NRF Europe 2026 Day 1 Recap: Five Sessions Shaping Retail

Retail''s Big Show Europe, Paris, 15 September 2026 | RetailNews.ai coverage

The first day of NRF Retail''s Big Show Europe 2026 brought five sessions covering supply chain transformation, cross-border commerce, operational scaling, marketplace expansion and the reinvention of a heritage British retail brand. Here is what RetailNews.ai heard on the floor.

Fresh at Scale: How M&S Food Transformed Its Supply Chain

In partnership with RELEX Solutions

M&S Food has migrated 100% of its fresh food range onto a single system, using machine learning for forecasting, replenishment and allocation. The rollout was phased rather than all-at-once, beginning with the most complex category first and progressing through pilot, full category go-live, chilled, ambient, frozen and cafes in sequence.

The guiding philosophy throughout was to protect the qualities that define M&S Food, specifically quality, innovation and animal welfare standards, while rebuilding everything operational around them. The team''s central learning was that technology alone does not drive transformation. Embedding the operating model comes first, and the real commercial benefit of optimisation only becomes available once that foundation is in place.

Next steps for M&S Food include space and assortment synergies, faster AI-enabled optimisation and a broader role for RELEX through its Cortex platform.

Eight Markets, 115% Growth, Zero Replatforms: Five Years Inside Al-Futtaim''s Commerce Strategy

In partnership with KIBO Commerce

Al-Futtaim grew from one market live in 2021 to eight countries across two continents, doubling order volume in a single year, without ever replatforming. The biggest challenge was not technology but data. Multiple suppliers, brands and formats all required in-house translation and enrichment before CRM and marketing could function effectively.

The turning point came after their third implementation cycle, validated by successfully launching five M&S websites in two weeks using a design system library. E-commerce still represents a relatively small share of total business but is doubling year over year. Payment integration across multiple local methods was identified as the main friction point.

Their core rule of success was to keep everything simple, with simple components, solid backend systems and easier integration. Looking ahead, the team anticipates more personalisation, agentic commerce and quick commerce capabilities within one to two years.

How Lagardère Travel Retail Scales Store Openings Across Markets

In partnership with Asana

Lagardère Travel Retail operates across more than 50 countries in a highly regulated, high-cost environment where operational error is not an option. No repeatable playbook exists between countries. Every new opening, whether in Cambodia or an upcoming Albania convenience line launch, touches multiple departments and requires its own dedicated team.

Lagardère built a dedicated openings team only two years ago, with two goals: to absorb more openings and to relieve pressure on other parts of the business. Bringing in Asana forced structural discipline before anything else. The team described the approach as cleaning up the room before scaling it: establishing clear ownership and process first, before automation could meaningfully help.

Their stance on AI is clear and grounded. It is useful for creating assets, automating pricing and merchandising, and supporting staff training and insights. But automation without people does not work. AI is there to augment staff, not replace them, and physical retail remains central to the model. Their advice to industry leaders: structure your processes and tools early, ideally before scaling begins, and keep build and transformation work clearly separated.

Expansion of Marketplaces: Retail Beyond Borders

Panel: JOE & THE JUICE, Granado, L''Osteria

Three brands at different stages of international expansion shared their approaches to growth, consistency and knowing when not to enter a market.

JOE & THE JUICE operates 1,000 stores, with 70 to 80% in roll-out format and 10 to 15% in flagship format. Their non-negotiable is that every store delivers the same experience. They deliberately skip markets, including Luxembourg, until team and scale are genuinely ready.

Granado has built trust over 32 years through physical stores first and wholesale relationships second, using stores to educate customers on quality. They entered the US only two years ago, having first proven the model at home.

L''Osteria, with 237 restaurants, reads market readiness through purchasing power, tourism levels and consumer engagement before deciding whether to operate directly or through a partner. Regardless of market, supply chain, process, reporting and staff training remain under company control. Spice levels, menu adjustments and other local adaptations can flex.

The shared theme across all three was that adapting too much risks losing brand identity. Consistency of experience matters more than local customisation. The question every retailer on the panel said should be answered before crossing a border: can you actually scale here, or are you just opening a store?

Reviving Debenhams: Modernising a British Heritage Brand Through an Online Marketplace Model

Fireside chat with Dan Finley, Chief Executive, Debenhams Group

Dan Finley, Chief Executive of Debenhams Group, explained how the brand shifted to a UK-only, fully digital marketplace model after store-based retail economics no longer worked. The platform lists inventory and sells products with zero stock risk. The vision is for Debenhams to become a genuine destination of choice, with more shoppers returning to the platform year over year.

On brand selection, Finley''s view is straightforward: more choice increases the likelihood customers buy and increases market share over time. He described technology as an enabler of transformation rather than an inhibitor, noting that it now sits at the centre of how the business operates and continues to improve the customer experience.

His advice to the industry: "Be master of AI in your field." He framed it as a significant opportunity that is open to everyone right now. On the next phase of AI-driven shopping, Finley sees evolution rather than revolution, building on trends already visible in social commerce, with better information and longer, more specific consumer searches becoming the norm.