British Retail Consortium bags Mary Portas to open BRC Leaders Summer School in June

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) reports that Mary Portas, widely known as Mary, Queen of Shops, will open BRC Leaders Summer School this June.

She will speak to retail delegates about the growing divide between retailers competing on price and operational efficiency alone, and those building long-term cultural relevance through values, community and purpose. Portas describes this as the difference between selling to people and truly connecting with them.

Her session will set the tone for the BRC Learning’s flagship development programme which equips mid-level retail leaders to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape, shaped by shifting consumer priorities and changing shopping behaviours.

From her early role transforming Harvey Nichols, to government commissioned reviews of the British high street, Portas has consistently argued that retail is a reflection how society is feeling, and a force than can influence it.

BRC Learning is the development arm of the BRC. It runs various programmes for retail leaders at every stage of their career, including BRC Leaders Summer School, Retail Masters, Leadership Essentials, and Commercial Acumen for Retail Managers. The BRC Leaders Summer School has helped develop and train over 20,000 managers and leaders in the retail industry.

Other speakers this year include Paul Anderson‑Walsh (Enolla Consulting), Alicia Carey (Hawkwood College), Evelina Dzimanaviciute (Elite Mind), Erinch Sahan (DEAL), Rob Ben Jackson (Wickes), Ruth Andrade and Ramsha Khan (LUSH), Dan Jenkins (Timpson), Becky West (Pret), Rob Sutton (Trueplace Consulting), Debbie Frearson (Thrive), Christian Jermyn (Seasalt Cornwall) and Dan Craig (Retail Trust).

Portas says: “The retailers planting roots right now in their communities are the ones who’ll still be standing in ten years. The ones still asking how cheap, how fast, how much can we squeeze out, are running a different race entirely. Summer School is exactly where that honest conversation needs to happen, and I’m looking forward part of it.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium, says: “Authentic agile leadership is more important than ever: in a world of fast-moving trends, geopolitical volatility, and rising costs, uncertainty is the only guarantee.”

“Mary has built her career anticipating the structural shifts before the wider industry catches up, which is why I am so pleased she will open our 2026 Summer School leadership programme. She sets the exact tone we need for leaders of the future: thoughtful, challenging, and rooted in a clear vision of what great retailing looks like.”

Vicki Young, Head of Learning at BRC, says: "Summer School is built around the belief that the best retail leaders are made through challenge, exposure to different thinking, and time to step back from the day job. Opening the week with Mary signals to every leader who joins us that this isn't a programme that will let them coast. She is going to make them question some of the assumptions they walked in with - which is exactly what great development should do."

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Physical retail 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.