Having made a sensational return to Asda as its executive chairman late last year, Allan Leighton will be headline speaker at LIVE 2026: Retail Week x The Grocer.
The retail veteran, 71, was Asda’s chief executive from 1996 to 2000, and was instrumental in its dramatic turnaround in the 1990s. Returning to the supermarket after more than two decades, it’s hoped he can once again work his magic.
Leighton told The Grocer in November it was “back to the future – with modernity” and vowed to return it to its former glory. It won’t be easy. In May, Asda reported like-for-like sales down 3.1% in the first quarter, with revenues falling 5.9%.
Can Leighton’s turnaround strategy make a difference?
Leighton will be interviewed at the London event on his Asda masterplan, as well as his long and storied career in retail, which includes becoming the first independent non-executive chairman of the Co-operative Group; a stint as CEO of Pandora; and a chairmanship of Entertainment One before its acquisition by Hasbro.
He currently chairs several retail and consumer-focused companies including Pizza Express, BrewDog, C&A, Simba Sleep and AllBright. In November 2024, he returned to Asda as executive chair, aiming to restore the company’s core identity.
Attendees might even get to find out the story behind Leighton’s signature accessory: the baseball cap.
Leighton will be just one huge name in retail on LIVE 2026’s packed agenda, which will showcase the latest thinking in technology, digital and customer innovation across retail and grocery.
And away from the main stages, attendees will once again be able to take part in deep-dive workshops and debate solutions to shared problems, offering multiple opportunities for networking, using digital badges that swap contact details in an instant.
The event – which brings the two powerhouse publishing brands The Grocer and Retail Week together for the third year – will take place in London next year. Readers can register their interest here.
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