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“The store expertise is in customer service and talking to customers. How do you replicate that in a digital sense? It’s really difficult.”
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ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
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:
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.
Episode 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
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