At this year’s Retail Excellence Ireland panel, we brought together three of Ireland’s leading ecommerce professionals to share insights on how they are navigating an increasingly complex digital landscape. Each panellist brought years of hands-on experience and unique retail perspectives:
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Hannah Moran, Marketing Manager at McElhinneys Department Store in Ballybofey, Donegal, has worked across marketing and ecommerce for over three years.
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Sean Gleeson, Digital Lead at McCabes Pharmacy, has driven growth and digital transformation since 2018, guiding the team through their merger with Lloyds Pharmacy.
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Fiona Dillon, Ecommerce Manager at O’Briens Wines, has led digital growth for four years and has deep experience across beauty, fashion, and F&B sectors.
Together, they explored three key questions on the state of ecommerce and retail in 2025.
1. How Has the Customer Changed Over the Last Two Years?
Across the board, the panellists agreed: customers are more impatient, more vocal, and more demanding.
Customers now expect seamless service, fast delivery, and reliable support. Loyalty is increasingly shaped by the delivery experience and trust in fulfilment. At the same time, retail teams are under more pressure to meet these demands with empathy and clarity.
Highlights:
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McElhinneys engages with customers via real-time social content and transparent messaging, such as their “5 at 5” product drops.
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O’Briens leverages app data, customer reviews, and personalised tools like the Wine Compass, while encouraging customers to use online carts as in-store shopping lists.
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McCabes has seen rising frustration and impatience, doubling down on fundamentals of excellent service to meet expectations.
2. How Do You Decide What Tech to Adopt or Ignore?
The ecommerce space is full of hype—AI, headless, automation—but all three leaders stressed the importance of focus and strategic prioritisation.
With lean digital teams and finite budgets, chasing every trend isn’t viable. Instead, the panellists prioritise what serves their customer best.
Highlights:
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Sean noted the added caution required in healthcare ecommerce, where regulation and privacy concerns demand a steady, thoughtful approach.
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Hannah discussed the challenge of balancing innovation with internal capacity, especially during major shifts like McElhinneys’ move from Magento to Shopify.
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Fiona emphasised filtering tech opportunities through a customer-value lens, ensuring any new tool supports both the online team and O’Briens’ 34 physical stores.
3. How Are You Connecting In-Store and Online to Build Loyalty?
Omnichannel is no longer optional—today’s shoppers expect one brand and one experience, regardless of how or where they shop.
The panellists discussed their strategies to connect touchpoints, align teams, and create loyalty systems that work across both digital and physical spaces.
Highlights:
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McElhinneys has rolled out the “M Card” loyalty system, seamlessly used both in-store and online.
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O’Briens has invested in their app to bridge online shopping with in-store service, navigating the complexity of loyalty in a regulated category like alcohol.
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McCabes is working to integrate systems and teams to reflect the customer’s single journey, not siloed experiences.
This panel made one thing clear: succeeding online in turbulent times requires more than good tech and fast shipping. It demands real clarity of purpose, cross-channel alignment, and deep understanding of customer behaviour. And if our panellists are anything to go by, Irish retail is certainly up for the challenge.
[Images courtesy of Robbie Reynolds Photography]
