Agenda

Trends and insights to place you at the forefront of ecommerce strategy and set the tone for a successful 2025

FEB 11 Royal Lancaster Hotel London

Themes

Customer Experience Omnichannel Operational Efficiency Future of Delivery Cross-Border Ecommerce Sustainability

08:00 – 09:20

Registration and Welcome Coffee – Exhibition Opens

Morning Plenary – Ballroom

09:30 – 09:40

Welcome to The Delivery Conference 2025

Auctane’s CEO, Al Ko, welcomes attendees to this year’s event. As we enter 2025, a quarter of the way into the century, it’s time to reflect on the rapid changes in the shipping and logistics industries and the continued evolution of ecommerce. In today’s program, we’re focused on building resilient logistics operations and adopting the innovations that will help brands endure into the next quarter century and beyond.

Al Ko CEO Auctane

09:40 – 10:20

The Next Quarter Century: Facing an Ecommerce Inflection Point

During this session, we’ll present pivotal insights from our annual Ecommerce Delivery Benchmark Report. Richard Lim will share new data demonstrating that ecommerce growth has reached pre-pandemic levels and highlighting the need for retailers to compete for their customers’ continued support, with an emphasis on the elements of the ecommerce shopping and delivery experience that give retailers a leg up among consumers and an eye on the long-term trends shaping the industry in the coming decades.

Richard Lim CEO Retail Economics

10:20 – 10:45

Preparing for the Unexpected: Disruption of the Future

What will future threats of disruption look like? How will customer expectations continue to evolve? What can businesses do to future-proof their operations? In this panel discussion, we’ll learn from industry leaders about the trajectory of the logistics industry.

Charlotte Bunney Director of Customer Experience DPD UK

Jo Causon CEO Institute of Customer Service

Richard Lim CEO Retail Economics

10:45 -11:30

Morning Coffee Break – Exhibition Hall

11:30 – 12:00

Tapping Into the Purchase Power of Young Consumers with Smart Tech

Whether it’s TikTok Shop, Amazon Haul, or Facebook Marketplace, social commerce sales are growing rapidly – and it’s attracted the significant purchasing power of younger buyers. Businesses are now looking to strategic partnerships to get ahead of their competition and attract millennial and Gen Z customers. Join us as we share how retailers and other locations can maximise their space with smart tech to boost foot traffic and customer loyalty, as well as reduce investment risk and costs associated with returns and ecommerce initiatives.

Gary Winter VP Global Strategic Initiatives

Lee Graham Sales Director Europe

12:00 – 12:30

Outpace the Rest in 2025

Choosing your delivery partner is a make-or-break decision: the right carrier can unlock untapped innovation and customer loyalty, transforming both operational efficiency and customer LTV; the wrong one is a slippery slope towards customer churn. HIVED’s COO Roger Hassan highlights the critical recent advances in delivery that can be leveraged right now to stay competitive. By acting quickly, retailers can ensure they remain ahead of the curve and don’t fall behind in 2025.

Roger Hassan COO

12:30 – 13:00

Convenience is Your Edge: Transforming Delivery into Opportunity

Once considered a novelty, rapid delivery is becoming a necessity in many product categories. To better understand this growing market, Uber Direct and Retail conducted a research to understand consumer expectations and merchant offerings for last-mile delivery. The research highlights a major discrepancy between expectations and offerings, while identifying the product categories with the greatest potential to take advantage of rapid delivery.

Mia Yamaguchi Retail Development Lead

Richard Lim CEO

Westbourne Suite Track 4 DISCOVERY THEATRE

11:30 – 12:15

Building a Resilient Logistics Operation

What does it take for retailers to successfully operate for decades — or even centuries? What can we learn from some of the UK’s most enduring retailers, and what are the investments they’re making to prepare their operations for the demands of tomorrow? In this session, we’ll take a close look at operations that have been built to play the long game.

Jens Kilimann Partner Bain & Company

Katie Searles Editor, Internet Retailing Internet Retailing Media Services

11:30 – 12:00

Tapping Into the Purchase Power of Young Consumers with Smart Tech

Gary Winter VP Global Strategic Initiatives Parcel Pending by Quadient

Lee Graham Sales Director Europe Parcel Pending by Quadient

12:15 – 13:00

Peak Season 2024: Insights to Elevate Your Delivery Experience

What did Peak Season 2024 reveal about the future of delivery excellence? In this session, we’ll dive deep into Metapack’s latest data to uncover actionable insights that go beyond shipment volumes. From shopping trends, to network performance, from blockers to real-time data —discover how to fine-tune your operations to exceed customer expectations, optimize costs, and overcome peak season challenges. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the strategies that set top-performing retailers apart.

Emma Clarke Senior Director of Product Management Metapack Group

12:00 – 12:30

Outpace the Rest in 2025

Roger Hassan COO HIVED

12:30 – 13:00

Convenience is Your Edge: Transforming Delivery into Opportunity

Mia Yamaguchi Retail Development Lead Uber Direct

Richard Lim CEO Retail Economics

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch – Exhibition Hall

14:00 – 14:30

TRACK 1 AI in Action: Transforming Customer Service and Delivery Integration

Discover how leading retailers are harnessing the power of AI to elevate customer experiences and create seamless, personalized journeys. This session will explore cutting-edge strategies for weaving AI into the customer service experience from shopping through delivery and even returns. Join us to learn how AI is redefining the future of ecommerce logistics.

Emily Powell Head of Change Charles Tyrwhitt

Peter Freeman Head of CX Pure Pet Food

Moderated by Stephen Jones Head of Partnerships DigitalGenius

TRACK 2 Optimizing Delivery Performance in Real-Time

Explore how to use data to optimize your delivery services: leverage it for structural decision-making, to identify dispatch mishaps, evaluate performance, anticipate exceptions and ensure you meet delivery promises and customer expectations.

Matthew Mitchell Managing Director Global Sales – eCommerce FedEx

Niall Boyle Business Development Director Auctane

TRACK 3 14:00 – 14:45 – Reimagining Returns: The Circular Economy in Action

Returns are no longer the end of the journey—they’re the start of a new opportunity. In this session, Rebound Returns, moderated by Retail Economics, will explore how retailers are embracing the circular economy to give products a second life. Discover why recommerce is gaining momentum, how technology is revolutionizing returns processing, and what consumers really think about resale and reuse. From cost savings to sustainability, learn how leading retailers are turning returns into revenue while reducing waste and meeting evolving shopper expectations.

Jelle Schoenmaker Managing Director ReBound

Moderated by Nicholas Found Head of Commercial Content Retail Economics

TRACK 4

14:30 – 15:00

TRACK 1 The Next Phase of Discovery Commerce

Learn how to unlock the potential of discovery commerce, poised for continued growth in the coming years. The session will explore how retailers can leverage entertainment platforms to precisely target audiences, foster deep brand engagement, tap into community to generate sales, create frictionless buying journeys, and more. Empower your business with the right tools and data to accelerate your growth by meeting consumers in their social habitat and secure long-term customer loyalty

Nora Zukauskaite Integrated Marketing Director TikTok Shop U.K.

Moderated by Katie Searles Editor, Internet Retailing Internet Retailing Media Services

TRACK 2 Delivery Resilience: Navigating Continuity with Innovation and Customer Focus

As disruptions grow more frequent, from geopolitical shifts to severe weather events, delivery networks face increased pressure to adapt and maintain service reliability. This panel will explore how innovative strategies, proactive monitoring, and customer-centric technologies help carriers and logistics partners navigate disruptions effectively. Discover how diverse approaches, like accessible delivery solutions and robust supply chain contingencies, enable sustained business continuity and high-quality service during challenging times.

Beth Chapman Managing Director Starlinks Global

Neil Kuschel UK CEO InPost

Jon Nicholson MD Sales, Marketing and Customer Experience – Royal Mail & Parcelforce Royal Mail

Niall Boyle Business Development Director Auctane

TRACK 3 14:45 – 15:30 – Beyond the Chatbot: The Next Phase of AI Usage in Logistics

Discover how AI is transforming logistics in this forward-thinking session. Industry experts will delve into the next wave of AI applications, from predictive analytics and automation to optimizing supply chain efficiency, offering a glimpse into the future of smarter, more agile logistics operations.

Daniel Hulme CEO Satalia

Moderated by Nick Ciubotariu CTO Auctane

TRACK 4 The Hidden Engine: How AI is Supercharging HR for Logistics

In today’s rapidly evolving logistics landscape, every minute – and every hire – impacts your bottom line. Traditional HR processes can become costly bottlenecks, hampering efficiency and growth. In this keynote, Firstwork presents its AI-powered hiring and onboarding solution, a purpose-built system that leverages modular, plug-and-play engines to integrate seamlessly with your existing processes. The solution reduces time-to-earn by up to 80%, ensures continuous compliance, and significantly enhances onboarding quality.

Vardhan Kapoor CEO & Co-Founder Firstwork

15:00 – 15:30

TRACK 1 Raising the Bar: What Customers Now Demand from the Post-Purchase Experience

Which elements of the post-purchase experience have become standard practice? And what do customers want next? In this session, we’ll examine the relationship between the post-purchase experience and customer loyalty.

Tobias Buxhoidt Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer parcelLab

Jade Roberts General Manager, Customer Experience Monica Vinader

Moderated by Katie Searles Editor, Internet Retailing Internet Retailing Media Services

TRACK 2 The Generational Divide: Tailoring Delivery for Lasting Customer Loyalty

Session: In this session, Amazon Shipping will share key insights from their latest EU research report with Retail Economics on consumer delivery trends and brand loyalty. We will delve into how different age group demographics – such as Gen Z and Millennials – influence online shopping behaviours and identify the groups with the greatest purchasing power. Learn how retailers can adapt their delivery strategies to meet the unique needs of their customers and foster lasting loyalty. Join us as we explore innovative delivery strategies that can differentiate your brand in a competitive marketplace.

Cheyney Cartwright Head of Commercial, UK Amazon Shipping

Ben Gilkes Director of Partner Management Auctane

TRACK 3

TRACK 4 Delivering an outstanding cross-border experience

Customer experience is key to successful cross-border e-commerce, helping to build trust and loyalty. This session will explore how logistics can enhance the experience throughout the entire customer journey, from the initial transaction through to delivery and returns.

John Douglas Program Owner FedEx

15:30 – 16:00

Afternoon Coffee Break – Exhibition Hall

THE FUTURE OF ECOMMERCE

16:00 – 16:45

Keynote Presentation: Choose Your Attitude, It’s Not Magic It’s Mindset

Debra Searle, British adventurer, businesswoman, author and keynote speaker, will share how mindset and attitude are essential to achieving seemingly impossible goals and excelling during periods of change.

Debra Searle Keynote Speaker The Debra Searle Academy

16:45 – 16:50

Closing Remarks

17:00 – 18:30

Exhibition Hall Drinks Reception