The Grocer and Retail Week’s annual one-day event full of discussions, panel debates and keynotes is essential for anyone interested in innovation and transformation in the grocery and retail sectors.
This year, the 2026 progamme boasts dozens of sessions led by industry leaders who will dive into the tech strategies and trends shaping the future of digital within the industry. Here are five sessions in the programme that are must-attend for grocery executives.
Retail Week x The Grocer LIVE 2026 takes place on Tuesday 3 March at the Business Design Centre in London. To find out more and book your tickets, visit the Retail Week x The Grocer LIVE 2026 website.
Asda executive chairman Allan Leighton
9am to 9.25am (Main Stage)
Now executive chair at Asda, Allan Leighton is steering the supermarket through a huge transformation: overhauling strategy and reigniting its value-first mission. With a CV spanning Royal Mail, the Co-op and Pandora, he’s seen it all and is ready to share his wisdom in this candid fireside chat that promises lots of straight talking.
The session will explore:
- Asda’s future and lessons from the past
- The importance of value in garnering loyalty
- How leadership style has evolved in the sector
- What retailers need to know about staying relevant and future-proofing their business
Retail media 3.0: connected commerce
12.20pm to 12.45pm (Track 1)
The role of retail media, what a good strategy looks like, the evolution of on-site media and more will be chewed over in this panel discussion, arming attendees with the tools they need to maximise the hefty revenue boost that retail media has delivered for others. The heads of retail media from Iceland, John Lewis and Co-op – Adam Smith, Jemma Haley and Dean Harris will be leading this session, exploring successful case studies and how retail media is evolving on-site and off.
Exclusive research: Results of the Retail Week/The Grocer Digital Capability Index
1.45 pm to 2.10 pm (Track 2)
How does your business stack up when it comes to digital capability? Retail Week’s intelligence and insights editor George Arnett will reveal the top 10 brands in Retail Week’s new Digital Capability Index, an in-depth view of what digital features are most important to UK consumers, which brands are most advanced on AI tools like chatbots, and which brands have the most room for improvement in their e-commerce offer.
Are you digitally future-proof? with Boots
2.45pm to 3.10 pm (Track 2)
In this live case study discussion, you’ll hear how health and beauty giant Boots has tackled some of the major digital challenges that you may be facing in your own business. Mitigating friction, using data and cybersecurity are all up for discussion, as well as how the retailer is building a digital operation that’s fit for the future.
Morrisons CEO Rami Baitiéh
4.20pm to 4.40 pm (Main Stage)
When Rami Baitiéh stepped into the CEO position at Morrisons in late 2023, he launched a transformation like no other: appointing a new leadership team, slashing costs, increasing like-for-like sales and expanding into convenience.
In this fireside chat, The Grocer’s editor in chief, Adam Leyland, will delve into Baitiéh’s bold vision for Morrisons in the coming years, and explore:
- The turnaround playbook and how Baitiéh is rewriting the Morrisons strategy
- What AI, data and digital mean for the future of grocery
- Building a leadership team to champion transformation
To find out more and book your tickets, visit the Retail Week x The Grocer LIVE 2026 website.
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