Recap Of The ReThink Productivity Forum 2026

22nd September 2026

On 10th September, we held the ReThink Productivity Forum 2026 at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham.

As the UK’s ultimate productivity gathering, it’s an event that brings together business professionals to discuss and learn to overcome today’s business challenges.

This year was our biggest event yet, with the theme, “The ReThink Six Golden Rules to Maximise Store Performance” from our first Retail Report. We highlighted three of our golden rules with expert input and insights from business leaders who have faced the challenges and made improvements. We covered:

1. Rethinking efficiency – “Efficiency should free up capacity for better service and selling, not squeeze it out”
2. Managing capacity intelligently – “Capacity, when deployed intelligently, is not a cost but an investment”
3. Deploying technology pragmatically – “Technology should amplify human capability, not complicate it”

Key takeaways

We were delighted to welcome a fantastic line-up of guest speakers, who shared valuable insights and experiences. With so much packed into the day, it’s always valuable to reflect and revisit the topics we explored:

• Artificial Intelligence – AI can be used intelligently to enhance productivity and support your teams
• Technology implementation – Businesses must adopt a holistic approach, not simply implement “tech for tech’s sake”. Think about the journey and have a clear roadmap of what you want to achieve
• Improving performance – Throughout the day, we used Slido to gain audience insights. When asked, “What one thing would help you improve store performance?”, an overwhelming response was “Simplicity”
• Communicate with your team – Bring people into the process early to build trust and avoid uncertainty. Be open, honest and timely in your communication, particularly when change brings both improvements and challenges. Setting clear expectations helps people understand what to expect and builds confidence in the process 
• Managing capacity – As one of our golden rules, this was a hot topic throughout the day. Investing in capacity when you expect it to be busy helps you meet demand, increases sales, eases pressure on teams and boosts overall performance
• Early engagement – Involve teams from the outset and give them a voice in the change. Working closely with those on the front line can turn them into positive advocates for your business
• Challenge yourself – Don’t do things a certain way just because “That’s how we’ve always done it”. Challenge, simplify and improve
• Get out there – Get stuck in to the workings of your business and see it first-hand; data is great, and knowledge of how your teams operate in real life is also key
• Ownership – Knowing your role means knowing where you add value. When everyone owns their contribution, the business moves forward

Feedback

Hearing such positive feedback is always a highlight for our team. 

• “I always love these events, mainly because everyone’s so friendly, but also, the atmosphere. You can just geek out with people – people that love productivity, people that understand it, and you can talk shop.”
• “For me, the most valuable thing has been speaking to other people in the industry. Networking, obviously, but also learning from other businesses and hearing about the things they’re doing that, hopefully, we can take back in our offices.”
• “Really, really interesting. It’s really engaging – the speakers have been great and it blends well with merging the store conversion, along with productivity in store, to elevate store experience”

We’re delighted to see the Productivity Forum go from strength to strength each year. So much so that next year’s date is already set – and registration is now open.

Taking place on Wednesday 8th September at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham, we look forward to seeing you at the ReThink Productivity Forum 2027!

Register now to save your spot.