DTC Live London 2026: Growth, AI and the Multichannel Reality in eCommerce

From Dublin to DTC Live London

On Thursday, 15th October, I flew from Dublin to London for DTC Live Connect LDN, one of the UK’s leading eCommerce conference for direct-to-consumer brands.

It was an early start. Alarm before sunrise, mocha in hand, and a flight over before most people had opened their inbox. But if you work in eCommerce marketing, DTC Live London is one of those events worth the early wake-up call.

Growth, AI and Marketing: The Big Themes at DTC Live

The moment we walked in, the energy hit. Founders, operators, marketers and eCommerce tech partners, all in one room, all focused on three big themes: growth, AI and marketing.

The event was spread across three floors. Keynotes and panels on one, networking and partner stands on another, and plenty of space to grab a coffee and keep the conversation going.

Growth. Every conversation came back to scaling. How do DTC brands grow profitably when costs are rising and competition is everywhere?

AI in eCommerce. AI came up in almost every session. Not as hype, but as a practical tool brands already use to work smarter, from content creation to faster customer service.

eCommerce marketing. How to stand out, build loyalty and turn attention into revenue in a crowded market. Real strategies, shared openly, with no sales pitches.

The Multichannel Reality: eDesk on Stage

The highlight of my day was of course catching up with Clodagh Callan, Product Manager at eDesk, before she joined the panel “The Multichannel Reality”.

It’s a topic every online retailer knows well. Brands no longer sell in one place. They sell on their own website, on Amazon, on eBay, on social commerce and across borders. Every new sales channel brings new customers. It also brings new messages, new expectations and more pressure on customer support.

The panel got straight to the point. Selling everywhere is the easy part. Delivering great multichannel customer support, without your team drowning in tabs and inboxes, is where brands win or lose.

Watching Clodagh share the eDesk perspective in a room full of brand leaders was a proud moment. These are exactly the challenges eDesk’s AI-powered customer support platform is built to solve.

Great Food, Better Conversations

A special mention for the food, which was genuinely brilliant. Fresh, tasty and kept coming all day. It made the breaks the perfect time to meet new people, swap ideas and refuel before the next session.

Key Takeaways from DTC Live London 2026

• Customers don’t care about your channels. They expect the same fast, personal answer whether they bought on your site or on a marketplace.

• Fragmented support slows growth. Every extra inbox means slower replies, missed messages and a tired team.

• AI is now a must-have, not a nice-to-have. Brands using AI for customer service and marketing are moving faster with the same team size.

• Customer experience is a marketing channel. The fastest-growing DTC brands treat support as part of the brand, not a cost centre.

• In-person events still matter. Nothing replaces the hallway chats, quick intros and ideas that come from being in the same room.

Final Thoughts: Worth the Early Flight

By the time I headed back to the airport, my notes app was full and my head was filled with ideas to bring back to the company.

A huge thank you to the DTC Live team for the brilliant eCommerce event in London, and to Clodagh for representing eDesk so well on stage. If your brand sells across multiple channels and feels the pressure on customer support, let’s talk. That’s exactly what we do at eDesk.