Retail Conference 2026
Join us at Cavendish Venues as FRP brings together senior retailers, operators, investors, lenders and advisers to explore how businesses are balancing growth opportunities, changing consumer behaviour, investment priorities and commercial uncertainty.
Date
Wednesday 4th November
Time
1:00pm – 5:30pm
Location
Cavendish Venues, 1 Basinghall Avenue, London, EC2V 5DD
About the event
The FRP Retail team, in partnership with leading industry experts, will explore the factors shaping the retail industry. Particularly how leaders are allocating capital, prioritising growth, repositioning real estate, and building resilient operating models to enable better, more informed decisions.
Ben Hughes
Ben is a Partner in FRP’s Corporate Finance team, specialising in Special Situations M&A. With more than 20 years’ advisory experience across corporate finance, he advises clients on complex and time-critical situations, helping them achieve the best possible outcomes.
Ben has extensive experience across mainstream and special situations M&A, with a strong track record in the retail sector. He has acted as lead adviser on many of the UK’s high-profile fashion M&A deals including Ted Baker, New Look, Karen Millen, Coast, TM Lewin and Missguided.
Agenda
with Ben Hughes
with Phil Reynolds
Panel 1
‘Retail’s next bet: Where leaders are choosing to invest, adapt, and compete’
As retailers navigate changing consumer behaviour, margin pressure and continued uncertainty, where should they place their next strategic bet? This session will explore the strategic choices shaping retail growth and competitiveness – from technology and customer experience to portfolio optimisation and operational efficiency – and how leaders are prioritising investment when certainty is in short supply.
Contributors: Mike Clarke (CEO, Neptune), Katie Nagy de Nagybaczon (Partner & Co-head of Retail, CMS), Alastair Massey (Partner, FRP Advisory)
Panel 2
‘Retail Real Estate: Property as a strategy, not an overhead’
As retail continues to evolve, property is increasingly being viewed as a strategic asset rather than a cost to manage. This session will explore how retailers are rethinking their physical footprint – from creating experience-led destinations and strengthening brand presence to responding to changing landlord and tenant relationships.
Contributors: Joe Ward (Head of Retail, Finisterre), Adam Coffer (Founder & MD, EP Group), Nick Hopkinson (Founder, PPR Estates)
Fireside chat
‘Inside the Retail Boardroom: The decisions CEOs are making when confidence is uncertain’
Drawing on experience from across the retail sector, this fireside chat will explore the decisions shaping the boardroom today – from balancing short-term resilience with long-term growth to knowing when to invest despite uncertainty, and which decisions can no longer be delayed.
Contributors: Nick Stowe (CEO, Monsoon Accessorize), Tony Wright (Partner, FRP Advisory)
Panel 3
‘Capital and confidence: Funding growth in an uncertain market’
With capital constrained and confidence uneven, where are retailers and investors prepared to invest? This session will explore how businesses are balancing resilience with growth, where funding remains available, and what investors and lenders need to see before backing the next phase of growth.
Contributors: Emily Bullman (Principal, JamJar Investments), Victoria Kisseleva (Partner, FRP Advisory)
Fireside chat
‘Inside the retail business: Creating the conditions for better decisions‘
As retailers navigate changing consumer behaviours, competitive pressures and growth opportunities, the ability to make confident decisions has become a critical leadership skill. This session will explore how organisations create the right balance between speed, governance and accountability, and how culture influences decision-making when the stakes are high.
Contributors: Mitch Hughes (M&S Man), Phil Reynolds (Partner, FRP Advisory)
