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It’s always a thrill to be back participating in live events, particularly at those celebrating the best retail has to offer. 

Set against the backdrop of Samsung KX concept store in Coal Drops Yard, our attendees certainly got a snapshot of experiential retail. With bright lights and high-tech, it felt as if the future had arrived – setting the tone for the summit.  

As the host of News UK’s Future of Retail Summit, it was great to lead proceedings and chair the first panel of the day, ‘Retail Reimagined’. 

Our panel of top leaders from of Ikea, Samsung, ASOS, B&Q and Harvey Nichols, reflected on how customer service was evolving, the blurring of channels, the future of the store, and the ever-growing importance of sustainable practices. 

Indeed, sustainability was a recurring theme throughout the day, as consumer expectations rise and business desire to do better drive changes within the industry. As Mat Dunn, COO at ASOS acknowledged, by reducing waste in the consumer journey, retailers can both do good for business and for the environment – words further echoed by Iceland’s CEO, Richard Walker. 

With over 80 retailers signed up to the BRC’s Climate Action Roadmap, retail’s journey to Net Zero by 2040, the BRC helping drive momentum towards that greener future. The examples discussed at the summit was testament to that, showing the first steps retail is taking to tackle climate change – from repair services to lowering carbon in supply chains. A recurring theme was the need to embed this thinking so it permeates throughout the business, rather than in a silo. 

Another key discussion was the importance of having a diverse and inclusive retail industry, and how through connecting with communities, we can appeal to new customers and build new loyalties. 

There was a really hard-hitting panel with women of colour and disability, who were very clear on the fact they felt many retailers really did not connect or have an offer that met their needs. It was a real call to action from a customer point of view. 

And from a workforce point of view, while some progress has been made by the industry in recent years, particularly to improve gender diversity, we have so much further to go to remove biases within industry practices and achieve a truly inclusive industry, particularly at senior levels.  

We want retail to be as vibrant, creative and innovative as it can be, as emphasised by Curry’s Chief People Officer, Paula Coughlan, in her fireside chat on Retail Leadership.  

More diverse businesses are more successful businesses. That’s why we launched our Diversity and Inclusion Charter in March 2021. Over 70 major retailers have now pledged their commitment to better our industry by enabling more equal opportunities for all – the first step towards success. 

It was great to have Matt Vickers, MP for Stockton South and Chair of the Future of Retail parliamentary group, lead the keynote address. He reflected on the resilience, innovation and agility the industry has shown, as well the great work of the BRC has done (I particularly liked that bit!)

Matt recognised the vital importance of the industry to country – 3m diverse jobs, many at entry level – and to the economy. Retail is not dying; it’s changing, he said! How right he is. 

We continue to work with government to build an industry fit for future generations – which is just as well, given the lack of digital skills and infrastructure are proving to be an issue for every retailer. 

The industry is on an exciting journey, striving towards a sustainable future, more diverse and inclusive, and more digitally capable. 

But I ended the day by emphasising that the basics of retail are as they always were: serving the customers what they want, where they want it and how they want it. And that’s something the future can never change! 

I’ll sign off with a huge thank you to News UK, without whom this event would not have been possible.

Watch the Summit on demand here: https://futureofretaildigitalsummit.com/agenda.html