Retail leaders unite to redefine efficiency for a new era
Retail Gazette’s flagship Efficiency Debate returned for its third year on June 18 in London, bringing together more than 100 senior leaders from the UK’s leading retailers for a day dedicated to one of the industry’s biggest priorities: building businesses that work smarter.
Now firmly established as a key fixture in the retail calendar, the conference is designed to help retail leaders and their teams identify the technologies, innovations and operational strategies that will have the greatest impact on productivity, profitability and long-term growth.
With retailers continuing to navigate rising costs, rapid advances in AI and ever-evolving customer expectations, this year’s programme focused on practical solutions rather than theory, with every session offering delegates actionable ideas to take back into their businesses.
A spotlight on AI
That practical focus was evident from the opening keynote, where Michelle Lau, Managing Director France at Alibaba.com, explored how AI is fundamentally reshaping retail efficiency. She explained how Alibaba.com’s evolution from a B2B marketplace into an AI-powered business ecosystem is helping retailers accelerate sourcing, product development and route-to-market through platforms such as Accio and Accio Work. Her message set the tone for the day: AI is no longer simply an emerging technology but a competitive necessity for businesses looking to operate faster, smarter and more efficiently.
The focus was back on AI for a fireside chat with James Osborn, Senior Director of AI and Data at Just Eat Takeaway, who shared how the company’s AI Ambassador programme is democratising innovation across the organisation. Rather than restricting AI expertise to technical teams, Just Eat Takeaway is empowering colleagues from every part of the business to experiment, learn and identify new opportunities, creating a culture where innovation is everyone’s responsibility.
That practical approach to AI was reinforced during the panel discussion that followed, One bold step for retail: How AI is transforming efficiency. Taking to the stage Simon Ellis, Head of AI Transformation at Pets at Home, Alex Salden, Managing Director at The Sofa Delivery Company, Pete Lockey, Investor and NED at Need It For Tonight, and Mei Pang, Principal Applied AI Strategist at AI solutions provider Satalia agreed that the conversation has moved beyond experimentation.
Instead, they said retailers are now focused on embedding AI into everyday operations, prioritising measurable outcomes, improving customer experiences and building organisations capable of scaling AI successfully.
This was reflected when we asked the retailers present in the audience to grade their businesses from one (no use of AI) to 10 (highly proficient in AI). The average ranking fell between five-to-six, showing the retail industry is getting to grips with AI, deploying various solutions.
Putting the customer first
The Customer strategy 101: Innovating CX panel brought together Muktar Mahama, Head of Digital Product at The Very Group, Lucy Grimes, Head of Operations at EE, Katie Hanlon, Global Category Lead – Health & Beauty at Just Eat Takeaway, and Sara Shomstein, Vice President of UK Merchant Services at American Express, to discuss how retailers are using technology, personalisation and customer insight to drive both innovation and efficiency. The panel agreed that the most successful investments are those that not only improve operational performance but also deliver a more seamless and engaging customer experience.
Building on that theme, Dr Tom Wormald, Managing Partner at Yonder Consulting, challenged retailers to rethink efficiency altogether, arguing that the most successful businesses will be those that reduce friction and create more meaningful, reciprocal relationships with customers.
The conference also included break-out Ideas Podium sessions, designed to offer attendees short 20-minute practical insight-focused learnings.
Within the Tech, data and customer stream Melissa Minkow, Global Director of Retail Strategy & Insights, and Abhay Bagai, Head of Data & AI and Senior Director at technology transformation specialists CI&T, explored how retailers can
modernise data and embrace AI to create more intelligent customer journeys. Meanwhile, in the second-round of the Tech, data and customer stream, David Beer, Chief Revenue Officer at technology transformation specialist Vista Technology Support, demonstrated how the right technology, partnerships and in-store innovation can transform the customer experience while delivering measurable operational efficiencies.
How to unlock growth
Growth opportunities took centre stage across the afternoon’s Ideas Podium sessions, with speakers demonstrating how efficiency can unlock new revenue streams as well as reduce costs.
In the day’s second-round of the Operations, supply chain and logistics Ideas Podium stream, Christian Jermyn, Director of ESG at Seasalt Cornwall, presented Profit meets purpose: The potential of ESG to be an efficiency and growth driver. He showed how embedding sustainability across the value chain can reduce waste, strengthen supply chains and create long-term commercial value, highlighting ESG as a strategic growth opportunity rather than simply a compliance requirement.
The focus on newer growth levers returned in the third and final round of Ideas Podiums. In the final Data, tech, and the customer stream, Dr Gareth Menton, Head of Product – Retail Media at Carwow, presented The future of efficiency in retail media, exploring how AI, first-party data and automation are helping retailers build more effective retail media businesses and deliver stronger returns for both retailers and brand partners.
Meanwhile, in the Operations, supply chain, and logistics stream, Hilary McNair, Founder of The Profit Coach and former Global Commercial Director at The Body Shop, delivered The Ex-Files: Deep-dive insights from the other side, urging retailers to focus on improving conversion, customer retention and commercial discipline before investing in customer acquisition. Drawing on almost three decades in senior retail roles, she demonstrated how profitable growth often comes from optimising existing operations rather than simply driving more traffic.
Workforce management
Behind every great business is a well-trained and motivated team, and how to unlock productivity was another key them during the day.
The panel, People Power: Optimising the Retail Workforce to Unlock Productivity, brought together Chris Finch, Head of Retail at White Stuff, Spencer Craig, Founder and CEO of Pure, Navid Jilow, Director of Technology at Belstaff, and Ned Gammell, VP of Sales UK at workforce management provider Quinyx to explore how retailers can unlock greater productivity through smarter workforce management.
From redesigning roles and improving scheduling to embracing unified commerce and AI-powered task management, the panel agreed that technology should enhance, not replace, frontline teams – freeing colleagues to spend more time delivering exceptional customer experiences.
This was also reflected right at the start of the day during the first Operations, logistics, and supply chain Ideas Podium stream, where Rory Graham, VP for Value Realisation at workforce management and store operations solutions provider Logile, and Rob Bate, Co-Founder of consultancy FrontlineXP, explored how smarter workforce planning, forecasting and frontline execution can help retailers balance rising labour costs with operational efficiency, while highlighting the importance of colleague adoption in delivering lasting results.
Bringing the conference to a close, Corinne Facey, Managing Director of Reserved, reflected on the lessons learned from launching and growing the Polish fashion retailer in the UK. Her experience demonstrated that operational efficiency is not simply about consistency, but about knowing when to adapt. By empowering local teams, building trust between markets and investing in people alongside process, Reserved has created a more agile and scalable business.
Across every session, one message consistently emerged. Efficiency is no longer defined by doing more with less. The retailers best positioned for the future will be those that successfully combine AI, smarter operations, empowered colleagues and customer-centric thinking to build businesses that are more resilient, more responsive and ultimately more profitable.