As part of our 12 Days of PXmas celebration, this roundup brings together 11 Akeneo bylines published throughout the year across leading retail, technology, and sustainability outlets. From AI-driven product experiences and consumer trust to returns reduction and sustainability, these articles explore the themes shaping modern commerce and the evolving role of product information in delivering standout product experiences. Together, they offer a snapshot of the conversations brands need to be paying attention to, and the strategies that can turn better product data into better customer outcomes.
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🎶 On the 11th day of PXmas, Akeneo shared with thee…
Eleven bylines worth bookmarking!
As we near the end of our 12 Days of PXmas, it felt like the perfect moment to look back on some of the ideas that made this year such a meaningful one for product experiences. Throughout 2025, Akeneo leaders shared their perspectives across top industry publications, tackling everything from AI and trust to sustainability, returns, and the future of retail.
For Day 11 of PXmas, we’re wrapping them all up into one easy-to-explore roundup. So grab a mug of something warm, get comfortable, and let’s dive in.
In this Martech Edge byline, Akeneo CEO Romain Fouache examines rising consumer skepticism toward artificial intelligence and explains how brands can close the trust gap as AI becomes more deeply embedded in customer experiences. While many shoppers recognize the value of AI-powered features, Fouache notes that concerns around data usage and transparency continue to hold consumers back.
He argues that trust is not inherent to AI itself but is earned through responsible implementation, emphasizing data accuracy and transparency as the foundation of trustworthy AI experiences. By grounding AI in high-quality product data and clearly communicating how AI is used, brands can build confidence, reduce hesitation, and foster stronger, more reliable relationships with their customers.
Virginie Blot, Principal Product Marketer at Akeneo, explains how high-quality product data is essential to reducing returns while improving customer experience and sustainability outcomes in this Sourcing Journal byline. She notes that many returns stem from issues such as inaccurate sizing, misleading descriptions, or insufficient product details, making returns both a customer experience and environmental challenge rather than just an operational one.
By investing in enriched, accurate product information and leveraging data across the product lifecycle, retailers can help shoppers make more confident purchasing decisions, reduce return-related costs, improve reverse logistics, and ultimately turn returns from a persistent pain point into a driver of customer trust, loyalty, and long-term value.
Benoit Jacquemont, co-founder and CTO at Akeneo, highlights the imminent arrival of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) as a catalyst for sustainability and transparency in product ecosystems in this byline with The CTO Club. With European Union mandates making DPP compliance compulsory for many industries in 2026, Jacquemont frames this regulatory shift not as a burden but as a strategic opportunity for technology leaders (especially CTOs) to build more transparent, resilient, and sustainable product information architectures that meet rising consumer and regulatory demands.
Jacquemont urges CTOs to treat DPPs as a chance to modernize technology stacks, break down internal data silos, and develop cross-functional collaboration between product, engineering, and business teams. He provides strategic steps tech leaders can take to ensure their organizations are prepared for this shift and can leverage DPPs to strengthen brand trust, reduce operational waste, and support long-term sustainability goals.
In this Sustainable Brands byline, the Akeneo team examines the growing returns crisis as retailers navigate the tension between consumers’ desire for sustainability and their expectation of fast, convenient returns. While shoppers increasingly value environmentally responsible practices, they are unwilling to sacrifice ease and flexibility, creating a challenge for brands seeking to reduce waste without harming the customer experience.
The article outlines practical strategies to address this balance, including delivering accurate, in-depth product information, enabling hybrid return options to lower emissions, and localizing content to minimize confusion and unnecessary returns. By improving product experiences alongside sustainability efforts, retailers can reduce return rates while meeting customer expectations and turning returns into a competitive advantage.
In a Retail TouchPoints article, Akeneo CEO Romain Fouache explores how global trade tensions and shifting tariff policies are reshaping retail economics and consumer behavior, pushing shoppers to reassess what they buy and why. As rising prices and economic uncertainty weaken consumer confidence, Fouache argues that buyers are moving beyond a sole focus on low cost toward greater emphasis on value, transparency, and product purpose. He suggests this “trade war era” may accelerate more conscious consumerism, favoring brands that prioritize quality, ethical practices, and rich product information.
By investing in clear storytelling, transparent sourcing, and stronger product experiences, retailers can better differentiate themselves and build long-term trust and loyalty in an increasingly scrutinized purchasing environment.
The team here at Akeneo explores the post–peak-season surge in returns and the negative impact it has on both brands and the environment, noting that most returns stem from inadequate or inaccurate pre-purchase product information in this byline featured in MyTotalRetail. The article argues that reducing returns isn’t about adding friction to the process but about empowering shoppers upfront with comprehensive, accurate product content that sets clear expectations.
By enhancing product experiences, retailers can reduce costly returns, protect customer loyalty and brand reputation, and address sustainability concerns tied to excess emissions and waste, creating a win-win outcome of fewer returns, stronger trust, and a smaller environmental footprint.
In this Forbes article, Akeneo examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping the retail industry while emphasizing that technology alone is not enough to ensure success. The piece argues that AI’s true impact depends on consumer trust and the quality, accuracy, and transparency of the data that powers AI systems, particularly as AI becomes embedded in product recommendations, personalization, and search experiences.
Without strong data foundations and clear communication about how customer information is used, retailers risk eroding trust and diminishing the return on their AI investments. Ultimately, the article highlights a broader industry shift toward pairing advanced AI innovation with responsible data governance and transparent customer practices to drive meaningful, sustainable engagement.
Akeneo CEO Romain Fouache examines the growing sustainability challenge created by high retail return rates, highlighting consumer survey data that shows many returns are driven by poor or misleading product information. He explains that inaccurate sizing, unclear descriptions, and missing reviews often lead shoppers to return products, making improved product data one of the most effective levers for reducing unnecessary returns.
Fouache also notes that nearly half of consumers factor the environmental and ethical impact of return processes into their purchasing decisions, elevating sustainability as a key driver of trust and loyalty. Framing returns as an environmental imperative rather than just an operational issue, he argues that providing accurate, enriched product experiences upfront can reduce waste, lower emissions, and strengthen both brand performance and long-term sustainability outcomes.
In this CTO Magazine interview, Benoit Jacquemont discusses how artificial intelligence is reshaping the retail and eCommerce landscape. Jacquemont emphasizes that while AI offers powerful benefits like smarter search, automated content enrichment, and richer customer experiences, its success depends on high-quality, enriched product data that fuels reliable, trustworthy AI outputs.
Jacquemont also explores the risks of rushing into AI without a thoughtful strategy, particularly the potential erosion of consumer trust if AI systems deliver inaccurate or opaque results. By combining responsible AI adoption with clear data governance frameworks, retailers can unlock AI’s full potential while keeping customer trust and long-term engagement at the forefront.
In this conversation, Akeneo CEO Romain Fouache explains how AI-driven product experiences are transforming eCommerce and retail, highlighting the need to balance advanced personalization with consumer trust. He emphasizes that high-quality, complete product data is essential for AI to deliver relevant results, reduce friction, and build purchase confidence across the customer journey.
Fouache also outlines how Akeneo evaluates product information maturity to support AI, connects AI initiatives to measurable outcomes like return rates and customer satisfaction, and advocates for a transparency-first approach that includes ethical AI use, clear communication, user consent, and data privacy. Ultimately, he underscores that data accuracy and trust are foundational to unlocking AI’s full potential in product experiences.
The team here at Akeneo explores how retailers can navigate deal-day fatigue and rising expectations for AI-enabled experiences during peak promotional periods in this SalesTechStar byline. CEO Romain Fouache explains that while discount events drive engagement, they also lead to increased dissatisfaction and returns when product information is unclear or misleading, ultimately eroding consumer trust.
The article argues that long-term loyalty cannot be built on promotions alone and emphasizes the importance of accurate, transparent product information—especially as AI becomes more central to eCommerce. By pairing responsible AI use with high-quality product data, retailers can meet heightened shopper scrutiny, reduce returns, and turn reliable product experiences into lasting customer trust and loyalty.
And just like that, we’re almost at the end of our PXmas countdown.
These 11 bylines may come from different publications, but they all point to the same truth: better product experiences are built on trust, transparency, and great product information. Whether you’re navigating AI adoption, reducing returns, or meeting rising sustainability expectations, the message is clear: product experiences matter more than ever. Thanks for celebrating Day 11 of PXmas with us, and stay tuned as we unwrap the final day of our PXmas journey.
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