The 12th European Retail Innovation Summit 2025 welcomed Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen who spoke about consumer protection and product safety, and Commissioner Michael McGrath on the various acts and regulations brought in by the European Commission.

 

The Summit took place on 10 April in Brussels and gathered 24 expert speakers along with over 150 attendees from industry, national governments, academia and EU institutions. The discussion centred around evolving consumer regulation, digital fairness, strengthening enforcement mechanisms to support a thriving and competitive single market, and advancing the sustainability agenda.

 

The Summit opened with welcome remarks from Christel Delberghe, Director General of EuroCommerce who expressed how innovation and digitalisation is driving the transformation in retail and wholesale, contributing to increased consumer choice, convenience, competitiveness and driving economic growth.

 

Christel Delberghe, Director General, EuroCommerce

 

The first session of the day entitled ‘Ensuring a Level Playing Field in European Retail’ was moderated by the President of SOCR CZ, the Czech Retail Federation, Tomáš Prouza.

The panel discussion included Rita Wezenbeek from the European Commission, Maria Guzenina from the European Parliament, Mechteld Fletcher from the Customs Administration, Netherlands, Stephan Tromp from HDE, the German Retail Federation and Gero Furchheim, President of Ecommerce Europe. They explored the challenges of creating a level playing field in e-commerce, particularly concerning the influx of goods that do not meet regulatory standards, primarily from China. Key concerns from these panellists included inconsistent enforcement across EU member states, the overwhelming volume of individual packages, and the cost disadvantage faced by compliant European companies. At the end of the session, there were five key takeaways: continued collaboration, better coordination, understanding time constraints for SMEs, building a compliance culture, and simplifying the discourse around retail practices for consumers.

 

Session One: Ensuring a Level Playing Field in European Retail

 

Session Two saw the panellists discuss the widespread adoption of AI in retail for tasks like forecasting, pricing, and personalisation, but also emphasised challenges related to data quality, resistance to change, and the skills gap.

High-level speakers of this panel included the DG CONNECT’s Gosia Nikowska, Katinka Worsøe from the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU, Decathlon’s Didier Mamma, Ruben Missinne from Colruyt Group and moderating the session was Euroactiv reporter Jacob Wulff Wold. This session entitled ‘Future of Retail and AI – Leveraging Innovation for Growth’ explored the topic of increased investment in European AI infrastructure, including large language models and robotics, and the importance of addressing the challenges of digital inclusion. The session concluded with an emphasis on the need for better communication and outreach to businesses regarding the support and resources available.

 

Session Two: Future of Retail and AI – Leveraging Innovation for Growth

 

After lunch, a keynote speech from Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, saw him engage with participants of the conference on topics such as the 2025 Consumer Condition Scoreboard, which revealed increased online cross-border purchases within the EU; the Digital Fairness Act (DFA), designed to address regulatory gaps without duplicating existing legislation; and the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), emphasising enforcement, particularly for non-compliant companies and the need for improved digital literacy among consumers.

 

Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, European Commission

 

The third session of the day examined ‘Digital Fairness and Consumer Trust’, where concerns around declining consumer trust in online retailers were analysed (down from 80% in 2020 to 70% in 2023), estimated to cost €7.9 billion annually, unfair commercial practices were also highlighted. Panellists of this session included Maria-Myrto Kanellopoulou from the European Commission, BEUC’s Patrycja Gautier, Ilya Bruggeman from EuroCommerce, bol’s Jorn Palm and moderator Maike Jansen from Thuiswinkel.org.  

Maria-Myrto Kanellopoulou opened the discussion by commenting on how the Commission’s evidence very much supports the recent decrease in consumer trust, showcasing that when a consumer protection framework is in place, consumer confidence and trust rises. Patrycja Gautier expressed that without consumers being confident in the market, there is no growth and there is no enhanced competitiveness. Ilya Bruggeman went on to discuss that they cannot become complacent when it comes to digital fairness and consumer trust. Jorn Palm shared his insights on how ‘customer trust has been at the heart of our company’ and ‘at bol, we stand ready to cooperate with the Commission, policymakers, regulators, consumer organisations by sharing our best practices, insights and even our data if that helps creating a more safe environment for our customers’.

 

Session Three: Digital Fairness and Consumer Trust

 

The final session of the day, ‘Driving Sustainable Consumer Choice In European Retail’, was moderated by William Parker from Parker Advisory EU. His fellow panellists, Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea from the European Commission, Juliette Beaulaton from Ecommerce Europe and Amber Bechrouri from Amazon, wasted no time in delving into the complexities of balancing environmental responsibility with consumer preferences and economic realities. Other key themes of the session included the need for clearer and more accessible product information; the role of e-commerce and the challenges of implementing effective eco-design regulations; and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. To end the session, there was a clear call for greater collaboration between policymakers, retailers, manufacturers, and consumers to create a truly sustainable and competitive European market.

 

Session Four: Driving Sustainable Consumer Choice In European Retail

 

To round off the conference, the European Commission’s Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, delivered a keynote address,  introduced by Luca Cassetti from Ecommerce Europe. The EVP outlined that each session’s discussions were key pillars in the European Union’s retail sector. Executive Vice President Virkkunen focused on the EU's commitment to simplifying regulations and reducing red tape for businesses. Moreover, initiatives to boost AI innovation and investment, including the AI Continent Action Plan, and promote sustainable practices through eco-design and digital product passports, were summarised.

 

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President, Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, European Commission

Ending the conference, Luca Cassetti from Ecommerce Europe briefly recapped the day and provided some key takeaways: 

• The need for stronger enforcement of existing rules
• Consistent AI legislation and increased funding for the European AI ecosystem
• Bolstering consumer trust through the Digital Fairness Act

Luca Cassetti, Secretary General, Ecommerce Europe

 

Enjoy the highlights of the event by watching the video below:

 

We’d like to thank our speakers for their insightful contributions to the discussions, and our sponsor Amazon for making this event happen. Thanks also go to our supporting partners, Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce for both their valuable contribution to the conference.

Should you wish to be involved in a future edition of the European Retail Innovation Summit, please contact retail-innovation@forum-europe.com and stay informed for 2026, and in the meantime, please subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about the latest updates regarding this event and other relevant events.