Last week, our CXO Specialist, Tim Thijsse, attended the annual Emerce eCommerce Live event in Amsterdam. The event brought together hundreds of e-commerce professionals for talks on AI, customer experience, platform innovation, and conversion optimisation.
Here are the key takeaways—and how they directly impact our work at OPG.
The session by De Nieuwe Zaak and Lekkerland confirmed our experience: a platform migration isn’t just a technical upgrade. It’s an opportunity to structurally embed customer-centricity and validation. By working with MVPs and integrating customer insights from day one, you can build a platform that’s both scalable and converts effectively.
In Roos van Dam’s (Odido) talk, the importance of consistent promotional communication was evident. Clear discount structures and fixed principles reduce customer confusion and lessen the burden on customer service. This is an immediately applicable insight for our commercial teams.
Martin van Kranenburg (author of “ChatGPT as a Second Brain”) demonstrated how AI tools like ChatGPT aren’t just fun to experiment with—they become powerful when deployed per role. Think of an AI copywriter or AI data analyst. At OPG, we’re taking initial steps in this direction to boost both productivity and creativity.
At Pandora and Bloomreach, CRM no longer revolves around segments but focuses on behaviour and real-time triggers. Campaigns are tailored to the moment and context the customer is in. This approach aligns well with our desire to make communication more relevant and valuable.
Relewise showed that personalisation is just as important in B2B as in B2C. Search queries, repeat purchases, and recommendations can be made much more customer-friendly and intelligent—an insight we’re incorporating into our B2B shops.
Mark van Hattum’s (Follo) talk was an eye-opener: in an AI-driven world, more happens without clicks. Google SGE, ChatGPT, and Perplexity provide answers without the user visiting your website. This demands new forms of visibility, structured content, and measurability.
In his session “Dream BIG, Start Small,” Maurice Beerthuyzen (Online Dialogue) delivered a clear message: if you’re serious about online revenue, decisions must be structurally validated. He introduced the role of the ‘quartermaster’—someone who firmly anchors validation, research, and experimentation within the organisation.
His message: A/B testing isn’t a hobby or a one-off project; it’s a mindset that should permeate every team.
“Two good tests per month can yield more than €800,000 in additional annual revenue.”
At OPG, we also view validation as an indispensable part of our roadmap—not just in marketing, but also in development and UX.
The common thread throughout the day? Speed is good—as long as you maintain direction.
That’s why we at OPG continue to invest in processes that are customer-driven, data-driven, and scalable. Whether it’s AI tools, replatforming, or personalisation: we ensure the customer experience remains paramount.
