Retail Technology Show (RTS) will be back at Excel London in one month’s time, hosting the great and the good of UK retail.
Over the two days, 22-23 April, those associated with the retail industry get to learn, network, do business, and generally take a temperature check on where retail is right now – what are the hot topics, how can retailers progress in the face adversity etc, etc.
Talking of temperature checks, the subject of retail sustainability has found its way onto the conference agenda again in 2026. RTS is primarily a retail tech show and a retail strategy show, but you can’t run an event of this nature without reference to the sector’s impact on the climate crisis, and the importance of reducing its environmental footprint.
Retailers and brands can register for free for Retail Technology Show 2026 here
Below, Green Retail World picks out its five retail sustainability-related sessions worth checking out at this year’s RTS. Call it a guide to those who are attending the conference on a mission to understand some of the latest developments in this space…
1. Day one fireside chat: Currys chief service officer Dean Kramer
Driving loyalty, sustainability & profitability through offering customers a more complete solution
22 April; 09:40-10:10; Spark Stage
Retail guru Martin Newman will be on stage to interview Currys chief services officer, Dean Kramer.
A wide-ranging conversation is expected, but those attending will get the lowdown on the role sustainability plays within the tech retailer’s business, and how it manages the challenging dynamics of driving both sustainable practices and customer value whilst remaining profitable.
Lots of Currys’ work has been covered on these pages in recent years, but Kramer‘s appearance live at RTS offers an opportunity to hear the latest updates.
2. Day two opening keynote: M&S chairman Archie Norman
23 April; 10:10-10:40; Supernova Stage
Among other subjects such as the changing face of the retail boardroom, Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) 2025 major cyberattack, and the issue of security in retail stores, the retailer’s chair Archie Norman is expected to discuss M&S’s pioneering role in retail sustainability and to offer advice on how other retailers should build their strategy in this space.
Kate Hardcastle, author and retail expert also known as The Customer Whisperer, will be posing the questions.
3. Day two fireside chat: Picnic founder Daniel Gebler
From thousands of robots to fully-electric last mile: how innovation powers Picnic’s supply chain & sustainability strategy
23 April; 10:10-10:40; Spark Stage
Online supermarket Picnic was founded in 2015 – it now employees circa 20,000 people, has five million customers, and has scaled from a single fulfilment centre to a fully automated, robot-driven supply chain in the space of a decade.
This session gives delegates a chance to hear about that journey from the founder Daniel Gebler, who is also scheduled to discuss the company’s approach to sustainability and how that has impacted operational costs and the customer proposition.
A key topic will be how retailers can best use AI to help them optimise supply chain decisions and reduce environmental impact.
4. Day two keynote fireside chat: Nobody’s Child leadership team
Leading change as an eco-conscious brand
23 April; 10:50-11:20; Spark Stage
Nobody’s Child co-founder Andrew Xeni took to the stage on his own at last year’s RTS to talk about the positive business impact that comes with being a eco-conscious brand. This year he returns to the fold, but alongside CEO of the retailer, Jody Plows, to provide the latest updates and business strategy.
Expect chat on digital product passports, ethical sourcing strategy, circular economy, and much more from the leadership team behind one of the fastest growing UK fashion retailers.
5. Day two keynote fireside chat: Marisa Poster, co-founder of PerfectTed
23 April; 13:55-14:25; Spark Stage
PerfectTed is now considered Europe’s largest supplier of matcha products, so who better to hear from about the business than the co-founder, Marisa Poster?
Attendees at this session will get to understand the inspiration behind the brand, the focus on purposeful business practices, and what it takes to emerge successfully from BBC’s Dragons’ Den.
RTS offers plenty more beside. The conference agenda is jam-packed for two days, and more than 400 exhibitors will be on the expo floor, highlighting the latest in retail management, supply chain, marketing, payments, e-commerce and loyalty software, among other new tech.
Look out for a preview of the RTS retail sustainability-focused exhibitors on Green Retail World in the coming weeks.
Retailers and brands can register for free for Retail Technology Show 2026 here
[main image credit: Green Retail World]
