Our Takeaways From The Retail Technology Show 2024

In April, ReThink Co-Founders, Simon and Sue, attended the Retail Technology Show with Ed, Phil and James (ReThink’s Programme Manager, ReTime Academy Tutor, and Head Of Insight Development, respectively).?

Taking place at Olympia London on 24th-25th April 2024, the Retail Technology Show unites many of the industry’s leading retailers and technology providers to discuss the latest trends that are transforming the way stores operate.

What did we learn?

As always, it was a great chance for us to connect with people we knew – clients and partners – but also a good opportunity to meet and network with new people to discuss productivity.

Here are just a few of the things we took away from this year’s event:

• RTS’s explosive growth – Certainly since the Covid years, the show has continued to grow. Initially, the show took place in one hall – now, it has doubled in size with two halls now being used. So much so that, next year, it is moving to ExCeL London
• The educational value of its workshops – There is a very good programme of workshops and sessions now, and retailers can benefit from the insights and knowledge of experienced speakers
• The omnipresent topic of AI in retail – Every other stand said “AI” and we believe there is a real challenge for people to understand what AI is really doing for them – does it add value, or is it just the same product that now boasts “AI”? Robots are only called “robots” until they work, at which point, they are given a name. We think AI is at that same stage – many companies saying their product has AI don’t discuss its job or how useful it is. Only once it does a specific job will it be given a name, making its purpose clear
• Things we spotted – Lots of:
• Electronic shelf-edge labels
• Point of sale printing solutions
• Emerging technology (virtual reality, augmented reality)
• Managing data (customer/marketing/loyalty/tracking data)
• Security cameras and different uses
• Shrink – We were surprised that there wasn’t much regarding shrink from a technology point of view, bearing in mind how much it has been in the news as something retailers are looking to combat

We have released an episode of ReThink’s business productivity podcast in which Simon, Sue and James discuss the event in more detail – listen here to discover more.

Will you be attending next year’s event?

As an extremely insightful event, we always strongly recommend attending The Retail Technology Show as it offers a fantastic opportunity to network and meet the right people. We’ve rebooked our spot already so make sure you secure your space soon.

If you want to speak to an expert about your retail business and discover new ways to improve your processes, contact our team today.