How Ellis Brigham Is Building a Modern Retail Experience Through Technology

tl;dr - what you'll get:

• Learn how Ellis Brigham approached a major ecommerce platform migration to Centra and the commercial considerations behind the decision.
• Discover how investments in delivery experience, customer data and personalisation are helping strengthen customer loyalty.
• Get practical insights into balancing retail heritage with digital innovation, including real-world experiences of adopting AI across ecommerce operations.

Summary:

In this episode, we speak with Mark Oldham, Head of Operations at Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports, about the evolution of one of the UK's best-known outdoor retailers and how the business is modernising its ecommerce ecosystem while staying true to its heritage.

The conversation explores the commercial thinking behind Ellis Brigham's move from Magento to Centra, examining the operational challenges that prompted the migration. Mark explains the importance of building a flexible technology stack that supports growth, improves efficiency and delivers a better customer experience.

Customer experience is a central theme throughout the podcast, with insights into the implementation of Ingrid to transform delivery choice and customer communication. The discussion highlights why transparent fulfilment and post-purchase experiences have become critical drivers of customer loyalty and lifetime value.

We also explore how Ellis Brigham has successfully balanced nearly three decades of retail expertise with the demands of modern digital commerce. Mark shares his perspective on preserving the unique identities of Ellis Brigham, Snowboard Asylum and Outsiders, while ensuring each brand delivers a consistent experience across every customer touchpoint.

The conversation then turns to data and personalisation, looking at how Voyado is helping consolidate customer data and unlock more meaningful CRM strategies. From understanding customer intent during product discovery to creating more personalised onsite experiences, the discussion examines how retailers can make better use of the data they already collect.

Finally, the episode explores the growing role of artificial intelligence within ecommerce teams. Mark shares how AI is being introduced into day-to-day operations, the efficiencies it can unlock and the practical challenges businesses face when embedding AI into established workflows.

Chapters:

[0:30] — Intro to Ellis Brigham and the episode topic[1:30] — Mark introduces Ellis Brigham and his role[4:05] — Why the move from Magento and the replatforming drivers[9:15] — Why Centra was the right fit[13:15] — Ingrid / order communication and customer experience[19:35] — Blending store expertise with digital content[25:05] — Omnichannel fulfilment and store operations impact[28:00] — Why Ellis Brigham keeps distinct brand identities[33:30] — Voyado, customer data and intent signals[35:55] — AI adoption across the business[38:30] — AI governance and data controls[42:20] — Dashboards, AI and the future of analytics

The debate around native apps versus mobile websites has changed significantly. Thanks to Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), improved mobile browsers and advances in web technologies, many capabilities that once required a native app are now available through the mobile web.

For most ecommerce brands, the decision is no longer driven by technology limitations but by customer behaviour, retention strategy and commercial return on investment.

This podcast explores where native apps still deliver meaningful advantages, including push notifications, deeper integration with mobile devices, offline functionality and richer customer experiences.

It also examines which types of retailer genuinely benefit from investing in an app, highlighting examples such as Gymshark, Represent and Myprotein, where apps support loyalty, exclusive product launches and community engagement rather than simply replicating the website.

The conversation concludes with a practical framework to help retailers determine whether a mobile website is sufficient or whether a native app can drive higher customer lifetime value through repeat purchasing, personalisation and stronger customer engagement.

What you'll get from listening:

• Understand why the native app versus mobile web debate has fundamentally shifted in the last few years.
• Learn which capabilities native apps still offer that even modern websites ecannot fully match.
• Discover why customer lifetime value and retention are now the strongest commercial reasons to build an app.
• Hear practical examples of how brands including Gymshark, Represent and Myprotein use apps to strengthen loyalty and increase repeat purchases.
• Understand how push notifications, loyalty programmes and exclusive product launches can transform customer engagement.
• Learn which retail sectors are most likely to generate a positive return on investment from a native app, and which are unlikely to benefit.

• Get a practical decision-making framework to help determine whether your business should invest in a native app or continue focusing on delivering the best possible mobile website.

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