Tech List 2024: What makes Cider, Zalando, Facewatch and TikTok leaders so inspiring?

Michael Wang, Cider: Building a smarter supply chain 

China-based online retailer Cider’s zero-inventory ‘smart fashion’ model has seen it join rival Shein in the vanguard of the real-time retail revolution. Former private equity investor Michael Wang founded the business in October 2020 to create a digital-native fashion brand with a global reach that produced minimal wastage.

The concept was shaped by Wang’s first start-up, the now defunct fashion rental business YCloset, founded in 2015, which gave him invaluable insight into how the fashion industry works and a network of contacts to help him execute his new idea. 

Cider factories receive real-time, data-driven feedback on which styles are in demand, allowing them to flex production as required and create tailored products at low prices. Cider says the model means that, unlike traditional fast-fashion firms, it doesn’t produce large quantities of clothes that may not sell, which allows it to deliver fashion more quickly, affordably and with less waste.

The business has also fostered an engaged, loyal fanbase of fashion-forward Gen Zers through its #cidergang community, who help shape decisions about what to produce via chatrooms and other forms of social engagement. 

Wang has attracted significant investment in Cider, including a $140m (£110.9m) funding round led by venture capital heavyweight Andreessen Horowitz, which has previously invested in tech giants Facebook, Airbnb and Pinterest.

While Cider is secretive about its performance, as of September 2021, the company was valued at $1bn (£790m). 

A move into stores appears to be next on the agenda; from November to January, Cider ran a pop-up in New York in a 2,400 sq ft space, following a styling suite pop-up in London in July 2023. 

Stacia Carr, Zalando: Doubling down on personalisation 

As high return rates continue to eat into the margins of fashion brands, German online retailer Zalando has been investing heavily in technology that helps consumers buy the right size.

Stacia Carr, former director of engineering for size and fit at Zalando, now heads up the fashion customer experience team, which is piloting a virtual fitting room across the retailer’s 25 markets. Customers can use a 3D avatar created using their height, weight and gender to see how clothes will fit them – a heatmap on the avatar shows where the item is tight or loose. The latest pilot follows a successful trial with clothing from Puma and Zalando’s private label Anna Field. 

Customer service has been another key priority for Carr; in April 2023, Zalando announced the launch of a new virtual fashion assistant powered by ChatGPT.

The technology allows customers to ask questions using their fashion terms and words, helping them navigate through Zalando’s large assortment more intuitively to find the products most suitable for them.  

With Zalando reporting a decline in group revenue in November – down 3.2% to €2.27bn (£1.98bn) in its third quarter – Carr’s work will have a significant role in helping the business turn things around. 

Shou Zi Chew, TikTok: Moving the dial on social commerce 

With about 1 billion active users, TikTok presents a huge opportunity for retailers to drive incremental sales via in-app shopping. Indeed, this year it overtook Instagram and Facebook to become the UK’s most-shopped social channel. 

Shou Zi Chew, who has held the role of chief executive since May 2021, shows no sign of resting on his laurels following a host of innovations and partnerships aimed at driving further growth. 

Last August, TikTok Shop launched Fulfilled by TikTok in the UK, a new logistics programme designed to make it easier for merchants to sell on the platform. It offers same-day, automated fulfilment for all orders made by 7pm Monday to Friday, a next-working-day premium delivery service, and improved customer feedback and ratings through its instant messaging service.

The business signed a partnership with global ecommerce network CommerceHub in September, enabling TikTok to access tens of thousands of brands on CommerceHub’s vast network that want to sell and market their products on TikTok Shop. 

Nick Fisher, Facewatch: Reducing retail crime  

Nick Fisher is positioning Facewatch as the technology partner of choice for retailers seeking to clamp down on store-level crime. The Facewatch system, which is used by Costcutter, Southern Co-op and Frasers Group among others, uses live facial recognition technology to alert store managers as soon as a person of interest enters the premises, allowing them to prevent or deter crime before it is committed. 

The use of facial recognition technology is a contentious topic amid concerns over people’s right to privacy. However, the Information Commissioner’s Office recently investigated Facewatch and concluded that regulatory action was not required. 

In-store retail crime is an issue that needs to be tackled. A report commissioned by the Co-op found a 44% year-on-year increase in incidents of shoplifting, abuse, violence and antisocial behaviour in 2023, equating to nearly 1,000 incidents a day across its 2,400 stores. Meanwhile, in November, Lidl introduced staff body cams due to rising crime levels.   

Fisher has spent much of his career in retail, including as chief operating officer at Phones 4u. He joined Facewatch as chief executive in January 2017 and assumed the position of chair in November 2022.