INTERNET RETAILING AWARDS Interview with Bas Nawijn of Magento

Ahead of the Internet Retailing Awards, we’ve grabbed five minutes with the sponsors of our awards to ask them both about their latest thinking on UK online and multichannel retailing in general and about the Internet Retailing Awards 2013 in particular.

Today we’re talking to Bas Nawijn, head of EMEA sales at Magento.


Internet Retailing: What does the shortlist for the Internet Retailing Awards 2013 say to you about the development of online and multichannel retailing in the UK today?

Bas Nawijn, head of EMEA sales for Magento: The shortlist of the Internet Retailing Awards speaks to the continued success of merchants innovating their business models and customer engagement in a new multichannel landscape of global, local, social, and mobile commerce.

IR: Why was it important to Magento to support the Capability Award – and what do you think it is that makes a standout ecommerce or multichannel retailer?

BN: Magento is proud to support the Capability award as part of our continued commitment to commerce innovation through innovation from merchants, design agencies, and developers. A truly standout ecommerce or multichannel retailer is pushing the boundaries of their infrastrcuture through robust customization of their commerce platform.

IR: What’s your hot tip for the year ahead, whether a new technology, an upcoming retailer or advice on a way of thinking about multichannel retailing?

BN: As we head into the holiday buying season and 2014 merchants need to adopt a holistic approach to managing consumer engagement across all channels to convert sales. We’ve seen responsive web design emerge as a new industry standard for maintaining a cohesive brand experience across online and mobile commerce channels.

IR: What are you looking forward to most about the Internet Retailing Awards evening?

BN: We are delighted to be sponsoring the Capability award and have the opportunity to be involved in this premier event in the UK. We are most excited about bringing our Magento UK team to the evening and have the opportunity to network and socialize with our customers and peers in the industry.

IR: As a professional, who are you thinking of voting for in the Internet Retailing Award 2013 (the top retailer as voted for by readers of Internet Retailing)?

BN: We look forward to supporting eBay Inc. in the top retailer award as the company continues to provide commerce solutions for merchants of any size without competing with their business.

IR: What’s your prediction for how industry will have changed by the time of next year’s awards?

BN: Over the next year we expect to see merchants utilizing mobile and social commerce as new strategic points of differentiation as consumers continue to engage brands across multiple points of contact.

The Internet Retailing Awards will be held at SushiSamba, 664ft up at London’s Heron Tower on Wednesday June 26. For more information, click here, and to find out about tickets to the event click here.

There’s still time to vote in the Internet Retailing Award 2013, which is voted for by Internet Retailing readers. To cast your vote, click here.