Retail Technology Show 2026 ramps up focus on innovation as it returns to London ExCel in April

With a month to go until Retail Technology Show 2026 takes place in London, the event has announced a series of new innovation led features.

Returning to ExCeL on 22nd and 23 April with a new disco theme, RTS is promising its biggest ever technology showcase, highlighting a hotbed of disruptive innovation from over 450 exhibitors.   

Underpinning cyber resilience with technology

The National Cyber Security Centre handled four major cyber incidents a week in 2025, including major high profile hacks at M&S and Co-op, catapulting cyber resilience onto boardroom agendas. 

Recent RTS research also showed one in three customers have been directly impacted by cybercrime, prompting widespread security wariness among shoppers with 76% viewing cyberattacks as a growing threat. 

New for 2026, RTS’ Cyber & Loss Prevention Zone will feature cutting-edge innovation to help retailers navigate rising cyber risk. The zone will spotlight solutions from intelligence and digital forensics firms, including ESET and First Response Europe, to loss prevention technology such as QuantumEye and Sensormatic, as well as innovations like Reveal Media, which uses body cams to improve safety. 

Real-world AI delivering real-world results

AI will remain a central theme running across the RTS’ 2026 show floor, but with a focus on AI maturity that helps retailers turn hype into execution as business and consumer adoption rapidly increases.

Connected store technology Vusion will spotlight its vision for the connected shelf, while Invent.ai will unveil new multi-agentic capabilities for inventory optimisation, and smart comms solutions, including x-hoppers, will demonstrate how AI can transform employee and customer experiences while driving operational efficiencies.

Startups

Once again, RTS will shine a light on the disruptive and transformative tech coming out of the fast paced startup community, with a dedicated zone featuring 16 scale-up technologies pushing the innovation envelope. 

WeComm unveils Future of Retail LIVE Lounge

WeComm will launch its Future of Retail LIVE Lounge at RTS, giving senior retail leaders exclusive access to the innovations shaping the industry. Designed for its Future of Retail community, the lounge will host an intimate, C-suite-focused “conference within a conference” at the heart of the show.

Running across both days, the programme will feature interactive workshops, expert insight sessions, and tech tours led by IGD’s Toby Pickard, alongside priority access to headline speaker sessions on the Supernova Stage.

The 2026 Innovation Awards

RTS’ Innovation Awards once again celebrate standout solutions from across the expo floor.  Handpicked by a judging panel of retail experts, including retail influencer Andrew Busby and Retail Disrupted’s Natalie Berg, the shortlist highlights ten top solutions which track ahead of the hype curve.

This year, retailers will be treated to an exclusive preview of the Innovation Awards finalists on a Top Innovations Tour, hosted by Oliver Banks. Taking place on both days of the show at 11am and running for an hour, the tour will explore the top ten shortlisted solutions, highlighting where new capabilities are reshaping retail performance.

“The speed of transformation is moving at unprecedented pace - and that’s why innovation and tech advancement sit right at the heart of RTS,” says Matt Bradley, Founder and Event Director at RTS.  “This year, we’re bringing even more of that unmissable innovation, fresh features that spotlight the tech that’s pushing boundaries and new ways for retailers to discover and connect with impactful solutions.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.