Whether you were there for business, knowledge or pleasure (or indeed all three), there was something for everyone at the Autumn Retail Festival, says InternetRetailing’s managing editor Amanda Vlietstra.
A who’s who of retailers got together at the Autumn Retail Festival on 8 October 2025 to network, talk shop, get ahead of all the current trends – and enjoy a great lunch and a drink! Held at Convene, 133 Houndsditch in London, this one-day powerhouse event brought together senior retail professionals, innovators, and thought leaders under one roof for an immersive experience that truly set the tone for the future of commerce.
With five dynamic summits, each laser-focused on the most pressing and exciting areas of retail, attendees were spoilt for choice as far as content was concerned. ChannelX World delivered cutting-edge insights into marketplaces and multichannel strategies, featuring leaders from top brands including eBay, Temu and Ann Summers. The Brands DTC Summit offered actionable strategies for scaling direct-to-consumer operations. Data Analytics & AI Summit explored predictive analytics and machine learning, showcasing how data-driven decisions are shaping retail. The TikTok Sellers Summit was a masterclass in social commerce, live shopping, and influencer-driven growth. And finally, Retail MediaX Executive Brief provided an exclusive look at the future of retail media in a closed-door setting.
The future of commerce
Of course, AI was the common thread running through all the different summits – how it’s likely to dominate retail (if, indeed, it is) is something that is on every retailer’s mind. While GenAI seems set to rethink the way products are discovered, priced and delivered, it’s still far from clear how this is likely to impact on retailers in both the short- and long-term – and the opportunities and obstacles it creates for ecommerce was something explored by almost all of the speakers.
But the Autumn Retail Festival offers more than just great content. For those looking to do business, the Connect 1-2-1 networking program was a game-changer, enabling curated meetings between buyers and sellers that sparked meaningful partnerships. The room with alive with new connections and conversations flowing about innovation, strategy, and transformation.
Electric connection
This connection was palpable – as Rob Prevett, managing director of RetailX, who organised the event, said: “What stood out to me was the quality of conversations happening everywhere — people genuinely connecting, sharing ideas, and thinking about what’s next for retail. It showed how strong and collaborative this community has become, and that’s exactly what we wanted to create with the Festival.
“There was a real buzz around the Autumn Festival this year,” he added. “From the moment the doors opened you could feel it.”
So, what’s next? “We’ll be building on this momentum for next year’s events, bringing even more voices and ideas together,” Prevett says. “We have three events lined up for the first half of next year including: Retail MediaX Europe on 14th May, Commerce AI Summit on 3 June and The Summer Festival 17 June.”
So, if you’re serious about staying ahead in retail, get those dates into your calendar now – and keep an eye on InternetRetailing to see when registration opens. You won’t want to miss them. After all, the Autumn Retail Festival was more than just a conference; it was a strategic opportunity to learn, connect, and lead the next chapter of retail.
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