Retailers are failing to bridge the knowledge gap between online and offline channels, despite having access to the data required to do so. Daniel Todaro's analysis reveals that whilst consumers arrive in-store better informed than ever—having researched products, compared prices, and reviewed options digitally—that intelligence rarely translates into coherent, joined-up execution across touchpoints. The disconnect is not primarily a data access problem; it is an execution problem. Online channels struggle to replicate the contextual guidance a knowledgeable sales advisor provides, whilst in-store teams often lack visibility into what customers have already researched or where they stand in their decision journey. This fragmentation has direct commercial consequences: incomplete product information, inconsistent pricing, and misaligned recommendations quietly erode conversion and push customers toward abandonment. For CX teams managing omnichannel platforms, this raises a critical question: if your Zendesk or Salesforce instance holds customer research history, browsing behaviour, and purchase intent data, why are your in-store and digital channels still operating as separate systems rather than feeding into a unified customer view?
The strategic implication extends beyond operational efficiency into how brands compete during periods of economic caution. As promotional budgets tighten and ROI scrutiny intensifies, heavy discounting is losing favour in preference for delivering value through clarity, consistency, and trust. This shift demands that CX infrastructure—whether contact centre platforms, digital experience tools, or point-of-sale systems—function as an integrated whole rather than isolated channels. Technology itself is not the answer; poorly balanced implementations risk overwhelming customers who prioritise accessibility and human interaction. The opportunity lies in using AI-driven insight to surface relevant information at critical decision moments—reviews at point of sale, aligned pricing across channels, consistent product narratives—whilst preserving the human expertise that remains the deciding factor in high-consideration purchases. For support leaders and CX consultants, this means auditing whether your current stack actually enables that balance or whether you are simply layering more tools onto fragmented processes. The retailers that win will be those that treat omnichannel CX as a unified design problem, not a technology problem.
Francesca Roche sits down with Daniel Todaro, CEO at Gekko Group, to unpack one of retail’s most persistent challenges: the disconnect between online and in‑store customer experiences at a time when consumer confidence – and discretionary spend – is under strain. Todaro points to knowledge as the mo