AI, Tasks & Culture: How The CoOp Is Redefining Frontline Retail

How do you transform thousands of frontline colleagues from overloaded and under-informed to connected, confident, and AI‑enabled, without breaking the stores?

In this episode of The Retail Podcast, Alex sits down with Chris Chandler (Head of Store Support, Midcounties Co‑op) and Mark Williams (Managing Director, WorkJam EMEA) to unpack a full frontline transformation: from paper, WhatsApp groups and scattered comms… to a single digital frontline platform with 90%+ activation and the removal of many tasks removed in just 12 months.

🔊 Guests

Chris Chandler – Head of Store Support, Midcounties Co‑operative

Chris has spent nearly three decades in retail with Midcounties Co‑op, including time as store and district manager. Today he leads store support, loss prevention, communications, operating model, simplification and continuous improvement across a diverse estate spanning food, travel, childcare and utilities.

Mark leads WorkJam’s European expansion and brings 16 years of global retail operations experience from Shell. His focus: where technology meets process, and how digital tools unlock productivity and engagement for frontline teams.

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💬 Which of these trends do you think will shape the future of retail the most — and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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⏱️ Timestamps

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