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There\u2019s a tendency in retail to declare each new wave of transformation as the one that finally \u2018changes everything\u2019. Multichannel did it. Then omnichannel. Then unified commerce. Now AI. In their own way, each new development does indeed augment the sector, but not with the explosive power industry discussion seems to indicate.<\/p>\n
Like all things, retail adapts. Whereas some adopt early and feel out the leading path, others hang back (sometimes a little too long) and wait to see what makes real impact, and what turns out to be more of a buzzword than a benefit.<\/p>\n
Chris Holyland\u2019s career has taken him through every phase and every buzzword. As digital & omnichannel director at Currys, he\u2019s moved from the shop floor to ecommerce leadership, to enterprise-wide omnichannel strategy. The terminology\u2019s evolved rapidly, but the underlying principles, he argues, have not.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the fundamentals of retail directly translate into the fundamentals of online retail and great customer experience,\u201d he says. \u201cWarm welcome. Qualify what the customer wants. Focus on their needs. Help them match their needs to a product. Make it easy for them to check out and buy. Make it easy for them to actually get the product. Offer great post-purchase experiences. It\u2019s all the fundamentals of good retail.\u201d<\/p>\n
When he pivoted into online, he didn\u2019t see it as a departure from traditional retailing at all. In fact, what he discovered were vital parrallels between the two worlds. \u201cI had worked on becoming a great store manager, and I became a great online manager by applying those same principles.\u201d That grounding still shapes how he views digital transformation today.<\/p>\n
Holyland\u2019s career has mirrored the industry\u2019s structural shift from siloed ecommerce to multichannel coordination, to omnichannel integration, and now to what he describes as \u201cseamless shopping and digital experiences\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been lucky enough to go through that pivot from being based in-store, to seeing online grow into a flourishing channel, to joining the dots between stores and online, to really seamless digital touchpoints,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve been there and seen it all the way through.\u201d<\/p>\n
But his history on the coalface of these developments has proven that capability alone doesn\u2019t equal cohesion.<\/p>\n
For Holyland, omnichannel only truly works if the retailer recognises the customer across every stage of the journey, particularly for high-consideration purchases.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can take three to four weeks for someone to research a TV before they commit to buying it,\u201d he explains. \u201cThis is a process.\u201d<\/p>\n
That process may begin with generative AI, comparison tools or online research. It may move into store for physical demos. It may return online for price comparisons or credit checks.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeamless customer journeys demand that the brand is there with them. Right from that first touchpoint, we need to be there, helping, guiding, nurturing.\u201d Crucially, he believes retailers must be present before the buying moment. \u201cThe brand needs to warm you up and bring you along that journey. How can you as a retailer add value to the process? You can\u2019t just wait for the customer to turn up ready to buy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur job is to make sure we can recognise the customer through all those different steps and not make them start again at each touchpoint. True continuity means exactly that, we\u2019re there at any and all stages to assist, not in an obtrusive way, but as the discovery develops.\u201d<\/p>\n
He is particularly animated when describing what happens if that continuity breaks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe worst experience is when, as a customer, you go back into the store and you\u2019re asked the same questions that you were asked four weeks ago. You think, \u2018Oh blimey, I don\u2019t want to have to go through this all over again!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
At Currys, new features are being developed to reduce that friction constantly. Now, customers who browse or save items online can generate a QR or barcode that store colleagues scan, instantly surfacing their browsing history and favourites. Allowing them to pick right up where the cusomer is on their journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve browsed online, show that barcode to a colleague in store and they\u2019ll pick up where you left off. If you\u2019ve put stuff in favourites, the colleague can scan your QR code and it\u2019ll bring up the history.\u201d<\/p>\n
In practical terms, that enables a very different conversation. \u201cI can say, \u2018Right, I can see that you\u2019re interested in the Samsung Frame TV. Let\u2019s pick up where you left off.\u2019\u201d This is the difference between flashy innovation and buzzwords, he insists, and solid, grounded continuity.<\/p>\n
Despite significant industry progress, Holyland is candid about the current state of play. With a very clear idea of what\u2019s possible, he can see clearly where the gaps are in most strategies.\u00a0 \u201cIf I\u2019m really honest, there\u2019s very few retailers really maximising the opportunities available to them,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not seeing anybody leveraging the power of their different channels to do different things at different points in the buying decision,\u201d he adds. That orchestration, recognising when to deploy digital guidance, when to lean into human advice, when to simplify finance options, is where competitive advantage now lies.<\/p>\n
The rise of generative AI and large language models adds another layer of potential benefit, but also of complexity. This is especially true when it comes to agentic retail.
Holyland sees the potential of AI as both opportunity and accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really excited about all the GEO work that we\u2019re doing,\u201d he says. \u201cBecause we understand you\u2019re not just convincing a human, you\u2019re convincing an objective agent that takes into account customer ratings, the strength of your content and, of course, pricing.\u201d<\/p>\n
When customers increasingly begin their research with conversational AI, brand visibility isn\u2019t purely a function of paid media or keyword dominance. Authority, clarity and service quality begin to shape discoverability itself. \u201cYou can\u2019t buy a good rating for not being good,\u201d he states. \u201cTo get customers\u2019 trust and build that relationship, you have to be truly exemplary.\u201d<\/p>\n
That philosophy extends internally. Currys\u2019 recent performance improvements, he suggests, are rooted in recognising that trust is operational, not cosmetic. \u201cWe\u2019ve massively improved over the last few years because we understand that to get the customer\u2019s trust and build that relationship, you have to be consistent and dependable.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a judge at this year\u2019s RG Awards, Holyland applies the same practical lens to evaluating excellence. \u201cIt\u2019s not innovation for innovation\u2019s sake,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ll be interested in whether our candidates make a true material difference to the customer journey. And then I\u2019ll be interested in the customer results or the commercial results.\u201d<\/p>\n
He plans on evaluating entries through three interconnected filters. Those are customer centricity, commercial benefit and operational advantage. \u201cI\u2019m a bit of a sucker for operational benefits,\u201d he laughs. \u201cIf you can make things simpler and easier, generally it costs less, it makes it easier for the operation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The strongest initiatives, in his view, sit at the intersection.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best projects I\u2019ve ever done have always been customer-led, commercially focused and leveraged operational benefits.\u201d That triad reflects his own leadership style. Grounded in frontline realities, but aligned to commercial performance.<\/p>\n
After more than a decade of industry transformation, Holyland returns to a simple benchmark; the power of continuity. \u201cRecognise me. Don\u2019t make me start again,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Retail may continue to repackage its ambitions under new terminology. AI orchestration. Unified commerce. Composable ecosystems. But for Holyland, the real competitive edge lies in something far less fashionable and far more difficult.<\/p>\n
Be there at the start of the journey. Guide intelligently. Join the dots, and never ask the same question twice. Because in modern retail, as he puts it, \u201cyou can\u2019t fudge it\u201d.<\/p>\n