Report: Ecommerce Expo London – 24th & 25th September 2025
I attend these trade shows primarily to identify emerging innovations, connect with suppliers, engage with clients, and gain insights from thought-provoking presentations.
This year’s Ecommerce Expo in London was a significant step forward compared to last year’s event and, in my view, now clearly outpaces IRX in Birmingham earlier in 2025. The introduction of a paid entry model appeared to deliver real benefits—both content and exhibitor focus were markedly stronger. Attendees were engaged, vendors were more targeted, and the overall standard of discussion was elevated.
The event featured six main content theatres, each with a rich programme of presentations, supplemented by Amazon’s own dedicated theatre. This breadth ensured there was something of value for all segments of the ecommerce industry.
Key Takeaways
The most striking theme was the maturity of AI in ecommerce. “AI” is no longer a superficial label added to existing products—it is now becoming a substantive capability. I observed two distinct tiers of providers:
- Dashboard-focused solutions – visually impressive tools offering retrospective insights, typically charging £1,000–£2,000 per month. Their limitation is that they largely stop at historical reporting without delivering operational impact.
- API-driven services – more advanced offerings designed to process data at scale, automate workflows, and enable businesses to build customised flows. These services are priced by computing power consumed and show far greater promise.
There were providers offering robust real-time customer behaviour prediction or future demand forecasting areas that, in my professional view, hold the greatest transformative potential for ecommerce. While attractive dashboards can capture attention, unless they contribute directly to sales uplift or operational efficiency, their value diminishes quickly and subscription churn follows.
Standout Innovators
As always, I made a point of exploring the “edges” of the show where early-stage innovators often present. Highlights included:
- Plexe (https://www.plexe.ai/): A promising product that allows businesses to input their own data, build models, and deploy large language models based on those models. I have yet to test it with real datasets, but the concept is strong and worth monitoring.
- Nibble (https://www.nibbletechnology.com/): An AI-driven negotiation tool that engages customers in real-time bargaining. Reported conversion rates are impressive. The company is now extending its technology into vendor pricing agreement automation—an intriguing development.
Sector Trends
- B2B Ecommerce: There was a large presence of B2B platforms, though few demonstrated real innovation. Several exhibitors revealed limited understanding of B2B complexities, highlighting the sector’s shortage of experienced practitioners. As a consultant, I can quickly differentiate between genuine expertise and surface-level positioning—this remains a gap in the market.
- Platforms & Ecosystems: Payment providers maintained a strong presence with their usual large stands. BigCommerce and Shopify both showcased co-vendors, reinforcing the message that platform ecosystems rely heavily on developer and partner communities.
- Logistics & Fulfilment: ShipStation and Shiptheory were among the familiar names, joined by new players such as Stamps.com, reflecting continued growth in shipping, OMS, and WMS solutions.
- All-in-One Platforms: A noticeable number of exhibitors promoted end-to-end ecommerce suites. While these appeal to businesses seeking a centralised solution, the decision ultimately rests on total cost of ownership and flexibility.
- Marketplaces: Temu made a strong impact, actively recruiting UK vendors as its recently launched in the UK was attracting significant attention—evidence of its growing influence in the market. With 0% listing fees its certainly to give other marketplaces a squeeze.
Conclusion
Ecommerce Expo London 2025 confirmed the sector’s continued vibrancy and innovation. The show was stronger, more focused, and more valuable than in previous years. It was encouraging to see genuine innovation alongside the established players, with AI moving from hype to substance.
The event reaffirmed that ecommerce is not only thriving but evolving rapidly, with real opportunities