Autumn Fair Unveils Full Counter Talks Programme as Retail Experts Prepare to Tackle the Issues Shaping the Season Ahead

26 Aug 2026

Autumn Fair has unveiled the full programme for its new Counter Talks Stage, bringing four days of free talks, workshops, live conversations and expert advice to the NEC Birmingham from 6-9 September 2026.

The finalised programme brings together leading names from across retail, buying, technology, social media, visual merchandising, licensing, business strategy and consumer trends including Buy Women Built, Google, Faire, Retail Huddle, BIRA, George at ASDA, and Jeff Banks, with sessions designed to give retailers the practical ideas and inspiration they can take straight back to their businesses.

The programme responds directly to the challenges and opportunities highlighted in the Voices of Retail 2026 report from Spring & Autumn Fair and Faire, which surveyed 650 independent retailers and more than 2,000 UK consumers. The report identified changing consumer behaviour, retail crime, pressure on margins as key issues for today's retailers, and the growing importance of experience, storytelling, community and digital engagement.

Sessions putting the spotlight on the issues retailers need to know about now

The completed programme adds a host of new sessions to the Counter Talks line-up, including Gift Of The Year: Discover the Award-Winning Products Shaping Retail, giving buyers a first look at award-winning products and the trends and ideas behind them.

The stage will tackle one of the biggest issues facing retailers with Tackling Retail Crime: How to Reduce Theft and Protect Your People, bringing together Lisa Maslen, Superintendent at City of London Police, and Andrew Goodacre, CEO of BIRA, alongside Jackson Szabo of Hyve Group. The session will explore practical ways retailers can respond to theft and protect both their teams and businesses.

Digital growth is another major theme, with new sessions including a fireside chat with Tom Gatenby, Co-Founder of Shopify agency Squashed Pixel and Matthew Mein, Event Director of Autumn Fair, exploring how retailers can attract customers, convert shoppers and turn their online presence into a stronger driver of growth.

Google returns with practical sessions designed to help businesses make better use of digital tools, including Practical AI for Your Business and Build Your Business Online with Google, while Google: Social Media Masterclass will explore how AI can help retailers identify trends, develop social strategies and create content more efficiently.

From the shop floor to the screen: practical ideas for every retailer

The wider Counter Talks programme brings together an equally strong line-up of practical sessions for retailers. John Abbate, Economic Growth Lead for High Streets at Westminster City Council and visual merchandising expert, will reveal simple changes retailers can make to transform their stores and customer experience, while Elyse McAvoy of Faire will share the latest consumer insights, buying behaviours and product trends in The Independent Signal: Growth Strategies & Trends Shaping the Season Ahead.

Licensing International's Steve Manners will explore how retailers can unlock new opportunities through licensed products, from major entertainment properties to emerging trends, while social media strategist Alison Battisby of Avocado Social will tackle social advertising, content and the growing opportunities presented by live shopping.

From Buy Women Built to Buying & Beyond

The programme also puts community, collaboration and smarter buying firmly on the agenda. A new Buy Women Built panel, Building a Business Customers Come Back To, will bring together founders Laura Rudoe of Evolve Beauty and Jennifer Bailey of Calla Shoes, alongside Spring Fair's Event Director Fay Tranter, to explore how businesses can build trust, loyalty and customer connection through storytelling and authentic brand experiences.

Autumn Fair has partnered with Buying & Beyond, founded by former senior buyers Katy Norton and Lynsey Abbott, who between them have more than 30 years' buying experience across retailers including Accessorize, M&S, Moonpig, Hobbycraft and Dobbies Garden Centres.

The partnership will see Buying & Beyond host a live podcast on the Counter Talks Stage, The Secrets Behind How the Smartest Retailers Stay Ahead, exploring how leading buyers find inspiration, spot emerging trends and discover opportunities beyond algorithms and screens.

Buying & Beyond will host a Buyers Meet Up in The Clubhouse on Tuesday 8 September, giving buyers the chance to network with their peers, and will offer exclusive 1-to-1 mentoring sessions for retailers, buyers and brands looking for tailored advice on product ranges, margins and commercial growth.

Book your place on The Buyers Meet Up

New sessions bring fresh thinking on growth, digital commerce and customer trust

The agenda has been expanded with a trio of new sessions tackling some of the biggest opportunities for retailers looking to scale, build digital sales and strengthen customer relationships. From One to Many: How Independent Retailers Scale into Chains with Alex Schlagman, founder of Save The High Street explores the journey from independent business to multi-site growth, offering a timely look at what it takes to move beyond a single store and build a successful retail operation at scale. Meanwhile, The 7-Figure TikTok Shop Playbook turns the spotlight on the explosive potential of social commerce, giving retailers insight into how TikTok Shop can become a serious sales and growth channel.

Trust First: Turning Service Platforms into Marketplaces Customers Use with Anooj Sridhar from Esetrix, Emma Grant from Checkatrade, and Chris Dawson from ChannelX will examine the importance of trust, customer experience and community in creating platforms that people actively choose to use.

Live commerce comes to The Clubhouse

Adding a digital dimension to the Autumn Fair experience, Whatnot will bring live commerce to life at The Clubhouse in Hall 9, giving retailers and brands the opportunity to see the platform in action and explore how live selling can help them reach new audiences, move more stock and build engaged online communities. Throughout the show, Whatnot sellers will broadcast live from the space, showcasing products and sharing their expertise in real time, while visitors can meet the Whatnot team, watch experienced sellers and discover how to get started themselves.

During the Whatnot Takeover After Party on Monday 7 September, 4-8pm, The Clubhouse will become a hands-on live commerce experience. Visitors can have a go at selling live themselves with 1-to-1 support from the Whatnot team, alongside food, drinks and a DJ. With spaces limited, visitors can sign up to save their spot and experience live selling first-hand.

Sign up for Whatnot Takeover

Pitch Live moves into the morning

Autumn Fair's popular Pitch Live competition returns with a new morning timeslot, taking place at 11am across the first three days of the show. Fashion, Accessories & Jewellery will pitch on Sunday 6 September, Home & Gift on Monday 7 September, and Kids, Toy, Play & Clothing on Tuesday 8 September.

The earlier format is designed to give shortlisted brands greater visibility and allow buyers to continue conversations, visit stands and potentially place orders throughout the day.

Judges include Jeff Banks from Jeff Banks London; Estella Arroyo, Head of Design, George at Asda; Judy Bendall, Head of Retail at Blenheim Palace; Joanne Barker, Founder of Hettie & Sid; Ami Rabheru, Retail Strategist and Founder of Retail Huddle and a former Retail Buyer for M&S, Next & Tesco;

Retail Huddle Live brings the programme to a close

The final day of Autumn Fair will see Retail Huddle Live x Autumn Fair take over the Counter Talks Stage on Wednesday 9 September, bringing its Join the Conversation format to the show with a morning of honest discussions, interactive workshops, shared learning and practical advice for founders, retailers and buyers. Designed to help businesses trade smarter, grow with confidence and plan for profit, the programme tackles the commercial issues that matter now, from securing retail listings and maximising sell-through to building profitable seasonal ranges, using AI and digital tools, strengthening visual merchandising and communicating sustainability with impact.

The morning will feature six expert-led sessions across two blocks, with three sessions beginning at 10.30am and three more at 11.30am. The 10.30am line-up includes Toyin Laketu, Creative Business Consultant and Founder of Onwards and Up, exploring practical AI skills for business, Laura Harrison, Retail Specialist and Planning Strategist, on building a seasonal plan that drives profit, and Natasha Birk, Head of Product & Ecommerce at FlightStory (home of The Diary Of A CEO), leading a workshop on unlocking growth through small, strategic improvements to conversion, retention and the customer journey.

At 11.30am, Rachel Sheila Kan, Ecosystem Architect and Founder of The Ecosystem Incubator, Circular Earth and Real Circularity, will explore communicating sustainability stories, Ami Rabheru, former retail buyer for M&S, Next & Tesco, Retail Strategist and Founder of Retail Huddle, will share her retail buying expertise on winning more retail listings, while visual merchandising specialist Sarah Manning will lead a practical visual merchandising workshop focused on boosting sales.

From 12.30-1.30pm, The Huddle: Networking & Drop In will give visitors the chance to pause, connect and continue the conversation, with founders, retailers and buyers able to meet the hosts and industry experts, ask questions and pick up a free Digital SWAG Bag packed with resources and guides from Retail Huddle and its hosts. Spaces are limited, so retailers are encouraged to book their sessions in advance and make the final day of Autumn Fair count.

Book at Retail Huddle Sessions

Get more from your visit

Alongside the free Counter Talks programme, retailers attending Autumn Fair can access free 1-to-1 mentoring sessions in The Clubhouse with experienced retail experts, offering personalised advice on everything from product ranges and store design to sales, strategy and business growth. Spaces are limited and visitors must be registered to secure a session.

Register for Mentor Sessions

Centre Stage at Glee

Alongside Autumn Fair, co-located show Glee, the UK's leading garden and outdoor living trade show, will also launch an expanded content programme for 2026 focused on the future of garden retail, hospitality and operational growth.

Glee's content offering will include the return of Centre Stage, featuring keynote sessions and industry discussions exploring topics including garden retail performance, operational productivity, sustainability, talent challenges and the role of data in modern retail.

A new Feed Your Business Stage will focus specifically on food, beverage and hospitality innovation, helping garden retailers unlock new revenue opportunities through evolving customer expectations and experience-led retail. The programme will feature sessions with leading industry names including David Robinson, Chief Executive of Dobbies Garden Centres, George Hillier, Chairman of Hillier Nurseries, and Sam Dickson, Managing Director of Squires Garden Centres.

Matthew Mein, Event Director at Autumn Fair & Glee, said,

"We want Autumn Fair and Glee to be more than a place to discover great products, they should give retailers the ideas, insight and connections they need to make better decisions for their businesses. This year, there is an incredible breadth of expertise and inspiration across the shows, from the Counter Talks programme and Retail Huddle Live to Buying & Beyond, mentoring, live commerce and the wider opportunities to connect with fellow retailers and industry experts. Whether you're looking for new products, fresh ideas, practical solutions or simply a different perspective, there is something for every retailer to take away and put into action. We're particularly excited about the new partnerships and formats that make the show more interactive, relevant and valuable for our visitors."

All exhibitors and visitors to Autumn Fair & Glee benefit from free parking at the NEC.

View Autumn Fair

Source: Autumn Fair