Spring Fair 2027 has announced the first speakers for its new Heart of Retail Stage, alongside the launch of 10 editorial tracks that will shape the show’s content programme, giving retailers four days of insight, challenge and practical thinking around the issues shaping the industry.
Taking place at NEC Birmingham from 7th – 10th February 2027, Spring Fair is spotlighting people and the conversations that matter to retail in its 2027 programme. The new Heart of Retail Stage in Hall 5 will provide an intimate, executive setting for high-level, unfiltered conversations with some of the industry’s most influential leaders, exploring the decisions, pivots, challenges and resilience behind the headlines.
The first wave of speakers brings together some of the biggest names across retail, independent business, garden and the high street, with each conversation offering a different perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
Monday 8th February: THE NEXT CHAPTER OF DEBENHAMS: Dan Finley, Group Chief Executive Officer of Debenhams Group, will share the story behind the reinvention of one of Britain’s most recognisable retail brands. In The Next Chapter of Debenhams, Dan will explore the retailer’s transformation into a digital marketplace, the role of AI and technology in shaping its future, and what the next chapter holds for Debenhams and the wider retail industry.
BUILDING BLUE DIAMOND: Alan Roper, CEO of Blue Diamond Garden Centres, will share the story behind the group’s remarkable growth and his perspective on leadership, physical retail and building the teams that will drive its next chapter. His session will explore what it takes to grow a major retail business while maintaining a strong customer proposition and a clear sense of purpose.
RETAIL IS THE HEARTBEAT OF THE ECONOMY: Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium, will examine retail’s role in the UK’s future. Helen will explore how the sector is changing, the opportunities it creates for high streets and the wider economy, and what retailers need to succeed against a backdrop of shifting consumer habits and continued economic pressure.
Tuesday 9th February: INDEPENDENT AT HEART: Emma Jones CBE, Small Business Commissioner, will turn the spotlight firmly onto the UK’s independent businesses. Emma will draw on her experience building and championing small businesses, alongside her role as Small Business Commissioner, to explore what small retailers and brands need to thrive today. From fair payment and cash flow to confidence and growth, the session will examine how businesses can build resilience and what needs to change to create an environment in which SMEs can succeed.
Wednesday 10th February: SPRING FAIR 2027’S CLOSING CONVERSATION: A LOVE LETTER TO RETAIL: Bringing the 2027 programme to a close on Wednesday 10th February, Theo Paphitis, retail entrepreneur and TV Dragon, Chairman and Owner of Ryman, Robert Dyas, Boux Avenue and London Graphic Centre, and founder of #SBS Small Business Sunday, will deliver a personal Love Letter to Retail. After decades spent championing the high street and building some of Britain’s best-known retail businesses, Theo will reflect on the leadership lessons and entrepreneurial mindset behind his career, offering an honest perspective on the challenges facing the industry, and why he remains such a passionate believer in its future.
Alongside the first speaker announcement, Spring Fair has revealed the 10 topics that will run across its wider content programme, creating a framework for exploring the issues most relevant to retailers and the wider industry.
- Leading with Heart will focus on the people shaping retail, from founders and CEOs to leadership, resilience, strategy, culture and purpose. What’s Next will look ahead to AI, automation, structural change, future consumers and the next decade of retail.
- The Customer will explore buying psychology, changing expectations, loyalty, community and trust, while Grow will focus on the ideas driving commercial performance, from buying and merchandising to profitability and partnerships.
- For those looking for what is changing next, New & Next will explore trend forecasting, emerging brands, innovation, colour and materials. Ideas Into Reality will examine design thinking, creativity, storytelling, craftsmanship and experience.
- The human side of retail comes through in Better Together, exploring brand storytelling, loyalty, creators, culture and partnerships, while Human + AI will examine how retailers can use technology with purpose, from practical AI and digital transformation to cybersecurity and innovation.
- Retail with Purpose will address sustainability, circularity, ethics, responsible retail, longevity and purpose, while Championing Independents will celebrate the businesses that make retail extraordinary, exploring how independents can buy smarter, compete differently, create compelling experiences and build loyal communities.
Fay Tranter, Event Director, Spring Fair says, “The conversations happening in retail right now are bigger than products and trends. They are about leadership, growth, people, technology, community and the future of our industry. We wanted the 2027 content programme to reflect that, bringing together voices who can challenge thinking, share what they have learned and give retailers something genuinely useful to take away. The Heart of Retail Stage is particularly exciting because it creates space for honest conversations with people who have lived through change and are shaping what comes next. Alongside our 10 topics and four stages, we’re creating a programme that we hope will give every visitor a reason to stop, listen, question and leave with a new idea.”
Further speakers and programme details will be announced in the coming months.
Spring Fair 2027 takes place at NEC Birmingham from 7–10 February 2027. Registration is free for retail buyers and industry professionals at www.springfair.com
