Smythson enlists ESW as it builds on UK and US presence and looks to reach more customers globally
ESW has announced a partnership with British luxury lifestyle brand, Smythson, to support its international e-commerce growth plans.
Founded in 1887 and known for its leather diaries, notebooks, travel bags and accessories, Smythson has built a customer base across the UK, United States and international markets. ESW will support its US and rest of world e-commerce operations, providing the cross-border commerce infrastructure needed to deliver a seamless customer experience across international markets and support future growth ambitions.
Seb Villien, Digital & Logistics Director at Smythson, says: “As we continue to expand Smythson’s global presence, working with a partner like ESW allows us to reach customers beyond our core markets, while always maintaining our focus on the quality and experience our brand is known for.”
Tonia Luykx, Chief Revenue Officer at ESW, says: “Smythson has spent almost 140 years building a distinctive British luxury brand with customers around the world. By taking on the complexity of cross-border commerce, we can help them reach even more of those customers and create a foundation for its next phase of international e-commerce growth.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
E-commerce will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
