Tech important but not a silver bullet for retailers navigating customer reviews space

The reality behind reviews today is more complex than a star rating suggests, argues Graham Broomfield, Managing Director at Austen & Blake.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “We talk a lot about reviews in retail, and for good reason. They influence trust, choice, and reputation. Across the industry, many retailers are experiencing situations where reviews, including positive ones are removed from platforms like Google and Trustpilot, often with limited visibility of the specific reason why.”

At the same time, however, there are ongoing challenges with reviews that retailers strongly believe have not come from genuine customers, and where the ability to appeal or resolve can feel inconsistent.

Broomfield added: “Layer on top the reality of modern retail journeys. Customers don’t just experience the retailer. They experience payment providers, manufacturing timelines, courier networks, missed delivery slots, and “we tried to deliver” messages when no one did. When friction appears anywhere in that journey, the frustration is real, even when the root cause sits outside the retailer’s direct control. (But there responsibility).”

So can technology help? Yes, to a point, Broomfield believes.

“There is technology that helps retailers monitor reviews in one place, analyse sentiment, identify recurring themes, and respond faster and more consistently. That matters, because speed, tone, and clarity of response often influence trust as much as the rating itself,” he said.

“What technology can’t fully solve is the imbalance. Review platforms ultimately control moderation decisions, and retailers don’t always have clear insight into how individual judgments are made. This raises a broader question for the industry.”

He concluded: “As retailers continue to invest heavily in customer experience and transparency, what responsibility do review platforms have to be equally transparent about how reviews are validated, moderated, and removed? Not to protect retailers (we learn from both positive and negative reviews), but to protect confidence in the system for customers as well.”

“Reviews aren’t going away, nor should they. Accountability and openness matter. But as retail journeys become more complex, the way we interpret and act on reviews needs to mature too, supported by technology, judgment, and leadership.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Customer reviews will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.