Introduction

Coresight Research is a research partner of Shoptalk Europe 2023, which will take place during May 9–11 in Barcelona, Spain. Shoptalk Europe is an annual retail conference focusing on retail innovation.

In this preview, we offer a guide to notable sessions for attendees across five major themes identified by the Shoptalk team: shopper engagement, emerging channels and business models, store experience, technology and organizational changes. We also highlight the Startup Pitch competition (which will take place on the first day of Shoptalk Europe) as well as the sessions in which Coresight Research will participate. All times in this report are CET (local time of the event).

To ensure you don’t miss out on critical insights, we will provide regular coverage of Shoptalk Europe 2023 on coresight.com. Closing the event, leaders of the Shoptalk Content Team will host the “Shoptalk Europe Recap: Key Takeaways for 2023” session on the Terracotta Stage at 3.20 p.m. on Thursday, May 11. In addition, The Retail Zeitgeist—a 20-minute distillation of all that’s happening in retail technology and innovation, with flagship Shoptalk content—will take place on the keynote stage (the “Imaginarium”) at 1.55 p.m. on May 11, presented by Krystina Gustafson, SVP Content at Shoptalk, and Ben Miller, Director of Original Content at Shoptalk.

Coresight Research will publish a wrap-up of everything you need to know from Shoptalk Europe 2023 after the event.

Guide to Shoptalk Europe 2023: Coresight Research Insights

Notable Sessions Across Five Major Themes

Shopper Engagement

With increased competition for shoppers’ attention and spending, retailers need to provide differentiated and immersive shopping experiences to stand out and capture share.

What does best-in-class shopper engagement look like? Highlighted sessions cover using data to delight, simplifying online discovery and using new products and experiences to draw in Gen Z consumers.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location—Track	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Tuesday, May 9	11.00–11.40 a.m.	Teal Stage—Meeting Heightened Consumer Expectations	Case Studies: Using Customer Data to Surprise and Delight	HG O’Connell, Assistant Content Director, Shoptalk	M&S Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Zalando
Tuesday, May 9	11.50 a.m.–12.30 p.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @ Shoptalk Europe	Simplifying Online Product Search and Discovery	Anne Mezzenga, Co-CEO, Omni Talk	Carrefour Nestlé Picnic
Tuesday, May 9	2.35–3.15 p.m.	Teal Stage—Meeting Heightened Consumer Expectations	Catering to Gen Z Shoppers with New Products and Experiences	Debbie Ellison, Global Chief Digital Officer, VMLY&R COMMERCE	Adidas Bubble Skincare Spotify

Related Coresight Research reports:

• All our coverage of livestreaming e-commerce
• Retail-Tech Landscape: Reality Technologies Enabling Brands and Retailers To Offer Immersive Shopping Experiences
• Robotics in Retail—Part 2: Service Bots Automate and Upgrade the In-Store Experience

Emerging Channels and Business Models

Continued macroeconomic uncertainty is driving more retailers to new and emerging channels to generate alternative revenue streams.

What emerging channels will offer business growth opportunities and how do companies capture those? At Shoptalk Europe 2023, sessions under this theme will cover opportunities such as NFTs (non-fungible tokens), retail media and marketplaces.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location—Track	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Wednesday, May 10	1.00–1.40 p.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @ Shoptalk Europe	Next-Generation Convenience Offerings that Meet Consumer Needs	Anne Mezzenga, Co-CEO, Omni Talk	BP Uber Eats Mars Wrigley
Wednesday, May 10	1.50–2.10 p.m.	Terracotta Stage—Exploring Emerging Retail Technologies	Retail Opportunities for NFTs and Virtual Goods	Simon James, Group VP, Data Science & AI, Publicis Sapient	e.l.f. Beauty Mars
Wednesday, May 10	4.05–4.45 p.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @ Shoptalk Europe	Developing an Effective Retail Media Network Strategy	Ana Paula Guimarães, Partner, McKinsey & Company	John Lewis Partnership Mimeda The Coca-Cola Company
Thursday, May 11	9.00 – 9.40 a.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @ Shoptalk Europe	Building Successful FMCG-Retailer Relationships	Laure Maddens, Partner, Bain and Company	Amazon InBev PepsiCo
Thursday, May 11	2.30–3.10 p.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @ Shoptalk Europe	Track Keynote: Digital Innovation Powering European Grocery Retailing	Ben Miller, Director of Original Content, Shoptalk	Carrefour
Thursday, May 11	3.20–4.00 p.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @ Shoptalk Europe	Executing Successful E-Commerce Partnerships: Tech Providers, Marketplaces and Beyond	Toby Pickard, Global Insight Leader, IGD	Diageo Kraft Heinz Migros Ticaret

Related Coresight Research reports:

• Retail-Tech Landscape: Retail Media
• Ebook: Building Blocks of the Metaverse
• Innovator Matrix: Last-Mile Delivery​

Store Experience

Greater usage of online shopping in the past few years has focused minds on role of the retail store. Consumers and retailers alike are placing greater emphasis on the in-store shopping experience.

How can retailers deliver an outstanding store experience? Retail technologies and store design are among the subjects covered at Shoptalk Europe 2023.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location—Track	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Wednesday, May 10	1.50–2.30 p.m.	Yellow Stage—Technology Solution Spotlight	Groundbreaking Physical Retail Technologies	Chris Walton, Co-CEO, Omni Talk	Google Cloud Haut.AI SES-Imagotag Trigo
Thursday, May 11	9.50–10.30 a.m.	Teal Stage—Outstanding Retail Experiences: In-Store	Providing Inspiration and Ease with Innovative Store Designs and Technologies	Melissa Gonzalez, Founder, The Lionesque Group, Principal, MG2	COS (H&M Group) Frasers Group Rituals Cosmetics

Related Coresight Research reports:

• Coresight Research has identified physical retail renewal as a key theme in retail this year under our RESET framework: Global Retail in 2023. Five Forces, Five Trends
• BEST Framework—A New Era in Retail Excellence
• Data Dive: What US, European and Australian Retailers Are Saying on Capex
• Robotics in Retail—Part 2. Service Bots Automate and Upgrade the In-Store Experience

Technology

Macroeconomic headwinds, raised expectations and heightened competition mean that strong technology investment plans will be crucial in enhancing productivity, improving experiences and driving growth.

Which tech investments will boost retailers’ revenue and profitability? Retailers and industry experts will share how next-generation technologies, such as AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning), Web3 and automation can transform operations.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

Date	Time	Location—Track	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Tuesday, May 9	3.25–4.05 p.m.	Yellow Stage—Spotlight on Retail and Technology Innovation	VC Perspectives on Retail Technology Innovation	Chris Walton, Co-CEO, Omni Talk	Antler Atomico Octopus Ventures
Wednesday, May 10	1.00–1.20 p.m.	Teal Stage—Groundbreaking Data Applications	Track Keynote: New and Effective Applications of AI and Machine Learning	Joe Laszlo, VP Content, Shoptalk	Decathlon
Wednesday, May 10	1.20–1.40 p.m.	Teal Stage—Groundbreaking Data Applications	New and Effective Applications of AI and Machine Learning	Joe Laszlo, VP Content, Shoptalk	Google Pernod Ricard
Wednesday, May 10	2.10–2.30 p.m.	Terracotta Stage—Exploring Emerging Retail Technologies	Track Keynote: Exploring and Evaluating Emerging Technologies	Krystina Gustafson, SVP Content, Shoptalk	IKEA Retail (Inkga Group)
Wednesday, May 10	4.25–4.45 p.m.	Terracotta Stage—Exploring Emerging Retail Technologies	Web3 and the Supply Chain: Blockchain, Digital Twins and More	Ben Miller, Director of Original Content, Shoptalk	Coresight Research (Deborah Weinswig)
Wednesday, May 10	4.55–5.35 p.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @Shoptalk Europe	Next-Generation Automation: Robotics, Checkouts and Beyond	HG O’Connell, Assistant Content Director, Shoptalk	Carrefour JD.com Ocado Group
Thursday, May 11	9.00–9.40 a.m.	Yellow Stage—Workshops	Simplifying the E-Commerce Tech Stack	Bharat Bansal, Partner, Bain and Company	Emma – The Sleep Company
Thursday, May 11	9.50–10.30 a.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @ Shoptalk Europe	New Grocery Technologies Worth the Hype	Mike Tattersall, Managing Director, Innovation & Chief Commercial Officer, True	Ahold Delhaize Sonae MC Unilever
Thursday, May 11	2.30–3.10 p.m.	Teal Stage—Outstanding Retail Experiences: Digital and Omnichannel	New Approaches to Frictionless Payments and Checkout	Laura McCracken, Managing Director, Global E-Commerce & Payments, Accenture	Abercrombie & Fitch Adidas Flying Tiger Copenhagen
Thursday, May 11	2.30–3.10 p.m.	Terracotta Stage—Supply Chain Innovations	Convenient and Cost-Effective Fulfilment and Delivery Options	Markus Schmid, Partner, McKinsey & Company	Defacto Just East

Related Coresight Research reports:

• Retail-Tech Landscape: Robotics and Automation
• Retail Challenges Drive Edge Technology Investment
• The Future of AI in Retail: What Technology Could Make Possible by 2030
• All Coresight Research coverage of emerging technology

Organizational Changes

Structural and organizational changes can be crucial for retailers to remain competitive in an uncertain and challenging macroeconomic environment—yet attracting and retaining staff must be considered, too.

What organizational changes will help retailers win? Retail leaders will explore topics such as leadership, talent and the store workforce.

Below, we present notable sessions relevant to this theme.

 

Date	Time	Location—Track	Session	Interviewer/ Presenter	Participating Companies
Tuesday, May 9	2.35–3.15 p.m.	Terracotta Stage—Thriving in a Challenging Global Economy	The C-Suite on Thriving in Today’s Retail Environment	Joelle Diderich, Paris Bureau Chief, Women’s Wear Daily Sarah Engel, President, January Digital	Authentic Brands Group (ABG) Pull & Bear, Inditex
Tuesday, May 9	3.25–4.05 p.m.	Lime Stage—Groceryshop @ Shoptalk	Europe Executive Perspectives on the Future of Grocery and FMCG	Ben Miller, Director of Original Content, Shoptalk Sarah Engel, President, January Digital	Amazon Danone
Wednesday, May 10	4.55–5.15 p.m.	Teal Stage—The New Retail Organization	Track Keynote: Leading with Purpose	Chris Brook-Carter, CEO, retailTRUST	Ingka Group (IKEA Retail)
Wednesday, May 10	5.15–5.35 p.m.	Teal Stage—The New Retail Organization	Attracting and Retaining Top Tech Talent to Shape the Future of Retail	JJ Van Oosten, Advisor, Boston Consulting Group	Caudalie Hornbach Baumarkt AG
Thursday, May 11	9.00–9.40 a.m.	Teal Stage—Outstanding Retail Experiences: In-Store	Transforming the Store Workforce with New Roles and Capabilities	Steve Dennis, Founder & President, SageBerry Consulting	Camper Hornbach Baumarkt AG

Related Coresight Research reports:

• 2023 Retail and Technology Outlook: Facing into the Headwinds
• The C-Suite’s Evolution: Embracing Technology and Adapting to Hybrid Working in Retail
• RetailTech: Collaboration Tools for Retailers—Increasing Workplace Productivity

Keynotes

In addition to the sessions mentioned above, Shoptalk Europe 2023 will host a number of keynote sessions from retail leaders, including:

• Stefano Perego, VP, Global Operations Services, Amazon (May 9, 5.00–5.20 p.m.)
• James Reinhart, Co-Founder & CEO, ThredUP, and Milan Daniels, Founder, Otrium (May 9, 5.20–5.40 p.m.)
• Karl Andersson, Co-Founder & CEO, Matsmart-Motatos, interviewed by Joe Laszlo, VP Content, Shoptalk (May 10, 9.50–10.10 a.m.)
• Jean-Marc Bellaiche, CEO, Groupe Printemps (May 10, 10.10–10.30 a.m.)
• Wouter Kolk, CEO, Europe & Indonesia, Ahold Delhaize, and Selma Postma, Chief Digital Officer, Europe & Indonesia, Ahold Delhaize (May 11, 12.15–12.35 p.m.)
• Stephanie Phair, Group President, Farfetch (May 11, 12.35–12.55 p.m.)

Don’t Miss the Startup Pitch Competition!

We strongly urge attendees to join the Startup Pitch competition, which will take place on May 9 at the Yellow Stage. The event will span two sessions, comprising presentations and Q&A from early-stage startups whose technologies are addressing challenges in retail. The judges and audience will rate each company, to determine Judges’ Choice and Audience Choice winners.

Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder of Coresight Research, will emcee the competition, in addition to participating as one of the judging panel. The other judges are Carolin Wais, Partner EMEA Ventures at Plug and Play, and Carles Ferrer Roqueta, General Partner at Nauta Capital.

Representatives from the participating innovators that will compete in the Startup Pitch are:

• Dr Ahmed Zaidi, Co-Founder & CEO, Hyran Technologies
• Markus Linder, Co-Founder & CEO, Inoqo
• Simon Foucher, Co-Founder & CEO, Metav.rs
• Rebecca Griffiths, Founder & CEO, Primis
• Matthew Barrie, Co-Founder & CEO, Quiver
• Sivan Baram, Co-Founder & CEO, Radd.
• Tuomo Laine, Co-Founder & CEO, Rentle
• Constantine Yurevich, Co-Founder & CEO, SegmentStream
• Yasmin Topia, CEO, Sociate.ai
• James Theuerkauf, Co-Founder & CEO, Syrup Tech

We have profiled each participating company in separate reports. Look out for our upcoming preview report on the Startup Pitch competition.

Coresight Research at Shoptalk Europe 2023

In addition to the Startup Pitch competition (see above), the Coresight Research team will participate in two sessions during the conference, the details of which we provide below.

Web3 and the Supply Chain: Blockchain, Digital Twins and More. 4.25 p.m. on May 10, 2023

Web3 (sometimes styled Web 3 or Web 3.0) technologies have existing and potential applications within and between businesses, to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of supply chains. Companies are already using blockchain for supply chain visibility, and are utilizing computer vision, augmented reality and connected IoT devices to create “digital twins,” virtual copies of stores or other retail infrastructure. This Shoptalk Original Content presentation will feature new insights from Coresight Research, including a brand new framework on the opportunities to utilize Web3 technologies in your supply chain.

• Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder of Coresight Research
• Ben Miller, Director of Original Content at Shoptalk

Leading-Edge Retail Innovations Outside of Europe: China, US and Beyond. 3.20 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2023

Retail innovation can come from anywhere, with groundbreaking technologies and new trends taking off in markets from China to the US. From autonomous stores to payment innovations to new shopping capabilities, companies everywhere are rapidly implementing technologies to cater to changing consumer preferences and deliver products faster and more conveniently. In this session, held on the Teal Stage, retail leaders from Europe and beyond will discuss their latest innovations, and compare and contrast how retail is evolving in markets outside of Europe.

• Marie Driscoll, Managing Director of Beauty and Luxury at Coresight Research
• Gareth Locke, Chief Growth Officer at Mytheresa
• Benjamin Thompson, Head of Digital Transformation at Endeavour Drinks Group
• Joaquín Mencía, Chief Innovation Officer at Chalhoub Group