Data – why trust and transparency are crucial in a digital economy  
The management of data is a growing concern for customers. How can retailers and brands ensure that their technology and services not only enhance the customer experience, but protect their data too? How can we instil a culture of trust and transparency to enhance customer lifetime value?

Putting ethics at the heart of data
Whilst customers demand instant gratification and frictionless experiences, they also demand trust. When data should be at the epicentre of any successful businesses, how can we encourage our staff to consider their role in the data value chain to deliver positive outcomes for our customers?

The next frontier of AI– using patterns and people to radically change the nature of how we do business

Why do we shop? The neurology of consumerism
The UK consumer spending growth rate will be at its slowest in six years during 2019, ratcheting up pressure on retailers. Understanding key behaviour traits is integral to maximising sales and retention. In this session, we will look at the behaviours behind why we shop and why a deeper understanding of such can help retailers and brands discover new strategies for growth.

The future of retail – what does it look like?
New technologies and innovations continue to transform the nature of how we shop. In this session, we’ll take a deep dive into the key areas where retail is set to change, and how you can stay head of the game.

Panel: Why marrying authenticity and innovation are key to reviving your estate
Customers want destinations built around values and differentiation. They want their retail spaces to resonate and connect with the communities they serve. What are the strategies to creating such unique destinations? This panel will look at those who are pushing the boundaries of their physical estate to attract new audiences. What have they done differently and what can traditional retailers learn from them?

Panel: What has the disruptive power of tech meant for our four-wall estate?
According to a recent study, consumers of all ages still say that going to physical stores is their first choice when making purchases. When technology has had such a significant impact on traditional retailing on the high street, how do we deliver exceptional service through people and digital? What are the winning strategies for the store of tomorrow?

How to blend digital and physical features to create authentic online-to-offline experiences
What are the sustainable strategies to ensure our stores happily coexist in the digital ecosystem? What new business models need to be considered to bridge the gap and revive our stores?

How can direct to consumer (DTC) strategies help us build communities with our customers?
When customers increasingly expect, and demand, to buy directly from a brand, what are the strategies that traditional retailers can harness to better connect people with products to create an engaged community? How can we leverage the data and insight that comes with owning the customer relationship to ensure we’re evolving with consumer’s ever-changing needs?

Rethinking loyalty
When more than 70% of millennials and Gen Z belong to loyalty programs, how can we better join up the dots so that we are unlocking their true value? How can we engage these customers more effectively by harnessing and cultivating intelligent data captured through rewards and experiences? What should loyalty look like and what do we need to do to get there?

Successful strategies to increasing customer lifetime value
Owning the customer relationship allows retailers and brands leverage to increase customer lifetime value. How can we truly maximise the enormous levels of customer data and insights that loyalty schemes bring, so that we’re looking beyond short-term wins and instead, creating lasting strategies to create transparent metrics across channels and devices?

Transforming your people strategy for the new era of retail
You’ve renamed your marketing chief as ‘customer director’ and added a role or two such as Chief Data Officer, but structurally the organisation has not changed. To be fully digital, you need to organise around the new functions of customer experience design and ecosystem partnership development. What are the examples of this being done successfully, and what key learnings do we need to implement?

What are the new retail roles to consider?
In this new frontier of retail, we need data scientists, technologists, machine learning specialists and above all people who bring challenge and creativity. When none of the traditional recruitment pathways tick the box, how can we rethink our strategy to reinvent the workforce?

The rise of the conscious consumer: how to serve the ethical shopper
Customers increasingly expect the brands they shop with to have a point of view and even take a political stance. How can retailers make wider power moves that go beyond sustainability to include a broader emphasis on responsibility and thought leadership? Are we willing to invest and lose margins to be more ethical across the organisation?

Compassionate approaches to consumerism – what are the principles to adhere to?
Responsible business is shifting, and we’re seeing a boost in demand for higher welfare, premium products. How transparent we are with our sources/suppliers and ingredients, how consistent we are with quality, and how we create engagement with the community are key factors in winning consumer trust. How can retailers develop sustainable and traceable business practices and products to future-proof their business?

What sort of leadership do we need in 2020?
New retail needs new leadership. What must leaders do to inspire and engage talent? What more can we do to spearhead leadership development and training? How can we increase accountability so that our teams are empowered to produce higher levels of engagement and better results?

Why employee wellbeing should be top of your leadership agenda
Monitoring and promoting employee wellbeing should be a priority for all organisations, especially during times of great uncertainty and change. We know that a happy and engaged workforce is a more productive one, so how can we create clear and cohesive employee wellbeing initiatives to boost engagement and drive tangible business results? How can wellbeing become a commercial lever?

Emerging competition in the East
We know of Alibaba and JD.com, but what are some of the other new forces coming from the East which are affecting the UK market? What power do they hold to disrupt the UK market?