Retail Week and The Grocer’s annual one-day event full of discussions, panel debates and keynotes is for anyone interested in innovation and transformation in the retail and grocery sectors.
This year is no exception, as the 2026 progamme boasts dozens of sessions led by industry leaders who will dive into the tech strategies and trends shaping the future of digital within the industry. Here are five sessions in the programme that are must-attend for executives working in digital and technology.
Retail Week x The Grocer LIVE 2026 takes place on Tuesday March 3 at the Business Design Centre in London. Find out more and book tickets here.
‘Hi Chat GPT, where can I buy this?’ Redefining omnichannel amid the search evolution
10:55 am – 11:20 am (Track 1)
Led by Asos chief product officer Anthony Ben Sadoun, this session will explore how generative AI has impacted and disrupted shoppers’ path to purchase. Attendees will hear Sadoun’s tips on how brands can stay visible, shoppable, and relevant as AI becomes integral to more consumers’ daily shopping missions.
Retail media 3.0: connected commerce
12:20 pm – 12:45 pm (Track 1)
The role of retail media, what a good strategy looks like, the evolution of on-site media and more will be chewed over in this panel discussion, arming attendees with the tools they need to maximise the hefty revenue boost that retail media has delivered for others. The heads of retail media from Iceland, John Lewis and Co-op – Adam Smith, Jemma Haley and Dean Harris will be leading this session, exploring successful case studies and how retail media is evolving on-site and off.
Exclusive research: Presenting the results of the Retail Week/The Grocer Digital Capability Index
1:45 pm – 2:10 pm (Track 2)
How does your business stack up when it comes to digital capability? Retail Week’s own intelligence and insights editor George Arnett will reveal the top 10 brands in Retail Week’s new Digital Capability Index, an in-depth view of what digital features are most important to UK consumers, which brands are most advanced on AI tools like chatbots, and which brands have the most room for improvement in their ecommerce offer.
Are you digitally future-proof? with Boots
2:45 pm – 3:10 pm (Track 2)
In this live case study discussion, you’ll hear how health and beauty giant Boots has tackled some of the major digital challenges that you may be facing in your own business. Mitigating friction, using data and cybersecurity are all up for discussion, as well as how the retailer is building a digital operation that’s fit for the future.
Case study: the Screwfix digital transformation journey
3:15 pm – 3:40 pm (Track 2)
There’s no better way of understanding how to navigate a digital transformation than to hear directly from retailers who have come through the other side of their own. In this session, we’ll hear from Screwfix’s IT director Nick Burton and its digital director Sue Harries, who can tell us about their roles in leading the home improvement specialist to becoming a stand-out digital performer, their secrets for success, and how they plan to maintain its enviable position into the future.
