Retail Technology Show 2026 conference review: Ryan den Rooijen talks real-world AI applications at Currys

Artificial intelligence (AI) was much discussed at Retail Technology Show 2026 in London last week. There are plenty of shiny, happy solutions out there, but making the technology pay in real-world applications is the challenge. Ryan den Rooijen, Managing Director of AI & Monetisation at Currys, is tasked with doing this, principally via retail media sales.   

“Unusually, AI isn’t business first. It’s consumer first in its adoption,” he said on the opening day of RTS 2026 on 22nd April. “It’s being reversed into our organisation now.”

The two principal applications at present are more efficiency and process focused than revenue raising opportunities. Currys has action AI hand devices in stores, for example, that help staff answer consumer queries more quickly and fully, “with appropriate training” and they use AI in better understanding customer sentiment to aid personalisation in service applications and marketing. AI can help with stock too, added den Rooijen.

“We’re obsessed with feedback,” he said in conversation with the moderator of the Supernova stage at RTS 2026, Kate Hardcastle, a well known broadcaster and industry expert. “We don’t have to go through sheets and sheets of information anymore to get the (sentiment) data we want.”    

“The challenge is how to monetise this information? Currys has a deep understanding of technology (as an electrical retailer) and of our customers. We get lots of demand signals from our website and stores. Manufacturers would like to know this data.” This means retail media is the revenue raising opportunity.

“In Europe we are not as far down the road as the US is on this journey,” said the former Google executive, who is a technology enthusiast that went on to work for Dyson, “with a more product focused lens” and in luxury retail in the Middle East.

“On our website ads aren’t random. Certain demographics can be targeted (if we master the data). The opportunity as a ‘publisher’ is interesting I think. But we’re only two out of five at the moment in how far advanced we are on this journey.”

“I used to work for pureplay tech firms so know it’s the data that gives us the opportunity. For example, when a family grow we can see the progression (in their buying habits). That is useful data. It is not just ‘eyeballs’. We will win if we’re focused and on top of the data. I’m not pretending we’re there yet but AI will help us.”

A bucket list of wishes     

den Rooijen listed three key things that Currys does, namely its “buckets” as he called them:

• Selling fridges and goods: This is very competitive low margin business.

• Selling services: This includes after care warranties, repairs and renovation services for old goods that can be refurbished. The latter is particularly useful in aiding the sustainability of electrical goods and as a revenue raiser during the present cost of living crisis. “It also drives customer loyalty and lifetime value.”

• Serve and understand its customers: This is an unconstrained opportunity. It includes the retail media opportunity.

 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.