2026 Agenda

In today’s AI era, some of the most transformative retail innovations aren’t coming from legacy platforms; they’re being built inside fast, focused, hyper-specialised start-ups. These companies are redefining what’s possible across procurement, finance, supply chain, compliance and operational decision-making. But the retailers gaining the biggest competitive edge are the ones who know how to deploy start-up technology at scale. 

Through a real-world case study from retail giant Primark and start-up Deducta, this session reveals how retailers can turn emerging AI solutions into measurable commercial results. Alongside the operator perspective from inside the enterprise, the discussion will also bring an experienced technology leadership lens on what it really takes to adopt start-up innovation in complex retail environments. Expect a practical, behind-the-scenes conversation on how to evaluate start-up partners, integrate new tools into complex environments, and build operating models that allow innovation to take root and deliver impact.