Industry News & Headlines | February 2025

March 18, 2025

The conversations I’ve been having over the past six months are finally bearing fruit. February has been our strongest month across the board for as long as I can remember, and that’s reflected in some key business stats:

📈 Jobs per head have reached their highest level in a year
📈 CVs sent are at a 12-month peak
📈 New opportunities added are at their highest since May ‘24

Salesforce and Adobe are making a strong push to regain market share, particularly from businesses that embraced a composable architecture only to realise it’s not the right fit. At the same time, we’re seeing a shift from ‘best of breed’ towards ‘best of suite’ – aligning perfectly with these trends. Companies no longer want to juggle seven or eight different providers when they used to rely on just one. These frustrations are surfacing now, creating new opportunities.

Speaking of opportunities, we’re seeing increased demand across delivery, product, and middle management – another positive sign, especially with our vacancies skewed heavily towards engineering in 2024.

While it’s encouraging to hear more conversations about growth and recruitment budgets, caution remains. The economic climate is still uncertain, and budgets remain tight. That said, in retail especially, businesses are recognising they can’t afford to stand still – so investment is happening.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • In The Style is set to enter administration, with owner Baaj Capital expected to appoint FTS Recovery. The brand, once valued at £100m, was sold for £1m in 2023. A pre-pack insolvency deal may be considered, though the impact on staff remains unclear READ MORE
  • Pret A Manger confirmed its coffee subscription will remain at £5 per month, scrapping a planned price hike to £10. The subscription offers 50% off up to five barista-made drinks daily, part of the brand’s Club Pret offer READ MORE
  • John Lewis & Partners added 49 new fashion brands for the spring season, including DRAGON DIFFUSION, Second Female Aps, and S.S.DALEY. These additions bring the total number of brands to over 350. The move aims to attract a broader customer base READ MORE
  • Tesco is trialling bespoke discounts based on shopper behaviour through its Clubcard Prices loyalty scheme. Customers chosen to participate will receive “Your Clubcard Prices” delivered through the app every Wednesday READ MORE
  • B&Q extended its on-demand delivery service with Deliveroo to over 9,500 products, adding five larger stores in London. Customers in Beckton, Sidcup, Watford, Acton, and Romford can now receive DIY, gardening, and homeware items in as little as 25 minutes READ MORE

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | January 2025

February 4, 2025

Shopify, data, loyalty, and AI (of course!) seem to be the buzzwords of 2025 so far, and let’s be honest, I think most of us saw it coming.

With money tight across the board, businesses are looking at how they can make smaller, incremental improvements, and the majority of the time this syncs back to data and how they can either improve the customer experience or internal efficiencies.

We’ve seen this reflected in the job market too with the rise of data-focused positions, the ever-increasing demand for Shopify Engineers, and the more recent rise of Prompt Engineers.

While things are still a little slow, conversations have been fruitful with intent. The general feeling is that there will be an increase in opportunities over the year, we are, however, still feeling the effects of the budget changes last year; retail, for example, being one of the worst hit areas, is looking at approx. £7 billion extra in running costs.

Personal opinion is that the market will remain choppy over the next 2-3 months, however, we will start to see an increase in project sign-off and new opportunities. Growth is on the cards for a lot of organisations, however, this will be steady and organic.

Gone are the days of dramatic increases in headcount… at least for now.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • WHSmith is in talks for a potential sale of its 500 high street stores as it explores “strategic options”. It signals a more focused and streamlined travel operation which now accounts for ¾ of the group’s revenue and 85% of its profit READ MORE
  • Waitrose & Partners is reintroducing free daily coffee for My Waitrose loyalty members from 27 January, requiring only a reusable cup. The complimentary hot drink can be claimed without a purchase, including dairy alternatives, marking a return to the original 2013 loyalty scheme benefit READ MORE
  • JD Sports Fashion reported 1.5% YoY like-for-like revenue growth for the nine weeks to 4 January 2025. Organic revenue rose 3.4%, with footwear outperforming apparel and stores exceeding online performance. Pre-tax profit is now expected between £915m and £935m, reflecting market headwinds READ MORE
  • Tesco online marketplace now carries more than 300,000 third-party products spanning DIY, garden, homeware, pet care, and toys, less than eight months since its launch READ MORE
  • Evri reported “record parcel volumes” over the festive period, including its “best-ever week” following Black Friday. Total parcel volumes grew 12% to reach 173 million in the nine weeks to 28 December, with sustained demand as consumers relied on last-minute deliveries READ MORE

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | December 2024

December 29, 2024

December always feels like a short month, but this time it seemed to pass by even faster. Personally, the downtime over the holidays was a much-needed reset after what felt like a tough and relentless year. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas season and have entered 2025 feeling refreshed and optimistic.

From a business perspective, we ended the year as anticipated, welcoming some fantastic new clients who are already shaping up to keep us busy in Q1. The pipeline for the first quarter looks especially promising, with many conversations in December pointing towards plans to grow teams in the months ahead.

As ever, software engineering remains a key focus for hiring, but we’re also seeing growing demand for roles in sales, partnerships, delivery, and product. Encouragingly, many of these positions are now being signed off, which suggests a broader appetite for growth across the board.

Challenges with direct hiring have been a recurring theme in recent discussions. These often centre on how time-consuming the process can be, but there’s also increasing concern about the shortage of suitable candidates in certain areas.

From an end-customer perspective, we’re expecting continued investment in areas such as sustainability, personalisation, loyalty, and promotions. Additionally, industries like manufacturing are preparing for significant digital transformations. Re-platforming to improve functionality or reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) is also expected to gather momentum as the year progresses.

These trends, combined with a general sense of optimism, mean we’re heading into 2025 with high hopes for a strong year. On top of this, we’ve been focusing on expanding our presence with digital commerce ISVs across Europe. If you’re in this space—whether as a potential candidate or client—we’d love to hear from you.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • TikTok Shop achieved “record-breaking” sales over Black Friday, with a 179% YoY rise in sales over the Black Friday period, and a 131% annual increase in the number of shoppers driven by live shopping. Best-selling categories spanned beauty, home and living and fashion READ MORE
  • John Lewis Partnership opened six in-store Caffè Nero cafés including Westfield, White City. The cafés complement Waitrose’s free hot drinks programme for loyalty members, with further expansion opportunities planned READ MORE
  • Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS is in talks to take over Ted Baker’s former Regent Street store, marking its first UK physical store READ MORE
  • Accessorize launched on-demand delivery with Deliveroo for over 700 products across London, with orders delivered in 25 minutes or less. This partnership, starting with eight stores, aims to expand UK-wide READ MORE
  • Amazon and Asda launched parcel pickup and label-free returns across 700 UK Asda stores. Customers can combine weekly shopping with parcel services, enhancing convenience and reducing packaging waste READ MORE

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | November 2024

December 13, 2024

November was a month filled with engaging meetings and productive conversations. While 2024 may not have unfolded as many had hoped, there are promising signs that the market has bottomed out. Encouragingly, the discussions we’re having now are not just more confident but backed by real substance as we look ahead to 2025.

Since early 2023, many businesses in commerce and retail have pressed pause on innovation. However, it’s evident this approach can no longer hold, given the rapid advancements in technology and the rising expectations of customers and stakeholders alike.

Shopify has largely stood apart from market challenges throughout most of this year, continuing to gain significant market share at the SMB level. The company is now setting its sights on dominating the enterprise market—a bold ambition that, while requiring some compromises in the short term, many believe it has the potential to achieve.

As Shopify progresses toward this goal, we can expect a noticeable impact on future hiring trends across the industry.

Podcast discussions throughout Q4 have centred on enhancing customer experience, with a strong focus on personalisation, loyalty, promotions, and returns—crucial priorities for brands during this time of year.

As we wrap up the year, it’s clear that while challenges remain, there is a renewed sense of optimism and momentum building across commerce and retail. With conversations shifting towards meaningful innovation and a focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences, the outlook for Q1 2025 is increasingly positive. Here’s to a year of growth, investment, and exciting opportunities ahead.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • Retail Economics & Vinted released research this week showing UK shoppers plan to spend a total of £2.05bn on secondhand gifts over this festive season as pre-loved rise in popularity READ MORE
  • Ted Baker relaunched its UK website on 15 November under new operator United Legwear & Apparel Co. (ULAC) READ MORE
  • TikTok for Business forecasts record-breaking festive sales driven by a 64% rise in UK live shopping sessions over the last 12 months, with daily sales rising 93% driven by beauty brands READ MORE
  • Marks and Spencer expanded its beauty takeback scheme to 100 UK stores as part of its sustainability efforts. Customers can now recycle beauty packaging from any retailer, with over 1.6 tonnes of packaging processed since the scheme’s launch READ MORE
  • Ocado Retail will add hundreds of products to its own-brand range next year, including seasonal items. Sales of its own-range items have risen 12% this year, now making up over 10% of customer baskets READ MORE

 

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | October 2024

November 15, 2024

Q4 started positively with a flurry of new positions being registered plus previously paused vacancies coming back to market. Historically Q4 has usually been a strong trading period for the business and it looks as though this will be the case this year.

The general sentiment within the industry is that there is lots of opportunity out there. In the last 4 weeks we have seen, multiple retail brands turn on the tap for leadership hiring, a handful of new projects signed off with platforms such as BigCommerce, Shopline and Shopify and have heard of a noticeable increase in RFP’s for almost all of our clients.

Whilst a lot of these are still focused on smaller incremental changes in areas around PIM, Search and Loyalty, there are more conversations around larger transformation programmes.

Shopify still seems to be the platform of choice for many SME’s re-platforming and this has created a candidate short market, particularly across delivery and engineering. Hiring vendor side also seems to have increased with a number of businesses investing in their sales functions at either BDR, AE or Partnerships level. Usually, this reflects opportunity in the market they are looking to capitalise on.

With the above in mind, there is a general feeling of optimism as we head towards 2025.

AND FINALLY…

Job application numbers are high, particularly across more generic areas, this is creating a real problem for both job seekers who are struggling to be seen, as well as those looking to hire due to the time taken to filter through the applicants. If this is a pain you’re suffering we have some quick tips to help, feel free to get in touch if they could help you.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • Boohoo Group PLC has named Debenhams boss Daniel Finley as its new CEO, shunning Mike Ashley’s demands to run the business READ MORE
  • Harrods relaunched its ecommerce platform with Scayle, featuring a refreshed design, integrated systems, and an upgraded mobile app coming soon READ MORE
  • Avon is moving away from door-to-door selling, expanding its franchise presence to 650 Superdrug stores by year-end and planning 2,300 global locations by 2024 READ MORE
  • Vinted completed a £282.96m secondary share sale to fund expansion into categories like electronics and books, valuing the company at £4.16bn as it broadens its second-hand market reach READ MORE
  • Amazon extended its same-day delivery to over 80 UK towns and cities, including Middlesbrough, Aberdeen, and Plymouth. With demand doubling since 2023, it’s investing £580m in robotics and AI to improve fulfilment efficiency READ MORE

 

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | September 2024

October 16, 2024

Is it just us, or did September fly by in a blink? It was a jam-packed month of meetings, events, and travel for us, yet somehow we’ve already landed in the final quarter of the year!  As we gear up for what’s next, here are a few key market insights and updates to keep on your radar.

It was interesting to read the latest ManpowerGroup report which indicates a positive +28% Net Employment Outlook—up 8% this quarter. While optimism is rising thanks to easing inflation and lower interest rate expectations, businesses are still cautious. Temporary hiring is up, but permanent roles are growing more slowly as companies prioritise short-term flexibility.

Key updates:

  •  New vacancies fell short of expectations due to project delays and a focus on internal promotions.
  •  Hybrid work remains a hot topic, with Amazon announcing the return of a five day working week in the office. Over half of our conversations touch on hybrid challenges – more on that to come.
  •  AI and Machine Learning still dominate conversations with those in the sector, although the future is still uncertain. One thing we can be sure of is more developments in 2025.

It’s worth saying at this point that, although vacancies dipped in September, conversations are stronger than ever with business leaders and hiring managers. Events like The eCommerce Expo highlighted brands’ focus on modernising tech stacks for 2025, with social commerce expected to grow next year.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • Boohoo Group PLC is reportedly considering a break-up of its core labels including PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen and Debenhams, in an attempt to boost its share price following a c.90% decline since its pandemic high READ MORE
  • Tesco is relaunching its online F&F Clothing range on its new marketplace after closing Tesco Direct back in 2018 READ MORE
  • TikTok Shop launched its inaugural week-long Sales event ‘For You Days’ on 23 September. The event features discounts of up to 50% on trending products and live shopping sessions, allowing direct engagement with brands and creators READ MORE
  • Moonpig teamed up with The Entertainer to offer 200 new toy products, including brands like Paw Patrol and Barbie, alongside personalised cards READ MORE
  • Ocado Retail raised its full-year sales guidance after a strong quarter, with retail revenue rising 15.5% to £658m for the 13 weeks to September READ MORE

 

 

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | August 2024

September 15, 2024

August is best summarised as being a ‘steady’ month. It’s no secret that it’s one of the slower months of the year with many taking extended time out of the office and whilst we have also felt processes slow down, we’ve been able to add to our client base and are feeling confident as we move into September.

On that note, it does feel September has the potential to be a huge month for us and the industry with multiple callbacks in the calendar to discuss both new projects kicking off and hiring.

As mentioned in the previous newsletter, historically Sept-Dec has been a good trading period for us and we have no reason to believe it will be any different this year based on the conversations we are having.

This means there should be plenty of new vacancies at all levels – a great time to start putting your feelers out if you’re thinking of a new opportunity.

Product Owners and Managers are a growing area of demand as companies look to transition from a project to product-led environment. This isn’t necessarily a new thing, however, we are now seeing the next wave of companies embark on this change and I believe this will continue over the coming year or two.

Software engineering also continues to be a strong area for us with more than 50% of our new vacancies to date this year sitting here.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • The LEGO Group hails record profits in the first half of 2024, with revenue up +13% to £3.5bn. This is partly due to Lego ramping up its partnerships with the likes of Fortnite and Nike in a bid to reach more consumers READ MORE
  • The House of Fraser website and app have now been rebranded as Frasers Group, allowing customers to shop from all of Fraser Group’s brands in one place, including Sports Direct, Game, and sofa.com READ MORE
  • SHEIN has filed a lawsuit against rival Temu for what it calls an ‘unlawful enterprise built on ‘counterfeiting, theft of trade secrets, infringement of intellectual property rights, and fraud’        READ MORE
  • Marks and Spencer and Ocado Retail have once again been named the fastest-growing supermarkets in the UK over the last 12 weeks, with sales up 10.7% and 14.3%, respectively. Asda and Aldi UK were the only supermarkets to experience a drop in sales over the 12 weeks, in comparison to the same period a year ago, with sales down 6.4% and 0.7%, respectively READ MORE
  • Tesco’s fashion brand F&F will be introducing ‘digital passports’ across its clothing range amid a ramped-up crackdown on sustainability by the European Union according to reports READ MORE

 

 

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | July 2024

August 19, 2024

Finally, it looks as though Summer has arrived. It’s taken until the last week of July but it’s here! And, the positivity continues as Simply Commerce had its best month YTD for new placements.

Following recent surveys and reports from Lloyds Banking Group and Deloitte, it’s clear that both business and consumer confidence are high. We anticipate this optimism will result in new work streams and growth opportunities and, whilst these work streams are likely to remain concentrated in smaller areas where ROI can be quickly tracked, their emergence is nonetheless a positive development. This is especially encouraging for the retail sector, which has been cautious since the start of 2023.

Incoming vacancies across June and July were lower than we would have liked. However, the general sentiment in the market is that more vacancies are available, with companies choosing to exhaust their direct search options before seeking specialist assistance. Notably, there has been a significant uptick in strategic leadership vacancies compared to the previous 12 months, which is a promising sign for the future.

Internally, I’m pleased to confirm the whitepaper we have been working on for the past couple of months, focused on challenges and opportunities within digital commerce, is almost ready for release – you can expect a copy of it in the next week or so. A lot of work has gone into this behind the scenes with multiple surveys taking place at events such as IRX and Retail Tech Show earlier this year, as well as quantitive research we undertook with our network back in Spring.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • boohoo has launched an online marketplace as it looks to become a ‘one-stop destination for all fashion, beauty, and lifestyle needs’. Customers will be able to shop from 150 brands including Revolution Beauty, L’Oréal Paris, Ray-Ban, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors READ MORE
  • IKEA has opened its one-hundredth mobile pick-up point at Tesco, with the Swedish furniture retailer announcing plans to double this number. Almost 40% of Ikea’s UK sales now come from the online channel READ MORE
  • No country in the world has as many internet users shopping online as The Netherlands, according to a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The eCommerce penetration rate is 84% and the market worth nearly €35 billion in 2023 READ MORE
  • Waitrose & Partners has grown its market share for the first time in two years as investments into its food range pay off. Kantar’s supermarket share and inflation update showed that spending at the upmarket grocer edged up 3.3%, helping to lift its market share by 0.1 percentage points to 4.5% READ MORE
  • Amazon Prime Day UK consumer spending across two days saw ‘record highs’ totalling £1.3bn, according to the latest data from Adobe Analytics READ MORE

 

 

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | June 2024

July 19, 2024

Despite the positivity we saw in Q2, the start of Q3 was somewhat inconsistent when it came to new vacancies coming to market.

Although, whilst delivery, product, and leadership opportunities were a little on the light side, G-T-M and software engineering remains buoyant which is encouraging indeed.

We also know that the pipeline for new hires is robust, with roles anticipated at all levels. There remains a strong appetite for growing teams and launching new projects, even if these projects are expected to be smaller in scale.

Demand within retail is currently concentrated on PIM, OMS, and Data. This is partly due to previous underinvestment in these areas and partly due to significant technological innovations in recent years.

Outside of retail, we believe manufacturing, pharma, and automotive to be industries to watch.

It’s also worth noting that US jobs data showed an unexpected rise in May, indicating a strong recovery and potential growth in the job market. Similarly, UK jobs data suggests that the decline from the pre-COVID spike has bottomed out and stabilised, pointing to a more stable and resilient employment landscape – let’s hope this positive trend continues.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  • Shopify launched its most advanced AI platform, featuring tools like instant personalised product descriptions, combined discounts, and real-time analytics. These updates aim to streamline operations, boost customer engagement, and support business growth READ MORE
  • Gymshark launched “We Do Gym,” a brand platform emphasising its dedication to gym culture. The initiative, set for the next 12 months, aims to distinguish Gymshark from athleisure and sportswear competitors READ MORE
  • Clarks is cutting 150 head office jobs after a £39.8m loss in 2023. The cuts impact their UK and US headquarters, driven by increased demand for lower-priced products and rising costs READ MORE
  • Tesco launches online marketplace, integrating 9,000 third-party products into the online operation. Items span DIY, garden, homeware, pet care, and toys, all fulfilled by suppliers READ MORE
  • Amazon has bolstered its grocery offer by introducing deliveries to all its customers in eligible cities across the UK and launching member pricing. Customers in more than 100 towns and cities nationwide can now receive groceries from its own Fresh stores, Morrisons, Co-op, and Iceland READ MORE

 

 

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Industry News & Headlines | May 2024

June 19, 2024

Positivity is in the air as May looks to have picked up where April left off – plenty of new vacancies coming through the door as companies accelerate their hiring, particularly within software engineering and sales/partnerships.

Partnership hires seem to be a real growth area for digital commerce-focused vendors and agencies over the past couple of years, and having heard some of the success stories from forming true partnerships between organisations, I can certainly see why.

As new roles go live, it has to be said that we are still experiencing extremely high application numbers for most vacancies.

Whilst the general feeling is that this is a somewhat time-consuming way of recruiting, there are still some good applicants for most roles, you just need to have the bandwidth to sift through the hundreds of CVs (or indeed, engage with a specialist recruiter if you’re not already to take on the heavy lifting in that regard!).

Looking at the market more generally, we had reports just a few weeks ago that the UK had officially come out of recession, with the fasted growth in almost two years.

Whilst we aren’t automatically out of the trenches quite yet, we expect this to have a positive impact on both new work streams being signed off and on the hiring of both permanent and contractor resources.

This was confirmed in a recent survey conducted by the Simply Commerce team, which revealed that 53% of digital commerce leaders believe their companies will be hiring this year.

 

Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month

  •  M&S continues its turnaround with a +58% leap in profit in the first quarter of this year to £672.5 million. Overall sales at the high street giant were up +19.3% to £13billion, with a +5.3% increase in turnover at Clothing & Home READ MORE
  • Temu‘s owner PDD Holdings has posted soaring profits and revenue for the first quarter of this year. The company saw total revenues increase +131% to £9.3bn. Operating profit surged +275% year on year to £2.8bn READ MORE
  • boohoo reported group sales declined 17% YoY to £1.4bn in the year to 29 February, driven by ‘difficult market conditions’. The fashion retailer’s pre-tax losses widened to £159.9m in the period from £90.7m last year, with gross profit falling 16% to £756m READ MORE
  • Amazon announced plans to build a £500m robotic warehouse in Northampton, projected to be fully operational by 2026. The facility, featuring three floors of robotics technology for stowing and picking customer orders, will initially create 1,400 jobs, ranging from engineers to HR, finance and IT staff READ MORE
  • TikTok shop is due to go live in Continental Europe this Summer and has already started inviting merchants to beta-test READ MORE

 

Each month we send out the latest industry news and headlines, plus sector insight such as this via our newsletter, The Pulse. This also includes the latest jobs and internal news… click HERE  to subscribe

 

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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