From high-street regeneration to retail crime and the responsible use of AI, the UK retail sector faces a defining year ahead. Martin Smethurst, Chief Customer Officer at VoCoVo, outlines what businesses must prioritise in 2026 to protect people, places and customer experience.
The return of the high street as a community hub
2026 will mark the comeback of the high street as a bustling, vibrant community hub. Despite a backdrop of closures, regeneration is a work in progress and is gaining momentum in towns up and down the country. The government’s recent Pride in Place initiative, for example, allows local people to have a greater say in the future of their beloved high streets.
Our high streets are vital to the UK’s economic and social fabric, providing spaces for people to meet, shop and connect with one another. However, it will take a collective effort to breathe new life into these precious community centres, with government and council initiatives needing to drive regeneration from the top. Thoughtful planning must be combined with accessible parking and affordable rates to keep retail centres attractive in the year ahead.
A successful example this year was Oxford Street’s car-free day, which saw an uplift in customer footfall. Initiatives designed to create environments where people want to spend more time can have a positive effect on the wider retail economy.
Next year, we hope to see more initiatives of this kind, including wider pavements, greener public spaces and measures to protect high-street stores through government-backed programmes.
The collective response to retail crime and abuse
This year has witnessed a sharp rise in large-scale, sophisticated attacks from organised crime groups. The national policing team, working in collaboration with retailers, caught criminal gangs collectively responsible for more than £5.2 million in losses, a significant win.
As we move into 2026, turning the tide on retail crime will require continued collective action. The passing of the Crime and Policing Bill into law will lead to more arrests and tougher action against retail criminals, with the assault of a shopworker becoming a standalone criminal offence. However, this alone will not be enough to fully protect shopworkers, particularly from non-criminal acts such as verbal abuse.
Charities and industry bodies, such as the Retail Trust, must continue to support retailers, especially given the stark reality that 77% of retail team members have faced intimidating behaviour in the past year. Abuse of any kind on shop floors will not be tolerated and retailers will increasingly band together to share best practice and protect their workforce.
Retailers will also continue to share intelligence to disrupt criminal activity and tackle rising levels of abuse across the sector. This will help bridge the gap between larger retailers with greater resources and smaller businesses facing tighter budgets.
Technology will continue to play a supporting role. For example, AI integrated into CCTV and internal communication tools such as headsets can help detect suspicious behaviour early and enable staff to call for assistance at the touch of a button. While these tools cannot prevent every incident, they act as a deterrent and provide valuable evidence for investigation and prosecution.
Smart AI, stronger human connections
The AI solutions that succeed in 2026 will be those applied thoughtfully, focusing on areas that add real value for both colleagues and customers. Adoption must respect customer privacy while preserving the human connection that remains central to retail experiences.
AI deployments that feel imposed or create friction are unlikely to be welcomed and may undermine trust. As a result, we are likely to see a carefully balanced hybrid approach, combining AI with human-led customer service to support colleagues rather than replace them.
For example, AI is increasingly being used to guide customers through complex DIY projects, offering step-by-step instructions and tailored shopping lists, alongside video content accessed via QR codes. However, colleagues remain available to provide face-to-face support. The smartest retailers will focus on solutions that consistently deliver value on the shop floor, not those driven by hype alone.
