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

Apply for a place  

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

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

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

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

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

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 

12:20pm – 12:25pm 

Retail Week Closing remarks

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