The market picture through Q3 has been encouraging, with sentiment across retail and digital commerce continuing to strengthen. Businesses that paused during the uncertainty of 2023 and 2024 are now moving quickly to catch up, and the conversations we’re having have shifted noticeably from “should we?” to “how do we?”. Transformation is firmly back on the agenda, with new workstreams beginning to gather pace as companies push forward on areas such as unified commerce, supply chain modernisation, and data-driven growth.
AI continues to dominate discussions, but it is no longer an abstract theme. Retailers and brands are actively exploring how AI can enhance SEO, merchandising, and customer service, while also driving real efficiency gains across engineering and software development.
Shopify’s sustained push into enterprise continues to gather momentum, with several established high street names considering replatforming as part of their digital strategy. At the same time, the rise of “phygital” retail is becoming harder to ignore, as brands including Topshop and Laura Ashley return to physical stores, underlining the ongoing value of bricks-and-mortar within a digital-first landscape.
For Simply Commerce, this confidence is translating into another strong quarter. Permanent and contract hiring both performed well in August, and the pipeline for Q4 looks particularly robust. October and November are traditionally high-activity months for us, and all signs point to that pattern continuing.
Almost every conversation we’re having suggests optimism for the final stretch of the year and a positive start to 2026. Indeed, the businesses that choose to be bold now are the ones that will be best placed to capture the opportunities ahead.
Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month
- UK retail sales rose 3.1% year-on-year in August, helped by warm summer weather and back-to-school demand for food, furniture and tech READ MORE
- Laura Ashley will open its first standalone UK store in over five years at Lakeside Shopping Centre on 26 September, offering homeware, fashion and interior design services READ MORE
- John Lewis reported H1 sales up 4% to £6.2bn, with Waitrose +6% and department stores +2%, and said it expects full-year profit growth despite widening losses READ MORE
- Topshop will relaunch physical retail via John Lewis, with collections in 32 stores from February, while Topman will feature in six READ MORE
- Nike has launched its Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) tool at Oxford Circus, offering head-to-toe running consultations using motion capture. The aim is to personalise product recommendations and bring elite sport science to the high street READ MORE
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