Inspiration, future thinking and practical advice

RTS 2026 delivered a dynamic conference programme, bringing together industry leaders, innovators and retail experts to share insights, tackle key challenges and explore the technologies shaping the future of retail.

Check out the 2026 programme tracks below:

Retail Media, AI & Data

With retail media providing a much-needed new revenue stream and AI evolving at the speed of lightning, this exciting track was for any retailer wanting to stay ahead of the pack and improve efficiency. Attendees learnt how to drive customer experience through building a retail media network from scratch and how to understand and measure the impact of retail media on bricks and mortar ROI.

Attendees found out what the move to agentic AI really means for retail, which AI use-cases have made the biggest retail difference, how the shift to search through AI is impacting the landscape and how they can build a data-driven retail business that will truly drive market share. 

 

Return to Growth

Exploring practical strategies for brands and retailers navigating the path back to momentum. Attendees learnt how to leverage every channel to attract and retain customers, focus their teams on high-value opportunities, and plan for AI tools that can deliver a competitive leap. Sessions also covered meeting customers where they are, trading effectively across platforms, and balancing new eCommerce initiatives with legacy systems.

Attendees gained actionable insights on creating an effective trading calendar, promoting efficiently, and unlocking real commercial value. This track equipped leaders with the tools and strategies needed to drive growth today while preparing for long-term success.

 

Loyalty, Customer Experience & Personalisation

With customers proving more promiscuous than ever, this essential track showed attendees how to drive loyalty through offering customers a more complete solution, assess how personalisation can be taken to the next level in-store and how AI can be used to improve customer experience, profits and market share. 

Attendees also learnt what customers actually want from a loyalty scheme in a challenging economy, how to use personalisation as tool to shape their brand experience and how to capitalise on likely customer experience evolutions by 2030. 

 

 

Leadership, Cybersecurity & Economy

With cybersecurity and the economy making retail executives very nervous, this crucial track was a must attend for retailers wanting to protect their businesses and build strong, profitable leadership strategies. Attendees learnt how to navigate harsh economic headwinds whilst tackling consumer evolution, moving your cybersecurity strategy to ‘not if but when’ and how to think outside the box when cutting costs. 

Attendees also found out what great retail leadership looks like in times of uncertainty, how the government’s actions are impacting retail innovation and how to make cybersecurity and resilience a priority to their board and colleagues throughout their business. 

 

CONNECTED RETAIL

Connected Retail explored how to move beyond omnichannel to create seamless, integrated customer journeys across stores, online, and social platforms. The sessions covered: leveraging data for AI-driven improvements, turning returns into loyalty opportunities, and orchestrating every channel with transparency.

Attendees gained practical strategies to unify touchpoints, engage customers consistently, and drive loyalty in a fully connected retail landscape.

 



 

SUSTAINABILITY, SUPPLY CHAIN & INNOVATION

With sustainability remaining high on the customers’ agenda and innovation proving a key differentiator and much-needed cost-cutter, this track was unmissable for retailers who wanted to remain competitive. Attendees learnt how to integrate AI innovation into their supply chain to drive efficiency and customers engagement, use robots more effectively in warehouses for massive productivity gains and which key innovation lessons European retailers can learn from Asia and the US.  

Attendees also found out how retailers can turn product traceability into a real customer-facing value, how to communicate their sustainability credentials to their customers in a truly engaging way and how retailers can ensure innovation is at the heart of their culture. 

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR 2027

Retail Technology Show is FREE to attend for retailers, consumer brands and leisure and hospitality organisations. 

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST (opens in a new tab)

VIEW 2026 SPEAKERS

Check out the 2026 line-up of industry experts and innovators who took to the stage in 2026.

2026 Speakers (opens in a new tab)