Why the best retailers are building better boats

Picture this… 

You’re about to go on a voyage. You’re going to set sail. Your destination? The future. 

But there’s a problem. 

Your boat’s pretty old now. Sure, you’re attached to it. You know how it works. But, deep down, you know it’s not fit for the journey. If you're heading the future, your boat as it is won’t get you there. And you really don’t feel like sinking today. 

So what to do? Try and fix the boat up? Put a new engine in? Or rip it all up and start again? 

Don’t worry. You’re not alone in struggling to answer this. If two days at the Retail Technology Show in London’s Excel Arena taught us anything it’s that these are the questions so many retailers are wrestling with right now. 

You might want to rip your tech stack up and start again, you might want to try and make the most of what you already have.  

The important thing is not to chase tech just because it’s new and shiny. Tech for tech’s sake is never going to fly. Tech for people - that enhances our everyday lives, that enriches our world, that sparks connections in us - that’s what’s exciting. 

As Kate Hardcastle MBE said in her opening remarks: “Our tech needs to feel more human. And the good news is - it’s starting to. If a consumer walks into a store, ready for that human-to-human connection, that’s exactly what they need. Be ready for it.” 

It’s why the best retailers aren’t chasing shiny objects - they’re focused on what matters most: their people, their customers, and the experience in between. 

Whether you’re knee-deep in a digital transformation, still wrestling with your POS, or wondering whether to replatform or rip everything up and start again - there’s something here for you. 

Here are five takeaways from RTS 2025 that really stuck with us

1. Tech should amplify the human touch - not replace it 

If there was one theme that ran through every conversation at the show, it was this: tech isn’t the star of the show - people are. 

River Island’s CIO, Simon Pakenham-Walsh, put it best. He warned that innovation without purpose is dangerous. It's easy to get distracted by what’s shiny or trending - AR mirrors, chatbots, AI-driven everything - but if it doesn’t solve a real problem for the customer or empower your teams, it’s just noise. 

“The magic trick for retailers right now is finding ways for technology to amplify human interactions, not replace them,” he said. “There’s a danger in building things just because you can or because they’re cool. That rarely solves the right problems. But if you can quickly identify a genuine customer need and solve for that, it’s so much more powerful.” 

Retail at its best is still emotional. It's still about people helping people. And the retailers who understand that - and build their tech around it - are the ones creating experiences customers come back for. 

2. Give your staff the tech they are crying out for 

Melissa Wong, CEO & Co-Founder of Zipline, summed this up best when she said: “Your store employees can be the best brand ambassadors - but only if they have the information, knowledge and tools they need to really be successful.  

“Store teams are the ones that are representing the brand… but we’re not providing the conditions for success to help them bring the brand to life. A better informed, empowered store team means better experiences for customers and betteqAr performance for the business.” 

So what does this look like in practice? 

Let’s jump over to Ellis Brigham to find out. Their POS was more than 30 years old. It handled everything from stock to finance. It worked. Just about. But it wasn’t built for modern retail, and it definitely wasn’t built for empowering staff.  

As Head of Retail Chris Rigg explained, their in-store teams are the heartbeat of the business. Passionate, knowledgeable, and proud - but often let down by outdated tools. 

“Every piece of feedback came back to the same thing: ‘Please change the till system,’” he said. 

So they made the leap. They scrapped the old setup and chose a mobile, cloud-native POS that integrates out-of-the-box with the rest of their tech stack. Now, store teams can sell from the entire product ecosystem - from any point in the store, with stock visibility, customer profiles, and order options all in the palm of their hands. 

It wasn’t just a system upgrade - it was a cultural shift. From frustration to empowerment. From limitation to liberation. And it sent a powerful message to their teams: we see you, we hear you, and we’re building this around you. 

Because when you give great people the right tools, they don’t just sell - they shine. 

3. Loyalty is having a moment…and it’s about more than points 

Today’s consumers are savvier, more value-driven, and less tolerant of one-size-fits-all experiences. They don’t just want rewards - they want relevance. They want to feel recognized, remembered, and respected across every channel. 

That could mean early access to product drops. It could mean gamified journeys, VIP experiences, or something as simple (and powerful) as being greeted by name in-store. 

Simon Pakenham-Walsh put it like this: “Loyalty is such a topical subject right now. There are a lot of retailers toying with whether they even need a loyalty program. And honestly, it's tricky - because customers can switch between brands so easily now. It’s not always the best deal that keeps them around. 

“Customers today want more than points or discounts. They’re looking for something meaningful - something they can buy into. They want an affinity with your brand. They’re asking, ‘Do our values align? Does this brand respect my time and data?’ They’re looking for value - but in the fullest sense of the word. 

“What really drives loyalty is a seamless customer experience. And that starts with being able to identify your customer across all your channels - especially in-store. Whether that’s through a loyalty card, an app, a digital profile, or shared payment credentials, you’ve got to know who they are. 

Because once you know your customer, you can start to influence their journey. Ultimately, your loyalty strategy needs to resonate with constantly evolving customer expectations. It should feel effortless - seamless enough to blend into the experience, but strong enough to make a lasting impression.” 

The retailers who get loyalty right aren’t just retaining customers - they are building communities. 

4. Agility is a superpower you’re going to need 

The key point of difference between the retailers getting ahead and the ones falling behind? Agility. 

Agility means being able to adapt - fast. To change course when needed. To respond to customers in real-time. And to build the kind of retail experiences that can flex across channels, formats, and customer expectations without falling apart. 

As Richard Surman, IT Director at Crew Clothing Company says: “What I want today isn’t what I’ll want tomorrow. That’s why modular platforms are key - plug something in, see if it works, and if it doesn’t, swap it out.” 

It’s a sentiment echoed by Martin Schofield, CEO of Retail 247, who adds: “The best platforms don’t just meet today’s needs - they listen, adapt, and build for what’s coming next.”  

Simon Pakenham-Walsh summed it up perfectly: “The real key to innovation - and to creating great customer experiences - is agility. You need to build agility into your technology teams and your business partnerships so you can respond quickly to customer demand. That, to me, is innovation.” 

Agility isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s a retail necessity. It’s what allows retailers to move quickly without breaking things and create consistent experiences that still feel personal and local. 

Because if the past few years have taught us anything, it’s this: the plan will change. The question is - can you? 

5. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta build that new boat… 

When Ellis Brigham set out to improve their website, they thought it would be a simple reskin. A fresh coat of paint. A few UX tweaks. Job done. 

But the deeper they dug, the clearer it became: a quick fix wasn’t going to cut it. Their legacy systems - some more than 30 years old - simply couldn’t support the kind of modern, connected retail experience they were aiming for. 

So, they ripped it up and started again. New PIM. New payments. New ecommerce platform. New checkout, search, shipping, tracking, email, merch - the works. Not because it was easy (it wasn’t), but because they knew that transformation only happens when you stop trying to bend the future around the past. 

As Mark Oldham, Operations Director at Ellis Brigham, explained: “We didn’t just replace the engine in the old boat. We built a brand new boat. And let the old one sail off into the sunset.” 

And they didn’t stop at tech. They rebranded. Built internal creative capabilities. Unified their marketing. Designed new store formats. And rolled out a new POS system that connects their entire ecosystem. 

It was brave. It was bold. And it was necessary. 

Because sometimes, retail transformation isn’t about iteration. It’s about reinvention. Knowing when to keep patching the boat - and when to build a better one. 

Closing thoughts 

Amid all the innovation, the real standout wasn’t a product or a platform. It was the people and the lesson that, no matter how advanced technology becomes, human connection is still at the heart of everything - and always should be.  

The best retailers aren’t looking for shortcuts - they’re investing in what really matters: their people, their platforms, and the power of connection. 

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about selling more stuff. It’s about creating experiences people want to return to. About building systems that flex with you, not ones you’re stuck bending around. And about remembering that great retail is still - and always will be - powered by people. 

So here’s to the retailers brave enough to ask hard questions. To make bold moves. To build new boats. 

And here’s to what comes next. 

Learn more about how to ramp up your loyalty with customer in-store recognition.