Retail leaders enter 2026 under growing pressure to prove that growth investments are delivering measurable return.
Margins are tighter, consumers are more value-conscious, and trade spend is under scrutiny. Boards are asking harder questions of every pricing move, promotion, loyalty initiative, and AI investment. In this environment, leaders need to know whether strategies translate into return rather than assumed impact.
Georgina Nelson, CEO and Founder of TruRating, is joined by Simon Hay, former CEO of dunnhumby and one of the pioneers of data-driven retail at a global scale. From founding dunnhumbyUSA through its partnership with Kroger to leading the business as Group CEO, Simon has spent four decades helping major retailers and CPGs translate customer intelligence into sustained, board-level growth.
Together, they discussed: ✅ The intelligence needed to ensure ROI on promotion and loyalty investments ✅ The implications of scaling AI and data strategies without evidence ✅ How to validate growth initiatives earlier and reduce capital allocation risk ✅ Why real-time in-store feedback is becoming critical to commercial strategy This session is for retail leaders responsible for capital allocation, loyalty strategy, AI investment, and enterprise growth. It examines how to turn customer data and performance intelligence into disciplined decisions that build long-term value rather than short-term volume shifts.
