April 2025 recap: Ecommerce innovation at the crossroads of tech, brand, & customer experience
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From H&M’s brand-forward UX redesign and Omoda’s AI stylist to OnLogic’s edge computing strategy and Topps' approach to scaling global ecommerce, April on The Ecommerce Toolbox delivered powerful insights for digital leaders navigating the future of retail.
In this recap, we explore the most impactful insights from:
- Jenn Volk, Head of Digital, H&M Americas
- Ewoud Frielink, CTO, Omoda
- Tim van der Horst, Director of Europe, OnLogic
- Sayed Suhail Gaffar, VP of Global Ecommerce, Topps
TL;DR: What ecommerce leaders need to know from April 2025
Episode 1: H&M’s game-changing digital relaunch
Guest: Jenn Volk, Head of Digital, H&M Americas
Title: H&M’s Game-changing approach to brand, tech, and customer experience
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Key takeaways:
- H&M relaunched its ecommerce site in 2024 to make product detail pages (PDPs) the centerpiece of brand storytelling.
- They shifted from homepage-first journeys to influencer-driven PDP entry points.
- "The Studio" destination lets H&M repurpose event and influencer content into shoppable digital experiences.
"Digital is always going to be a conversion-driving channel, but we really focused on how we could push the limit and have it not only be conversion-driving, but also be a place where we could tell our brand story."
— Jenn Volk, Head of Digital at H&M
Episode 2: Scaling personal touch with tech at Omoda
Guest: Ewoud Frielink, CTO, Omoda
Title: From boutique to browser: Scaling personal touch with tech
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Key takeaways:
- Omoda’s AI stylist uses LLMs to simulate a personal boutique assistant, helping customers get outfit suggestions via chat.
- 90% of product data and attributes are AI-generated for scale and consistency.
- Upcoming features include automated outfit generation and AI-generated product photography.
“Our vision is to be a personal boutique at scale—but doing it online is a totally different game. I actually think the digital innovation we see today doesn’t limit our personal touch; it actually enables it.”
— Ewoud Frielink, CTO of Omoda
Listen to Ewoud's episode now.
Episode 3: Edge computing & retail AI with OnLogic
Guest: Tim van der Horst, Director of Europe, OnLogic
Title: What most companies get wrong about scaling with AI
Key takeaways:
- Edge computing lets retailers process AI data locally—reducing cloud costs, latency, and bandwidth strain.
- Real-world use cases: predictive maintenance, visual QC on conveyor belts, and warehouse automation.
- AI needs infrastructure. OnLogic focuses on building the right hardware foundation for LLMs to scale.
“Scaling as an organization is hard if you don't want to grow your costs linearly with revenue… So how can you scale? With translation engines and machines, you can serve multiple countries from a single area.”
— Tim van der Horst, Director of Europe for OnLogic
Episode 4: Global omnichannel done right at Topps
Guest: Sayed Suhail Gaffar, VP of Global Ecommerce, The Topps Company
Title: How Topps built a global brand without losing customer trust
Key takeaways:
- Topps manages omnichannel ecommerce globally via strong partner enablement and consistent CX metrics.
- The company supports returns and loyalty even in regions where stores are independently run.
- NFTs are still on their roadmap—but now as physical + digital hybrid collectibles.
"The customer will always understand if you set the right expectations and meet them. If you tell the customers, 'I'm gonna deliver something in two days,' and you deliver it in two days, customers are happy."
— Sayed Suhail Gaffar, VP of Ecommerce at Topps Company
Listen to Sayed's episode now.
Connecting themes across all episodes
1. AI is now the infrastructure of digital commerce
Omoda, H&M, and OnLogic show that AI isn’t just an enhancement—it's part of the architecture.
2. Your product pages are your front door
Whether it's influencer content or event-driven shopping, your PDPs are your brand’s first impression.
3. Omnichannel must be operationally integrated
Success lies in aligning KPIs and incentives across digital, physical, and wholesale.
Want more insights from ecommerce leaders?
Catch all four April episodes of The Ecommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives to hear how these leaders are shaping the future of retail. Plus, stay tuned to catch episodes with some incredible guests in May! Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.
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