Could Topshop return fall victim to death by wrong retail technology and outdated thinking?

Last month saw Topshop take over Trafalgar Square in London with a catwalk show to unveil its A/W collection.

The retailer, whose long gone London Oxford Street store is the stuff of legend among 80s, 90s and noughties kids, is launching a major comeback. A website has gone live. Standalone stores are returning to the UK high street. And the aforementioned catwalk show was its first in seven years. Long time brand representative Cara Delevingne was among those in attendance.

Everything in the garden is rosy, right? Not according to Oliver Rhodes, Founder and CEO at Nolo Apps, who feels that Topshop is running the risk of not returning in the radical fashion that is necessary for it to be a success.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “On the way out it was being run on some archaic ERP, think SAP but not sure. Front end e-commerce was probably custom with teams of devs keeping it spinning. Manhattan OMS and likely more 3PLs than were needed running paper processes. Excel workflows run by admin assistants. Likely two admins to every non admin. Death by meetings and bureaucracy? Who knows.”

“Anyway, there are expectations about certain things that must be included in the customer journey. Nothing does it all out the box but Shopify with the app ecosystem is how they should get there first. Why custom build a pop up solution like Alia or Order Editing when you can click and turn on apps that do 10X more than your DIY version.”

He added: “I still think this is the biggest overlook for legacy brands migrating off Salesforce and Magento. I think Topshop will miss it too. They could run their PLM on Airtable, integrate it to Miro to connect the real product data to the creative planning process. Leverage AI across the whole product pipeline from product creation, CAD generation, sample reviews and shave weeks off their critical path.”

“You need to do what 30 people did in buying and merch with five people in 2025. There’s a slew of AI powered inventory planning tools - connecting the what to buy to the real buying workflow and range plan can save hours of excel manipulation.”

ERP wise, Rhodes believes that Fulfil is proven to handle the volume and complexity that Topshop need but the question the team will always ask is: do you need an ERP? One warehouse and an e-commerce site. The reality is they don’t, he argues.

“No doubt they will, hopping on the back of some enterprise contract. The whole CS workflow could be smashed with AI agents on Gorgias and DigitalGenius . Warehouse and fulfilment wise - I’d go with Pio - xreated by AutoStore. I’m working with a £4 million brand that’s using it. Shipping wise, no one is paying per label these days. The Metapack model is dead. I wonder if they’ll learn?!”

He concluded: “Can they shake the shadow of what used to be and start fresh or do we get a dark stack of Excel with some overly ambitious MACH attack of a front end?”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Omnichannel retail will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.