The Commerce Thinking Newsletter
A twice weekly newsletter sharing expert guidance for brands missing a tech team.
You’re here. Welcome.
No fluff. No hidden agendas. No promotions.
Commerce Thinking delivers clear, expert guidance for teams lacking in-house tech resources. Written by people who’ve been there and know what good looks like.
Our insights come from firsthand experience at brands like Gymshark, Acne Studios, Little Sleepies, Stussy, Represent, Oh Polly and more.
My story
I’m Luke Hodgson - a global tech leader, filling the gap where a CTO should sit inside of brands that are growing so fast that demand is outpacing their teams' ability to keep up.
Built on 15 years of retail tech experience - including co-founding HighCohesion and Patchworks, and holding CTO-style roles in brands like Represent, Nobody's Child, Little Sleepies, and other leading brands.
My role is to help leaders reach confident decisions on what change is required and build the in-house capabilities to scale. This includes:
Building out budgeted, prioritised tech roadmaps
Hiring and setting up in-house tech teams
Establishing truly cross-functional ways of working within brands
Making s**t happen. With the input of my team, we make sure big changes happen in the right way on time and in budget
Supplying a dedicated, cross-functional team to fill the resource gap during big projects like ERP, PLM, 3PL/WMS and BI implementations
You can find out more about our work and get in touch here.
Connect with me on LinkedIn or explore my conversations with Gymshark’s former CEO Steve Hewitt and Tim Richardson on the Factory Podcast to learn more about my work as an advisor, writer and speaker.
What sets us apart
This isn’t just another tech newsletter—it’s hard-earned wisdom from the frontlines.
After 18+ months of building, we now have subscribers from some of the world's iconic brands - including Nike, Adidas, LVMH, Mercedes and many more.
Whilst I write the newsletter, the entire Commerce Thinking team contributes:
Maxime Ossieur: Ex-Head of Systems at Gymshark. Ex-Bleckmann.
Nathan Bawden: Ex-Head of Tech & Data at Snug. Ex-Flatspot.
Dom Macgowan: Ex-Systems Admin at Gymshark.
Amy Washington: Ex-Head of Planning at Acne Studios. Ex-Burberry.
Andy Slater: Co-Founder at HighCohesion. Ex-Co-founder at Patchworks.
Every week, you’ll get
Strategic Tech Guidance:
Growing brands face inflection points where technology becomes either a catalyst or roadblock. We provide frameworks, insights, and practical advice to help you:
Navigate tech decisions
Maximise project ROI
Create a world-class operator experience (OX)
New Luxury Market Intelligence:
With a global perspective spanning Paris, London, Los Angeles, and beyond, we analyse operational trends of leading luxury brands. These firsthand observations reveal what drives success in modern luxury retail and inspires tomorrow’s iconic brands.
We are on WhatsApp
The newsletter is your first step into the world of Commerce Thinking.
We’re launching a connected community of founders, execs, and operators from around the world on WhatsApp. Join us for:
News, business advice, and trend analysis
Sharing trusted recommendations (and cautionary tales)
Answers to questions like, “Does anyone know a good…?”
It’s a no-sales zone for collaboration. Subscribe to the newsletter, and look out for the WhatsApp invite in your welcome email.
Join us
Subscribe to the newsletter and join the Commerce Thinking Community now.