Retail Technology Show 2025 review: panel considers lessons learned during difficult years

An all female panel at Retail Technology Show 2025 considered the challenges facing leadership in retail and looked back on learning from the past few years as upheaval continues.

Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO and Interim Chief People Officer at Rohlik Group, said: ““Online grocery business is booming,” she noted as the company recently announced plans to bring Marks and Spencer to Europe, and launched in Romania last month.

However she also observed that there is still a huge amount of change and upheaval in the sector. “It’s a tough environment,” she added. “2023 was a really hard year,” she said, noting the particular struggles of inflation and a stall in online grocery sales.

Bajaj admitted some regrets about this period, though she said lessons would be learned for the future. “Our ethos is communicating what we are doing and why,” she added.

Leading by example is another principle Bajaj lives by, often demonstrating to colleagues how she is using new technology to make tasks easier for herself. “I like to show them how to work smarter, not harder,” she explained. “Augmenting parts of the process will make their lives easier.” 

Maria Hollins, CEO at Ann Summers, has also had experience of managing redundancies. “It’s about being transparent and making sure they understand,” she shared. She also noted the importance of shared values when leading a team. “Our staff love Ann Summers because they can turn up to work as themselves,” Hollins said.

The company has also faced its share of struggles in recent years. “Ann Summers is classed as an adult retailer, and that comes with challenges,” she said, noting issues with Google search results and adverts on Meta.

In response, Ann Summers tried toning down its content to find a way around the restrictions. “It was the wrong thing to do,” MH explained. “It confused our customers, and it didn’t actually gain us any traction.”

Since then, it has returned to its roots and has found more success as a result. Last year, the company reported a 1,258% increase in online visibility. Ann Summers recently announced plans to expand into the Middle East through a partnership with Liwa Trading Enterprises. “The biggest lesson was to not try to be something you’re not.”

Penny Grivea, former Managing Director, UK & Ireland, at Rituals, noted the importance of communication with staff, particularly through periods of change. “As a leader, what doesn’t change is the need for emotional intelligence,” she explained.

The wellbeing brand prides itself on its calming in-store experience. It has been using a tool called SpeakAp to streamline internal communication and assist with training. “It was brilliant,” she said, noting that the app allowed them to train staff on the details of new products and offers while still keeping a presence on the shop floor.  

Rituals recently announced a partnership with RELEX Solutions to use the company’s technology across its stores, e-commerce site, product distribution and production operations.

It tries to bring the calming atmosphere of its stores into all of its work, often starting meetings with breathwork and adding reminders to drink water to their staff screensavers. “It’s about living the brand,” Grivea explained, adding that SpeakAp had helped add a sense of community to their teams.

Looking back on the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Grivea has some regrets around waiting for guidance and clarity from the government before making the decision to close stores. “We talk a lot about consistency,” she explained. “But we probably closed too late.”

Rituals worked hard to build back trust with its staff over lockdown and Grivea was happy to find that thanks to these efforts, staff were enthusiastic and excited ahead of reopening. “They couldn’t wait to get back,” she said.