligning everyone with the same goals. The saying ‘what gets measured, gets managed’ is key here  – it’s not enough to merely set objectives and establish standards; true progress requires a commitment to measurement and monitoring to truly gauge the success of strategies, identify areas for improvement, and make informed, data-driven decisions.

  1. Embrace technology (but not without buy-in and a robust integration plan)

As consumers, the technological advances we have seen over the last decade have been astounding. The same can be said for tech we see within the eCommerce sector that we service, and also operationally speaking as a recruitment business. I have never been afraid of investing in market-leading platforms or systems that enhance how we operate – but it is a non-negotiable to introduce anything without a robust implementation and integration plan, and the buy-in of the user base – namely, our Consultants and Operations teams. Employee acceptance and engagement are integral to success – and without this, you are wasting your time (and investment).

  1. When it’s just you at the top – find support

Building a successful, high-performing team is undeniably essential for business growth, but having a mentor can be a game-changer. In my experience, seeking guidance from someone who has navigated the challenges and successes you aspire to achieve is invaluable. They are there to provide insights, advice, and a unique perspective that help you avoid pitfalls and make informed decisions – and are a great sounding board as someone often removed from the day-to-day challenges of running the business.

  1. Go in with your eyes wide open

Nobody really tells you just how tough being an entrepreneur and business owner is. Frequently glamourised, – it will be lonely, painful, and demoralising at times. Nobody will care as much or put in as much graft as you, and rightly so. You will take all the risk, and you may well not get all the reward.

It’s a rollercoaster that demands resilience and a relentless drive to overcome obstacles, but hand in hand with that in an exhilarating journey that is unbelievably fulfilling, and meaningful on so many levels.

Written by:

Tim Roedel

CEO

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Welcome to Team SC- Lauryn Smith

September 7, 2022

We asked Lauryn from our UK office to tell us a little bit about herself. This is what she said…

1)What’s your name and where are you from?
My name is Lauryn Smith and I am from Marlow and currently live in Bracknell.

2)When you aren’t at work, what do you get up to?
If I’m not at work I am usually at home looking after my daughter. I also like to see my sisters and take my dog on long walks.

3)Why Simply Commerce?
Simply commerce is a very honest company who are realistic about progression and OTE’S. They also offer an extensive training programme. I also really enjoy the atmosphere within the office, even though everyone is working hard, you can tell everyone is happy to be here.

4)What are you most looking forward to about your new role?
I am looking forward to learning the jargon and knowing what I am talking about. I am also excited to be given my first job to work.

5)What animal would you be and why?
I would be a bee. I work hard whether that is in a team or on my own. I feel as I am also a loyal person similar to the way a bee is loyal to the hive.

6)Tell us something we don’t already know about you.
I climbed the tallest mountain in Morocco when I was 16 to raise money to build a school.

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Diversity, equity, and inclusion – Women in digital commerce tech

August 4, 2022

Diversity is crucial for the survival of every industry. That’s especially true for the technology sector, since diversity of perspectives is what sets average products or services apart from the best.

In order to create offerings that appeal to all genders, representation is needed to get a well-rounded opinion about what’s good and what’s not. The digital commerce industry targets everyone with the access and means to shop online. Having women involved at every level of innovation and creation in the sector ensures we’re adding their much-needed perspective to these products and services.

Diversity, equity and inclusion is one way in which the tech industry can ensure it’s representing broader interests and addressing diverse pain points in the products and services it creates. Broader ideas and solutions come from diverse perspectives, which lead to an increase in innovation.

What does diversity currently look like in tech?

Great strides have been made to improve diversity within the tech industry in the UK. However, even though we may have seen impressive progress, it doesn’t mean we can stop campaigning for more diversity and creating strategies that make a bigger difference.

At the moment, 22.2% of all directors in tech in the UK are women. If we look across all industries, that percentage rises to 28.6%. The UK workforce includes 15.52 million women, with the female employment rate sitting at 72.2% as of December 2021. Considering this, the low rate of female representation at a director-level in tech is an issue that needs to be closely examined.

In order to gain a true understanding of this matter, we need to look at the number of women currently working in tech across all levels. At the moment, only 19% of tech workers are female. That’s compared to 49% of the UK workforce as a whole.

Until we can ensure that there are more women working in tech in the UK, we can’t increase the percentage of women in leadership positions in these organisations. The first step will always need to be to bring more female talent onboard, especially in entry-level positions that allow for career growth within the industry.

How can we improve diversity strategies from a hiring point of view?

Speak to the next generation of UK workers
From the start, we need to be attracting more women into entry-level positions in tech. This means we should be encouraging young women who are about to choose their field of study to consider STEM subjects at college or university. The tech industry needs to feel like a good option for women who want to thrive in an energetic and exciting industry.

Women in tech need mentorship
In order for more women to be encouraged to grow through the ranks at tech organisations, they need to be able to see themselves in leadership positions. Having mentorship programmes for young women in tech businesses is a great way to help them feel more empowered and included in an industry that has been largely dominated by men.

Diversity should be a constant topic of discussion
Every tech organisation should have a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy to ensure it is making progress in this area. Diversity should be spoken about and discussed. It shouldn’t be a hushed topic brought up only to improve diversity metrics during hiring processes. Recruitment partners, internal hiring managers, and HR should all be in agreement about diversity goals at the organisational level.

Create an inclusive company culture
An organisation’s culture can either include or exclude people based on factors such as gender. Encouraging a diverse workforce starts with having an inclusive culture. Ensure that the organisation is a welcoming place for everyone – regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or background – by starting with leadership and working through the organisation.

Leadership needs to actively engage with and speak about ideas of transformation and diversity so the directive comes from the top. Every member of your staff should feel included in events, meetings, and team building activities.

A career map should exist for every employee so they are aware of what their next steps are and how they can grow their career within the organisation. It should be clear that there are no career growth limitations based on diversity factors.

Diversity in tech is within reach
It may have taken us many years to get to this point, but as an industry, tech is making great strides towards diversity. However, it can’t stop here. Companies need to push diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies to ensure they’re attracting more diverse candidates to their organisation.

If you’d like to discuss how to include diversity in your hiring strategy, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to walk you through our process.
Sources:
https://technation.io/insights/diversity-and-inclusion-in-uk-tech-companies/
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06838/SN06838.pdf

Diversity issues ‘could adversely impact UK tech sector’

Written by:

Jess Semrau-Tolley

UK Manager

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The race to net-zero

June 15, 2022

If digital transformation defined the past 10 years for retailers, the next 10 are set to be determined by another, possibly greater challenge: cutting carbon emissions to net-zero.

As net-zero is now a key business target, carbon emissions must become a key measure of effectiveness. Considering eco-effectiveness is essential to ensure that companies are building viable, sustainable, and profitable businesses that really benefit the planet. Sending documents electronically vs. printing them, videoconferencing vs. flying to a client’s office, ordering online vs. driving to the store, are often considered more ‘green’, however, this is far from true.

Did you know 63.9% of global electricity is still generated using fossil fuels which go towards powering and charging our phones, laptops, tablets, and smart TVs. So, every time we hit a like button, thumbs up or thumbs down, we are using this energy. The data centres that power our internet use, currently produce approximately 3.8% of global carbon emissions, which is similar to the aviation industry and is rising alongside digital acceleration in a post-pandemic world.

The rise of cryptocurrency is also a significant contributor. According to the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance (CCAF), Bitcoin currently consumes around 110 Terawatt Hours per year, roughly equivalent to the annual energy draw of small countries like Malaysia or Sweden.

 

What does it mean for retailers?

The shift to net zero will fundamentally change people’s relationship with products. It will be about championing products and business models with longer life spans — such as rentals, reusable, and recycled products. Read our blog on how eCommerce will become ‘Recommerce.’

We also spoke to Jurryt van Arend, Head of Global eCommerce at the fast-growing Dutch company JOOLZ. JOOLZ’s strategy from the start was to build a ‘green’ business, listen to Jurryt as he talks about how sustainability has “always been in their DNA” on the Future of Digital Commerce podcast.

 

What do consumers want?

Consumers seem to be ‘calling the shots’ in the retail industry and informed consumers will come to demand that brands are open, honest and transparent about their impact on the planet. Consumers will want ‘green’ websites, that consider carbon output. Maybe Google’s algorithms will eventually take into consideration a website’s carbon output, (or maybe it already does).

A recent survey found that 80% of consumers want technologies that help them monitor their carbon footprint. It’s easy to see how consumers will also demand this of brands.

 

Where do I start?

Some cloud providers have made ambitious commitments to reduce their adverse impact on the environment. Google has promised it will operate carbon-free by 2030, while Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft have pledged to use 100% renewable energy to power their data centre facilities.

 

Assess the impact of your digital infrastructure. 

Volkswagen Canada recently opted for a low-carbon website to promote its new electric car. Consumers can choose between the typical website experience and a less data-heavy interface that uses black-and-white images and simply formatted text. According to Volkwagon, its low-carbon website is 50% cleaner than the typical page.

Do you know what your website’s carbon footprint is?

If, not, start by measuring it here Website Carbon Calculator.

 

Train your designers, developers and experts. 

Sustainability principles can now be added to website and application design practices to reinforce environmental thinking. Designers and engineers can provide an option to switch to dark mode which uses a lot less energy. Consider your UX, and streamline websites so users don’t spend unnecessary time looking for what they need.

Use images only where they really add value. And use smaller images to reduce data transfer, and page weight.

Software engineers and developers should adopt more environmentally conscious approaches to software development by signing up to the Green Software Foundation, which was launched by Microsoft and others to accurately measure emissions and help construct more sustainable software.

Consider where your server is. Often a non-local server is used. If for example, a European business with a local market uses a US-based centre, it transfers data internationally for no reason. Use local hosting solutions, to reduce data transfer and emit less co2.

There is a new generation of centres powered by renewable energies. Businesses can find a local centre through the Green Web Foundation Directory.

Also, think about the technology that is running on the servers to ensure that the most efficient versions are used. Newer versions of PHP are not only faster but also use fewer server resources and therefore less energy.

And of course, you can plant trees to offset your carbon impact. Simply Commerce has partnered with Ecologi in our ‘plant for placements’ programme.

 

Don’t forget to shout about it 

We are fast approaching the tipping point in the digital sphere, and the environmental implications are more urgent than ever. Brands that incorporate sustainability principles into their use of digital technologies will not only reduce harm to the planet but will also gain consumer trust and loyalty in a world where climate change is fast becoming both an obstacle and an opportunity to generate new forms of business value. Make sure your customers are aware of your commitment to change.

 

Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognizant/2021/09/21/how-to-be-both-digital-and-green-at-the-same-time/ https://www.hallaminternet.com/designing-for-sustainability-can-the-internet-damage-the-environment/ https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-actually-consume

Written by:

Josie Stanton

Contract Team Lead- Senior Appointments

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Reducing cost per hire

June 2, 2022

Reducing cost per hire

Hiring can be super expensive. There’s salary costs for a recruitment team, advertising and online job boards costs etc. But, if it’s done right, there are a few ways to minimise the cost per hire.

4 ways to reduce costs.

1. Retain employees by creating a healthy company culture.

2. Research best channels for advertising.

3. Leverage your social media channels and showcase your company culture to attract talent.

4. Find a reputable recruitment partner that knows their niche sector.

 

Company culture- does it really work?

Our own research shows 65% of employees cite the company culture as a main reason they stay in their job, and 71% would start looking for new opportunities if the company culture started to deteriorate.

Having a healthy company culture largely depends on the people you have on your team. Take this into account when you’re recruiting by prioritising cultural fit. Likewise, being upfront about potential stumbling blocks or points of contention is important, as you don’t want to spend resources onboarding someone who eventually won’t fit in with your team.

A good recruiter will continually check in with candidates and identify stumbling blocks, reducing the risk of the candidate seeking another opportunity. A good recruitment partner will qualify candidates as a good cultural fit. This is a vitally important part of the jigsaw, right from the beginning of the process.

 

Advertising

Find the best way of advertising for job roles. There are so many channels, you can’t do them all well. Which one fits your target audience best? It could be Google ads, LinkedIn – or TikTok. Your target market will determine which to concentrate on. Your approach to each channel will differ hugely.

A good job advert for ecommerce must be bias free, very specific and include all details such as the mission of the company, the level of experience needed, salary and location at the very least. A recruitment partner will ask pertinent questions to get the minute details to be able to attract the right person.

 

Leverage social media

Your social media channels are the window of your business that everyone can see through. Let the culture of your business shine through them. In our survey, 49% of candidates interviewed said they follow companies they’re interested in on social media.

Recognising employee success and posting employee reviews also helps to build the company culture. Highly-relatable employee testimonials build an emotional connection with potential top talent. Success breeds success!

Likewise, client testimonials are the social proof that your business does a good job. It builds credibility, projects a positive message and builds trust.

 

Find a reputable recruitment partner

The recruiters at Simply Commerce know the difference between SAP and SAP Commerce, and our clients agree! This is why having a niche recruitment partner is key. A recruiter with expert knowledge in digital commerce will be able to quickly find the right people to allow you to continue with your projects, and ensure they are successful.

When all the associated costs of internal recruitment, salaries, time etc are taken into account, and compared with the figures on time it takes to fill positions, candidates completing their probation periods, and average tenure, are recruiters’ costs really that high? After all, they don’t get paid unless they deliver.

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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eCommerce and re-Commerce: The innovative ideas of JOOLZ

May 10, 2022

eCommerce and re-Commerce: The innovative ideas of JOOLZ, with Jurryt van Arend, Head of Global eCommerce

Explained: Why there is an ever-growing need for sustainable shopping. How JOOLZ succeed with an online only store, using distributors to sell in 50 countries worldwide and their plans for future growth.

Key Takeaway: Sustainability is top of many business priorities in 2022. Find out how JOOLZ is succeeding in gaining a competitive advantage by using sustainability as its principle philosophy.

In S02E05 Tim chats to Jurryt van Arend, Head of Global eCommerce. Based in the Netherlands, JOOLZ is an online-only store that specialises in manufacturing premium pushchairs and buggies. JOOLZ pushchairs are made from recycled PET bottles, melted into pellets, then spun into yarn to make premium 100% sustainable and traceable fabrics that are kinder to the environment. From their foundation, sustainability has “always been in their DNA”, even before it became trendy.

 

How is JOOLZ sustainable?

Talking about his product development team, Jurryt says that in order to keep the number of upgrades to a minimum, every JOOLZ accessory has been cleverly designed in-house to work with most of the strollers they have on offer – old or new.

They are continuously improving the quality, usability, durability and eco footprint of their products. They also work with sustainable and social initiatives like the Joolz Birth Forest, which means they plant a tree for every stroller sold, (over 281,000 so far), lifetime warranties, and even re-useable product packaging.

The brand’s other focus is re-commerce; they concentrate on innovative design to ensure accessories fit all product lines across the range, enabling a strong second-hand market to extend the lifetime of a pushchair and limit waste.

 

Future goals

Using innovative manufacturing and design, JOOLZ are committed to decreasing environmental footprint by at least 30% per unit by 2025.

Jurryt explains how they use reverse compatibility, meaning that all new accessories are designed to be used on older models of buggies where possible, to achieve their ambition to extend the lifetime of a buggy or pushchair to at least 10 years, enabling multiple generations to use it.

To hear more of Jurryt’s career story, listen to the full episode.

 

What challenges are JOOLZ facing?

Jurryt explains that JOOLZ  has all the digital tech in place however there is a scarcity of good people to operate it. “We have some great people, but of course people come and go, and I feel it’s becoming increasingly difficult here in the Netherlands to find the right people.”

He goes on to say “Frontend, backend developers, UX designers and specialists in setting up Google campaigns are incredibly hard to find and retain in the business.” echoing many people that we have spoken to on The FOD.

For more insights from the Simply Commerce team, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our podcast on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

Want to read more? See more of our blogs below. Enjoy!

Written by:

Tim Roedel

CEO

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Ecommerce jobs in the metaverse

April 26, 2022

The metaverse is defined as a shared, realistic, and immersive computer simulation of the real world or other possible worlds, in which people participate as digital avatars. Sounds futuristic and a bit geeky.  Will it be a world mainly for gamers, or will it blossom into an opportunity for the masses where ecommerce will thrive?

Metaverse Fashion Week opened in March 2022 at Decentraland and digital-native brands showcased their highly anticipated wearable collections, digital spaces, NFT’s and breakthrough activations to fans. And there were also some big ‘traditional’ names involved, such as Estee Lauder, Selfridges and Dolce Gabbana.

Major brands have bought ‘real estate’ and opened flagship stores in Decentraland showing their commitment to this new digital era. Visitors to Estee Lauder’s digital space were invited to step into their iconic bottle during the event last week to unlock a digital Proof of Attendance Protocol and claim a NFT wearable to give their avatar a glowing radiant aura inspired by their skin care products.

Marketers are seeing an opportunity to meet consumers where they are online, be that on social channels or in the metaverse. Over the pandemic, people who had previously shied away from shopping online, were forced to try it, 77% of those surveyed said they would continue to buy online, permanently changing consumers buying habits. With the continued acceleration in eCommerce and Shopify hinting at a recent interview that they suspect they might partner with Facebook inside of Meta, chances are the Metaverse is here to stay. How will it affect the eCommerce job market?

 

Which jobs will be relevant in the metaverse?

With the rise of AI, many repetitive jobs will become automated.  However, AI is not good at creative problem solving, philosophical debate and empathetic reasoning. Navigating and creating human centric tech will use all these skills.

Currently, when signing up to social channels, you agree to terms and conditions. These terms mean that the data you willingly post actually belong to the channel. So, if you post a picture of your children or dog on Meta, Meta owns that image. Lawyers will need to work out who will own the rights to data in the metaverse. Twitter already operates terms whereby all content is the sole responsibility of the originator. In future, technology should be designed to turn the tables with the rights of the human being ahead of the company.

There will be many qualified tech people required to roll out this approach to all social channels both in and outside of the metaverse. Plus all the eCommerce tech jobs we know will be increasingly relevant:

  • Fintech Engineers
  • Project and Programme Management
  • Architecture (Solution & Enterprise
  • eCommerce specific Backend Development
  • Business Analyst & Product Owners
  • Frontend Development
  • Generic Backend Development (Java/PHP/.Net)
  • Quality Assurance & Testing
  • Mobile Development

 

What other jobs might be needed (that haven’t been invented yet!)

There are increasing numbers of Metaverse Architects, Directors of NFT’s, and #futurists on LinkedIn bio’s. The job roles that will be created for the metaverse remain to be seen, but here are some positions that could be in demand by 2030.

 

Metaverse Research Scientists

This role will be to build the entire world that is visible and actionable digitally. This will be the architecture that forms the foundations upon which the games, adverts DeFi etc will be built.

 

Planners

CEOs set the vision and strategy for their business’ revenues, but someone will need to drive it with a strategic portfolio of opportunities from proof-of-concept to pilot to deployment. That means identifying market opportunities, building business cases, influencing engineering roadmaps, developing key metrics…

 

Metaverse Cyber-Security Experts

To ensure privacy. Police In-world ID verification and keep the metaverse safe from hackers and cyberattacks.

Plus

Lots and lots of hardware engineers.

Obviously the metaverse cannot be built like a computer game. It needs an entire ecosystem built around it. Hardware sensors to detect movement and facial expressions. Haptic suits to mimic touch and sensations. Headsets to project you into the digital world, CPUs, GPUs, KYC processes, data-lakes, green electricity production, edge computing, laws and regulations.

The possibilities and opportunities in the metaverse seem endless. Ecommerce tech jobs are in high demand now and it seems that they are going to increase exponentially in the future. There’s never been a better time to start a career in tech.

 

Potential Jobs of the future:

Human centric designers and ethicists estimated salary (2040) £100K+

Today they would be:

Systems designers, software engineers, professor of ethics, psychologists, philosophers

Data scientists and brokers salary (2040) 75K+

Today they would be:

Software developers, data and business analysts, psychology, statistics, economics, data science.

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Making it in tech: The Shopify story, Shimona Mehta MD EMEA Shopify

March 21, 2022

Explained: Why businesses will need to commit to digital transformation to succeed. How the balance of power continually shifts between brands and consumers. And shares her insights on the road to success as a woman in tech.

Key Takeaway: The digital commerce landscape continues to evolve at an incredible pace. Women can succeed in the male-dominated world of tech, whilst there is still lots of work to do, there has been a meaningful change.

In S02E04 Tim chats to Shimona Mehta, Managing Director EMEA at Shopify. Shimona talked about the importance of investment in digital platforms. What is takes to succeed as a woman in tech, and building teams and her non-negotiables when hiring.

 

How important is it to invest in digital?

Shimona says it is vital that every brand is thinking about digital. There are those digitally native brands who are now looking at physical stores because they understand the continual importance that high streets will have. And there are traditional brick-and-mortar stores that need to pivot quickly to survive and are now investing digitally.

Our guest explains that a greater investment maybe needed in traditional bricks and mortar led businesses, to implement a cultural transformation. For bricks and mortar-led businesses, it’s not simply a case of changing the technology, it’s pivoting the way that you think about your business, and this means changing the mindset of the managers. Re-evaluating the skillsets in-house and researching your customers’ behaviours and deciding how, and where you are going to reach them online. Only then you can start to think about which technology suits your requirements and work out your investment.

Consumer behaviour has changed rapidly post covid-19. Whether you’re a bricks and mortar or digitally native brand, Shimona says nobody has it all figured out. But what has really impressed Shimona is the amount of collaboration between retailers and brands, the sharing of ideas and group networking is incredibly important for successful transformation and growth.

Having an omnichannel presence is also fundamental. Shimona observes there has been a power dynamic shift. Consumers no longer ‘make plans’ to go shopping, they can shop anytime online. Whereas the consumer used to have to go to the retailer, the retailer now must come to the consumer, wherever they are online.  The importance of social commerce is mounting.

Which tech does Shimona tip to have the biggest impact on digital commerce in the future? Shimona says “What we are seeing happening with crypto, Fintech and NFT’s etc is the continual democratisation of commerce, economic freedom and empowerment that is being put back in the hands of creators, influencers, and brands.” Shimona shares an example of Shopify’s partnership with Spotify. Now, the power is back in the hands of artists who used to be at the mercy of labels and contracts. Allowing artists to build a personal store, link it directly to their Spotify page, connect with fans and drive them to their own eCommerce site to purchase.

 

What does it take to succeed as a woman in tech?

Meaningful changes are at play and the industry is becoming increasingly inclusive and representative. These shifts are only possible because of strong men and women leading the charge and demanding a better environment.

So, what does it take to succeed at the top of your game as a woman in tech? For Shimona, it’s been a 10-year journey of figuring that out. Our guest explains that she’s often found herself in professional circumstances where she is the only female. However, she’s never let those experiences dim her sparkle. In fact, she does the opposite. When Tim asks for her best piece of advice for women in similar situations, she replies: “Be authentically yourself, lean right into what your strengths are, don’t try to mimic anyone else’s strengths.”

To hear more of Shimona’s career story about becoming a successful woman in tech, listen to the full episode.

 

What are the non-negotiables when hiring?

“Hire for values. Teach skill,” says Shimona Mehta. For Shimona, values and integrity always rank the highest. She wants to see that the candidate connects to Shopify’s mission. Shimona says, “They could be a rockstar salesperson who crushes their quota every quarter, but if they’re an ass, we don’t want them on the team.”

Shimona goes on to talk about attracting the right talent. Each market is different so it’s essential to understand what’s important to the talent in your market. She asks herself the question ‘do you resonate as the employer of choice? Have you mapped and understood what diversity means within your market?

Once you have your team members, think about how to make them work. Building global teams that need to operate and work across language divides and cultural nuances and ways of communicating which can manifest differently, means that you need to invest the time to build trust and psychological safety. Shimona explains that this can be a simple idea. For example, as a fast-talking native English speaker, she has had to learn to slow down to ensure that her team doesn’t miss the message and remain connected to the topic and therefore feel able to contribute and be impactful.

For more insights from the Simply Commerce team, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our podcast on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

Want to read more? See more of our blogs below. Enjoy!

Written by:

Tim Roedel

CEO

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What is ReCommerce?

March 14, 2022

Our Director, Tim Roedel had a very interesting chat with John Williams from Amplience on The FOD – the Future of Digital Commerce podcast. With a global focus on the environment and sustainability, alongside economic uncertainty and an exponential rise in the cost of living in the UK, we suspect this will become a very hot topic this year.
It’s recommerce. Recommerce involves brands reselling previously owned products at a discount — and it’s booming.

According to Boston Consulting Group, the global recommerce market size is expected to grow by 15% to 20% annually over the next five years, compared to just 5.3% growth for fast fashion. Research suggests 223 million consumers say they have or are open to shopping second-hand products with Millennial and Gen Z shoppers prioritising buying sustainable goods.

Several factors are contributing to the rapid growth in this market.

  • Buying ‘green’ planet-friendly goods is a higher priority for consumers.
  • The exponential rise in the cost of living in the UK means less money to spend generally.
  • Data shows that many consumers that bought for the first time online during the pandemic are continuing to buy online.

 

The environmental impact of fast fashion

The fast fashion industry significantly contributes to damaging the planet. Currently, each week, roughly 15 million pieces of used clothing are donated from industrialised nations in the West and shipped to poorer countries such as Ghana and Sri Lanka. Historically, the clothes were good quality and were resold, however, fast fashion dictates poorer quality goods that no one wants to buy and they are consequently ending up in landfill sites causing severe health and environmental repercussions. Thankfully, the fast fashion industry is expected to stall or reduce over the next 5-10 years.

 

Recommerce brands

There is a rapidly growing list of traditional major retailers in the States such as Etsy, Farfetch and H&M launching second-hand initiatives. And many others are embracing sustainability, for example, Hunter boots are integrating recycled materials into their products. The likelihood is that these initiatives will make it to the UK before long.

Retailers are also seizing an opportunity to financially capitalise on a product’s full lifecycle. Retailers with supply chains that are geared to work for in-store and eCommerce purchases AND for returning items online and in stores, enable retailers to sell their clothes as new and then again as second-hand across digital and store channels.

 

Recruiting tech talent

Along with the rapid growth in eCommerce, comes demand. As major retailers move to pivot their business to recommerce, hiring managers are left wondering how to recruit tech talent to deliver projects quickly. We are seeing demand for hiring tech jobs such as backend and frontend developers, quality assurance jobs and testing, mobile development, solution and enterprise architecture, and product owners and project managers with eCommerce experience becoming increasingly relevant and commanding higher salaries, more flexibility including remote working and more benefits.

With the cost of living increasing exponentially in the UK, and sustainability and environmentally friendly goods being top of mind for many, it makes perfect sense that recommerce is booming. Highly discounted goods will appeal to most kinds of consumers, and this is especially true if economic uncertainty endures.

 

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topics/sustainability/what-recommerce-can-teach-retailers-about-new-consumer-behaviors-and-future-proofing-sales

https://www.insideedition.com/mountains-of-old-donated-clothes-consumes-beautiful-beach-in-ghana-69935

Written by:

Tim Roedel

CEO

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Simply Commerce celebrates International Women’s Day – for most of the week!

March 2, 2022

In the UK, the proportion of female CEOs is 26%, up +9pp compared with 2020. The senior management roles where women are best represented are HR Director (49%), CFO (35%) and Chief Marketing Officer (30%). Globally, there are more women across operational C-suite roles compared to last year, with the proportion of female CEOs up to 26%. This is good news, but in the tech industry, women hold just 10%* of leadership roles. There is still a lot of work to do!

At SC 66% of our senior leadership team are women. This is not by design, but SC deliberately strives to build a company where every person is valued and celebrated for their unique contributions and create an environment where people are encouraged to flourish – and the women right now are doing just that!

How does Simply Commerce support women in tech?

1. We recently interviewed Shimona Mehta MD of Shopify. Shimona’s expertise spans retail, technology, food and beverage sectors. She is focused on shaping the future of commerce by overseeing Shopify’s innovative commerce platform that enables high-growth and high-volume brands, such as Gymshark, Emma Bridgewater, AllBirds and Heinz.

As a women in tech, we asked Shimona to tell us about any difficulties she has overcome being a woman in a male-dominated industry. Shimona explained that she’s often found herself in professional circumstances where she is the only female.  Listen to her best advice on finding advocates in the workplace and being your authentic self on episode 4 of our podcast The FOD – Future Of Digital Commerce here.

2. Plus our very own Holly Langley has started RAW (Recruitments Awesome Women) group in LinkedIn to

  • celebrate women’s achievements.
  • raise awareness against bias.
  • take action for equality.

Holly says ‘Right now, only 28% of recruitment agencies have a female representative at leadership or board level. We’re determined to change that statistic, and together we’ll delve a little deeper into what women can contribute to these roles and what companies and leaders can do to move more women into senior roles.’ Read Holly’s Newsletter on LinkedIn here.

3. We are also trialing an AI-based app that reveals hidden gender bias in writing out job descriptions. We know that unconscious bias in language isn’t always obvious or intuitive, so we are using an app to ensure our job descriptions are inclusive, and we attract people from the widest possible pool of qualified candidates. The app is also designed to encourage healthy communication across the company using language that is considered positive and inclusive.

So what does the future look like for women in tech? Meaningful changes are at play and the industry is becoming increasingly inclusive and representative. These shifts are only possible because of strong men and women leading the charge and demanding a better environment.

#IWD2022 #BreakTheBias

References: *Computerworld.com (2021)

Written by:

Tim Roedel

CEO

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