Currys veteran Martin Raper steps into Head of UK Stores role at UK omnichannel retailer Currys
Martin Raper has taken on the role of Head of UK Stores at Currys. He has been with the electricals and technology retailer for almost 20 years and previously served as Head of Operational Excellence for UK & Ireland.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I started on the shopfloor of this great business 19 years ago. I've been a store colleague, a Store Manager, a Regional Manager, a Territory Director, and most recently Head of Operational Excellence. Every role has shaped how I think about what great retail leadership looks like, and what it means to the people delivering it every day.”
He added: “I'm incredibly proud of what the Operational Excellence team has built. Over the past four years we have reqired the store operating model. The simplification work, the operational frameworks, the colleague experience improvements, none of that happens without an exceptional team behind it. Thank you to every one of them. Now I get to take everything I've learned and put it to work across 279 stores and 9,200 colleagues. The ambition is simple: grow sales, make Currys famous for great customer service, and make working in one of our stores the best job in retail. Excited doesn't cover it. Let’s go!”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and 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 Wednesday, 4th November.
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.
