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About Retail Summit

The Retail Summit is one of the largest business conferences in Europe. Over 29 years it has proven to be an essential platform for meeting everyone who is interested in growing and actively contributing to the development of the Czech and Central European market.

Take a look at the key milestones of 30 years of the Retail Summit.

Why are we doing it

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We believe it makes sense

The value of personal contact is significantly growing in the digital age! You will verify here whether your company is heading in the right direction. Retail Summit acts as an accelerator of positive changes.

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We enjoy it

It is a pleasure to create a unique Retail Summit atmosphere, where the key B2C market players gain new energy, build and consolidate relationships, take inspiration, or simply improve their mood.

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We know how to do it

We have prepared 28 years of Retail Summit that is still growing – by quantity and quality. Last years event was always attended by more than thousand retailers and their suppliers. We are one of the three largest retail meetings in Europe.

What is the mission of the Retail Summit?

  • 1.

    Delivering a regular supply of informative and inspirational presentations by leading domestic and foreign entrepreneurs, managers and experts.

  • 2.

    Facilitating sharing opinions and experiences among all players in the business market – domestic and international retailers and manufacturers, both online and offline traders.

  • 3.

    Creating the ideal conditions for a variety of official and informal meetings aimed at extension of the existing cooperation or making new deals

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Who are the Summit participants?

Is this conference intended more for small or large companies? This question was already addressed in 1994 when the first annual event was being prepared. The still valid answer is that Retail Summit is for everyone who has the ambition to succeed, to improve themselves, their company, and the market environment. The size or form of company ownership doesn't matter, nor whether it operates in the "brick-and-mortar" or digital world.

Structure of participants of the last Summit

By sector specialization:
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By the position in the company:
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Feedback from participants

Organizers

The preparation of the Retail Summit is in hands of 2 entities: the Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism and the company Blue Events, which provides its secretariat and is responsible for financing and organisation of the event.

Our values and principles

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Related events

A most welcome part of the Retail Summit is the accompanying program in particular, a Gala evening, with the Mastercard Retailer of the Year Awards.

Retailer of the Year

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The first 30 years of Retail Summit at a glance

It changed the name twice, the logo three times and the venue five times. Retail Summit was involved in the expansion of the free market and the beginning of modern retail in the 1990s by opening eyes and new opportunities. Take a look at how the number of Retail Summit participants has evolved.

Total numbers till 2023:

2024

1 200+ Attendees

Main topic: Opening Minds & Markets

Prague Congress Centre

Keynote Speaker
JP Castlin

World-renowned strategist

JP Castlin
  • Albert, Lidl, Penny, Tesco and others increase wages for employees in stores
  • Another marketplace (Trendyol from Turkey) is entering the Czech Republic

2023

1 271 Attendees

Main topic: Let's bet on change

Prague Congress Centre

Keynote Speaker
Peter Hinssen

expert for innovation, nexxworks

Peter Hinssen
Nové logo
  • Coop announces plan to open 50 stores 24/7 by the end of 2024
  • Kaufland and Lidl are testing the take-back of PET bottles and cans

2022

1 094 Attendees

Main topic: Meaningful Future: Humanity, Sustainability, Efficiency

Prague Congress Centre

Keynote Speaker
Viktor Mayer-Schönberger

professor, Oxford Internet Institute

Viktor Mayer-Schönberger
  • Allegro takes over Mall Group
  • Lego opens the first own store
  • Rohlik has its 1st automated distribution center „AutoStore“

2021

1 020 Attendees

Main topic: The new retail reality. What's changing and what's staying?

3 times the date of Summit is postponed, finally it takes place in September

Prague Congress Centre

Keynote Speaker
Tomáš Čupr

founder, Rohlik Group

Tomáš Čupr
  • Launch of Primark and Action
  • Start of Wolt Market

2020

1 125 Attendees

Main topic: New Retail Ecosystem

The first Slovak New Retail Summit. An online special „Retail Summit Action“ airs in May

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Wijnand Jongen

president, Ecommerce Europe

Wijnand Jongen
  • Covid and the closure of most brick-and-mortar stores
  • A number of retailers have launched their own e-shop, such as COOP or Makro (Muj obchod)

2019

1 100 Attendees

Main topic: Customer Experience: from experience to enjoyment

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Ralf Kleber

CEO, Amazon Germany

Ralf Kleber
  • Wolt comes to the market
  • The advent of packaging-free stores

2018

1 065 Attendees

Main topic: Finding Balance in a New Market

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Albrecht Hornbach

Chairman, Hornbach

Albrecht Hornbach
  • dm drogerie launches e-shop
  • Alza opens the Store of the Future

2017

1 118 Attendees

Main topic: ONE. One customer. One market. One retail

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Tim Mason

retail expert, Eagle Eye

Tim Mason
  • Lidl launches an e-shop with non-food goods
  • No more free plastic bags

2016

1 027 Attendees

Main topic: How to Return Value to Retailing?

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Olaf Schmitz

Head of Business Development Europe, Amazon

Olaf Schmitz
  • Establishment of Mall Group and DODO startup
  • Ikea and Hornbach launch on-line

2015

1 085 Attendees

Main topic: Finding new ways

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Michael Carl

Consultant, 2bAHEAD

Michael Carl
  • Launch of MOL
  • Baumax leaves

2014

1 032 Attendees

Main topic: How to succeed in uncertain times?

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Jannis Samaras

Chairman of the Board, Kofola ČeskoSlovensko

Jannis Samaras
Nové logo
  • Spar sold its subsidiaries to the Ahold Group
  • Start of Rohlik.cz and Kosik.cz
  • Billa and Shell open stop&shop
  • The first Alzabox

2013

936 Attendees

Main topic: Future... And how to live to see it

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Lucy Neville-Rolfe

president, EuroCommerce, later UK Business Secretary

Lucy Neville-Rolfe
  • The first system Scan&Go introduced at Globus Čakovice
  • Mastercard became the partner of Retailer of the Year

2012

818 Attendees

Main topic:

Změna místa konání

Clarion Congress Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
David Bosshart

CEO, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute

David Bosshart
  • Start of itesco.cz
  • Schlecker sold to and rebranded by Teta

2011

845 Attendees

Main topic: Innovate or Die!

Top Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Thomas Bruch

Partner, Globus Holding

Thomas Bruch
  • The first contactless card payments
  • mobile payments with NFC
  • the first hypermarket with a zero CO2 footprint (Tesco Jaroměř)

2010

861 Attendees

Main topic: How to get back up

Top Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Götz Werner

Founder, dm-drogeriemarkt

Götz Werner
  • Act on Significant Market Power
  • Decathlon enters the market

2009

833 Attendees

Top Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Noel Robbins

CEO, Tesco CEE

Noel Robbins
  • Effects of the economic crisis
  • Penny and Billa take over Plus stores

2008

743 Attendees

Top Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Alain Caparros

CEO, REWE Group

Alain Caparros
  • the first self-service checkouts in Tesco

2007

788 Attendees

Top Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Günter Fergen

Member of the management of the Schwarz Group

Günter Fergen
  • Delvita leaves, Billa takes over its stores

2006

745 Attendees

Change of name to Retail Summit

Top Hotel Praha

Keynote Speaker
Peter Mandelson

European Commissioner for Trade

Peter Mandelson
  • The Czech economy has the best results in history
  • Mortgage crisis begins in the US

2005

937 Attendees

Change of the venue

Sazka (nowadays O2) Arena, Praha

  • Tesco takes over stores of Carrefour and Edeka
  • Ahold takes over stores of Julius Meinl
  • Opening of SC Chodov

2004

753 Attendees

10th year and new name Czech Retail Summit

Hotel Voroněž, Brno

Nové logo
  • the Electrocity chain of electronics stores has closed
  • Screening of the film Czech Dream about a hypermarket that in true did not exist

2003

770 Attendees

Hotel Voroněž, Brno

  • The first stores Lidl and H&M

2002

719 Attendees

Hotel Voroněž, Brno

  • Introduction of the EURO into circulation in 12 EU countries

2001

752 Attendees

Hotel Voroněž, Brno

  • The first hypermarket Carrefour (Smíchov)

2000

580 Attendees

Change of the venue

Hotel Voroněž, Brno

  • bilezbozi.cz was founded (the predecessor of Mall.cz)
  • Supermarkets Mana are rebranded as Albert

1999

560 Attendees

Hotel Atrium Praha (today Hotel Hilton, Praha)

  • Opening of the first C&A and of SC Olympia Brno

1998

720 Attendees

Hotel Atrium Praha (today Hotel Hilton, Praha)

  • The first stores Hornbach, Kaufland and Alza
  • The first hypermarkets Hypernova and Tesco

1997

570 Attendees

Hotel Atrium Praha (today Hotel Hilton, Praha)

  • The first Makro and Penny Market
  • COOP builds franchise chains
  • Opening of SC Letňany

1996

468 Attendees

Hotel Atrium Praha (today Hotel Hilton, Praha)

  • Tesco acquires Kmart department stores
  • IKEA moves from DBK to Zličín
  • The first hypermarket Globus

1995

424 Attendees

The first Conference on trade development in CR (current Retail Summit)

Hotel Atrium Praha (today Hotel Hilton, Praha)

Keynote Speaker
Tomáš Baťa jr.

entrepreneur

Tomáš Baťa jr.
Nové logo
  • The biggest player on the Czech retail market: Interkontakt Group
  • The first OBI and supermarket Terno