KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM QLIRO E-COM SUMMIT GOTHENBURG 2024

As e-commerce evolves rapidly, profitability, customer experience, and tech innovation are crucial for success. At Qliro’s E‑Com Summit in Gothenburg, industry experts gathered to share how merchants can meet today’s challenges and build high-performing businesses. Here are the essential lessons gleaned at the summit, moderated by Jacob Lovén, to help you navigate and grow profitably.

1. Profitability First – Lessons from Åhléns

Thomas Engelhart, CEO of Åhléns, explained how they turned losses into profits within two years by:

• Rapid execution: Adopt a startup mindset—minimize time from idea to launch.
• Entrepreneurial leadership: Strong ownership focused on negotiation and margins.
• Omnichannel strategy: Equal emphasis on e‑commerce and physical stores to create a seamless customer journey.

Insight: A holistic customer experience drives loyalty and boosts sales.

2. Customer-centric approach – Kjell & Company’s success

Mariette Lindsjö, COO of Kjell & Company, outlined their balance of service and sales:

• Service as a competitive edge: Well-trained staff who truly understand customer needs add value.
• Solution-based selling: Offering complete solutions instead of standalone products increases shopping cart size.

Insight: Customer focus must align with profitability and efficient sales execution.

3. Build for the future – Data-driven insights & tech

Evelin Kaup, CPO at Qliro, revealed current innovations in payments and the importance of close merchant collaboration:

• Checkout 0.0: A complete redesign of Qliro’s checkout for optimal conversion has been developed in partnership with merchants.
• Paylink: A checkout link solution that can be sent to consumers in-store or through other channels.
• Post-purchase innovations: The Qliro app’s Loyalty Driver reduces CAC and increases CLTV.
• Additional features showcased: upsell at checkout, customized shipping options, Apple Pay integration, and the new Qliro In‑store.

Insight: Tech investments and merchant collaboration are essential to maximize satisfaction and sales.

4. Premium without discount – The Care of Carl approach

Mattias Ekström from Care of Carl shared how their premium luxury fashion strategy works:

• Long-term partnerships: Build supplier trust and sell at full price.
• Explore new revenue models: The pre-owned luxury market is booming and drives traffic.

Insight: Premium segments thrive on strong supplier relationships, strategic pricing, and embracing pre-owned options.

5. High-performance culture & turnarounds – Qliro’s journey

Christoffer Rutgersson, CEO of Qliro, shared how a high-performance culture and disciplined focus saved the company:

• “High performance” = continuous improvement, data-driven decisions, and disciplined execution.
• Inspired by the "Good to Great" model, Qliro implemented:

• Right people in the right roles: 50% of leadership has been replaced with the right competence within payments and e-commerce.

• Confronting facts: Identifying issues and prioritizing profitability.

• The Ikigai model: Focus on what you can excel at, what drives economic value, and what ignites passion.

Insight: A data-led, disciplined approach yields fast and meaningful results.

6. Beauty industry – Build loyalty with a value-driven community & differentiation

Panelists Thomas Grabe (Bangerhead), Jessica Dersén (All I Am Beauty), and Sofia Nordblom (Glow ID) discussed how to stand out despite pricing pressure:

• Private labels: Improve margins, create unique experiences, and stay in control – reducing price competition.
• Digitalization with a human touch: Streamline processes through automation but maintain personal customer service.

Insight: Stand out by delivering excellent service, unique products, and building a values-driven brand community.

Listen to the panel discussions here:

Tune in to the podcast Framtidens E-handel – episode 278 – to hear the full panel talks.