What we learned in Q2 + why APAC proves that is the future of retail
wrapping up a quarter with no borders, as we always do :)
The purpose of OFFBounds from the beginning has been to bring insightful conversations without borders, which means traveling to meet incredible leaders, whether they’re in the West or the East. And in Q2, we did it again.
From London to Hamburg, New York to Singapore, Q2 took us on a journey across markets, time zones, and ideas. At OFFBounds, we believe that some of the best answers to local challenges often come from faraway places. And sometimes, all it takes is one data point, one story, one conversation to shift the way we think.
We sat down with 11 retail leaders shaping the industry, from powerhouse CTOs to founders, authors, and strategists. We covered OMR in Germany (an exciting 2025 surprise), returned to NYC, and wrapped the quarter at NRF APAC’s second edition, where a new retail reality is taking shape.
Let’s wrap it all up in this edition!
In this edition:
1. Events
2. Interviews we had in the Q2
3. What’s next!
1. Events
One of the standout moments this quarter was OMR, Europe’s biggest digital marketing event. It took place in Hamburg, and it brought together 70,000 people to discuss what’s next for marketing, media, and technology. From AI to social commerce, from gaming to community, OMR felt less like a conference and more like a check on where the digital world (especially in Europe) is headed.
From panels with Amy Webb, Scott Galloway, e.l.f. Beauty’s CMO Kory Marchisotto, TikTok Shop’s executives, Microsoft Germany’s CEO Agnes Heftberger, and our partner Mariano Gomide, VTEX’s Co-Founder, there are some key points of every session:
AI is here, now, and must empower people:
Across sessions (Microsoft, ABOUT YOU), AI was seen as a practical, immediate tool, not futuristic hype. It's already reshaping marketing, customer service, and product discovery.
The emphasis is on Copilots (supporting people), not Autopilots (replacing them).
Social platforms are driving commerce:
TikTok, Snapchat (with 18 million monthly users in Germany and 900M globally!), and even ChatGPT are becoming shopping channels.
Social discovery translates into real-world purchases: Gen Z shops through creators, live content, and AR features.
TikTok’s influence is seen across categories, and Snapchat pushes shopping via AR and social chats.
Hybrid commerce models are emerging:
Brands like NIVEA are combining storytelling with direct sales.
ABOUT YOU is testing TikTok Shop but sees better ROI in community-driven micro-commerce.
Europe has a unique strategic opportunity:
Scott Galloway highlighted that while the U.S. is in flux, Europe can lead with trust-based systems, regulation, and digital innovation. But to do so, it must act boldly, especially in tech adoption and digital sovereignty (echoed by Microsoft’s commitments).
At OMR, Amy Webb offered a provocative look into the future of marketing, one shaped by AI agents, multi-agent systems, and more than 500 emerging media channels. Her talk was a wake-up call for any brand still focused only on the next quarter.
Instead, we need to plan for multiple futures, where AI doesn’t just support marketing strategies, but becomes part of the audience, the channel, and even the product pipeline.
In contrast, e.l.f. Beauty reminded us that strong positioning in the now still matters. Their focus on speed, community, and cultural relevance has turned them into a case study of how to win on platforms like Twitch and Roblox. Not groundbreaking, but a good reality check. If you want to stay inspired, both for the now and the next, OMR is where you want to be next year.
2. Interviews
In Q2, we also kept doing what we do best: sitting down with the people shaping the future of retail. From CTOs to COOs, founders to bestselling authors, our conversations spanned continents and disciplines, with themes that are top of mind across the board: digital transformation, unified commerce, operational excellence, and retail with purpose.
Here’s a glimpse into who joined us (with a few spoilers to spark your curiosity):
🇬🇧 UK
• Chris Blatchford, Chief Technology Officer at Kingfisher PLC (B&Q, Screwfix, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, Koçtaş, TradePoint).
(spoiler: modularity over monoliths, pragmatism over hype)
• Lindsay Haselhurst, Chief Operating Officer at Currys.
(spoiler: one of the most amazing talks about a usually not-super-exciting topic operations in retail!)
• Ross Beaumont, CTO at Selfridges.
(spoiler: they’re doubling down on unified commerce)
• Paul Porter, Chief Experience Officer at Hamleys.
(spoiler: maybe he has the best job ever??)
🇺🇸 US
• Mike Dupuis, Chief Digital Officer at Catalyst Brands (Aéropostale, Nautica, JCPenney, Lucky Brand, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer).
(spoiler: unified commerce shows up again! )
• Andrew Laudato, Chief Operating Officer at The Vitamin Shoppe + Author of Fostering Innovation: How to Build Amazing IT Teams.
(spoiler: his answers about AI strategy are the best…)
• Dusan Vujovic, Head of North America at Tony’s Chocolonely.
(spoiler: an episode to believe that fair retail exists!)
🇩🇪 Germany
• Mirko Saul, SVP of Innovation at Schwarz Digital part of the Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland, Schwarz Produktion, PreZero).
(spoiler: their experiments leading to innovation — it’s an eye-opening episode!)
• Tarek Müller, Co-founder & CEO at ABOUT YOU.
(spoiler: his journey from teen coder to building an e-commerce powerhouse is worth the listen, also the way they scale - and personalize - a pure player)
🇦🇺 Australia
• Benjamin Thompson, Head of Global Insights & Strategic Partnerships at Endeavour Group.
(spoiler: find out how a $10B Australian retailer builds culture and innovation — and the specifics of their market!)
📚 Plus: Best-selling author Ron Thurston joined us to talk about his new book “Human Pride: Optimizing Your Human Potential in a Digital Job Market”!
(spoiler: our humanity is not a weakness… it’s our greatest strength!)
3. What’s next!
We’ve partnered again with the NRF edition in Asia-Pacific, and you can expect a July (and the first week of August) with conversations with leaders from the region that’s evolving retail’s future, and we have data to prove so:
🇮🇩 59 million Indonesians are already shopping via social commerce
🇮🇳 In India, you can get fashion delivered in 30 minutes and groceries in 10
🇰🇷 Korea just became the first country where 50% of retail is online
🇨🇳 A Chinese grocer used AI to reduce food waste from 30% to 1.5%
🇦🇺 A beauty retailer in Australia is betting on emotional intelligence over efficiency
🇳🇿 And in New Zealand, a telco company boosted employee NPS from -19 to +72, just by listening to the frontline
Next week, we begin to explore APAC’s role in the future of retail and launch a 6-part series with insights from amazing interviews with Asia-Pacific leaders.
Sam Kim, Vice Chairman & Group CEO, Retail HQ for LOTTE Group, opens the conversations. We talk with the man behind the Korean Empire, his vision proves that the East isn’t catching up, it’s leading. Stay tuned!
