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Future of Retail: Risk & Resilience Conference 2025

More about risk, resilience & compliance for retailers
Manchester reception

About the conference

Risks for retailers are risks for us all. That's why we brought together leaders and industry experts from retail and leisure for our Future of Retail: Risk & Resilience Conference.

Hosted by Helena Davies, Partner and Head of Retail, the event featured three panel sessions on physical safety, workforce challenges and cybersecurity alongside a keynote speech from Figen Murray OBE, the inspirational architect of Martyn's Law.

The day tackled the biggest issues faced by the sector — terrorist threats, crime, digital risks, wellbeing and crisis response — creating space for the honest conversations that retail and leisure leaders need.

Discover our risk, resilience & compliance services for retailers

Highlights from the Future of Retail: Risk & Resilience Conference 2025

A man with short dark hair, beard, and black t-shirt smiling and speaking to a woman with blonde hair, in an indoor setting with beige and brown walls.

Our speakers included

A red stylised liverbird with the letters "L.F.C." beneath it, representing Liverpool Football Club.
"Black text on a transparent background reads 'mamas & papas' with a registered trademark symbol."
"american golf logo with lowercase text in navy blue and red, featuring a small red flag on the letter 'i', on a transparent background."
1200px Very Group Logo 2 svg
A black and white photograph of a person holding a microphone, seemingly engaged in a speech or performance.
B&T Group logo with navy text on a light background, featuring "B&T" in large serif font and "GROUP" underneath in smaller uppercase letters.
Black background with a circular logo containing a stylised "H" and the text "THE HOSPITALITY HERO" where the "H"s in "HOSPITALITY" and "HERO" are red.
Jardin Living logo with a hexagon and umbrella graphic, slogan "Doing good, living better" on a light grey background.
The image features the word "Milligan" in large white serif font on a black rectangular background.
A blue globe with three black waves crossing it, adjacent to the text "ncc group" in lowercase grey letters.
A logo with a stylised black "S" shape next to the words "Savvy Hotels" in black text.
White "W" and "J" letters overlapping in a stylised design on a dark blue background, with "Wilson James" written underneath.
A security guard in a navy blue shirt with "SECURITY" written on the back, standing in front of an outdoor crowd behind a blue barrier.

Keynote — Martyn’s Law with Figen Murray OBE

Figen Murray OBE delivered a powerful keynote that brought home why regulation matters — especially when it's designed to protect lives.

Figen is a counter-terrorism expert and the force behind Martyn's Law. She's also the mother of Martyn Hett, one of 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. Figen has since transformed her grief into action, campaigning tirelessly to improve public safety.

Her efforts — from an online petition to a 200-mile walk from Manchester to Downing Street — led to Martyn's Law receiving Royal Assent in spring 2025. Figen encouraged businesses to start preparing now ahead of the law’s full implementation, emphasising that understanding why these laws exist is key to applying them properly.

A woman shopping in a bulk food store, holding a paper bag and scooping pasta from a bin, with sunlight streaming through large windows behind her.

Retail resilience — strategies for compliance, safety & crisis response

Our opening panel tackled compliance, safety and crisis management, chaired by Claire Burrows, Partner in our regulatory team, with Andy Conway (Wilson James Limited), Tarah Gear (Milligan) and Fionula Scanlan (Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate).

The discussion highlighted how public spaces can be designed to prioritise women’s safety and considered the challenges of implementing Martyn’s Law. Retailers were encouraged to draw on existing health and safety frameworks to take proactive steps and adopt a culture‑centric approach to compliance. 

Every business needs a crisis plan embedded in its DNA so that everyone knows how to respond effectively in critical moments.

A man and woman wearing aprons are working together in a shop, looking at a laptop and a notebook in a well-lit space with shelves of jars and products behind them.

Workforce risks & opportunities

Employment partner Andrew Graham chaired the second panel with Elaine Wrigley (American Golf), Steven Hesketh (Savvy Hotel Group) and Simon O'Mahony (Arne), exploring the people-focused challenges shaping retail today.

The conversation covered creating safer, more inclusive workplaces — navigating issues like sexual harassment, building authentic leadership cultures and reflecting the diversity of the communities that businesses serve. Panellists agreed that the strongest defence against workplace risks is a values-led culture where respect and transparency aren't just policies but daily practice.

While workforce challenges are inevitable, businesses that put people at the heart of their decision-making build stronger, more resilient organisations.

A man in a suit stands smiling with a tablet, presenting to three women seated at a table in a modern office with a whiteboard marked with "AI" and related terms.

Tech & digital transformation

The final panel explored how technology is reshaping retail, chaired by Colin Bell, Partner and Head of Intellectual Property and Technology, with Paul Dicken (Liverpool Football Club), Kavita Basi (Jardin Living), Steve Nolan (Very Group) and Matt Hull (NCC Group).

Panellists discussed the opportunities and risks of digital transformation — addressing counterfeiting with artificial intelligence (AI), integrating cybersecurity into business strategy and balancing innovation with data protection and compliance. The conversation also touched on the ethical considerations of AI in creative industries.

Collaboration beats competition in protecting businesses and consumers in a tech‑driven world with shared insights helping everyone to navigate rapid digital change more effectively.

Helena Davies

About Helena

A specialist property litigator, Helena has led our retail sector team since 2021. She’s a regular industry commentator in publications such as Estates Gazette, Business Live and This is Money and both hosts and speaks at conferences across the country.

Helena is deeply committed to advancing sustainability objectives and enhancing retail’s social impact contribution within local communities. She has led multiple thought leadership initiatives, established new professional networks, organised industry events and produced extensive video and social media content to highlight exemplary practices and notable achievements in this field. Her projects have included contributions from prominent retail leaders like The Trafford Centre, as well as insights from media commentators.

In collaboration with legal experts and consultants across the retail sector, Helena offers legal services that address a broad spectrum of ESG-related challenges, including B Corp certification and environmental compliance. She’s also proactively developing initiatives focused on advertising standards, influencer partnerships and strengthening the role of retail in placemaking.

More about Helena
Rack of women's clothes in retail store

About our retail team

It’s vital for retailers to have a true legal partner on their side to withstand the challenges and take advantage of opportunities presented by the ever-changing retail landscape. 

We act as that partner — one which deeply understands the sector and can help to achieve your commercial goals.

As a leading independent full-service retail law firm, we work closely with the UK’s largest retailers across beauty, fashion, leisure and hospitality, food and drink, automotive and health. 

We also have specialisms in ESG and placemaking as well as RetailTech and eCommerce.

Meet our team

Insights from our retail team