Shoptalk Europe 2026 Unveils AI-Focused Agenda and Elevate

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Thursday, 14 May 2026

The Shoptalk Europe 2026 has released its full agenda for the event in 2026 that will bring together more than 180 speakers as well as senior executives from across Europe and beyond. The event is set to take place on June 9-11, 2026 at the Fira Gran via in Barcelona, Spain, which will have a large impact on Europe’s retail and consumer products industry.

The event will provide an opportunity to explore new ways for retailers and brands to leverage artificial intelligence every day while protecting their product’s  authenticity and keeping their customer’s  trust – two essential characteristics for long-term success within the retail and consumer products sector.

This year’s agenda will feature speakers who are senior executives, including 68% from the C-Suite or above. The conference will provide a reasonable basis for making decisions about the value of AI by building measurable business results, demonstrating how retailers can implement scalable operating models, and leading the charge to transform how companies lead.

The speaker lineup includes executives and senior leaders from leading global brands include Zalando, Arc'teryx, Christian Louboutin, Vestiaire Collective, John Lewis & Partners, Estée Lauder Companies, Sephora, TikTok Shop, and Boots.

Key Highlights

• AI transformation strategies dominate major retail leadership discussions
• More than 180 speakers confirmed across three-day industry gathering
• Elevate series launched exclusively for senior women executives

A major addition to the 2026 edition is the launch of Elevate, a new leadership program focused on the unique leadership experiences of senior women within retail and consumer goods. The program is based on a successful pilot that took place at Shoptalk Luxe and will now launch in Barcelona with three invite-only sessions for each of the 40 senior women in attendance.

Senior women executives from various sectors in the retail and consumer goods industries, including groceries, fast-moving consumer products (FMCG), fashion, beauty, and consumer electronics, will be featured in the Elevate program. Each session is focused on common leadership challenges from business transformation, business growth and innovation.

Marcella Wartenbergh, former CEO of the AWWG, will lead a session called “Leading Through Transformation: Influencing Change in Complex Retail and Consumer Brand Organizations” on 9 June. This session will cover how leaders can establish credibility, influence stakeholders, and drive AI-enabled business transformations within organizations within complex organisations.

The following day, Céline Del Genes and Paula Bobbett will host a leadership-focused session examining resilience, accountability and people-first leadership during periods of rapid change and commercial pressure.