Executives from VF Corporation, Lululemon, Adidas and Ulta Beauty outlined how retailers are navigating simultaneous transformation and near-term pressure, while balancing long-term strategy with rapid shifts in consumer behaviour, technology and global markets.
In a keynote interview, Bracken Darrell, president & CEO of VF Corporation, emphasised that even in turnaround situations, leaders must take a long-term view, starting with protecting the core value of the business: its brands.
“At the end of the day, brand equity is the most valuable thing in this company. So, protecting that and respecting that and learning about it and really believing in it and becoming a passionate advocate for each one of the brands has to be where it starts,” he said.
Darrell highlighted the importance of prioritising transformation, focusing on resetting cost structures, strengthening product innovation and building a more effective marketing engine. He also pointed to AI as a significant opportunity, while cautioning against short-term hype cycles, and stressed that as technology accelerates change, retail must double down on human, real-world experiences.
The fast-changing consumer was the focus of a second session moderated by Evan Sheehan, Global Retail, Wholesale & Distribution and Consumer Products Leader at Deloitte, where leaders explored how shifting expectations around wellness, personalisation, and community are redefining retail.
Rachel Acheson, SVP, chief strategy officer at Lululemon, said brands must go beyond observing trends and instead immerse themselves in the lifestyles they serve, pointing to the importance of real-world engagement in driving innovation.
“We have been really working to create these immersive experiences for cross-functional innovation and product teams, where we take them out into the community, they spend the week doing classes, talking to ambassadors, talking to instructors, talking to guests, watching what people are wearing, and it has been transformational for the innovation process,” she said.
She outlined how Lululemon embeds this philosophy across its organisation, from hiring and employee programs to community-led innovation, while maintaining a clear long-term strategy and the discipline to prioritise and adapt.
For Adidas, Alexandra von der Gruen, VP retail and franchise Europe, highlighted the growing importance of localisation as a key element of personalisation, with stores playing a central role in delivering relevant, experience-led retail.
“Before talking about personalisation, I think it’s about localisation. Our stores are the place where people experience the brand and where they interact with the brand, and it’s more and more relevant to have the right assortment where people are looking for it and when they are looking for it,” she said.
She emphasised the need for speed, resilience and empowering local teams to respond to changing consumer demand, noting that agility is now a core capability as plans increasingly require constant adjustment.
A consistent theme emerging across the Congress was that while technology, including AI, will continue to reshape retail, competitive advantage will come from combining that innovation with clear brand identity and an authentic human connection.
