Lessons from Industry Leaders at Shoptalk Fall 2024
At Shoptalk Fall 2024, retail leaders gathered to discuss the ever-evolving landscape of technology in commerce. Moderated by Poonam Goyal, Sector Head & Senior Research Retail Analyst at Bloomberg, the session “Building a Tech Stack for Unified Commerce” featured insights from Dara Meath, SVP & CTO at Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Sam Buckingham, VP of Global Digital Product at Keen Footwear. They shared their strategies for modernizing their companies’ tech stacks to better serve customers and accelerate growth. Their insights offer a valuable roadmap for businesses aiming to adapt to unified commerce.
Moving Beyond Legacy Systems
Both leaders emphasized the need to move away from monolithic legacy systems. Sam Buckingham explained how Keen Footwear made the decision to switch from Salesforce Commerce to Shopify,a “no-brainer” that delivered a better customer experience at a fraction of the cost. Keen operates across the US, Canada, the UK, and Japan, and while the goal is unity, they remain flexible and open to localized solutions.
Dara Meath is a strong advocate for Salesforce at Build-A-Bear Workshop. Her focus is on creating seamless experiences that integrate both digital and in-store interactions. Build-A-Bear’s loyalty program, for example, connects online and physical touchpoints to keep customers engaged, whether they’re shopping in-store or online.
The Role of AI in Unified Commerce
Both Dara and Sam touched on the power and potential of AI, while also warning of its challenges. Dara is excited about AI’s possibilities but stressed the need for clean, accurate data to avoid errors and hallucinations, as security is a major concern when implementing AI.
Sam’s approach is more experimental. He encourages his team to use AI tools like Vercel and Claude, giving them the freedom to build apps while engineers later handle debugging and official launches. He also highlighted that AI’s ROI isn’t just measured in dollars earned but also in the time it saves,an important aspect of any tech investment.
Building vs. Buying: Collaborative Tech Decisions
Dara advocates for a balanced approach when deciding between building and buying technology. She gives her teams the freedom to explore solutions and have a voice in the decision-making process, believing that internal resources can often be the best option. However, she also remains open to bringing in external partners when necessary, stressing the importance of collaboration for successful implementations.
Sam echoed the importance of hands-on learning. When Keen switched to Shopify, everyone on the team built a Shopify store to ensure they understood the fundamentals. He also shared that global teams led by someone from their own region have been crucial to their success, providing valuable local insights for tech decisions.
Learning from Mistakes: The Road to Success
No tech project is without its setbacks. Sam admitted that one of his biggest challenges was enthusiastically overspending on tech projects. He emphasized the need to balance ambition with financial discipline.
Dara also shared her own experience of having to rebuild a site multiple times, learning valuable lessons in the process. For her, these experiences underscored the importance of adaptability and the need for well-thought-out execution when it comes to tech decisions.
Shoptalk’s Platform for Innovation
Shoptalk provided an ideal platform for these industry leaders to share their experiences and learn from each other’s approaches. As retailers continue to navigate the complexities of unified commerce, conferences like Shoptalk serve as a vital space for fostering innovation and collaboration. With sessions that delve into the latest trends, technologies, and strategies, Shoptalk empowers retail leaders to rethink their tech stacks and stay ahead of the curve.
Final Takeaways
For companies looking to build a tech stack for unified commerce, the insights from Dara Meath and Sam Buckingham provide a clear path forward:
- Be nimble and stay open to flexible solutions that meet your needs, even if it means moving away from legacy systems.
- Leverage AI carefully, ensuring clean data and secure systems to maximize its benefits, both in terms of dollars earned and time saved.
- Empower your teams to explore new technologies, but recognize when to bring in external partners to ensure success.
- Learn from failures and adjust your strategies as needed to avoid overspending or operational missteps.
Shoptalk continues to be a driving force in retail innovation, offering valuable insights that help businesses make informed decisions about their tech stacks and move toward unified commerce. As the industry evolves, staying engaged with events like Shoptalk will be key for companies aiming to keep pace with change.