You are invited to the fourth edition of Retail Week’s annual Consumer Summit – an extravaganza of inspiring content designed to help retailers reshape their CX strategies.

This free-to-attend event is the meeting place for those hungry to network with their peers and learn from the retail’s leading minds, with brand leaders, consumer experts, and industry partners set to take the stage.

When? Thursday 12 September, 8.30am-12.30pm

Where? Events No 6, Aldgate, London

Serious about CX? Then you can’t afford to miss these sessions, where we’ll discuss:

The macro-picture – the consumer trends driving retail transformation
What makes them tick, what makes them buy – how to elevate experience to meet expectations
Where to invest – the areas driving the best ROI with real-world examples

Countdown to the summit

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Places are exclusive to retailers and brands only and spaces are limited. Register for your free place today to avoid disappointment.

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Agenda

8.30am – 9.10am

Breakfast and networking

9.10am – 9.15am

Welcome from Retail Week

9.15am – 9.30am

Leading the pack: creating a brand that wins hearts, minds and spend

Keynote

Kicking off Retail Week’s Consumer Summit, we hear from a leading retailer on how they have created a brand that sets new standards in CX.

They will discuss:

What today’s consumer wants and how to deliver it
How to create impact, community and brand advocates
The biggest levers retailers can pull to accelerate the shopping experience

9.30am – 10.00am

Tech and the consumer: investments that will supercharge CX

Panel

The post-pandemic retail landscape has been defined by greater adaptability to rapidly changing market conditions and high levels of innovation.

However, whether it be investments in AI, data and greater personalisation, stores, or the supply chain, retailers are faced with a long shopping list of potential tech investments.

How do retailers decide where, when and how to invest in tech?

In this session, Retail Week interviews two leading retailers and an industry partner to find out:

Which investment areas are making the biggest difference to the CX they offer
What triggered the decision to invest in those areas and how to practically deliver it
Which tech investments will be critical to growth in the future – and which they feel are more fad than future

Speakers include:

Ellis Quinn, Managing Director, Victoria’s Secret
Eric French, Chief Operating Officer, Deliveroo
Kelly Prunty, UK and Ireland Sales Director, Retail and Industrial, Genesys
Jade O'Donoghue, Event Director, Retail Week (moderator)

10:00am – 10:30am

The truth about the consumer – how they will spend it this Christmas

Panel

With the golden quarter fast approaching, retailers must understand how consumers will shop and what they will be spending on.

In this panel session, Retail Week interviews a leading consumer psychologist, industry expert, retailer and an industry partner to find out:

What is influencing consumer purchasing decisions
What this means for the brands and products they want to buy
How retailers can position themselves to take advantage of these trends

Speakers include:

Hanushka Toni, Chief Executive and Founder, Sellier
Richard Lim, Chief Executive, Retail Economics
Rebecca Taylor, Commercial Content Editor, The Grocer (moderator)

10:30am – 11am

Coffee and networking

11.00am – 11:30am

What consumers really want from stores

Panel

Retail stores provide a brand world for consumers to step into.

Increasingly, we’ve seen retailers take two approaches to this based on their shoppers' mission – some are focused on convenience and getting customers in and out as quickly as possible, while others are delivering richer, immersive experiences designed to keep customers browsing and buying for longer.

In this panel, Retail Week interviews two leading retailers alongside an industry partner to find out:

What consumers want from stores in 2024/25
The tech retailers should be investing in to attract and increase footfall
The changing role of front-line staff and how to enable them

Speakers include:

Kari Rodgers, UK Retail Director, Primark
Kathryn Imrie, Chief Consumer Officer, Pets at Home
Ben Davies, Founder, Vypr

11:30am – 11.55am

Delivering best-in-class CX: The future of supply chain tech

Panel

A great delivery experience can make or break a retailer’s reputation in the eyes of the consumer. Having the right suite of options available and the infrastructure and partners in place to make it happen is critical.

In a competitive market, this is one of the key areas where retailers can unlock growth if they get it right.

In this session, Retail Week interviews leading retailers and industry supply chain tech expert Wincanton to find out:

The supply chain trends that will dominate peak trading and how retailers can prepare for them
How integrating the right tech can enable retailers to build on existing agility and flexibility in their supply chain
The latest in supply chain technology from robotics and automation and software integration

Speakers include:

Sean Hallows, Chief Operations and Technology Officer, The Very Group
Mark Robinson, Managing Director, Wincanton
Megan Dunsby, Senior Commercial Content Editor, Retail Week (moderator)

11.55am - 12.20pm

The digital consumer: perfecting the online path to purchase

Panel

The way consumers interact with retailers and brands online is becoming more and more complex.

Websites, social channels and third-party tie-ups weave a complex customer journey web. This provides constantly evolving challenges for retailers trying to ensure they meet the customer in the digital pathways they are present in and with the messaging most likely to resonate with them at the right time.

In this closing panel, Retail Week interviews two retailers with impressive ecommerce strategies, alongside an industry partner, to find out:

How they have seen the online path to purchase change and how their strategy has evolved in tandem
Which digital marketing channels are delivering the greatest ROI in terms of engagement and/or sales
How they are tailoring their messaging for different audiences within different platforms

Speakers include:

Andy Gale, Chief Operating Officer, Blakely

12:20pm – 12:25pm

Retail Week closing remarks

Speakers

Kari Rodgers, UK Retail Director, Primark

Over the last nine years at Primark, Kari’s role has revolved around driving strong UK store performance, starting first in the North West of England before being responsible for the entire UK business. Before this, she held senior regional and international roles at Debenhams, making up over 20 years of retail and store experience. Beyond her work, Kari lives with her husband and two daughters by the sea in North Wales where they enjoy spending time outdoors, cycling, horse riding and doing water sports.

Kathryn Imrie, Chief Consumer Officer, Pets at Home

Kathryn joined Pets at Home as Chief Consumer Officer following 18 years at TV and communications giant Sky. She was a key member of a team that delivered a track record of consistent growth and transformation. In her most recent former role as Chief Consumer Officer at Sky Deutschland, she helped lead the repositioning of the consumer business, implemented a data-led marketing approach and enabled the business to reach its highest-ever subscriber numbers.

At Pets at Home, Kathryn oversees the business’ consumer and omnichannel strategy through key digital, data and estate developments alongside leading the marketing, brand and communications functions.

Andy Gale, Chief Operating Officer, Blakely

Ellis Quinn, Managing Director, Victoria’s Secret

Ben Davies, Founder, Vypr

Eric French, Chief Operating Officer, Deliveroo

Mark Robinson, Managing Director, Wincanton

Mark has an impressive background leading strategy and transformation for some of the UK’s most important retail supply chains, most notably as Group Supply Chain Director for the John Lewis Partnership.

In 2024, Mark joined Wincanton as Managing Director of TechCo Ltd, a newly formed Wincanton business, to commercialise technology-based solutions in automation, robotics and transport for UK and European clients. Mark’s 29-year career in supply chain has encompassed a range of strategic, commercial and operational roles across the retail, ecommerce, manufacturing, wholesale and 3PL industries. His passion is developing high-performing teams and leveraging technology to deliver profitability.

Hanushka Toni, Chief Executive and Founder, Sellier

Hanushka began her career by qualifying as a solicitor at London law firm Macfarlanes. She then transitioned to the marketing sector where she advised brands on branding and strategy. She eventually became Creative Director at Relevance, a leading company in luxury brand marketing.

In 2019, Hanushka and her mother set up Sellier as a physical store for luxury super-brands after finding a gap in the market for sustainable, pre-loved designer goods. Fast-forward to today and the business has grown to include physical stores in Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Monaco, and a direct-to-consumer ecommerce site and app, setting Sellier up to make this year as successful as last. In addition, the business has recently partnered with Flannels to fulfil its vision of making luxury accessible to everyone.

Sean Hallows, Chief Operations and Technology Officer, The Very Group

Sean is Chief Operations and Oechnology officer at The Very Group, where he leads transformation across the group. Sean joined Very’s executive board in April 2022 after six years as Operations Director, during which time he planned, developed and launched the company’s highly automated fulfilment centre Skygate, as well as led all outbound logistics and returns. Since it opened in March 2020, the site has reduced the time it takes for orders to be dispatched to as little as 16 minutes and increased the cut-off time for next-day delivery to 10pm. Prior to joining The Very Group, Sean was Chief Operating Officer at Clipper Logistics.

Richard Lim, Chief Executive, Retail Economics

Richard is Chief Executive of Retail Economics, an independent economics research consultancy focused on the consumer and retail industry. He was voted as a top 10 voice on LinkedIn for sharing his insights on the retail sector, has been named a top 100 retail influencer by industry watchers and appeared in the final of The Apprentice as one of Lord Sugar’s advisors.

Richard also sits on the strategic advisory board at the University of East Anglia’s School of Economics, ranked in the top 10 departments for economics in the UK. He has a wealth of experience in data analytics, retail insight, economics and consumer research.

Kari Rodgers

Kathryn Imrie

Mark Robinson

Hanushka Toni

Sean Hallows

Richard Lim

James Knowles, Head of Content Innovation, Retail Week

James is Head of Content Innovation at Connect, Retail Week’s content marketing business. He leads the innovation strategy for the brand’s commercial content, devising new content and event products, formats and campaigns. Strategising creative solutions to meet client needs – be they brand awareness, lead generation or both – James has worked with some of the largest companies, including Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and PwC.

Leading projects from pitch to publish as project manager, James handles annual campaigns such as the flagship report Retail 2025, for which he interviews more than 40 UK CEOs every year and chairs an associated breakfast, and Retail Week’s community Clubhouses, his most recent new product launch. He personally oversees the Digital and Marketing Clubhouses. He also chairs panels, speaks at events and delivers client presentations.

James has spent 16 years working across business trade titles, and consumer celebrity and lifestyle magazines, including Australia’s longest-running women’s and celebrity title New Idea and fashion business publication Drapers, before joining Retail Week Connect in 2017.

Megan Dunsby, Senior Commercial Content Editor, Retail Week

Megan is Retail Week’s Senior Commercial Content Editor. A former journalist and features editor, she joined Retail Week in January 2019 to help brands leverage content to reach the people that matter in retail. Megan leads Retail Week’s flagship reports, the Retail 100 and Tech List, which recognise the most influential people in the sector and the businesses they represent. In 2018, she was named among The Drum’s 50 Under 30 Top Women in Digital.

Rebecca Taylor, Commercial Content Editor, The Grocer

Rebecca Taylor is Commercial Content Editor at William Reed, working across publications including Retail Week and The Grocer. She is responsible for helping to grow and deliver bespoke reports and events across themes from stores and the consumer to supply chains and tech.

Rebecca has been recognised by the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) and Conference News with their respective 30 Under 30 awards and sits on the PPA’s Next Gen Board, which aims to encourage inclusivity of younger voices across the special interest media sector.

The remaining line-up will be announced soon – watch this space!

James Knowles

Megan Dunsby

Rebecca Taylor

Get involved

Can you help retailers and brands shape their customer experience strategies and help solve their toughest challenges?

Sponsorship of the Consumer Summit provides exclusive speaking opportunities, targeted lead generation and brand awareness among a captive and engaged audience. Share your insights with retailers and position yourself as a thought leader in CX.

Contact Retail Week’s Commercial Content Director Nicola Harrison to find out more: nicola.harrison@retail-week.com

Alternatively, if you are a retailer with a great story to tell and would like to speak at the Consumer Summit, please contact Head of Content Innovation James Knowles to discuss: james.knowles@retail-week.com

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