The Retail Technology Shift: Key takeaways from fusefabric’s LinkedIn live event
On Thursday 27th February, fusefabric hosted a LinkedIn Live Event, The Retail Technology Shift: Stop Developing, Start Adopting, featuring some of the leading voices in retail technology to discuss a fundamental shift in how businesses approach e-commerce and enterprise architecture. The event, hosted by Simon Hamblin, Co-Founder of fusefabric , featured insights from Shaun Perkinson, CTO at Kayanee, formerly of Boden, Tory Burch, and Burberry, and Doug Gardner, CIO at Flying Tiger Copenhagen, formerly at River Island and French Connection.
Together, they explored why modern retailers must shift from building custom technology solutions to adopting scalable, off-the-shelf platforms. Their discussion highlighted the importance of embracing platform-based innovation, breaking down common misconceptions about technology differentiation, and outlining the strategies that allow businesses to move faster, reduce costs, and remain competitive.
Why custom development is holding businesses back
One of the central themes of the discussion was the changing role of technology in retail. Historically, many retailers have believed that their custom-built systems provided a unique competitive advantage. However, as Shaun pointed out, this belief is now outdated.
“Technology is no longer the differentiator – it’s a commodity. What sets businesses apart today is how they adopt and integrate proven platforms like Shopify while focusing on product, service, and marketing innovation.”
Retailers that continue to build and maintain custom technology solutions face significant operational inefficiencies, increased costs, and slower innovation cycles. As Doug Gardner highlighted, his team at Flying Tiger Copenhagen recognised the burden of maintaining a heavily customised ERP system and the difficulties this created in upgrading and adapting to new market conditions.
The reality is that modern e-commerce platforms, particularly Shopify, have matured to the point where they can support even the most complex global retail operations without the need for excessive customisation.
From customisation to adoption – overcoming internal resistance
One of the biggest challenges in making the shift toward technology adoption is usually overcoming resistance from within your business or organisation. This resistance often comes from engineering teams who have spent years building and maintaining proprietary solutions, as well as executive teams who are sceptical that a standardised platform can handle their business complexity.
To overcome this, retailers must shift their internal mindset by focusing on:
Business efficiency: Custom-built platforms often slow down business agility. Standardised platforms enable faster innovation, reducing technical debt and maintenance overhead.
Lower cost of ownership: Adopting proven e-commerce platforms significantly reduces long-term costs. As Doug explained, Flying Tiger Copenhagen’s switch to Shopify allowed them to scale operations without the heavy financial burden of continuous customisation.
Speed of implementation: Modern retail businesses need fast, iterative deployments to stay competitive.
“Would you rather have 85% of the solution live now, or 100% in two years? Most businesses realise that perfection is overrated when speed and adaptability are key.” – Simon Hamblin
For many businesses, the realisation that adoption drives efficiency while maintaining flexibility is what ultimately shifts the conversation away from customisation and toward standardised, scalable solutions.
Integration strategy – creating a scalable architecture
The discussion also explored the importance of enterprise integration strategies when transitioning to platforms like Shopify. Instead of simply connecting old and new systems, businesses must take a strategic approach to integration that ensures long-term scalability.
Key considerations include:
API-based integration: Shopify’s open API structure makes it easier to integrate with legacy systems, allowing for real-time data exchange and process automation.
Middleware solutions: Products like fusefabric’s Enterprise Connect act as a translator between Shopify and legacy systems, ensuring a smooth, manageable integration.
Data synchronisation: Keeping inventory, customer data, and orders synchronised across all systems reduces errors and manual work.
Phased integration approach: Many businesses opt for a phased rollout, starting with non-critical functions before expanding to core operations. This approach minimises risk and allows businesses to adapt based on real-world performance.
Doug emphasised how Flying Tiger Copenhagen leveraged integration layers to unify multiple ERPs, POS systems, and franchise partner networks without disrupting existing operations. By decoupling backend systems and exposing them through integration layers, the company was able to move faster, adopt Shopify without major backend changes, and prioritise digital innovation.
“Integration is the foundation for scalability. Get it right, and your business can adapt to any future technology shift without starting from scratch.” – Doug Gardner
AI and the future of retail technology
No conversation about modern retail technology would be complete without discussing Artificial Intelligence (AI). The panellists highlighted several key areas where AI is already delivering significant value:
Automated image generation: AI-powered product imagery tools allow retailers to generate new product shots without expensive photoshoots, speeding up content production.
Customer segmentation & personalisation: AI-driven insights allow businesses to automate and optimise customer marketing campaigns, improving engagement and conversion rates.
Operational efficiency & forecasting: AI-powered analytics help businesses optimise stock levels, predict demand, and streamline supply chain operations.
Shaun Perkinson shared how his team has already begun leveraging AI to generate product images dynamically, significantly reducing time and cost compared to traditional photoshoots.
“AI adoption isn’t just about improving efficiency – it’s about changing the way we think about retail. It enables new workflows, automates routine tasks, and frees up teams to focus on high-impact strategic work.”
However, as the panellists pointed out, many businesses struggle to implement AI effectively. A key barrier is the lack of a strong data foundation. Without clean, structured data, AI cannot deliver meaningful insights or automation.
The road ahead for retailers
The conversation made it clear: the future of retail belongs to businesses that can adapt quickly, integrate seamlessly, and innovate intelligently. Retailers no longer need to build everything themselves – the smartest companies are focusing on adopting scalable solutions and optimising their operations to stay ahead.
For businesses looking to make this transition successfully, the key takeaways are:
Shift your mindset: Technology is no longer the differentiator – how you adopt it is.
Standardisation beats customisation: Proven platforms like Shopify provide 80-90% of what businesses need – focusing on that, rather than chasing perfection, drives real efficiency and growth.
Integration is critical: A well-designed integration strategy using APIs, middleware, and synchronisation tools ensures smooth adoption and long-term scalability.
AI is the next frontier: Businesses that establish a strong data foundation today will be best positioned to leverage AI-driven efficiencies tomorrow.
By embracing platform-driven innovation, strategic integrations, and scalable technologies, retailers can future-proof their businesses and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.
fusefabric remains committed to helping retailers navigate this shift; because in a world where technology moves fast, adoption beats development every time.
Watch the full conversation back below and get in touch if you’re ready to start futureproofing your business.