Retailers have more technology at their disposal than ever. Yet some of the most interesting conversations at the TRB Retail Tech Summit came back to familiar questions: can customers get help when they need it? Do store colleagues have the confidence to solve problems? And does visiting a shop offer something worth leaving the house for?
Across discussions on AI, retail strategy and community, a common theme emerged. Technology creates value when it helps retailers understand and serve people better. That means being clear about the problem before investing, supporting colleagues through change and recognising when customer expectations have moved on.
Yocuda was also at the event, showcasing how digital receipts can help retailers build stronger connections with their in-store customers. With much of the discussion focused on making technology useful, digital receipts offered a practical example: turning an everyday transaction into an opportunity to identify customers, capture marketing opt-ins and share relevant content after they leave the store. It’s a simple way to connect the physical and digital shopping experience, while giving customers a receipt that does more than confirm a purchase.
Here are the key takeaways, and what they mean for the future of retail customer experience.
It is easy to see the appeal of a new platform or AI tool. It is harder to explain exactly what it will improve for the customer or the colleague using it.
That distinction ran through several sessions. Speakers encouraged retailers to start with a clear problem statement: what are we trying to solve, who is accountable, and how will we know whether the investment has worked?
Footasylum’s approach offered a practical example. Bringing data from multiple platforms into one place can reduce the effort required to find and use information. But the underlying question remains essential: is technology making work easier, or adding another layer for colleagues to navigate?
The same thinking applies to the business case. Time saved and money saved are different benefits. A tool might free up store colleagues to spend more time with customers without directly reducing costs. That can still be valuable, provided the intended outcome is clear and measurable.
Choosing a technology partner requires similar discipline. Sector experience, customer references and thorough due diligence all matter. So does understanding whether the partner can support the realities of implementation, particularly when store teams are already stretched.
The opening discussion raised a question that echoed throughout the event: how can businesses give people the best AI tools to succeed?
For retailers, the answer requires care. Some tasks are repetitive and well suited to automation. Others help people develop the judgement they will need later in their careers.
FatFace highlighted this tension in merchandising. Expertise builds over years, through experience, decisions and mistakes. Automating parts of that process may improve efficiency, but retailers also need to consider how the next generation will learn.
Its approach to AI adoption included workshops and clear communication from leadership. Colleagues were encouraged to explore how the tools could help them, with an emphasis on adding value and supporting people.
That clarity matters. Employees need to understand what AI is for, where they can use it and how to handle business data securely. Without that guidance, enthusiasm can sit alongside uncertainty about what is permitted.
There is also a customer-facing implication. As more shoppers use AI to draft complaints, retailers risk creating increasingly automated exchanges. Human judgement becomes especially valuable when a customer needs someone to understand the issue and take responsibility for resolving it.
Even well-chosen technology will occasionally fail. What happens next often reveals how well a retailer has prepared its people.
Can a colleague continue serving the customer? Do they know who to contact? Are they trusted to make a decision?
FatFace discussed the importance of experienced colleagues, documented processes and clear escalation routes. Footasylum also emphasised training teams to understand implementation risks and respond when something goes wrong.
These are central to customer experience. A system outage is frustrating; being passed between colleagues who cannot help makes it worse.
The discussion also exposed the limits of treating labour purely as a cost. Reducing shop-floor staffing may deliver an immediate saving, but it can leave customers waiting and colleagues unable to provide the service expected of them.
If a technology investment promises to empower employees, retailers need to consider the whole working environment: training, staffing, authority and access to support.
Holland & Barrett was highlighted as an example of a retailer reconsidering the purpose of its stores and digital channels, and how they work together.
The evolution of its store layouts, including the prominence of products such as collagen and creatine, illustrated a broader point. Physical retail needs to respond to what customers want today.
That requires more than repeating the same offer across every channel. Stores may provide advice, discovery and reassurance, while digital channels offer convenience, information and a way to continue the relationship after a visit.
Connecting those experiences remains difficult. FatFace acknowledged the challenge of delivering a seamless journey when different parts of the operation sit across different systems.
For customers, however, those organisational boundaries are largely invisible. Their expectations are shaped by the brand as a whole. Retailers therefore need to look beyond individual channel performance and consider where customers encounter gaps between them.
Aramark’s contribution showed why customer insight needs to be specific.
Differences between stadium audiences, including the proportion of sales coming from drinks, demonstrated the importance of understanding each location. An approach that works well in one venue may need adapting elsewhere.
Technology can help address those differences. Amazon-style “Just Walk Out” stores were discussed as a successful way to reduce queues in stadiums, allowing customers to make a purchase in around 30 seconds.
Here, speed has a clear purpose: people want to get back to the event. Elsewhere, changes in drinking habits, wellness interests and appetite are influencing demand. Speakers discussed student spaces being repurposed, the growth of run clubs and opportunities around functional food, protein and smaller portions.
The recent rise in consumers taking weight-management medication has also prompted discussion about how retail, hospitality and fitness businesses may need to adapt.
The wider lesson is to keep questioning established assumptions. Customer needs change, and retailers need to understand those shifts before deciding which products, services or technologies to introduce.
Alongside convenience, there was a strong argument for giving people more reasons to spend time with a brand.
The community-led retail discussion explored connection, belonging and the value of being able to speak to another person. As buying becomes easier across more channels, the experience surrounding a purchase can play a greater role in where customers choose to return.
That experience will look different depending on the setting. A stadium shopper may value speed above all else. Someone choosing a health product may want advice. A visitor to a fashion store may be looking for inspiration or reassurance.
Understanding the context helps retailers make better decisions about where to remove friction and where to invest in personal service.
One phrase captured the spirit of the event: “AI does the admin; humans do the alchemy.”
For retailers planning their next investment, that offers a useful starting point. Be precise about what technology should improve, give colleagues the knowledge and confidence to use it, and judge its success by the experience it makes possible.