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Ian Jindal shared thisCall for speakers: CommerceAI 2027 We're modelling the commercial, board-level conversation around AI. Not the newest, fleeting, firefly moments. Rather, the underpinnings, the tough questions, the hand on the tiller. Who are the people who are bleeding edge in terms of thinking, but setting a steady course so that the organisation can follow? We look at the four value chains driving performance, with an AI lens. Cross-silo, cross-industry - a conversation. - EXTERNAL AI - this is the outside world. What the customer is doing without you, ahead of your vision and outside your grasp. How do we understand, engage, and manage? - EXPERIENCE AI - the digital products, services, experiences, models that you're building in order to engage with your customer's attention, focus and spend - CAPABILITY AI - the changing world of our internal operations, capabilities, and profitability. Across all activities, partners, teams, suppliers... how are we developing and harnessing capabilities? - STRATEGIC AI - what is my business, where do I make money, where should I invest and build? The tough conversations around capital, return, shareholder value and what exactly IS your business now and next? As ever, the day is built around human experience and connection. If you can ask Claude, then it doesn't need to be on stage, in a conversation or workshop! If you'd like to speak or contribute, please DM me for a chat, or complete the form (scroll to 'apply to speak'). If you know someone who's too busy doing real work to be on the conference circuit, then please dob them in! We'll follow up :) We're not after AI-jockeys or agent-mongers: we're looking for people who wrangle customers, product, operations and strategy to deliver value in our AI age. Don't delay - get in touch! cc/ Mark Pigou, Rob Prevett, Lisa Bennett, RetailX, RetailX Events, InternetRetailingIan Jindal shared thisSpeaking applications now open plus all event opps at; https://lnkd.in/eBVsu8RZ
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Ian Jindal shared thisI'm excited by (Tula)'s session since "joy" is an area for reinvestment in retail. So much of the retail discussion is around "removing friction" and efficiency, as we seek to lubricate, anaesthetise, and propel the customer down a joyless funnel to "conversion". In parallel, we try to pimp and scale our brand heritage, purpose and differentiation via bloviated storytelling and whimsy. How can we have the confidence to identify, generate and scale joy? We all have brands, products and interfaces that bring us joy - how can we make that feeling be the focus? Can the magic persist in microtransactions or via intermediaries? Can this joy increase our profits and prospects, even as agents and algorithms reduce the middle ground to zero? At Retail MediaX USA, Jessie Bove Dowd has convened a group of thinkers, do-ers and scalers for a big day, a meeting of minds. Speakers here (https://lnkd.in/eRPXWcdS) and YES, I know we should have booked a bigger venue. Our three years enabling the retail and commerce media debates in Europe have shown that intense quality is the seed on which we build, so if you'd like to join us on 12 November in NYC then register (link in comments) for the final few spaces or the waitlist. ALSO on the joy front, what are the store and retail experiences in NYC that bring you joy? I have a couple of days to check out the stores that make your nerves, brain and heart tingle. If you have a 2026 addition to https://lnkd.in/e4vJ9y2i please drop me a note. Counting down to NYC! cc/ Mark Pigou, Colin Lewis, Rob Prevett, Marvin Roberts, Paul SkeldonIan Jindal shared thisCustomers who rate their emotional experience with a brand highly are 5.1x as likely to say they will buy more. ⠀ When something goes wrong, 67% of those shoppers say they will forgive the mistake, compared to 15% among customers with poor emotional ratings, according to the Qualtrics XM Institute. ⠀ Meanwhile, retail leadership keeps briefing AI to scrub every trace of human contact out of the store. Fewer floor associates, more glowing touchscreens, and self-checkout kiosks having a full nervous breakdown over an unexpected item in the bagging area. ⠀ It is remarkably efficient and completely forgettable. ⠀ AI can optimize almost any operational metric. Choosing the goal is still on humans. ⠀ Certain kinds of friction are the exact reason shoppers put on outside pants and visit a physical shop, like the aimless browse, the accidental discovery, and the associate who actually knows the product. Remove the hassle and keep the experience. ⠀ On Thursday, November 12, I am opening Retail MediaX in New York with a keynote on how retail can aim all that algorithmic power at creating moments people remember for the right reasons. ⠀ If you are in the room, come say hi after the session. If you lead retail or CPG innovation and still need a pass, check the first comment. Mark Pigou Colin Lewis Jessie Bove Dowd Ian Jindal
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Ian Jindal shared thisIt's 102 pages (all of them engrossing!) but also shows the sheer range of activity, the achievements of the executive team, the resourcefulness and inventiveness of partners in the sector and - more than anything - the positivity of so many people working together to make, to model ideas and programmes, and offer so much for hearts, hands and brains. Congratulations to all at Crafts Council! 👏Ian Jindal shared thisWe’re delighted to share our Annual Report, celebrating a year of creativity, connection and growth across the craft sector. 2025-2026 in numbers: 83 applications for the curated programme at Collect, our international art fair, with new bursaries to support global majority makers. 840 members of Young Craft Citizens, our free programme for 16 to 30-year-olds. Basket maker Ella Merriman became the first member selected to show at Collect. 460,000 people saw objects from our collection in venues from V&A Dundee to Exeter and New York! From supporting makers at every stage of their journey to building partnerships, expanding access to craft and championing its value, we’ve worked to ensure more people can experience the transformative power of making. This year has reinforced why craft matters: it connects us to our communities, creates opportunities for learning and livelihoods, and reminds us of the value of human creativity, skill and imagination. The inspiring work of emerging makers, including Mobina Rajabimoghadam – who develops biomaterial from eggshells and was awarded a CC Loves Award – shows just how much craft can contribute to a more sustainable and creative future. Looking ahead, we remain committed to championing craft, strengthening our networks and creating more opportunities for people across the UK to discover, experience and benefit from making. A huge thank you to our staff, trustees, funders, partners, supporters, makers and communities who have made this year possible. Together, we’re building a future where craft reaches more people, more deeply. Read our Annual Report here: https://bit.ly/4ssqr35 to discover what we’ve achieved together and what comes next.
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Ian Jindal reposted thisIan Jindal reposted thisWe’re delighted to share our Annual Report, celebrating a year of creativity, connection and growth across the craft sector. 2025-2026 in numbers: 83 applications for the curated programme at Collect, our international art fair, with new bursaries to support global majority makers. 840 members of Young Craft Citizens, our free programme for 16 to 30-year-olds. Basket maker Ella Merriman became the first member selected to show at Collect. 460,000 people saw objects from our collection in venues from V&A Dundee to Exeter and New York! From supporting makers at every stage of their journey to building partnerships, expanding access to craft and championing its value, we’ve worked to ensure more people can experience the transformative power of making. This year has reinforced why craft matters: it connects us to our communities, creates opportunities for learning and livelihoods, and reminds us of the value of human creativity, skill and imagination. The inspiring work of emerging makers, including Mobina Rajabimoghadam – who develops biomaterial from eggshells and was awarded a CC Loves Award – shows just how much craft can contribute to a more sustainable and creative future. Looking ahead, we remain committed to championing craft, strengthening our networks and creating more opportunities for people across the UK to discover, experience and benefit from making. A huge thank you to our staff, trustees, funders, partners, supporters, makers and communities who have made this year possible. Together, we’re building a future where craft reaches more people, more deeply. Read our Annual Report here: https://bit.ly/4ssqr35 to discover what we’ve achieved together and what comes next.
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Ian Jindal shared this24 hours in town covering Snow, Sage, Sarnies and Street. First up was a season kick off and Snow + Rock, hearing from a panel about the coming season. Shopping trends, which brands and hot (and why), new-vs-vintage selling, climate change, travel and holidays, increasing accessibility... wide-ranging and open chat, expertly and knowledgeably moderated by Aimee Fuller, with Nikkie Plessen (founder of NIKKIE / NP Fashion BV), Dan Keeley of Snowcamp, Johnny Hayes of S+R and John Mansell of Hotelplan. More to come on this, but props to all for such an engaging and no-holds-barred session. Then to Breville | Sage's new cafe-demo-experience space in Fitzrovia - Home Ground LDN. The thesis is that their machines are as good as a west end barista's brew, so they are proving this, while also charging the same as it would cost to make at home. Cunning, and well-executed. The store has beans, brewing machines and personality aplenty. It's not a bring-your-laptop-and-loiter space, but does show what an electrical brand can do when it moves past the rows-of-machines approach. See my store entry here: https://lnkd.in/eHud8YZT Thence to Oxford Street to witness the lack of traffic. Still feeling like a new haircut, and frankly indistinguishable from "road closed due to burst water main" the two big differences are people slowly taking ownership of the road, and the incredible number of Gilet Jaune officials on the street: security, information, polling and monitoring, workfolk... Irrespective of the planning it does show that flooding the streets with invested, pedestrian-focused guides and security can instantly transform a space. I'm following the Oxford Street placemaking changes on www.ianjindal.com so more on progress and the ongoing debates there. However, on a sunny autumn day it looked and felt fresh and positive. Then, heading for an interview with the lovely Kim Ludlow of Moloco I bump into industry legend Paul Dahill of Koddi, channelling Santa with a handcart full of goodies. I thought he was on his way to some glamorous activation or marketing stunt, however I'm assured he was buying lunch for the team. Gent! Also, hungry team :) Let me know your thoughts on the Oxford Street changes and plans, and also if you have any top tips for must-see stores that bring a "something extra" to experience, brand and selling.
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Ian Jindal reposted thisIan Jindal reposted thisWhat Will Matter Most by 2030? Consumer expectations are evolving faster than ever. Learn how leading brands and retailers are balancing innovation, commerce, media and customer experience to drive sustainable growth in an increasingly fragmented marketplace. View agenda and join at: https://lnkd.in/eMDsQnj3
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Ian Jindal reposted thisIan Jindal reposted thisGive it some Boots – some excellent insights into the new ways to engage customers, being there to help them when they need it and not just spamming them, from Charlotte Lock at Boots. And it is all thanks to the data from 17 million Boots Advantage card holders, greater partner campaigns and thinking like the customer.Give it some Boots: why the customer’s life is becoming the organising principle of retailGive it some Boots: why the customer’s life is becoming the organising principle of retail
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Ian Jindal liked thisIan Jindal liked thisI stepped back a bit from LinkedIn and X this week - when I scroll through both - they are mostly negative - I would say that negativity has increased about 100x in this year. That is not good for our mental health. I publish here for two reasons - 1) I enjoy laughing with others - I share memes, etc. 2) I like to share useful or thought provoking information. I have and will always be engaged in second order thinking in consumer and tech. This is what I write about... However, the algo is really only interested in shock value. I am not and have never been energised by this type of energy. With all of the noise about AI, control, human rights, agism, purpose, prepping, etc - god forbid we are manipulated by an algorithm on top of that. I do not give a crap about ensuring I have a hook. I know social media is in decline, you can see it across all of the platforms. The time we spend with people IRL is by far the most valuable these days. The actual work you do, the trust you develop with others and your purpose matter the most. AI magnifies that - my article this week about trust being an asset is a universal belief supported by data versus social media click bait. I will probably focus on Substack more than anywhere else moving forward and share the information I get from my Zero Click platform which is basically free consultancy. To all my friends on here - let's get a coffee IRL. It is more enjoyable. ✌🏻
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Ian Jindal liked thisIan Jindal liked thisSpeaking applications now open plus all event opps at; https://lnkd.in/gBUHF4YA
Experience & Education
Licenses & Certifications
Publications
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InternetRetailing UK Top500 Report 2015
InternetRetailing
IT IS WITH pleasure that we release our first InternetRetailing Top500 UK report, an in-depth, commercial and comparative view of the UK’s multichannel retailers and ecommerce players. Our guiding principle in undertaking this work has been to reflect the capabilities necessary to run complex retail operations at scale – a focus upon ‘RetailCraft’.
Other authorsSee publication -
IRUK 500 2015 Brand and Engagement Report
InternetRetailing
THIS IS THE first, much-anticipated chapter in our new series of IRUK 500, 2015 Performance Dimension Reports. In this series, we aim to challenge assumptions and nail down the facts, details and insights that will map how the UK’s leading retailers are performing in a new digital world.
In their Comment, report editors Jonathan Wright and Chloe Rigby explain how we’ve gone about that task in this initial Brand and Engagement report, which focuses on the all-important issues of…THIS IS THE first, much-anticipated chapter in our new series of IRUK 500, 2015 Performance Dimension Reports. In this series, we aim to challenge assumptions and nail down the facts, details and insights that will map how the UK’s leading retailers are performing in a new digital world.
In their Comment, report editors Jonathan Wright and Chloe Rigby explain how we’ve gone about that task in this initial Brand and Engagement report, which focuses on the all-important issues of gaining and holding customers’ attention in a distracting world.Other authorsSee publication -
Top 500 Footprint Report
InternetRetailing
On the 26th March 2014, we launched our Top 500 programme with this report outlining the key criteria we used to measure a retailer’s ‘footprint’ or industry impact and the 500 retailers who made it onto our list.
We also discussed how we would be growing these criteria in our retailer ranking in October’s Multichannel Performance Index.
Download the report, see who made our Top 500 list and join the conversation with @etail or send your thoughts to research@internetretailing.net.Other authorsSee publication -
Building An Ecommerce Team: A Best Practice Guide
Econsultancy.com
This Econsultancy report on building and growing an ecommerce team focuses on the challenges facing ecommerce managers as the digital channel grows and diversifies. It is aimed at client-side ecommerce practitioners who have a hands-on role in managing and growing the ecommerce channel.
The report is written based on the experience and recommendations of seasoned ecommerce professionals. The report provides:
An objective evaluation of the key challenges that ecommerce managers…This Econsultancy report on building and growing an ecommerce team focuses on the challenges facing ecommerce managers as the digital channel grows and diversifies. It is aimed at client-side ecommerce practitioners who have a hands-on role in managing and growing the ecommerce channel.
The report is written based on the experience and recommendations of seasoned ecommerce professionals. The report provides:
An objective evaluation of the key challenges that ecommerce managers face when growing their team.
A framework for understanding these challenges and the implications for your business.
Guidance on making commercial decisions.
The direct experience of senior ecommerce and digital marketing professionals.
We hope you find it useful.Other authorsSee publication -
InternetRetailing
InternetRetailing
InternetRetailing Magazine is the must-read title for professionals in multichannel retail and ecommerce. Reflecting the board-level conversation, InternetRetailing covers the gamut of roles, professions and issues and the focus point of connecting commercially with the connected customer. Published since 2005 and ABC Audited.
Other authorsSee publication
Projects
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House of Fraser multichannel launch
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Project to launch House of Fraser eCommerce offering to customers, from store front through to goods fulfillment and customer services.
Other creatorsSee project
Honors & Awards
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Best Small Business Service Award 2014 (for eSeller - www.eseller.net)
Start Your Business Magazine
Now in their 10th year the Start your Business Awards celebrate the significant contributions made by service providers to small businesses in the UK during the past year.
Congratulations to the team at eSeller.net, one of InternetRetailing's titles, for the recognition of their activities during 2014, a significant year of growth for the service. -
InternetRetailingExpo - Best Tradeshow Exhibition, 2014
Association of Event Organisers
Wonderful recognition from the Event Organiser's body for the growth and vibrancy of InternetRetailing Expo, IRX - www.internetretailingexpo.com.
Growing even bigger for 2015, and launching a co-located new show, eDeliveryExpo.com, to cater for the professionals 'behind the buy button' who fulfil the multichannel promise.
Languages
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English
Native or bilingual proficiency
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Welsh
Native or bilingual proficiency
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French
Limited working proficiency
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