The Retail Technology Show 2024: Key Highlights and Insights

The Retail Technology Show marks an exciting date in the calendar for professionals in the retail industry. It provides fantastic insight into the tools and solutions aimed at improving the customer experience, boosting efficiency, and driving sales. There are also inspirational speakers and talks to offer guidance, support and advice in all aspects of delivering a superior consumer experience in retail and hospitality.

Visited by over 12,000 senior retail professionals and over 400 innovative tech suppliers, it’s an opportunity to energise growth plans and connect with change-makers to innovate, develop and optimise our service to clients and partners.

So, after a brilliant two days at Olympia in London, UK, what did our team feel were the top highlights to take away?

Retail Media Advancements

It was exciting to see the curiosity and buzz around the advancements in Retail Media Networks at the event. These advertising networks are, stirring up heightened curiosity amongst retailers as they anticipate its ever-growing influence on their brand strategies.

The conversation around monetising in-store audio and video placements is inspiring retailers to harness the power of audiovisual solutions and expand their network to create a new income channel. This also enhances the variety, quality and creativity of the output with varying brands, styles and content. This particularly works well in high-volume environments but is still kept at arm’s length by luxury brands. The desire to appear exclusive limits the expansion of monetisation opportunities amongst luxury brands but certainly doesn’t close off all opportunities available.

Combining audio with visual elements can further engage the senses, inciting emotional responses and immersing the consumer into a brand and its products like never before. The power of retail media networks creates a retail environment that brings together all the highlights detailed below, and exciting conversations that buzzed around the Retail Technology Show.

Consumer Conscious

Never underestimate the power of consumer knowledge! Now more than ever, consumers are becoming incredibly aware, more savvy, and more demanding. It’s compelling all providers from the tech sector to raise their games and create a consumer journey that is seamless and efficient.

How do we make the process easier, quicker, more streamlined? How do we make faster connections for the customer: andhow do we immerse them more profoundly in the brand or experience? Brands need to be at the forefront of technological advances, utilising the latest and greatest in digital solutions like LED, motion sensors, haptic feedback and more to ensure they’re delivering above and beyond. This is about appreciating the knowledge, desires and demands of the consumer and transforming the digital and physical retail environments to generate an experience that’s beyond rising expectations.

The Human Touch

Of course, there were countless conversations about the enhancements in technology and artificial intelligence at the event. However, it still remains very clear that a human element is imperative at the consumer level. In order to connect technology with emotion, we still need to add a human touch to the digital experience for a seamless journey online and offline.

In a store environment, technology plays a huge role in an immersive, engaging atmosphere, but it’s the store colleagues themselves who can offer empathy and understanding beyond the digital realm. Leveraging technology to free up time for colleagues to offer this experience is key to enhancing customer satisfaction, the community and the connection they seek.

Furthermore, this highlights the importance of employee happiness and retention. Solutions like back-office digital signage highlighting employees and benefits or music requests and choices is a brilliant way to boost employee engagement. Digital signage can also be used as a direct link from head office to those on the shop floor with announcements, updates and news. This creates a culture of transparency and respect in which employees feel recognised and appreciated. Thus, leading to better service for the customer out front.

What’s Next For The Retail Technology Show?

The scale and scope of the Retail Technology Show continues to grow every year, with more brands, more tech, more speakers and more interactions than ever before! With this in mind, the event has now outgrown its current London Olympia venue and will be moving to London ExCeL next year. The event will be held on April 2nd and 3rd 2025 and we look forward to connecting with clients and partners once again. Sharing more about the exciting advancements in retail, technology and the consumer experience is what Retail Technology Show is all about and we look forward to working together to celebrate and grow our industry further.