The power of curiosity and innovation

To be a retail leader today is now recognised as harder than it’s ever been with multiple challenges and growing short-, medium- and long-term priorities. How can retailers find the right balance and focus?

It is just one of the wide-ranging questions we put to Helena Helmersson, former CEO of H&M and now Board member of Mango and On when we met up with her for the Big Interview in our End of Year Report.

Says Helena: “In a fast-changing world, direction matters more than perfect plans. Leaders need a clear long-term vision, translated into adaptable two-to-three-year strategies. Culture is crucial: reward curiosity, openness and focus to build organizations that lead change rather than react to it”.

Here's a teaser of the interview with some of her thoughts on the year that has been and the year to come...

How would you summarise the retail year as you have observed it? 

It has been a challenging year for many retailers, marked by U.S. tariffs and unpredictable events. This pushed companies to refocus on core areas such as product and customer experience, with sustainability temporarily deprioritized. Toward year-end, sustainability ambitions are returning. Cost control and margin protection remain central. 

Generative AI and automation are now widely used to improve personalization, pricing, inventory management and customer journeys. Omnichannel has become standard, with customers shifting fluidly between stores, online and social platforms. 

As we look to 2026, are you optimistic or pessimistic about the prospects for positive action on sustainability across retailing? What might help drive change? 

I’m optimistic. Legislation will reinforce sustainability as core, customer expectations are rising, and more businesses are seeing commercial opportunities in sustainable solutions. 

The full interview is released with the World Retail Congress End of Year Review.