The 2025 programme

Registration

Chair’s welcome address

Darren Sanderson-Williams, General Manager, Specsavers

Keynote Address: Why retail plays an important role in the future of our society for both business and communities

In our keynote address, you’ll hear from two senior retail leaders on why taking an omnichannel approach and driving brand awareness in a competitive marketplace, can play an important role in the future of both business and communities

Maria Hollins, Chief Executive, Ann Summers
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive, British Retail Consortium

Retail Showcase Panel: A digital roadmap to ensure future omnichannel success and brand growth

A lot can depend on how willing a brand is to digitally transform and if this is what sets omnichannel leaders apart from their competitors. This session explores the strategies that retailers are embracing as part of their evolving digital transformation, as well as the ways in which they can drive efficiencies across their business, in order to future proof success.

• How to build a winning business case for digital transformation
• What are the digital experiences retailers need to guarantee long term growth
• Is a digital-first approach essential for omnichannel success?
• How to blend the positives of digitally native retail with the advantages of a store estate
• Will smart investment in technology become a key differentiator?
• Is digital the vital tool to tap into its customer’s needs?
• Staying competitive in today's retail landscape

Ed Duggan, Financial & Commercial Director, Fishpools

Mark Guest, Managing Director – Retail Sector, CONCENTRIX 

Morning coffee and networking break

Retail Spotlight Panel: Strategies to work towards a seamless omnichannel journey – dawn of the ‘unified’ experience

Retailers are turning to new and emerging technologies to create unique and memorable experiences for their customers, but one size doesn’t fit all. AI is not new to retail, getting it right to fit your business and maximising its benefits, is no easy feat. In this session, we hear from retail technology leaders, whose investments in AI have helped them identify and deploy new ways to improve frictionless commerce.

• How is AI solving the unsolved broken online shopping experience
• Driving cross-channel fulfilment and inventory optimisation
• Collaborating to deliver a connected omnichannel customer experience
• Designing a flexible, enhanced online experience that streamlines the customer journey
• Creating efficiencies and seamless experiences from in-store to online - continually evolving your omnichannel offering
  using tech to simplify and optimise your online eCommerce operation
• Simplicity of process - convenience, changing landscape, fulfilment centres

Sharaz Khan, Retail Operations Manager, New & Lingwood
Greg Tufnell, Founder, Prime Advantage Capital Partners
Pim Vellenga, Senior Launch Manager, Emma – The Sleep Company

Retail Insights Panel: Loyalty and breaking the CX ceiling - a new equation of customer satisfaction

The role of CX as a driver of change in redefining brand loyalty and reducing customer acquisition costs is never more paramount, especially in an economic downturn. Our speakers share experiences with personalisation, as well as the benefits of building greater brand loyalty for both new and established brands.
What is a true blueprint for loyalty and engagement success?

• Engaging consumers by building loyalty - the importance of a branded experience
• GenAI-assisted shopping - is it the ultimate hyper-personalised, gamified experience?
• How can retail marketers harness generative AI for customer success?
• Using insight data to drive customer loyalty
• Internal and external branding, comms and marketing
• Designing CX through eyes of the customer
• Converting customers from offline to online

Scott Taylor, Executive Director of Marketing, American Golf
James Rutter, Chief Creative Officer (CCO), COOK

Lunch and networking break

Retail Mega Panel: Enhancing customer engagement - targeted marketing personalisation through automation vs traditional routes

With customers shopping in more locations than ever before, it is vital for brands to connect with customers in a personalised manner and create a consistent brand experience across all channels. Get greater insights into your customers’ needs and expectations with AI, stand out from the crowd and offer a personalised experience.

• How AI can help you automate the mundane
• Using AI for personalisation (UX) - top tips to nail it
• Personalising messages based on their interactions and previous purchases
• The benefits of hyper-personalisation in driving customer retention
• Utilising data in the right way to get to the right customer

Shetal Bhatt, Senior Director – Loyalty, CRM, Retention, SSE Energy Solutions
Tim Curtis, Chair, Cotswold Collections

Retail Showcase Panel: What can the pioneers teach us about D2C and marketplace innovation in 2024?

D2C retail has been key to the success of some of the most innovative and fast-growth brands of the last few years. But the origins of D2C go back a long way, setting the stage for many modern D2C models. This session will provide an overview of marketplace strategy with a focus on how retailers are operating and expanding in this channel.

• What role does D2C play after the experience of the pandemic – is direct the way forward, and what does this look like in 2024?
• Transforming retail through personalised and online marketplaces - what can be learnt from some of the original pioneers of D2C?

Tracey Powers, UK Sales Director, Avon
Susannah Schofield OBE, Director General, Direct Selling Association
Michelle McWhinnie, Operations Director, Usborne
Nathaniel Wade, Co-Founder, Wakuda

Afternoon coffee and networking break

Retail Perspectives Fireside Chat: The human element - supporting your employees to become truly omnichannel

People are the backbone of any organisation. Providing the best possible retail CX for customers involves bringing one of retails most valuable assets – their retail staff – fully onboard with their omnichannel vision and strategy. Never has it been more critical for retail to harmonise digitalisation and technology, with the collaboration and guidance of an organisation’s frontline teams.

• Supporting your employees to become truly high performing in an omnichannel business
• Optimising digital solutions while preserving the essential human connection that customers crave
• Empowering retail staff with actionable insights and to allow them to share their knowledge with online shoppers
• Employee engagement and investing in people to retain them in a post-COVID environment expectations of staff

Jo Causon, CEO, The Institute of Customer Service
Sam Bleazard, Employer Brand Content Producer, Fortnum & Mason

Retail Insight Fireside Chat: Can retail deliver on ‘store of the future’ - the challenges and opportunities in moving beyond bricks and mortar

This session will explore how the store of the future will go beyond retail and be a hybrid, flexible, experiential space that keeps local communities coming back for more. Retailers are now using their physical spaces to merge retail with research, product development and production - hear how retailers are using their in-store tech to create a more informed and engaged customer.

• Utilising technology to enhance the customer experience - providing shoppers with the opportunity to touch, feel and engage with your products
• The use of immersive experiential activations, to concept stores and pop-up installations
• How to make the high street store presence ‘fit for the future’
• The role of the ‘flagship store’ - a place where customers can browse and shop the entire collection with ease
• The power of physical retail and the importance of the physical retail experience in engaging shoppers

Shereen Ritchie, Chief Executive Officer, Buns From Home

Rowland Gee, CEO, The Shocklite Company; Director, AromaChimie

Ines Clark, Founder, MARTYAI; former Head of Group Strategy & Partnerships, Farfetch

Chair's closing summary