Report from the Retail Innovation Forum London 2026: From pilots to progress

In April, more than 220 senior leaders from across the global retail ecosystem gathered in London for the Retail Innovation Forum (RIF), hosted by dunnhumby ventures.

Attendees spanned retailers, CPGs, big tech, startups, investors, and accelerators from more than 20 countries, with a strong concentration of founder and C‑suite leadership.

The energy in the room reflected a shared reality. Retail is entering a new phase, defined by agentic technologies, rising consumer expectations, and the need for deeper collaboration. As Leo Nagdas captured in his opening remarks, “in the world of agentic and beyond, community is the new oil.”

Turning AI ambition into business impact

As AI transitions from experimentation to enterprise priority, the focus has shifted from pilots to measurable value. The discussion centred on what separates organisations that are scaling AI successfully from those that are not.

Key themes:

·       Data readiness remains the biggest constraint, not access to AI models

·       Starting with business outcomes, not technology, is critical to success

·       Change management is consistently underinvested but directly linked to scaling impact

·       AI transformation must be owned at the executive level

·       Organisations must shift from deterministic to probabilistic thinking

What consumers really want now

Consumer expectations are evolving quickly, shaped by economic pressure, growing comfort with AI, and increasing scrutiny of brand claims. At the same time, the balance of control is beginning to shift, with AI systems playing a larger role in how consumers discover and evaluate products. The discussion explored how retailers can adapt to this shift while maintaining relevance and trust.

Key themes:

• Price remains a primary driver, but values such as sustainability, trust, and transparency act as key differentiators
• Consumers are increasingly delegating discovery and filtering to AI, but not yet full purchasing decisions
• Trust and infrastructure are critical to enabling agentic commerce
• Personalisation expectations have risen significantly, with consumers expecting systems to remember and adapt
• Loyalty is becoming more fluid as shopping journeys fragment across channels

Building partnerships that scale

As the pace of innovation accelerates, no organisation can build everything alone. Partnerships are becoming essential, but also more complex to manage and scale. The discussion focused on why many collaborations stall and what is required to move from early momentum to sustained, long‑term value.

Key themes:

·       Clear shared vision and alignment from the outset are essential

·       Early clarity on data ownership, IP, and governance reduces friction later

·       Strong relationships and internal champions are critical to navigating change

·       Demonstrating measurable value quickly is key to maintaining momentum

Spotlight on startup innovation

RIF London 2026 marked the debut of the dunnhumby ventures Startup of the Year Competition, showcasing a diverse set of solutions tackling some of retail’s most pressing challenges. The finalists reflected where the industry is actively seeking solutions, including how to better understand customers, optimise increasingly complex supply chains, unlock new revenue streams, and build more connected, data‑driven retail experiences.

Startups in the competition were tackling challenges across:

• Retail media and monetisation, helping retailers better activate data and prove ROI in fragmented media ecosystems
• Loyalty and customer engagement, rethinking how brands build meaningful, lasting relationships in a world of declining loyalty
• Supply chain resilience and sustainability, improving visibility, efficiency, and environmental impact across increasingly complex networks
• Product intelligence and data infrastructure, addressing foundational gaps in product data that limit personalisation and AI effectiveness
• Unified commerce and in‑store experience, connecting digital and physical journeys to create seamless customer experiences

Congratulations to all finalists, and to Mondra, named Startup of the Year, securing access to the NRF Innovator’s Showcase at NRF Paris.

Beyond the stage, the competition has already led to active exploration of partnerships and investment opportunities, reinforcing the role of the Retail Innovation Forum as a catalyst for turning innovation into execution.

Continue the conversation at Retail Innovation Forum Americas 2026

The Retail Innovation Forum is designed not just to spark ideas, but to drive meaningful collaboration and action across the ecosystem.

To stay connected and continue the conversation:

• Join the Retail Innovation Network to access deeper insights, connect with leading innovators, and participate in future events
• Attend the next Retail Innovation Forum Americas, taking place on September 10 2026 in Bentonville, Arkansas
• Apply to the Ecosystem Startup of the Year Americas competition, with applications opening soon

Innovation insights powered by the dunnhumby Retail Innovation Network.

Events like the Retail Innovation Forum showcase the strength of the dunnhumby Retail Innovation Network, the world’s fastest-growing open innovation community for retail technology. With members spanning retailers, brands, startups, and investors, the Network is driving meaningful progress across the industry. We extend our sincere thanks to all participants, speakers, and attendees who made this event a success.

To receive insightful thought leadership and engagement, explore joining the Retail Innovation Network, the fastest growing open innovation networks in retail, for free at dunnhumby.com/ventures and find out more about the next Retail Innovation Forum.