Growth Summit

Growth Summit 2026
Where Retailers Turn AI Into Measurable Growth

eCommerce isn’t broken, but the old growth playbook is.

Winning traffic costs more, customers are harder to convert, and loyalty can’t be assumed. With margins under pressure and expectations rising, incremental optimisation won’t cut it.

Growth Summit is IMRG’s biggest event of the year, bringing together senior retailers to explore how AI is reshaping eCommerce performance.

In 2026, the focus moves beyond theory into implementation, efficiency and measurable ROI. Retailers attend to understand what’s actually working, benchmark their performance against peers and identify the solutions that will drive growth in the months ahead.

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See Why Retailers Attend Growth Summit below:

Event Format

Taking place in the Platinum Suites at the Excel London, Growth Summit stands apart through its action-packed, insight-led agendas. Split into two sessions across one day, attendees will benefit from the following:

Morning Session (150+ retailers):
Understanding the AI-enabled customer — how discovery, decision-making and on-site behaviour are changing
Afternoon Session (150+ retailers):
Turning AI into profit — where retailers are seeing ROI and how to optimise performance across channels
Bridging Networking Lunch:
Connecting both audiences to maximise reach and facilitate high-value conversations
Structured Engagement:
10 pre-arranged 1:1 meetings, peer-to-peer sessions and curated roundtables aligned to retailer priorities

Agenda

08:30 09:30

Welcome - Morning Session

Welcome coffee and tea

09:30 09:40

IMRG Opening Insights: How the AI-Enabled Customer Is Changing On-Site Performance

For Senior retailers, eCommerce leaders, and digital decision-makers wanting to understand how AI is redefining discovery, accelerating decision-making, and reshaping the path to purchase. The way c ...

Matthew Walsh, Director of Data & Retail - IMRG

Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director - IMRG

09:40 10:00

The AI shopper: how discovery and decision-making are changing

Guest Speaker - Sophie Neary, Managing Director, Retail & Consumer Goods at Google

10:00 10:15

HOSTED ROUNDTABLE

Roundtable sessions give retailers the opportunity to join a focused discussion with industry peers, explore shared challenges and exchange practical ideas in a more interactive setting. Roundtable 1 ...

10:15 10:35

Retailer Panel: Which Customer Shifts Will Matter Most in the Next 18 Months?

In this session, senior retailers from different sectors will share their perspective on what they believe is genuinely changing in customer behaviour, what may be overstated, and where the biggest di ...

10:40 10:45

Coffee Break & Networking

10:45 11:35

Peer-to-Peer Strategy Energiser

Peer-to-Peer meetings are designed to help you make valuable connections and knowledge share through a series of curated meetings with other attendees. Based on the information you've shared with us, ...

11:35 11:50

HOSTED ROUNDTABLE

Roundtable sessions give retailers the opportunity to join a focused discussion with industry peers, explore shared challenges and exchange practical ideas in a more interactive setting. Roundtable 2 ...

11:50 12:30

Interactive Workshop: Leading Through Customer Change: Making Better Decisions in Ambiguity

As customer behaviour evolves, different teams often interpret change in different ways. In this interactive workshop, delegates will explore how to separate signal from noise, where tensions can emer ...

12:30 12:40

IMRG Closing Morning Session Insights: Where the Next Phase of eCommerce Growth Comes From

IMRG wraps up the key themes from the morning, highlighting the practical growth priorities retailers should focus on next.

12:40 13:30

Hosted Lunch

12:40 13:30

Hosted Lunch

13:30 13:40

IMRG Afternoon Session Opening Insights: Turning Channels into Profit

As acquisition journeys become more fragmented and AI changes how customers discover and evaluate brands, retailers need a clearer view of which channels are delivering profitable growth rather than j ...

Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director - IMRG

13:45 14:05

Agree to Disagree. Where Should Retailers Place Their AI Bets?

There is still debate around where the opportunities lie, which priorities should come first and how quickly businesses should move. In this interactive session, IMRG will explore a series of key ques ...

14:05 14:25

Karl Lillrud on Where Retailers Can Make AI Pay Fast

With pressure on both growth and margin, retailers need AI strategies that drive commercial return. In this fireside chat, Karl Lillrud will share his perspective on where retailers can act quickly to ...

14:25 15:15

Peer-to-Peer Strategy Energiser

Peer-to-Peer meetings are designed to help you make valuable connections and knowledge share through a series of curated meetings with other attendees. Based on the information you've shared with us, ...

15:20 15:35

HOSTED ROUNDTABLE

Roundtable sessions give retailers the opportunity to join a focused discussion with industry peers, explore shared challenges and exchange practical ideas in a more interactive setting. The afternoon ...

15:35 15:55

Retail Panel: Where Are Retailers Actually Seeing AI Deliver?

In this panel, senior retailers will share where they are seeing the clearest signs of commercial impact, how they are evaluating marketing effectiveness in an AI-shaped landscape, and what they are l ...

16:00 16:10

IMRG Afternoon Session Closing Insights: Where Are Retailers Seeing ROI in AI Investments?

To close the day, IMRG will bring together the strongest themes from the discussions, highlighting where retailers are already seeing returns from AI investment and where the next wave of value is lik ...

Check Out Previous Growth Summit Attendees

Download Growth Summit Audience Sample HERE

Key Benefits of Attending

Personalised Benchmarking Insights

Powered by IMRG's one-of-a-kind benchmarking data, every attendee who registers in advance will receive an exclusive, personalised report. Providing a comprehensive comparison of your business performance against other retailers, using over 40 key marketing and eCommerce metrics, including the Customer Funnel, Channel Performance, Conversion, Order Fulfillment, and more.

Actionable AI & Growth Strategies

Move beyond theory into implementation. Across retailer panels, expert sessions and workshops, discover how leading brands are applying AI to improve personalisation, optimise channels and drive measurable performance with clear takeaways you can act on immediately.

Curated Meetings & Premium Networking

Enjoy a premium setting in the Excel Platinum Suite, with 150+ retailers in both morning and afternoon sessions. You’ll take part in 10 pre-arranged 1:1 meetings, peer-to-peer sessions and curated roundtables all aligned to your priorities for more relevant, high-value conversations.

Expert-Led Insight from Industry Leaders

Hear directly from the retailers and innovators shaping the future of eCommerce. From senior retail panels to global voices like Google and leading AI experts, the agenda is built to deliver sharp, relevant insight on what’s working now and what’s coming next.

Eligibility Criteria

Attendees

This VIP, invitation-only event is strictly limited to senior decision-makers from the UK's top retailers. The number of places are limited, and demand is high. We advise to register in advance to avoid disappointment.

To ensure a relevant experience for all attendees, limited seats are available for retailers who meet the following eligibility criteria:

Retailers operating in the UK.
Retailers who hold a manager-level position or higher within their organisation.
Retailers who represent a retail business with an annual turnover of £2 million or more.

By adhering to these criteria, we aim to create an environment where attendees can network with peers facing similar challenges and opportunities.

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Growth Summit 2026
Where Retailers Turn AI Into Measurable Growth

eCommerce isn’t broken, but the old growth playbook is.

Winning traffic costs more, customers are harder to convert, and loyalty can’t be assumed. With margins under pressure and expectations rising, incremental optimisation won’t cut it.