Highlights from TheIndustry.fashion LIVE Opportunities and efficiencies for 2025 and beyond…

There’s no doubt fashion is facing headwinds as the industry moves into the new financial year; increased costs, subdued demand and diminished consumer confidence all present challenges. But fashion is nothing if not resilient and creative and, more than any other market, adept at reinvention.

During TheIndustry.fashion LIVE: Opportunities and efficiencies for 2025 and beyond, brands and retailers such as N Brown, Scamp & Dude, Mint Velvet, Lucy & Yak, Neem London and Seraphine, amongst others, gained actionable insights into the opportunities for growth and efficiencies in 2025 and beyond.

Hosted in partnership with supply chain experts Bleckmann and sponsored by native mobile app specialists POQ, the event invited fashion industry professionals to learn from brands, retailers and industry experts from the likes of Boden, Schuh, Albaray, Florere and Charles Russell Speechlys, about the evolving retail landscape, how to capitalise on growth opportunities, the benefits of having your own app, key pillars and focusses for 2025, and more.

Retail in 2025 – Challenges & Opportunities

TheIndustry.fashion LIVE kicked off with Ilona Bateson, Associate at law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, who showcased the key themes in retail this year and the problems this may bring to brands and retailers.

On the back of economic turmoil in 2024, as well as a new government, Bateson explained there are three targets retailers should hit during 2025 to remain ahead of compliance and ensure consumer trust in the long run.

Effective and compliant AI strategy

• Retailers have been one of the quickest adopters of AI in terms of personalised ads and enforcing security measures. However, they have to make sure to utilise this collected data to ensure they don’t alienate the customer. "Retailers must regularly review AI-generated content, especially when it comes to selling clothes and creating body images. For example, some AI images could be considered 'too good to be true' and considered false advertising," Bateson says.

Staying ahead of the compliance picture

• Bateson encourages retailers to consistently reevaluate corporate governance to make sure they’re up to date with new legislation. This includes product design, supply chain and operations.

Taking a risk-based approach to sustainability

• Consumer law is going through a major change. The new DMCCA replaces current consumer legislation. If companies are found falsely advertising, fines can be up to 10% of annual turnover and there’s potential for reputational damage."The regulatory landscape for retailers isn’t set to get any easier. What is clear is that getting ahead of your compliance can save you time in the long run. It ensures you maintain consumer trust and keep out of the law’s bad books," Bateson explains.

Scaling up – capitalising on growth opportunities

For the second session of the day, Erik Janssen Steenberg, Business Development Manager & Innovations at logistics experts Bleckmann was first joined by Michelle Evatt and Heidi Fielding, co-founders of Florere, and Paula Stewart, Kirstie Di Stazio and Karen Peacock, co-founders of Albaray to discuss the rise of their businesses and capitalising on growth opportunities.

Following the collapse of Warehouse during the pandemic, senior executives Stewart, Peacock and Di Stazio decided to launch a new womenswear proposition in 2021. Since its launch, Albaray has focussed on producing sustainably-sourced garments that are both modern and designed to stand the test of time. Meanwhile, Florere launched in 2023 as a modern womenswear brand with a playful personality, which has built up a reputation for its bold colours and patterns. Aside from looking to fill a gap in the market, both brands are founder-led and delved into the benefits and challenges of starting and scaling their businesses.

"You have to gain new skills very quickly," says Peacock. "At Warehouse, we worked across design, merchandising and buying, so we needed to learn how to run things like social media, logistics, photoshoots - all the other parts of the business."

Responding to this, Janssen Steenberg highlighted how Bleckmann can take the burden away from brands, offering a variety of sustainable solutions to help businesses grow. "We strive to be a trusted partner for brands, propelling them towards growth and helping them to understand each environment/market. Product and pricing will always remain with the brand, but in terms of logistical support, we have so many partners and factories, so Bleckmann can really streamline these operations."

Central to both the success of Albaray and Florere is their founder and design-led approach. "It's an exciting time for emerging brands because you can try things," says Evatt. It's also important to listen to your customers. "This is certainly the case for our bold, bright prints, which is reflected in our sales," adds Fielding.

For the second part of the session, Janssen Steenberg was joined by Andrew Gale, Chief Operating Officer at Blakeley Clothing.

Having worked with Bleckmann since 2021, the fashion brand has experienced rapid growth over the years - growing sales from £5 million in 2018 to £60 million this year - strengthened by support from the logistics provider in the EU market. "We're committed to the EU and our link up with Bleckmann was a fantastic opportunity, helping us to push growth further," explains Gale. "We also haven't got to worry about fulfilling orders."

The App Opportunity

With apps accounting for 90% of total mobile usage time, there’s a growing opportunity for brands and retailers in this space.

In fact, shopping apps are the fastest growing category, up 54% year-on-year, with 60% of consumers favouring these platforms due to their "superior shopping experience". That's according to data presented by Helen Slaven, Chief Revenue Officer at global native mobile app specialists POQ, during this session.

Slaven added that everything brands and retailers could want and need to deploy is available through an app, from shopping and content to loyalty, community engagement and more.

"The amount of time spent in apps is rising dramatically," she highlights. "Apps build stronger brands and sell more products while deepening customer loyalty and increasing customer lifetime value. It creates a digital flagship for customers."

Working with brands such as Kurt Geiger, Office, Evans and The White Company, amongst others, POQ works closely with businesses to create platforms that go far beyond just shopping.

"You can really see the power of having a strong, capable app. Don’t think it’s a space you can ignore," finishes Slaven.

In Spotlight - Boden & Schuh

For the final session of the day, Stephanie Legg, Chief Marketing Officer at Schuh, and Ben Dreyer, CEO of Boden, sat down with our very own Editor-in-Chief Lauretta Roberts to discuss their approaches to 2025.

Despite having different target audiences, both Schuh and Boden have the same goal of achieving operational efficiency and excellence in 2025 as they face financial headwinds.

Dreyer explained that customers are at the heart of everything they do at Boden. "Every time we have made mistakes over the past 25 years, since I’ve been at the company, it was when we drifted away from the core customer," he says.

Legg corroborated this, adding that Schuh is focused on its target audience, Gen Z. This demographic is concerned with sustainability, which is a key focus for the footwear brand this year.

Boden’s CEO agreed that sustainability is a key pillar of 2025. He even suggests it lowers costs. "Sustainability helps with customer loyalty, but the big thing for us is its impact on the environment. So how can we reduce this impact? 1. Carbon reduction is all about reducing the power bill, which will get your finance director interested. 2. On the packaging front, we’ve saved tonnes on reducing packaging – this way you’ll have the rest of the c-suite board with you," Dreyer adds.

Another target for 2025 is inclusivity. Last year, Schuh launched a single-shoe initiative as a pledge to support the disabled community. "We want to make sure we are the most inclusive footwear retailer in the UK. We’ve had amazing feedback from parents of disabled children and adults who have never been able to purchase one shoe," Legg says.

"We’re not saving lives by selling shoes, but what else are we going to do to make sure we love what we do."

This year isn’t about overcomplicating businesses, it’s about streamlining what you're doing and focusing on what makes your business different to competitors.

"This year is all about striving for excellence; how can we make our store estate elevated. We’re laser-focused on our power cities where our audiences are," Legg concludes.

To sponsor one of our events or if you would like to ask about speaking opportunities, please email partnerships@theindustry.fashion.

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