Endless Aisle Live 2025: Community, pragmatism and the art of possibility

There are industry events that pass through the calendar with the kind of forgettable predictability that leaves attendees wondering if their time could have been better spent elsewhere. Endless Aisle Live is not one of them.

Returning to London’s vibrant Soho district on 15 May 2025, the event, which was hosted by unified commerce experts NewStore, was designed not just to talk about the future of retail, but to step inside it. With a sharp speaker line-up, interactive workshops, and guided store tours that gave innovation tangible form, the day offered attendees rare access to insights that were far from just theoretical.

At its heart, Endless Aisle Live is about community. “This is the community. This is what we’re building,” said Marcus LaRobardiere, vice president of marketing at NewStore, as he welcomed attendees at Underbelly Boulevard. That sense of collective purpose set the tone for a morning packed with practical, agenda-setting conversations.

The event’s name traces its roots back to the Endless Aisle Podcast, launched during the depths of the pandemic as a reminder that retail was evolving. “At the time,” LaRobardiere reflected, “getting together as a community to celebrate the retail industry and share knowledge in person seemed like a pipe dream.” Fast forward to 2025, and not only is that dream realised, but it’s also thriving.

Pragmatism, possibilities, and the modern IT leader

Among the most compelling themes of the day was the growing expectation that technology leaders must wear multiple hats: enablers, visionaries, and, increasingly, business translators. Doug Wooten, IT director at Charles Tyrwhitt, pulled no punches: “If you’re not pragmatic as an IT leader, you’ll never get anything done. But we also have a responsibility to do some ‘crystal ball thinking’- we see across the entire business, and we can’t afford to be stuck in the moment.”

James Brazeley, enterprise architect at White Stuff, echoed this sentiment with a sharp critique of traditional transformation timelines. “If you don’t start by asking ‘what’s the art of the possible?’, all you end up with is what you already have, plus 10 per cent. When you know what’s possible, you make faster, better decisions – and you avoid getting stuck in lengthy, box-ticking processes that don’t serve the business.”

This kind of strategic clarity is being felt on the ground too. Footasylum, for example, is investing heavily in smarter store formats and mobile-first service tools. “In-store, we’re now using data to monitor movement and streamline operations,” explained product manager Richard Noon. “We’ve evolved from fixed tills to fixed tablets and now mobile devices that allow us to meet customers wherever they are.”

Philip Dixon, senior manager at private equity firm Aurelias, which works closely with Footasylum, added that technology now sits at the very centre of the business’s explosive growth: “We’ve seen record years, and that’s largely due to how well tech and analytics are now embedded across the organisation. It’s no longer an afterthought—it’s a performance driver.”

Seamlessness is now non-negotiable

That shift in customer expectation – the one that demands convenience, speed, and consistency – is also reshaping the role of omnichannel. In a keynote, James Reid, technology director at Clarks, issued a clear message: “If a customer comes in to return two items and is told one can be refunded in-store while the other has to be posted back, that friction point will lose you loyalty.”

Reid’s point resonated across the day’s sessions. Retailers must now be able to ship from store, refund anywhere, and cater to diverse payment needs, all as part of a joined-up experience.

This was a core theme in a session led by Eric Holm, VP of Product Marketing at NewStore, and Stripe’s Ben Thirlwall. As head of SaaS platforms for EMEA at Stripe, Thirlwall brought a wide lens to the conversation: “I’m focused on simplifying checkout experiences and joining up channels, especially as consumer behaviours and payment preferences evolve rapidly.”

From digital wallets to buy now pay later options, Thirlwall noted that “geographically variable methods” and even stablecoins are becoming increasingly relevant. “With one integration, we now support 140 different payment methods globally. That’s what opens up growth and makes true omnichannel feasible, even in markets with complex local preferences.”

Community, authenticity and knowing your customer

One of the strongest threads throughout the event was a renewed emphasis on what community means in 2025, and how it translates into retail strategy.

Leah Uka, chief brand officer at Jewells, was candid about where her brand stands. “We’re at the start of building our community. For us, it’s all about word of mouth and identifying our superfans early. Community has to be authentic, or it doesn’t work.”

Claudia Nappo, COO at LK Bennett, expanded on that idea, challenging the traditional ways brands try to direct customer behaviour. “You can’t force customers into journeys. Whether it’s in-store or online, customers will go where they want to go. It’s our job to listen and build accordingly, not to push them through funnels they didn’t choose.”

This customer-first philosophy underpinned a broader discussion about brand evolution. “Just because we’re celebrating 35 years doesn’t mean we know everything about our customer,” Nappo said. “Assumptions are dangerous. Staying genuinely curious is essential.”

Learning from each other, and from the high street itself

One of Endless Aisle Live’s strongest features is its immersive format. The afternoon’s guided store tours pulled attendees out of the conference setting and into some of London’s most innovative retail environments. From mobile checkouts to experiential layouts and embedded loyalty tech, the stores showcased how today’s strategies are being applied in real-time.

That spirit of experimentation and learning was echoed at dinner, where guests reflected on the day’s conversations and shared how they were applying these ideas in their own businesses.

As LaRobardiere put it, “Success for us is not measured in sign-ups. It’s when people leave asking when the next one is, when they’re genuinely excited to come back.”

And with insights ranging from technology roadmaps and operational pragmatism to community-building and seamless experience design, it’s easy to see why Endless Aisle Live is fast becoming a staple in the retail calendar.

For an industry built on constant movement, the ability to pause, learn, and connect with purpose is rare, and valuable. In this case, Endless Aisle Live delivered exactly what it promised: a community of changemakers, ready to shape what’s next.

What’s next for Endless Aisle Live

Looking ahead, the next chapter of Endless Aisle Live is already in motion. This fall, the event heads to New York—bringing the same energy, community focus, and retail realism stateside. Details are coming soon.

In the meantime, stay connected through the Endless Aisle Podcast, available on Apple and Spotify, or join one of NewStore’s monthly virtual meetups. The next session takes place on June 6—more information here.

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