“Investing in amazing experiences will prove to be the defining choice for retail success.”
Experiential development is essential
From the retail frontline of our 400 stores, we see what you see. Customers want more and more from their experience, expecting to glide seamlessly between purchasing channels.
Change seems constant, and there’s a tangible fear that you risk being left behind if you don’t continue to evolve. In fact, the retail market is probably the toughest it’s ever been, buffeted by immense macroeconomic pressures, so investment budgets are tight.
Enhancing customer (and employee) experiences is retail’s big bet; the best option for navigating today’s difficult operating environment.
It’s packed with ripe potential to attract and retain customers and create market standout. And it demands effective connectivity.
See how EE harnesses our connectivity to create seamless, memorable customer experiences.
We’re proof that connectivity can drive incredible experiences
Challenge
Creating stores that are customer magnets by delivering outstanding experiences and bringing product or service benefits to life.
Solution
Transforming store connectivity with significant broadband upgrades for rapid and smooth running systems, processes and transactions.
Results
Superior connected experiences for customers and staff, freeing time for staff to have personal, productive conversations with customers rather than waiting for screens to load.
“If you’ve not got the right connectivity and technical solutions, the store doesn’t really have a heartbeat.”
Luke Walmsley, Senior Manager – Experience Design, EE
Footfall in our concept store increased by
after its transformation.
Vendor agnostic, not opinion agnostic
When it comes to connectivity and IT infrastructure, we have strong relationships with leading vendors as part of our extensive partner ecosystem, making working with your vendors of choice frictionless and straightforward. However, with a wealth of international, UK and personal retail experience at our back, we never take a neutral stance on connectivity best practices.
Here are the headlines of what we believe all retailers need to know:
You will need a more powerful network
Whatever your plans and whatever your future holds, they’ll require a network that’s more powerful than your current infrastructure. The sooner retailers take action, the stronger their market position.
Accept that in-store technologies will keep growing
It started with connectivity to support POS systems. Today, camera systems, digital displays and self-service checkouts are proliferating and there’ll be new capabilities tomorrow. Your network and connectivity must be ready and able to scale quickly.
Consolidate, converge, extend
Resist pressure to rapidly add connectivity capabilities without first optimising what you already have. The best results for your retail operation come from creating a single, efficient foundation to support future innovation. This holds down costs, too.
Push the limits of smart networking
As you consolidate, grow and add power to your network, exploit every opportunity to be smarter with how you use it. Networks are more than just ‘pipes’; they’re your route to precise control over your data and traffic flow.
Think security from the start
When every retail experience depends on network connectivity, cyber security is crucial. The best defences and resilience come from a ‘secure by design’ approach, embedding security as you build so it works seamlessly with your network.
Fix fragmented procurement
Check that your solutions are correctly integrated into the fabric of your retail business so you can see and monitor their performance and incorporate them into your cyber security coverage.
Connectivity isn’t a commodity
The mindset that connectivity is ‘just pipes’ is dangerous and buying purely on price is risky. It’s important to reconceptualise connectivity as a critical business service. Today, retail stops when connectivity goes down. Revenue streams instantly dry up, losses are rarely recouped, and reputations suffer. Preventing this must drive connectivity provisioning and purchasing decision-making.
Personalised experiences need more than connectivity
Connectivity is the facilitator, but it’s data that drives outstanding experiences. Frequently, retailers are drowning in data with insufficient management systems and security in place to harness data to bring experiences to life. No retailer can use AI as an experience accelerator without the right data foundations.
Seek out multi-purpose technologies and providers
Retailers tend to source specialist technologies like footfall analysis from niche providers, but this route exacerbates infrastructure complexity and cost. Switching to providers capable of consolidating specialisms with core connectivity requirements will optimise costs and open up multi-use possibilities, such as cameras that can support security functions, footfall and sentiment analysis, and recognition-driven experiences.
Support excellence
Delivering connectivity to stores is no longer a simple plug-and-go exercise. Assessing what each store, warehouse and office has and then blending solutions to suit each location is complex. Implementation requires skilled engineers to connect, configure and test each location. With strategic decisions to make at each stage, a future-fit connectivity project requires care and due process.
Expect partnership from connectivity suppliers
Because connectivity is a service and not a commodity, your provider should understand your retail business, offer expertise to enable you to move at pace, pre-empt any glitches, and provide technology innovation and inspiration. Reliable, proactive service support should underpin the lifetime of your connectivity experience, giving you peace of mind that you have the resilience to deliver for your customers.
© BT 2025
© BT 2025