This week, more than 2,500 people attended the Retail Week Tech Conference, partnered by Boots UK. Among them were 20 Boots colleagues, including 10 Boots Graduates who joined the business in September.
The Tech conference is a collaboration between Retail Week and World Retail Congress, who created the conference as a two day festival of digital retailing and the technology driving it.
At the event, the audience is set the challenge to join forces to work out how they will not only survive the digital revolution, but thrive. It works by putting the most disruptive thinkers under the spotlight - from the companies that are revolutionising their industries, to the tech firms creating the most innovative of products.
There is also an element of co-creation, as teams will be taking part in tech sprints throughout the conference to come up with innovative ideas. Stephen Boothroyd, Senior Enterprise Architect – Strategy and Architecture for Boots, joined this judging panel for the Tech sprint, where teams competed over a 24 hour period to find a solution/solutions to the question: How can retail reduce its carbon footprint through technology?
Stephen, said: “All retailers understand of the importance of digital transformation and the impact that it already having on the sector. What’s exciting is how we now embrace new technological developments to make experiences for our customers and colleagues better both in stores and online. Retail Week Tech is a great way to gather all of the leading business together to highlight best practice and look to future innovations. We’re pleased to be able to partner this conference, and particularly to be able to invite so many of our graduates who are just starting out on their retail careers to stretch their thinking around innovative new technology opportunities.”