North West Product & Ecommerce Forum: AI & Automation for Growing Brands

I spend a lot of time in London.

There are some genuinely excellent events there for founders and operators scaling product businesses. The quality of conversation is high. The rooms are ambitious. The insights are practical.

But it raises a fair question:

Why don’t we see more of that calibre of event in the regions — particularly here in the North West?

Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire and the wider North West are home to some of the UK’s most exciting FMCG, wholesale, retail and ecommerce brands. The talent is here. The ambition is here. The growth is happening here.

So at Outserve, we decided to do something about it.

We’re launching the North West Product & Ecommerce Forum: AI & Automation for Growing Brands, hosted at the Xero Manchester office.

And it’s built specifically for scaling product businesses navigating 2026.

Why This Event — Why Now?

The reality for product and ecommerce brands in 2026 is clear:

• Margins are tighter
• Retail pressure is increasing
• Supply chains are still unpredictable
• Inventory ties up more cash than most founders realise
• AI and automation promise a lot — but clarity on ROI is mixed

At the same time, the opportunity has never been bigger.

Brands that get their systems, data and financial operations right are scaling faster — without adding unnecessary headcount or operational chaos.

But that requires honest conversations.

Not software demos disguised as talks.

Not generic “growth mindset” content.

Not sales-heavy breakfasts.

This forum is designed to be different.

Who It’s For

This event is built for people actively running and scaling product businesses across the North West, including:

• Founders and leadership teams in FMCG, wholesale, retail and DTC
• Ecommerce leaders managing marketplace and multi-channel growth
• Finance directors and controllers looking for visibility and automation
• Operations leaders responsible for inventory, forecasting and planning

If you’re responsible for revenue, margin, stock, cash or systems — this is your room.

What We’ll Cover

1. The 2026 Reality Check

What is actually changing in FMCG and ecommerce?

We’ll tackle:

• Retailer pressure and margin compression
• Promotional intensity and working capital impact
• The operational strain of multi-channel growth
• How scaling brands are responding

No hype. Just practical insight from people in the arena.

2. AI That Actually Matters

AI is everywhere — but where does it genuinely create ROI for product brands?

We’ll explore practical use cases in:

• Inventory forecasting
• Demand planning
• Ecommerce analytics
• Finance automation
• Margin and cash visibility

And importantly — what to ignore.

Because not every AI tool creates leverage. Some just create noise.

3. The Modern Product Brand Tech Stack

We’ll break down how scaling brands are connecting:

• Unleashed (inventory control)
• Xero (finance and reporting)
• A2X (ecommerce accounting automation)

When connected properly, this stack:

• Reduces manual reconciliation
• Improves stock accuracy
• Surfaces real margin by channel
• Frees finance teams from spreadsheet firefighting
• Unlocks cash from inventory

This is where FinOps becomes strategic — not just compliance.

Confirmed Speakers (So Far)

We’re bringing together founders, operators, tech specialists and finance experts who work directly with scaling brands:

• Ian Phillips — Head of Partner Sales, Xero
• Phil Peters — MD, YF (high-growth FMCG consultancy)
• Shadia Al Hili — Founder, Cuzena
• Stu MacDonald — Founder, ManiLife
• Elspeth Cordray — UK GTM Manager, A2X
• Joshua Lunn-Scott — Lead Consultant, Unleashed Software
• Phil Oakley — MD, Outserve (FinOps & systems integration)

More speakers will be announced shortly.

What Makes This Different?

• Short, high-value sessions (maximum 20 minutes)
• Straight-talking founder and operator panels
• A room full of decision-makers — not spectators
• 45 minutes of focused networking over lunch
• Optional 1:1 expert sessions after the event

This is not about passive listening.

It’s about clarity, direction and practical next steps.

What You’ll Leave With

Attendees will leave with a clearer view of:

• What AI and automation mean for your business in practice
• How to unlock cash from stock and operations
• Where margin is really being won and lost
• What “good” looks like in a modern product tech stack
• Who to know in the North West ecosystem
• The next operational steps to scale with control

Why Outserve Is Hosting This

At Outserve, we work at the intersection of finance, inventory and ecommerce systems.

We see firsthand where scaling brands struggle:

• Fragmented data
• Stock tying up cash
• Marketplace reconciliation chaos
• Finance teams buried in manual work
• Systems that don’t talk to each other

We also see what happens when those problems are fixed.

Growth becomes controlled.

Cash becomes visible.

Decision-making becomes faster.

Finance becomes proactive.

This forum is about bringing those conversations into one room — here in the North West.

If You’re Scaling a Product Brand in the North West

You don’t need more noise.

You need clearer numbers.

Stronger systems.

Better conversations.

And the right people around you.

That’s what this event is designed to deliver.

North West Product & Ecommerce Forum: AI & Automation for Growing Brands

Not just inspiration.

Direction.

Book here now so you don't miss this event