eCommerce Expo: H&M's Adam Ull discusses how retailer turns product data into strategic asset

With more than one million products sold across its various brands, and seven data points now stored for each one, H&M has a massive amount of data. 

Adam Ull, Senior Product Manager at H&M Group, told delegates last week during eCommerce Expo at London Excel that while the company obviously remains committed to fashion, technology is becoming the core of its business.

“The quantity of data is growing, so we need to focus on improving the quality of data in order to offer value,” he explained. 

H&M is working with Bluestone PIM to centralise product data and offer a more consistent customer experience across its brands and markets. 

Ull used the example of a “teddy coat”, currently popular on social media, to explain how H&M is using its vast data to ensure its customers can find similar products in its inventory. He told delegates: “It’s our job to give customers the close match in our catalogue to the trending items they are looking for.”

The data is also proving helpful internally, supporting the use of automation and AI. Using AI, H&M has created a loop of customer feedback, tracking the movement of customers across its sites. “This can help us track what the customer wants,” Ull said. 

Ull said he believes that data will also become more crucial as consumers increasingly use AI tools such as ChatGPT to identify products to buy. “What we see in the future is that purchase will happen directly inside an LLM,” he explained.

Even in H&M’s stores, data also plays a key role. “We see an increased need for product information in changing rooms,” Ull said. “We want to even allow customers to make a purchase from the fitting room.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Data analytics will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now closed for entries with our finalists and shortlists being announced last week, 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.