Lifecycle, the conference purpose-built for the retail marketing community, is well known as a space for the brightest minds in retail to share cutting edge insights - and 2025 was its most forward-thinking edition yet. 

This year’s theme of “Retail’s Leap Forward” saw the conversation focus on how new technologies are powering a monumental leap forward for the industry. We heard from leaders at the likes of Steve Madden, Monsoon Accessorize, Emma Sleep, Creed Fragrances, Astrid & Miyu, and more, each sharing how they’re innovating to enhance efficiency, transform personalization, and ultimately build next-gen experiences their customers love. 

Keep reading for a full breakdown of the sessions at Lifecycle this year and the key insights retail marketers need to know from the day. 

Retail's Great Leap Forward

Amelia Kallman, Futurist and Author, Puma, Unilever, Redbull and more

“Change is no longer a choice. Innovation is no longer a luxury. It's time for us all to get really conscious about defining a future we actually want, and to take seriously our roles and responsibilities in achieving that future.”

Summary: In our opening keynote, Futurist Amelia Kallman explored how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are driving an unprecedented transformation in society, and the retail sector specifically. Though this revolution will bring disruption in the short term, it also offers vast opportunities - but only if we approach it with intentionality, adaptability, and human-centricity.

The bottom line: It’s never been more pertinent for leaders to engage deeply with these emerging technologies, prepare responsibly, and prioritize ethical, inclusive innovation to build a future we can be proud of.

The Engine and the Agent: Retail in the Age of AI

Ivan Mazour, Co-Founder and CEO, Ometria

“This new partnership between human and agent can make your roles not just more efficient, but more fulfilling. You become the conductor. You become the visionary, orchestrating exceptional customer experiences, making strategic decisions with clarity and confidence.”

Summary: Like fire, the engine, and the internet before it, AI is the next general purpose technology (GPT), and it’s not just going to change our role as marketers, but our whole society. This change isn’t just unstoppable, it’s irreversible and it’s exponential. And Ometria anticipated this shift a decade ago, building a tool that would unlock AI’s full potential by combining it with comprehensive customer data and a truly user-centric interface.

The bottom line: The future of marketing is one of human-AI partnership, where AI is your trusted advisor and co-pilot, enabling you to lead the strategic and creative vision with greater insight and confidence than ever before.

The Marketer's Guide to 2025

Alex Adamson, CMO, Secret Sales

“The reality is, the marketers that are embracing both brand marketing and performance marketing are the ones that are succeeding and creating sustainable growth for their businesses.”

Summary: What does it mean to be a marketer today, and more importantly - how can we succeed? In this candid keynote, CMO Alex Adamson made the case for these three areas as the top priority for the modern marketer: 

1. Build trust - Understand other departments’ priorities, map decision makers, and build strong relationships with influential teams.
2. Measure what matters - Prioritize “back-to-basics” style test-and-learn measurement approaches to understand what truly works, rather than chasing complex models
3. Master AI - Look to AI to take excess work off your plate and sharpen your analytical capabilities

The bottom line: Marketers often get stuck justifying their efforts, but through prioritizing these three core capabilities, they can finally move into a state of output, confidently driving results with the full backing of the business. 

The Retention-First Mindset: Strategies for Building Unbreakable Loyalty in 2025

Ron Thurston, Senior Retail Advisor, Gap, Saint Laurent, Tory Burch, and more

Adelaide Portela, Head of Global Marketing, Emma Sleep

Lisa Nielsen, Digital Marketing Manager, Victoria Beckham

Pia Sharma, Head of Digital Marketing and CRM, Joseph Joseph

“Most of us in this room already have customers that love our products, that are coming back again and again, that are recommending us; so tap into this gold mine, test and learn, and keep pushing to find exactly what works.”

Summary: As acquisition costs climb higher and higher, forward thinking retailers are exploring a new approach to driving growth: the retention-first mindset. In this panel discussion, leaders from these three very different businesses shared how they are evolving their strategies to convert first-time shoppers into long-term brand superfans, crafting experiences that feel exclusive, personal, and cohesive. Top tactics included careful and strategic personalization, thoughtful post-purchase journeys, tailored content, and emotive initiatives like direct mail.

The bottom line: Getting started with retention-first strategies can be daunting, but the advice from our panelists was to just take the leap, test and learn to find what works, and scale as appropriate - seemingly small initiatives can have a huge impact.

Embracing Innovation Without Losing the Fundamentals

Andy Berks, CDO, Monsoon Accessorize

Ron Thurston, Senior Retail Advisor, Gap, Saint Laurent, Tory Burch, and more

“My big learning from the hotel industry was that the brand is delivered by the people on the ground far more than it's delivered by an ad campaign or by a set of brand standards, and retail is exactly the same.”

Summary: Reflecting on a 20 year career, Monsoon Accessorize’s CDO, Andy Berks shared how the fundamentals of delivering great customer experiences, like personalization, consistency, and human connection, remain constant, even as technology evolves. He shared learnings from their omnichannel initiatives and the importance of meeting your customer where they are, the challenges of siloed data in delivering these seamless experiences, and the exciting potential of AI for segmentation and personalization.

The bottom line: Technology is the enabler, but it’s people that provide the magic. Technology cannot, and should not, replace the human touch which makes an experience with a brand so memorable.

From Vision to Reality: Mastering the Marketing and Technology Partnership

Holly Steele, Group Technology Officer, Creed (Kering Group)

“When it comes to new marketing tools, marketing needs to lead the vision. You need to consider what's appropriate for the brand, how you want to work, and paint that picture so tech can work with you to provide the best solutions.”

Summary: With such a wealth of technologies and tools on the market, knowing where to start can be overwhelming. As an accomplished technology leader with deep expertise in retail, Holly Steele shared an inside look at how marketing and technology can collaborate to deliver truly impactful initiatives. The paradigm Holly recommends? Brand first, tech second. Before tech even enters the conversation, marketing must have a clear vision of what problem needs solving, their priorities as a brand, and what’s needed to stay competitive in a crowded market.

Bottom line: The success of any technology project hinges on strong relationships between teams. These collaborative bonds must be forged at the leadership level and permeate every layer of the organization. And this goes beyond just marketing and technology: true success comes from uniting the entire business behind a shared vision.

The New Experience Benchmark – How Brands Exceed Customer Expectations from Digital to IRL

Ron Thurston, Senior Retail Advisor, Gap, Saint Laurent, Tory Burch, and more

Lucy Brinkley, Global Head of CRM, Astrid & Miyu

Sandra Varley, Head of Flying Flowers, Interflora UK

Susanna Bartlett, Head of Marketing & Insight, Furniture Village

“A points-based reward system is obviously great, but what we’ve actually discovered is that customers want more than points; they want to experience a brand for what it really is”. 

Summary: Throw out the old customer experience playbook: A new experience benchmark is here. Consumers today have higher expectations than ever, and the forward-thinking brands on this panel are building new strategies to meet them, all rooted in strong, authentic brand values. The key to that next-level experience? Consistency. Whether shopping online or in-store, taking steps to unify teams, and data, is extremely impactful. 

The bottom line: Your people are the key to an experience that goes above and beyond. Quality training and true alignment with the brand’s values are the indispensable foundations of an exceptional customer experience. 

Retail’s Leap Forward isn’t just coming, it’s already here. And with AI-powered solutions like Ometria’s CDXP, retailers can move beyond simple personalization and deliver unforgettable 1:1 marketing experiences that drive tangible results at scale.

Ready to explore the possibilities for your business? Why not book a demo with our team of experts, or reach out to your Customer Success Representative if you’re already with Ometria.