Endless Aisle Live makes its return to London this month

Retail leaders know all too well that time is their most valuable currency. Between high-stakes decisions, team management, and navigating an ever-shifting landscape, stepping away from the day-to-day for an industry event is a gamble. It needs to pay back in real insight, not in glossy pitches or recycled talking points.

This is precisely where the swiftly approaching Endless Aisle Live London event, owned and operated by unified commerce experts NewStore, looks to set itself apart. Taking place on May 15 at Underbelly Boulevard in Soho, the 2025 edition builds on the momentum and success of previous years but promises even richer content, sharper discussions, and immersive experiences tailored specifically to today’s most urgent retail challenges.

This year’s speaker line-up features some of the sector’s most forward-thinking leaders, ready to explore everything from omnichannel transformation to operational innovation. Attendees can look forward to insights from Claudia Nappo, chief operating officer at LK Bennett, and James Reid, chief technology officer at Clarks. Leah Uka, chief brand officer at Jewells, will also speak, along with Kasey Swithenbank, head of retail at LUSH.

Joining them on stage are the likes of Richard Noon, product manager at Footasylum; Steve Borg, technology and transformation director at White Stuff; James Brazeley, enterprise architect at White Stuff; Dought Wooten, IT director at Charles Tyrwhitt; Louis Coelho, retail operations manager at Charles Tyrwhitt; Ian Hunt, director of operations and customer services at Liberty London; and Steve Worthy, founder and CEO at Worthy Retail Group.

Each will bring a unique perspective on how their organisations are tackling current retail challenges, from integrating new digital tools and improving operational efficiency to advancing sustainability and reshaping the customer experience.

Marcus LaRobardiere, vice president of marketing at NewStore, puts the intention behind the event plainly: “We have all been to events that look great on the surface but leave you feeling like you have just been sold to for a full day. Endless Aisle Live is not that. We don’t hide behind our brand. We lead with the goal of adding value and giving people something meaningful to take away.”

The concept of Endless Aisle Live emerged, LaRobardiere explains, from watching too many industry gatherings lose their spark. “There was a time when you would leave a conference energised and full of ideas,” he says. “Now, too often, people walk out wondering why they gave up their time. We wanted to build something that flipped that feeling on its head.”

Endless Aisle Live is part of a global ecosystem for retail professionals that spans  full-scale events in major hubs like London and New York to intimate in-person and virtual meet-ups across Europe and North America. Interestingly, the idea for the event series originated from the Endless Aisle Podcast, hosted by LaRobardiere and retail industry expert Ian Scott. First launched in 2020, the podcast was created as a platform for retail leaders to share lessons learned and stories from the field. Endless Aisle Live and the accompanying meetups were conceived as a way to take those one-on-one conversations out of the studio and bring them to life in real-world settings.

What truly sets the in-person events apart is their focus on making innovation tangible. Beyond the main-stage talks, NewStore      offers behind-the-scenes access to some of London’s most innovative retail spaces. Attendees will gain practical insight into how brands are implementing solutions on the shop floor, from frictionless checkout experiences to data-driven personalisation. “It is not theoretical,” LaRobardiere says. “You get to step into these spaces and visualise the future, not in slides, but in real-life environments.”

LaRobardiere went on to stress that physical settings matter. “There is a density of innovation in London. You feel it when you walk the streets. It makes it the perfect place for meaningful conversations about where retail is going next.”

This focus on practical, real-world learning has struck a chord. LaRobardiere shared the story of the president of HANRO US, a luxury swimwear brand, who, after speaking at an Endless Aisle Live panel, was impressed and glad she had brought her entire team. “She saw the power of shared experience,” LaRobardiere says. “When you give teams a common language around innovation, it unlocks entirely new levels of thinking.”

For LaRobardiere, the heart of Endless Aisle is its community because it is a community with a purpose. “We are not interested in building a network just for the sake of having one,” he notes. “The strength of a community comes from real engagement. If people start feeling like they are just being sold to, they will walk away. We know that, and we are determined to protect the authenticity of what we are building.”

The feedback has been clear. Attendees walk away not just with new contacts, but with ideas they can immediately apply. LaRobardiere hears it time and again. “People come up to us and say, ‘This was not just another event. I learned something new, I met people who challenged my thinking, and I am bringing ideas back to my team.’ That is our true measure of success.”

Endless Aisle Live promises senior leaders a chance to step outside the noise, hear from peers, and return not just inspired, but equipped. As LaRobardiere puts it, “Success for us is not measured in sign-ups. It is when people leave asking when the next one is, when they are genuinely excited to come back. That is when we know we have delivered.”

For those ready to step into the conversation, registration is open via NewStore’s website and LinkedIn. Endless Aisle Live London on May 15 offers a rare opportunity to rethink, reconnect, and reignite what is possible in retail.

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