Hvordan ledere innen detaljhandel omfavner endring for å skape vekst – med Oliver Bank

Det er vanskelig å ta i bruk ny teknologi – slik kommer du i gang

Adopting new technology isn’t just about the tools — it’s about shifting mindsets, aligning teams, and moving fast enough to stay competitive. In this article, retail transformation specialist Oliver Banks shares practical insights on how leading retailers overcome internal resistance and embrace innovations like Live Shopping to drive measurable growth.

Fra å takle frykten for forandring til å bygge smidige kulturer og skalere nye ideer på tvers av team, avslører denne samtalen hva som virkelig skal til for å få transformasjon til å holde stand i moderne detaljhandel.

Start with why: Diagnose reality before prescribing technology

Banks’s core advice: resist the urge to lead with a solution. Instead, interrogate the problem and the opportunity.

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The first starting position is not the technology. It’s the why. What are we really trying to do here?

Oliver Banks

Ekspert på detaljhandelstransformasjon

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Det begynner med to trekk:

1. Take an honest look in the mirror: How are customers actually experiencing your brand? Where is the friction for colleagues? What are the real performance signals - beyond assumptions and institutional knowledge?

2. Read the signals: Gather both qualitative and quantitative inputs - customer insight, performance data, and market trends. Let these inform whether technology is the right lever now, and which technology aligns with your context.

The goal: connect initiatives to clear business outcomes (e.g., conversion, new customer acquisition, inventory turns, margin mix) before you debate platforms.

Se hele samtalen med Oliver Banks her:

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Name and find the blockers:  

Endring skaper kognitivt og organisatorisk stress. Banks fremhever to universelle blokkeringer:

Frykt for det ukjente – usikkerhet om hvordan endringen vil utspille seg.

Fear of failure — concern about job risk, reputation, and fragile margins

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«Endring inkluderer per definisjon begge deler: vi vet ikke fullt ut hva som kommer, og vi kan ta feil.»

Oliver Banks

Ekspert på detaljhandelstransformasjon

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Acknowledge both at the organizational and individual levels. Build plans that reduce ambiguity (small pilots, clear decision gates) and decouple intelligent failures from personal blame. Leaders should ask: What would make this feel safer to try? Then implement exactly that.

Action and agility: The practical engines of transformation

Banks ser to trekk i lag som bryter tregheten:

• Bias to action. Replace busy work with measurable next steps. Define progress weekly: what customer behavior, funnel metric, or KPI will move if this works?

• Agility in practice. Treat initiatives as test‑and‑learn portfolios, not binary bets. Run time‑boxed experiments, set success criteria in advance, and normalize the ability to revert if needed. Agility isn’t a capital‑A framework; it’s a habit: try, learn, adjust.

This matters even (and especially) during adverse performance. If the last two years lacked experimentation, today’s softness might be an indicator of yesterday’s caution.

Culture and appetite: Will you actually follow the evidence?

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«Hvis det ikke er noen appetitt på å gå hele veien, er døren lukket før den første testen.»

Oliver Banks

Ekspert på detaljhandelstransformasjon

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Technology succeeds where culture (how things truly work) and appetite (leadership’s willingness to pursue a new path) align. Locate your agents of change—they might be top‑down sponsors, mid‑level integrators, or bottom‑up creators.  

Gjør veien tydelig: hvem eier pilotprosjektet, hvem fjerner blokkeringer, og hvem vil gi grønt lys til skalering hvis målingene treffer planen?

Where AI and modern retail tech deliver value

AI er ikke én ting; det er et verktøysett som allerede er innebygd i detaljhandelen. Banker nevner praktiske, velprøvde domener:

• Forecasting & replenishment: better demand signals → better stock flow.

• Pricing: dynamic inputs (inventory, competitor signals, customer preferences, weather, promotions) → smarter price decisions.

• Content operations: scalable product copy, multilingual assets, and increasingly, video workflows.

Konklusjon: Vurder AI etter brukstilfelle og utfall, ikke trend. Forankre hver investering i en spesifikk kunde eller et resultatmål.

Live Shopping why it’s the perfect place to start

For organizations curious about Live Shopping, Banks recommend moving from abstract debate to concrete, low‑risk pilots.

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«Det finnes aldri et perfekt tidspunkt. Men dagens verktøy gjør det enklere enn noensinne å begynne å eksperimentere og lære.»

Oliver Banks

Ekspert på detaljhandelstransformasjon

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Hvorfor Live Shopping passer inn i en test-og-lær-bevegelse:

Agile by design: No store fit‑outs, minimal supply chain dependency, lightweight creative.

Fast feedback loops: Real‑time engagement, direct conversion data, and shoppable replays for extended ROI.

The Triple C effect: Content + Community + Commerce in one experience—spotlighting customer passions while driving sales.

Hvor skal man begynne:

1. Define a sharp use case. e.g., new‑season launch, limited‑time bundles, category education, VIP early access.

2. Choose a simple success metric. Conversion rate, revenue per viewer, email opt‑ins or repeat‑visit rate from replays.

3. Pilot with one squad. Assign clear owners across e‑commerce, merchandising, creative, and customer service.

4. Multistream and measure. Meet audiences where they are (social + site) and compare engagement patterns. Keep what works; drop what doesn’t.

5. Create a learning cadence. Document insights after every event - offer design, show format, host style, Q&A dynamics - and fold them into the next run.

How to rally the organization

For å flytte kolleger fra interesse til engasjement:

• Tell the story in outcomes: tie Live Shopping to growth levers your leadership already tracks.

• De‑risk the first steps: small budget, clear timeline, reversible decisions.

• Show progress visually: share quick dashboards after each pilot (engagement → add‑to‑cart → checkout → replay views).

• Codify the playbook: when you find a winning format, document it so others can replicate.

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Siste ord

Detaljhandelens konstant er forandring, men forandring kan læres. Start med å fortelle sannheten om din nåværende tilstand, sett opp en rullebane for trygge eksperimenter, og forfølge den nest beste handlingen med disiplin. Enten du finjusterer brukstilfeller av AI eller tester ut Live Shopping, er det ikke teamene som vinner som er de som snakker mest høylytt om innovasjon; de er de som er mest konsekvente når det gjelder læring.

Hvis du utforsker Live Shopping og vil se hva som er mulig, kan du bla gjennom ressursene og demonstrasjonene våre av handlemuligheter – eller snakke med en Sprii-spesialist for å kartlegge et pilotprosjekt som passer dine mål.

Lær mer

Want to turn your returns into a loyalty engine? Visit reurbo.io to explore Returbo

Want to reduce returns before they happen? Learn how Sprii’s Live Shopping solution can help

Want more content like this? - Follow Sprii on LinkedIn or watch the full Expert Talk

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