RetailEXPO delivers even more value for retail professionals thanks to its new unified show format

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: RetailEXPO delivers even more value for retail professionals thanks to its new unified show format.

RetailEXPO, Europe’s leading retail trade show, celebrated tech innovation and design inspiration, bringing in more visitors from senior level retailers and brands than ever before.

Held at London’s Olympia on 1 and 2 May 2019, RetailEXPO’s new show format unified Reed’s three leading retail shows.  Borne out of extensive, independent research amongst senior retailers, and reacting to the changes in the industry, RetailEXPO evolved into the trade event that truly reflects the needs of UK retail.

A reinvigorated conference programme saw six streams of insightful content, presented by leading retailers including Lego, Virgin Holidays, Naked Wines, Mamas and Papas and Asda, with keynote sessions from Justin King, CBE and ex-CEO of Sainsbury’s, and Helen Dickinson, CEO at the British Retail Consortium.

A new look exhibition hosted three distinct zones, spanning Technology, Design and Digital signage, showcasing the latest innovations and solutions to support the needs of new retail.  Keeping innovation centre stage, the Discovery Zone featured exhibitors not seen at the show before, whilst the Start-Up Safari curated by Baringa, showcased the latest disruptive technologies.  And, keeping an international focus, a collaboration with Business France handpicked eight of French tech start-ups in the Le French Tech Lounge. 

The tech innovation and design inspiration on display not only drew interest amongst retail professionals, but also the world’s media, with the Financial Times attending and European technology TV show, Horizons, filming at the event, as well as wide spread press coverage across the UK national, tech and retail trade media, including Yahoo News, Retail Systems, Essential Retail and Retail Tech Innovation Hub to name a few. 

Once again, the RetailEXPO Awards programme showcased the depth and breadth of the cutting edge retail tech and design solutions on show.  The Innovation Awards, won by location-based search platform NearSt, also had new Tech Tours, which were hosted by retail expert Chris Field and featured the ten shortlisted vendors – from Klarna’s Pay Later solution to OneStock’s agile order management system and TrueForm’s digital signage capabilities.  SM City Dasmariñas, picked up the overall prize at the International VM Awards, while the Student Awards and POPAI awards shortlists were also announced at the expo.

Matt Bradley, Event Director for RetailEXPO, commented: “There is an undeniable and seismic shift going on in UK retail - every day we read about store closures, yet at the same time UK retail sales are actually increasing.  In response, RetailEXPO delivered a single source of ideas and holistic solutions that will help energise retailers now and in the future.  We’re delighted with the success of this year’s show – and the significant rise in the number of senior level retailer and brand visitors is testament to the value the new show format delivers.  We look forward to building on this for the 2020 show as we continue with our mission to deliver the retail trade show that best reflects the needs of the industry.”