With March behind us, it’s fair to say the tone of conversations across the market feels more positive than it did earlier in the year.
There’s still a competitive edge to hiring and ongoing pressure on costs, but the direction of travel is encouraging. Retail in particular feels more active, with budgets being released and projects starting to kick off again after a slower start to the year. Alongside that, we’re seeing a broader uptick in hiring activity across the industry, particularly in commercial and engineering roles.
Unsurprisingly, AI continues to dominate the agenda. What’s shifting now is how it’s being applied. We’re seeing more candidates approaching opportunities with an “AI-first” mindset, while businesses are starting to factor AI capability into both hiring decisions and wider partner selection. It’s also beginning to reshape delivery models, with some early conversations suggesting significantly leaner teams supported by the right tooling.
With a number of major industry events around the corner, including MACH X and Retail Technology Show in April, followed closely by Pulse and Shoptalk, we expect the pace of insight and innovation to accelerate further over the coming weeks.
From our side, there are encouraging signs heading into Q2, with new vacancies coming through and lots of positive action-focused conversations. If March is anything to go by, the next quarter looks set to be a busy one.
Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month
- Tesco partners with Adobe to personalise Clubcard rewards using AI, tailoring offers to individual customers and improving engagement across digital channels as retailers look to drive loyalty and customer value READ MORE
- Visa launches agentic commerce tools to support AI-led shopping journeys, helping retailers integrate with emerging AI assistants and enabling more seamless discovery, decision-making and payment experiences across digital channels READ MORE
- Primark launches its first UK mobile app to support phygital growth, connecting in-store and online journeys with features designed to improve product discovery, availability and customer engagement across channels READ MORE
- Nike deploys interactive AR mirror experience in JD Sports Oxford Street store, using LoookAI technology to blend physical and digital retail and enhance in-store product engagement and customer experience READ MORE
- OpenAI pivots its ChatGPT shopping strategy after instant checkout underwhelms, shifting focus toward product discovery and recommendation as AI-led commerce journeys continue to evolve beyond direct transaction READ MORE
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