From Digital Twins to Agentic Commerce: Geopost’s Innovation Day 2025
5 December 2025
Innovation Day is a yearly event and this year’s edition was a one-of-a-kind conference, a meeting of minds with tomorrow's thought leaders in e-commerce transformation. This collision of ideas in sum has offered a glimpse into the future of commerce. In this article, we’re taking you inside the room. Picture the energy, the voices and the innovation. More than a story, sit back for a dialogue that unfolds as if you were sitting among the speakers, coffee in hand, watching the future take shape.
The Opening Beat: A Market in Motion
Geopost CEO Yves Delmas opened the day, stepping onto the stage with a smile and a challenge: “Innovation is reshaping the commerce value chain at the speed of light.” He centred the audience on his assessment: commerce has always evolved, from markets to malls to e-commerce, but now the pace has sped up. Mobile already drives nearly half of online sales, and, by 2030, almost every interaction will be AI-powered. The message was clear: the old playbook is gone. What’s coming next will shift how we discover, buy and deliver.
Predicting Desire Before It Exists: A Prophetic Roundtable
Arthur Bessières from Plug and Play set the tone: “We’ve moved from slow, reactive projects to predictive insight in hours.” Frank Pica, CEO of Native AI, explained how digital twins, or AI-powered consumer models, are changing the game. “They think, shop and react like real people,” he said, describing how brands can now test ideas instantly across markets. Ben Snyder from Kroger shared how this technology accelerates product development: “We can validate concepts in real time instead of waiting weeks.” Rory McDonnell of Glanbia added a marketing twist: “Creatine exploded from 200 million to a billion in four years. Speed matters.” The conversation felt less like theory and more like a glimpse into a future where decisions happen at the speed of thought.
Focus: The Shopper Lens
Before the deep-dive into tech solutions, Carmen Cureu, Geopost’s Market Research Director, grounded the discussion in reality: what do e-shoppers expect in 2025? Her data showed online shopping is now an ingrained habit, with Gen Z leading the charge: they average nearly 60 purchases a year. Convenience still matters, but expectations are shifting toward personalisation and community-driven experiences. “Gen Z wants novelty and fun, even in everyday products,” she noted, highlighting their reliance on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok for shopping inspiration and as a sales channel. The takeaway was clear: innovation must start with understanding these evolving behaviours.
AI Gets Practical: The Challenge Arena with 3 Startups
Next came the Challenge Arena, where Zoë Chrysostom from Plug and Play threw down three big questions: How will websites evolve in an AI-first world? How do we boost productivity in customer service? And how do we measure satisfaction before a complaint appears? Radar’s Daniel Zyss answered the first with a bold vision: adaptive commerce that meets shoppers where they are: inside chats, social feeds and even AR spaces. Klark’s James Rebours showed how AI copilots are rewriting customer service workflows, turning hours into minutes. Nicolas Rieul from Actionable closed the loop with predictive CX: “We can identify detractors before they speak.” It was a rapid-fire session, full of ideas that felt ready to leap from slides into reality.
The Snapchat Generation: Commerce Gets Personal
When Aïssatou Diallo from Snap Inc took the stage, the conversation shifted to social media culture. “The future of social is private, real moments and no longer today’s public performance space,” she said. Snapchat’s DNA based on authenticity & intimacy creates a space where influence feels personal. With 5 billion snaps sent daily and AR experiences becoming mainstream, social commerce is no longer a trend; it’s a new layer of retail. For brands, the opportunity is written on the billboard: speak human, not corporate, and meet consumers in the spaces where trust lives.
Agentic Commerce: Who Owns the Future?
After the social commerce discussion, Philipp Hödl from Plug and Play posed a sharp question: “If users get answers directly from ChatGPT or Gemini, is there still a reason to visit a website?” Layton Han of Bonafide explained the shift from SEO to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) where brands must teach AI their story to stay visible. Sjoerd Brouwer from Mandarin Oriental added a luxury perspective: “If the AI doesn’t understand us deeply, it commoditises us again.” The conversation revealed a future where shopping may happen inside AI chats, and the challenge for brands is inevitable: remain relevant when the click disappears.
Closing Notes: Trust and Transformation
Geopost CIO Hugues de Maussion wrapped up the day with a reminder that technology is only half the story. “Trust is the bottom line,” he said. From predictive delivery to adaptive commerce, the ambition is bold: make logistics as smart as the buying experience and built on trust.
After a loud round of applause, the room shifted to the networking lunch as attendees moved quickly with their questions to each inspiring speaker. Innovation is clearly the engine driving the next era of commerce, and we’re helping it happen.
