The Sole Supplier brings Ocula into the fold for product catalogue discoverability

The Sole Supplier has selected Ocula Technologies to power product catalogue discoverability.

In a LinkedIn post, Thomas McKenna, CEO at Ocula Technologies, said: “Managing a catalogue with this velocity of "new drops" requires more than just standard product copy and data - it requires enterprise grade content engineered for the new wave of search (Google SGE, Perplexity, ChatGPT etc.”

He added: “A huge thank you to Maya Traykova (Chief Product Officer) for bringing us into the fold and recognising the opportunity to automate high performance product content at scale. We are now working closely with Jamie Hyam (Product Manager) to deploy across the platform.”

Hyam commented: "Ensuring our community can effortlessly find the latest drops and shop our range has never been more important. Partnerships like Ocula help us remain AI enabled and agile in this area, ensuring our product data works as hard as our team does."

Temu and Shein

"Temu and Shein have no heart". So said The Sole Supplier Founder, George Sullivan, at a press panel event for Retail Technology Show 2025 in London earlier this year.

He commented: "Yes, they appeal to the consumer chasing low prices, but the brands actually dominating the UK fashion scene are doing something very different: Led by passionate founders who actually care about the product; Focused on quality and innovation over copycat items; Telling stories that inspire the next generation of buyers."

This includes Cole Buxton; Clints; and About Blank.

He added: "And let's be real, there will always be a consumer base for cheap, fast fashion. But it's our job to educate people on quality, transparency and most importantly the heart of the brand so they make better choices. Something that Stuart Trevor (founder of AllSaints) is doing very well and spoke a lot about the press panel event."

Shein and Temu did not respond to our request for comment.

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH proudly presents the first edition of its AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by VenHub Global, 3D Cloud and EdTech Innovation Hub.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January. This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.