Boden talks AI adoption and future trends in brand’s first ever Roadshow: Behind the Screens event
British clothing retailer Boden has hosted its first ever AI Roadshow: Behind the Screens event. In a LinkedIn post, it said: "AI is everywhere right now. And at Boden, it’s moved well beyond a future focus. People are already using it in different corners of the business, so last week we wanted to create some space for everyone to see what that actually looks like."
It added: "We hosted our first AI Roadshow: Behind the Screens. For 90 minutes, teams set up stalls around our Great Hall and showed how they’re using AI day-to-day. There were demos, questions, conversations and plenty of curiosity. From design to supply chain planning and data tools, it was a chance to see real examples rather than hear someone talk about them."
"People wandered between stalls, asked questions they might not have asked in a larger session, and swapped ideas with colleagues they wouldn't normally work with. We even had our founder, Johnnie Boden, spend time making his way around every stall and have a go at one of our AI games."
Claudia Harris, CEO at Makers, and AI consultant, Phil Hayes, were also in attendance for a fireside chat on AI adoption and what work might look like in the years ahead. "It was a great opportunity to slow the pace down and give our teams the chance to hear from the experts who offer a different perspective to this space," Boden commented.
It concluded: "A huge thank you to everyone helped set up the day, who hosted a stall, or came along to learn something new. The event lasted a day but the conversations seem to be sticking around a bit longer, which was exactly the point."
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.
