After all these years, I still love ecommerce conferences. These days, I’m more about corridor chats than keynote deep dives. I skip the after-parties. I dodge the swag bait. But they’re still the best places to catch up and learn from the best.

If you’re still deciding on your conference poison for 2025, here’s my pick of the 2025 ecom conference options… and what your choice says about you.

eTail - 25-26 Feb (MEL)
You are serious. There’s no time for parties or frivolous networking activities. You’re here for the keynotes and the panels. And the free Moleskine notepad.

Mumbrella Retail Marketing Summit - 19th March (SYD)
The place to swap long-term customer engagement strategies… and admire each other’s statement glasses.

iMedia - 30 April - 2 May (GC)
You know why you’re here. They know you know why you’re here. You face up to the speed dates, knowing it is worth a round of golf, wine tasting and a peaceful hotel room away from the kids.

Retail Fest - 28-30 May (GC)
It is crucial that you go to the Gold Coast to “unpack the learnings” and “network with professionals.” I see you in your boardshorts drinking frozen margaritas at The Loose Moose.

NRF Singapore - 3-5 June (SG)
Because you’ve already embarrassed yourself at all the Australian conferences. But now you’ve grown up and are a serious retailer person.

Online Retail - 23-24 July (SYD)
The big show, the best of the best, the institution. You will spend your days meeting interesting people and learning from the best… only to forget it all at the ORIAs.

At least they know to leave retailers the f-alone as we move into peak. I’m keen to learn more about you. What ecommerce conferences are you hitting in 2025? Any I missed? Reply and let me know—I promise I won’t judge (much).

Cheers
Bushy

PS. Sure, it’s not as sexy as a yacht party, but this Wednesday, we are hosting a free Add To Cart Webinar to unpack the best of Shopify’s 150+ new features. Register here to get the access link.

ECOMMERCE NEWS (from the past week)

💰 Retail’s Big Winners: JB Hi-Fi, Temple & Webster, and… a Billionaire Chemist
It’s half-year reporting season, and so far, the numbers are looking promising. JB Hi-Fi’s net profit jumped 8% to $285M, Temple & Webster skyrocketed 119% to $9M, and Adore Beauty glowed up with a 90% increase to $2M. Craig Woolford, however, warns that not all retailers will be popping champagne—especially newly merged besties Myer & Premier Investments. In one of the most incredible Australian retail stories, Chemist Warehouse finally went public after 50 years, instantly turning intern-turned-CEO Mario Verrocchi into a billionaire.

🛒 Smart Trolleys Touch Down, Down, Down at Coles
They’re finally here! Smart trolleys. Well, at least ones with fancy screens. This week, Coles became the first Australian supermarket to trial the new Instacart technology. Customers can add items to the trolley and check out without scanning. Doing God’s work, TripleWhale’s Adam Saunders took one for a spin in his local Richmond store. Not only that, he claimed he had the original idea. The cheek.

🔍 Amazon’s Latest Experiment: Selling Products They Don’t Stock
Here’s a strange one. The Amazon app in the US is currently in beta test for listing products in search results… for products they don’t stock… and linking to the brand website. Following the breadcrumbs, I expected an affiliate situation, but Amazon claims, “Once customers go to your website, we do not have visibility into their interactions.” An attack on search engines? 

🍔 The Secret Burger Society. Yes, I Want In.
I’m late to the secret party here, but did you know that Grill’d has a private TikTok account? You have to be accepted to be let in. There are almost 50,000 people in this secret burger society. What is in there? Why aren’t I allowed in? WHO HAS THE BURGER FLIPPIN’ ANSWERS?!

📞 Google’s AI Bot Will Soon Answer Your Calls (So You Don’t Have To)
Someone polish the Nobel Peace Prize. I have the winner. This week Google filed a patent for an AI bot that can answer phone calls on your behalf. Doctor confirming your appointment? The bot can confirm. Delivery driver asking for your address? Your bot’s got it. Weird P&C parent who keeps asking you to cook the BBQ? Your bot knows you are busy.

👀 BONUS: The Aussie Retail Outlook 2025 Report Is Out
Inside Retail and KPMG just dropped their Australian Retail Outlook 2025 report, loaded with fresh stats and case studies from top retailers. They even asked me for a few quotes. Other than that, it’s credible. Download it to peek into the future of retail.

Want to chat about these stories or explore our Inspiration Library? Join Add To Cart CAMPUS, our free ecommerce learning community.

Watch Now: Blue Bungalow’s AI Experiment – What Happened When They Tried It?

AI shopping assistants aren’t just a trend to have on your future radar—local Australian retailers are already testing them.

Brisbane-based fashion retailer Blue Bungalow recently integrated preezie’s AI Shopping Assistant, and the early numbers are in:

📈 5.5%-8% conversion rates from customers engaging with AI
🛒 30-40% add to cart rates from AI-powered recommendations
💰 Customers are finding what they need faster—and spending more

If you’ve been wondering what AI shopping assistants actually do, this demo breaks it down—no sales pitch, just a look at how one major female fashion retailer is using it.

📺 Watch for free on CAMPUS — no sales pitch, just a look behind the scenes

I'd love to hear from you! Got an opinion on today’s topics? Have a suggestion for future newsletters? I’d love to hear from you. Hit reply and I’ll get back to you.

Nathan Bush is an independent Australian ecommerce transformation consultant, with expertise in marketing, technology, and team leadership. If you're looking for fresh ideas, facing key decisions, or implementing significant investments, I'd love to work with you. Learn more and get in touch.