From growth at all costs to sustainable success: The profitability playbook for ecommerce
At NES Connect London, ecommerce leaders gathered at The Lookout, 8 Bishopsgate, to explore what sustainable growth truly looks like in 2025 and how brands can reach it through customer-centric innovation.
The evening’s panel, moderated by Nosto’s Sanny Hoskins, featured:
- Harriet Law, Senior Ecommerce Executive at Oh Polly
- Joanna Thomas, Senior Account Manager at Nosto
- Maria Zaleska, CEO at Roiroi
- Aoife Teague, Director of Partnerships at Octane AI
- Theo Burns, Senior Technology Partnerships Manager EMEA at Gorgias
The Era of Growth at All Costs Is Over
Today’s top-performing brands are shifting from aggressive acquisition to strategic retention. Harriet Law described Oh Polly’s hyper-personalized approach:
“We’re obsessed with getting to know our girl,” said Oh Polly’s Harriet Law. “What lifecycle stage she’s in, where she lives, what events are coming up—prom, bachelorette, homecoming—and we use that to personalize every touchpoint, from homepage to post-purchase.”
Maria Zaleska echoed the move towards operational alignment. “Our clients, from H&M Group to mid-market challengers, are following the money. That means breaking silos and investing in where ROI is proven,” she shared.
This isn’t guesswork. It’s using data to build ROI and CLTV.
Zero-Party Data = Long-Term Wins
Zero-party data took center stage, with Octane AI’s Aoife Teague making it clear: “If I say I have dry skin, don’t send me emails for oily skin.” Her advice? Start with a simple quiz. Integrate it across touchpoints. Then sync with platforms like Klaviyo to personalize at scale.
Gorgias’ Theo Burns reinforced the profitability of customer support: “Know your contribution margin by SKU. Then use AI in support chats to push those high-margin products. You can turn 70% of inquiries into automated revenue opportunities.”
Reimagining Customer Conversations
Customer service is undergoing its own transformation, said Theo Burns from Gorgias. “Traditionally, support is seen as a cost center. We’re challenging that by turning it into a revenue driver.” By layering AI on top of chat, email, and social messaging, Gorgias helps brands increase efficiency and recommend high-margin products in real time.
Brands can even automate up to 70% of inquiries and turn support into a revenue channel. His key advice? “Know your contribution margin by SKU. Profitability starts there.”
Test. Learn. Optimize. Repeat.
A/B testing came up frequently. From social proof messaging to cart cross-sells, Joanna highlighted easy wins with outsized returns. For Joanna Thomas, personalization is nothing without optimization. “A/B test everything—from product recommendations to social proof messaging. Profitability hides in the details.”Harriet added that Oh Polly dropped their student discount, but retained loyalty by boosting affordable product ranges to the same segment.
“We’ve been A/B testing for three years now—refining rules, surfacing relevant styles, and balancing attributes like conversion rate, click-through rate, and product availability.” – Harriet Law, Senior Ecommerce Executive at Oh Polly
Hot Takes to Take Away
- Joanna from Nosto: “Sell fewer products at higher margins to well-defined segments.”
- Harriet Law from Oh Polly: “Craft seamless, personalized shopping experiences—from homepage to post-purchase.”
- Maria Zaleska from ROIROI: “Start small. Grow where ROI is proven.”
- Theo from Gorgias: “Track your contribution margin per SKU. Use it everywhere.”
- Aoife from Octane AI: “Personalize everything. If you’re not doing it yet, start today.”
