It’s prime retail conference season, and one of my favourites – the Retail Technology Show at Olympia London – is fast approaching.
And you can register your attendance here
Green Retail World is proud to be a media partner for the event again, especially as there is a good dose of retail sustainability strategy on the agenda, in the form of the conference programme and what the tech companies on the expo floor can offer retailers.
With this year’s event taking place 24-25 April, it feels like the right time to highlight the top five greener retailing things I’m looking forward to seeing at the event.
1. Presentation from Nobody’s Child founder, Andrew Xeni
One of UK’s most interesting brands of the last 12 months is Nobody’s Child.
It has established a powerful multichannel wholesale partnership with Marks & Spencer, while also driving international growth in Australia and the US. In the latter territory, tie-ups with Anthropologie and Nordstrom have helped take Nobody’s Child to the mainstream US customer.
But it is in the sustainability space, in particular, where my interest in Nobody’s Child lies. In a great example of the intersection where tech and sustainability meet, the brand’s chairman and founder Andrew Xeni will provide a presentation on digital product passports, which are going to become very familiar in the coming years to all those working in fashion retail.
The session, ‘Servicing sustainability & transparency demands at Nobody’s Child through digital product passports’ will look at the ever-growing regulations and demands on retailers within sustainable supply chain management, and assess the current state and reality of digital product passport mandate based on Nobody’s Child’s forward-thinking work in this space to date.
It’s towards the end of the two-day conference at Olympia, but certainly one to stay for.
Where to find it: Theatre A, 14:35 on Thursday 25 April
2. Keynote: Harrods’ supply chain director, Simon Finch
It’s not often you hear from Harrods, but in this keynote session on day two of the Retail Technology Show, supply chain director Simon Finch will tackle the subject: ‘How can the retail sector best collaborate to maximise sustainability within supply chains?’
Finch will talk about his passion for sustainability in retail, and address some of the ways his luxury department store is changing its supply chain in relation to the ESG agenda. Big topics around achieving scope 3 emissions reduction targets and how businesses through the supply chain need to collaborate to enable positive change will form part of his session.
Data and managing data correctly is key to success in this space, and those tuning into Finch’s presentation will hear his thoughts on all of this and more.
It’s very rare to hear from senior people at Harrods at industry conferences, so here’s your chance…
Where to find it: Theatre A, 09:40 on Thursday 25 April
3. Return of a winner on the expo floor
Circular retail platform, CircularX, which won last year’s coveted Retail Technology Show Innovation Award, is back on the expo floor for 2024.
It’ll be interesting to see how the company has evolved since gaining industry-wide recognition via the prize in 2023 – it’s list of clients include prominent European DIY retailer, Leroy Merlin.
Based in Paris, CircularX provides the software capabilities to power second-hand and pre-loved commerce. It comes as a software-as-a-service model to empower both retailers and brands to design and launch second-hand and pre-loved retail offers across multiple channels, supporting the industry movement towards more circular models.
Retailers can run buy-back, refurbishment, and resale options for their customers via the platform.
Where to find it: Stand 6K36
4. Greener-thinking exhibitors
A large section of the 400+ retail tech companies and suppliers in attendance at this year’s Retail Technology Show provide solutions that help drive efficiency within the businesses that use them. That in itself can help businesses limit their environmental footprint – at Green Retail World, we’re big proponents of sustainability strategy starting with efficiency.
But there are a few exhibitors that, like CircularX, are set up mainly to support retailers’ sustainability strategies. Mind Your Waste is one of them, and can be found at Stand 6A81. This Netherlands-based business has developed software to help retailers manage goods not for resale, while also putting a strong focus on supporting the industry in upcycling materials for in-store visual merchandising and display.
Elsewhere, ProcureCircular, which is part of AMBIO-N, is a technology platform retailers can use for sourcing circular materials for industry at scale. The platform connects buyers with accredited industry suppliers of circular materials, supporting both designers and manufacturers, in their transition towards a more circular business model.
ProcureCircular will also provide its customers with ESG data analytics for materials, enabling buyers to calculate the impact of making a switch to a more sustainable or circular alternative. Visitors to Retail Technology Show 2024 can meet the team at Stand 5A78.
5. Big names on the bill
In addition to allowing retailers to find all the technology they might need in one place, one of Retail Technology Show’s greatest strengths every year is its ability to gather together a long list of illustrious speakers for its conference programme.
I’ve already mentioned some of the sustainability-focused retail sessions, but there are others with a greener retailing message, including presentations from:
- Sophie Trueman, managing director UK & Ireland at Too Good To Go (Theatre A, 10:20, Thursday 25 April);
- Chris Tyas, chair at GS1 UK and recently appointed to the board of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Theatre A, 11:00, Thursday 25 April);
- Grace Wilkinson, head of online last mile & customer service at Co-op (Theatre A, 13:15, Thursday 25 April).
And even though they don’t have a specific sustainability agenda to discuss, the event headline speakers will be well worth sitting down to watch and pose your own questions to. This year the list of those speakers includes:
- Dex Hunter-Torricke, head of global communications & marketing at Google DeepMind and ex-executive at Facebook and SpaceX (Headline Theatre, 09:40, Wednesday 24 April);
- Hollie Tucker, founder of Notonthehighstreet.com (Headline Theatre, 13:15, Wednesday 24 April);
- Nick Wheeler, founder of Charles Tyrwhitt (Headline Theatre, 10:20, Thursday 25 April).
Nick Beighton, former Asos boss and, until very recently, Matchesfashion CEO, is also speaking at the event. He’s had a busy few weeks overseeing things as the online fashion retailer entered administration, so it’ll be interesting to hear from him in the Headline Theatre at 09:40 on Thursday 25 April.
There are many more speakers on the agenda – check out the full list here.
And you can check out the full list of exhibitors here.
It promises to be another cracking show, giving attendees access to the latest tech as well as the lowdown on all the most important issues shaping the industry today.
If you’re looking to catch up with me, it’s likely you’ll find me in one of the sessions or at one of the stands referenced. Please do say “hello” and introduce yourself. I’ll also be attending the Big Party at The Champagne Bar at the end of day one, so come and join me for a drink.
Sign up to the Retail Technology Show here
[Main image credit: Retail Technology Show]
