At Manchester Digital, we like to interview our members to find out a bit more about what they do and their work in the Greater Manchester digital and technology sphere. This week, we're speaking with Head of Business Development, Steve Pownall from Venditan.
Venditan has been supporting retailers for over twenty years. How have you evolved your commerce platform to address the rapidly changing needs of UK retailers, particularly in response to recent economic pressures and shifting consumer behaviours?
Consumer behaviour and expectations are constantly shifting, which, to some extent, dictates the needs of retailers. Two key trends that have significantly influenced our platform development in recent years are the demand for faster order fulfilment and an increase in consumer savviness.
To meet the growing expectation for quicker and more efficient delivery, we’ve made substantial investments in our order fulfilment technology. In short, we’ve focused on how to help our clients get orders out the door faster. Our ecosystem includes handheld scanners for stock handling and fulfilment, allowing us to enhance the pick, pack, and dispatch functionality we offer, alongside robust shipping integrations with leading couriers.
Additionally, as the cost of living rises, consumers are becoming more mindful and discerning. In response, we've launched an in-built loyalty system, a customer segmentation tool, and an AI-driven product recommendations engine. All of this functionality is seamlessly integrated into our platform, aimed at providing best-in-class retention and engagement features to our clients with minimal setup time and without drastically increasing their total cost of ownership.
Many UK retailers are facing significant challenges, from rising costs to changing shopping habits. Which technological solutions or innovations do you see as most crucial for retailers to invest in right now, and how is Venditan supporting this?
Absolutely, it’s a challenging time for retailers right now, but we’re optimistic about 2025 and hopeful for an increase in consumer spending compared to previous years.
With so many innovations and buzzwords circulating, small to medium retailers can be easily tempted to chase the latest trends in search of a golden goose. The reality is that the winners in the coming years will be those who keep pace with benchmark standards in delivering exceptional eCommerce and retail services.
So, by tightening up and enhancing core business processes through better technology, retailers can work towards profitability by delivering superior service and achieving operational time savings.
Back to the question; when considering crucial investments in today’s financial landscape, we would advise retailers to first focus on the core technology that underpins their business. Is it working for you? If it’s not, start there.
Through your work with various retailers, you have a unique vantage point on consumer trends. What significant shifts have you observed in shopping behaviour over the past 18 months, and how are you helping your clients respond to these changes?
We certainly have a unique vantage point at Venditan, as we develop new features and functionality into our platform based on direct client requests. This allows us to identify trends that indicate the direction of British and Irish retail and, consequently, shifts in consumer behaviour.
One significant trend we’ve observed is the evolving role of physical stores. Consumers new to online shopping now expect these spaces to offer complementary services–click and collect used to be reserved for the big boys but it’s now expected of your average high street retailer.
This shift has prompted our bricks-and-clicks clients to rethink how they integrate their online and offline experiences. For example, some are transforming their physical locations into multi-purpose spaces that can host events and foster community engagement.
Our ecosystem includes a fully integrated EPoS solution alongside the core Venditan Commerce platform. This allows us to provide a comprehensive omnichannel solution right out of the box.
As a Manchester-based company, how has being part of the city's digital ecosystem influenced Venditan's growth and innovation? What advantages does Manchester offer for retail technology companies?
Having been based in the city centre for 25 years, we've had the privilege of witnessing Manchester transform into a vibrant hub for digital and technological creativity. The wealth of talent in and around the city has been instrumental to our growth, allowing us to attract and retain exceptional professionals who have evolved alongside the business.
While we proudly represent Manchester, our client base is quite diverse—almost exclusively non-Mancunian—which underscores retailers' receptiveness to working with technology providers outside the capital.
Looking ahead to 2025, one of our plans is to explore expanding our partner network across Manchester’s businesses to foster collaboration and shared growth. We are open to conversations with any business interested in learning more about who we are and how we might be able to collaborate.
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, what do you believe will be the defining features of successful retail businesses? How is Venditan preparing to support retailers in this future landscape?
Naturally, we find ourselves answering this question every year, and it's easy to get swept up in writing a gushing review of the latest technological advancements, proclaiming that 2025 will be the best year yet.
Successful retail businesses will always be defined by their ability to master the beautiful basics: offering a great product at a competitive price, marketing it effectively, and ensuring robust inventory management, efficient order fulfilment, and exceptional customer service.
Yes, advancements in AI and AR are undeniably exciting, and we are continuously exploring meaningful ways to integrate these technologies into our platform. But the fundamentals of online and offline retail will always remain exactly that—fundamental. With heightened consumer expectations regarding service quality, 2025 is not the year to get the basics wrong.
Venditan Commerce is as prepared as ever to support growing retailers and distributors in achieving excellence across these foundational elements. At its core, our end-to-end eCommerce and retail platform offers significant improvements and out-of-the-box advanced functionality for retailers that may have outgrown their existing SaaS platform.
Thank you Steve! Learn more about Venditan here
