What Retail Technology Show does

Retail Technology Show is an annual B2B trade show held at ExCeL London, connecting UK retailers and consumer brands with technology suppliers. Founded in 2021 by Nineteen Group and launched with its inaugural edition in April 2022 at London Olympia (moving to ExCeL London in 2024), the event has scaled to 450+ technology exhibitors, 125+ industry speakers and 15,000+ retail attendees as of the 2026 edition, with the next edition scheduled for 21-22 April 2027. The audience spans senior leaders from major UK retail enterprises including Tesco, Boots, M&S, John Lewis, H&M, Nike, Sephora, Lego and Harrods.

The core "product" is a two-day physical event platform rather than a software product. Its surface area comprises the exhibition floor (including specialised zones such as Cyber & Loss Prevention, French RetailTech Hub and the GS1 QR Innovators Tour), a conference programme with main-stage content (Future of Retail LIVE, Tech Talks), the Innovation Trail & Awards, a Start-up Superstars showcase, and networking assets (Retailers Lounge, The Retail Café, Champagne Bar & BIG Retail Party). Year-round content assets include the Disruptors & Innovators Report (co-produced with Retail Insider) and the Retail Radar News hub. The show does not develop proprietary retail technology but curates vendor solutions spanning AI, payments, supply chain, RFID, computer vision, unified commerce and retail planning.

The business operates a two-sided, freemium-adjacent model. Retailers, consumer brands and leisure/hospitality organisations attend free of charge; revenue is generated from (1) paid exhibition stand sales to technology suppliers, (2) tiered sponsorship packages (e.g., Champagne Bar & BIG Party, Retailers Lounge, Retail Café, lanyards), and (3) selective paid registration for non-qualifying attendee categories. Pricing for exhibitor and sponsorship inventory is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is event-driven, supported by partnerships with RETHINK Retail, Commerce Futures, Baringa, Retail Insider and MACH Alliance, and by PR/content distribution through Fieldworks. The show is a privately held event within Nineteen Group's portfolio.

Name

Retail Technology Show

Legal name

Retail Technology Show

Website

https://retailtechnologyshow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show & Exhibition Services

akta.pro primary industry

Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD), Industry Trade Shows & Expos (MPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Retail trade show
• B2B exhibition events
• Retail technology showcase
• Trade conference services
• Retail innovation expo

Headquarters

HQ city

Wimbledon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Stand Sales: Revenue generated from technology providers and suppliers purchasing exhibition space to showcase their retail technology solutions to attending retailers and brands.
2. Sponsorship: Various sponsorship packages including Champagne Bar & Big Party sponsor (PMC), Retailers Lounge sponsor (Toshiba), The Retail Café sponsor (Aptos), and On-site Lanyards sponsor (FreedomPay).
3. Attendee Registration (non-retail): Free admission for retailers, consumer brands, and leisure/hospitality organisations. Other categories may pay registration fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Retail Technology Show is an annual two-day B2B trade show held at ExCeL London that brings together 15,000+ retail leaders with 450+ technology suppliers through exhibition stands, a conference programme with 125+ speakers, innovation showcases, and dedicated networking zones. The event monetizes through paid exhibition stand sales and sponsorship packages sold to technology vendors, while offering free qualified admission to retailers, consumer brands, and leisure/hospitality organizations.

Product overview

Retail Technology Show is an annual B2B trade show (not a product company) that serves as the premier UK destination for retail innovation, insight, and connection. The event takes place at ExCeL London and features a platform-plus-components architecture: the core Exhibition Floor hosts 450+ technology suppliers across specialized zones (Cyber & Loss Prevention, French RetailTech Hub, GS1 QR Innovators Tour), complemented by the Conference Programme with 125+ speakers, the Innovation Trail & Awards, Start-up Superstars showcase, networking spaces (Retailers Lounge, Champagne Bar & BIG Retail Party), and research publications (Disruptors & Innovators Report, Retail Radar News). The show connects major UK retailers including Tesco, Boots, M&S, Next, John Lewis, H&M, and Nike with technology providers offering solutions spanning payments (FreedomPay), inventory/RFID (Frequential/Octo+), AI/3D commerce (FreakoutAI), POS systems (Front Systems, ForPOS/Posiflex), enterprise AI (Fujitsu), and retail planning (Board).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retail Technology Show (Annual Trade Show Event)

Quantifiable outcome

• Named Best UK Trade Show at AEO Excellence Awards 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability16 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• Commerce FuturesstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2023Strategic partnership to elevate eCommerce content and programming at the Retail Technology Show 2024, bringing additional expertise and audience to the event.
• RETHINK RetailstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 February 2023Global media company RETHINK Retail partnered with London-based Retail Technology Show for strategic collaboration on retail industry content and audience development.
• BaringacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational consulting firm Baringa partners with RTS to shine a light on start-up innovation through its Start-Up Safaris program at the show.
• FieldworksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK's only specialist retail technology PR and content agency appointed to launch the 2022 Retail Technology Show, handling public relations and content strategy.
• MACH AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMACH Alliance listed as a partner/association supporting the Retail Technology Show ecosystem.
• Nineteen GroupcoreOthersNineteen Group is the organiser of the Retail Technology Show, having launched the event in 2021 for its first edition in April 2022.
• Retail InsiderstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership to produce the Top 30 Retail Disruptors and Innovators Report, identifying and celebrating retail's brightest talent.
• VusionminorOthersAI-powered digitalisation solutions provider crowned winner of Retail Technology Show's 2026 Innovation Awards.
• OrquestminorOthersAI-driven in-store workforce scheduling solution winner of 2024 Innovation Awards.
• CircularXminorOthersCircular retail platform, powers second-hand and pre-loved commerce capabilities, winner of 2023 Innovation Awards.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Seamless Middle East: Middle East retail and payments conference with strong overlap in payments, ecommerce, and retail technology exhibitors. Comparable as a regional retail-tech event competing for the same global vendor marketing budgets.
• Paris Retail Week: Annual French B2B retail and e-commerce trade show, geographically adjacent to RTS and competing for European retail technology vendors' budgets. Comparable as a European retail-tech exhibition with similar vertical focus.

Direct peers

• Shoptalk: Premier US/UK retail and ecommerce technology conference (Las Vegas, Spring and Fall editions). Directly comparable as a retail-tech-focused B2B event with major exhibitor and speaker presence, backed by leading retail investors.
• NRF (National Retail Federation) Big Show: The largest annual retail trade show globally, held each January in New York. Directly comparable to RTS as a B2B exhibition connecting retailers with technology vendors, but with significantly greater scale (40,000+ attendees) and a US-centric audience.
• EuroShop: Triennial global trade fair for retail investment, held in Düsseldorf. Directly comparable as a leading international retail trade show covering retail technology, store design, and equipment, with 100,000+ visitors.
• RetailEXPO (formerly Retail Business Technology Expo): Former UK-based retail technology exhibition that historically competed head-to-head with RTS for UK retail technology buyers and exhibitor mindshare. Highly comparable product offering and audience.

Broad incumbents

• RX Global (Reed Exhibitions): World's largest trade show organizer, parent of events like IBC and GamerNetwork, with a deep portfolio across retail, technology, and consumer verticals. Comparable as a major exhibition organizer with retail-tech relevance.
• Informa Markets: Global B2B events group operating retail-adjacent shows (e.g., Money 20/20, ICSC) and a much larger portfolio across multiple verticals. Comparable as an organizer of large-scale trade shows with overlapping vendor audiences.

Emerging players

• Money 20/20: Flagship global payments and fintech event (Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Singapore). Comparable as a B2B event whose exhibitor base (FreedomPay, Worldpay, etc.) overlaps heavily with RTS payment-technology exhibitors.

Others

• Web Summit: Massive annual general technology conference (Lisbon) that includes retail technology tracks and draws some of the same exhibitor and speaker audience as RTS. Comparable as a top-tier B2B tech event with overlapping retail-tech content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=retail+technology+show
• Xx.com/RetailTechShow
• Facebookfacebook.com/RetailTechnologyShow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retail-technology-show

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Retail Technology Show