With thousands of retail leaders preparing to head to Barcelona in less than two weeks time, Shoptalk Europe is once again set to be one of the most important events in the European commerce calendar.
Taking place from 9–11 June at Fira Gran Via, Shoptalk brings together retailers, brands, technology providers, investors and startups to discuss the future of commerce, with this year’s agenda heavily focused on AI, unified commerce, operational resilience and the evolution of physical retail.
More than 4,500 retail professionals from over 62 countries are expected to attend, with one in three attendees operating at C-suite level.
Among the headline speakers are leaders from Vestiaire Collective, Christian Louboutin, Zalando, Arc’teryx, Sephora and The Estée Lauder Companies, alongside executives from Marks & Spencer, JD Sports, Selfridges and Decathlon.
Agentic commerce: what’s here, real and next?
As retailers try to understand where AI genuinely delivers value, this is likely to be one of the most talked-about sessions at the show.
Executives from L’Oréal and Google will explore which agentic commerce use cases are already transforming retail and which ideas still remain speculative.
With AI dominating retail boardroom conversations in 2026, this discussion cuts directly into one of the industry’s biggest questions: where should brands actually invest?
Unified commerce in action
Unified commerce remains one of the biggest themes heading into , but many retailers are still struggling to operationalise it at scale.
Alexis Rollier, Global COO at Sephora, will examine how retailers can better connect stores, ecommerce, fulfilment and customer data into a more seamless ecosystem.
As physical retail increasingly becomes part of a broader connected customer journey, this session is expected to deliver some of the most practical operational insight of the conference.
CEOs reinventing organisations for the future
Retail leaders are facing mounting pressure to balance transformation with profitability, making this one of the standout leadership sessions at Shoptalk.
Executives from flaconi, PANGAIA and AWWG will discuss how they are restructuring businesses for long-term growth while navigating economic uncertainty, evolving customer expectations and operational change.
The luxury retail growth debate
Luxury retail continues to face difficult questions around international growth, exclusivity and customer engagement. All themes expected to dominate several discussions throughout Shoptalk this year.
Speakers from Christian Louboutin and Vestiaire Collective will discuss how premium brands are scaling globally while protecting brand identity and customer trust.
Topics including resale, authentication technology, experiential retail and AI-powered customer experience are all expected to feature heavily.
Arc’teryx and the rise of cult retail brands
One of the most anticipated leadership sessions at comes from Arc’teryx CEO Stuart Haselden, who will explore how the outdoor brand evolved into one of fashion’s biggest cultural success stories.
As retailers increasingly look to build community-led brands rather than purely transactional businesses, this session taps into one of the most important shifts happening across modern commerce.
For retail leaders heading to Barcelona, this year’s event looks set to focus less on future theory and more on the operational realities shaping commerce right now.
Zia Daniell Wigder, Global President, Shoptalk said:
“Senior leaders from across Europe are grappling with the same challenges – from Al deployment to shifting consumer behaviour – but they rarely get the chance to compare notes with a true peer running the same business in a different market. That’s what we’ve built here at Shoptalk Europe – a space to exchange ideas, navigate disruption, and shape what comes next together.”
Register your interest to attend here: https://europe.shoptalk.com
