I talk to a lot of retail executives.
And if there is one pattern I keep seeing in 2026, it is this: the companies quietly outperforming right now are not chasing every shiny object. They are modernizing, yes. They are experimenting, yes. But underneath it all, they are executing the fundamentals with discipline.
That was my biggest takeaway after sitting down with Jamie Kristow, CEO of Cotswold Outdoor Group, live from the Retail Technology Show in London.
Because while we spent time talking about AI, retail media, and stores of the future, Jamie kept bringing the conversation back to something much simpler:
Get the basics right.
And in today’s market, that might be the most advanced strategy of all.
The Hidden Power of Specialty Retail
Cotswold Outdoor operates in a category where trust matters.
If you are buying a T-shirt, you can take a chance. If you are buying hiking boots for a mountain trek, skis for a winter holiday, or running shoes for marathon training, you do not want to guess wrong.
You want expertise. You want fit. You want confidence.
Jamie described the business as a kind of department store for the outdoors, spanning categories like hiking, running, snow sports, and camping. But unlike traditional department stores, the differentiator is not endless assortment.
It is knowledgeable people.
That matters because in a world increasingly optimized for convenience, Cotswold is playing a different game: confidence commerce.
They are not just selling products. They are selling assurance that the product will perform when it matters most.
That distinction is important, and more retailers should pay attention to it.
The SKU Lesson Many Retailers Need to Hear
One of the smartest parts of the conversation centered on assortment strategy.
Jamie explained that the company reduced SKU count by roughly 35 percent while driving more volume into the products that mattered most.
Read that again.
Less complexity. More focus. Better outcomes.
Too many retailers still confuse more choice with better retail. But excessive choice often creates the opposite:
- Weaker in-stock positions
- More fragmented demand
- Slower turns
- Worse profitability
- Poorer customer experience
Cotswold instead identified strategic brands, doubled down on winning products, and improved availability across stores and ecommerce.
The result? Growth in what Jamie described as a relatively flat market.
This is a reminder that productivity often comes not from adding, but subtracting.
The Store of the Future Is Not What You Think
Jamie also walked through Cotswold’s “store of the future” concept, and I appreciated how practical it sounded.
No gimmicks. No robotics theater. No technology searching for a problem.
Instead, they used a local store near headquarters as a sandbox to test:
- Better merchandising layouts
- More flexible fixtures
- Stronger category storytelling
- Improved adjacencies to lift basket size
- Strategic digital screen placement
- More inspiring store design
The payoff was meaningful: double-digit increases in conversion and average transaction value.
That is the kind of innovation retailers should be chasing.
Because the future of stores is not always about radical reinvention. Often it is about removing friction, increasing inspiration, and making the environment easier to shop.
Retail Media Only Works If It Starts With the Customer
We also discussed Cotswold’s in-store retail media network, which I found especially interesting.
Jamie framed it the right way.
The objective was not simply monetization.
It was solving two problems:
- Helping customers get more relevant product information while shopping
- Helping brand partners communicate their innovations in a physical environment
That is the right order of operations.
Too much retail media conversation begins with revenue extraction. But if the experience gets worse, the economics eventually follow.
Cotswold instead identified dwell points like footwear fitting areas, entrances, and checkout, then placed content where customers naturally pause and seek guidance.
That is useful media.
And useful media wins.
AI Will Change Retail, But Search May Change It Faster
When asked about AI, Jamie’s answer was refreshingly grounded.
Yes, AI can improve pricing, productivity, and internal operations.
But the thing he is watching most closely is consumer search behavior.
That is exactly right.
If customers increasingly begin discovery through ChatGPT, TikTok, recommendation engines, or AI assistants instead of traditional search engines, the economics of traffic acquisition could shift dramatically.
Retailers that built their digital strategies around old search patterns may need to rethink everything from content creation to paid media to SEO itself.
This may be one of the most under-discussed shifts in retail right now.
The Bottom Line
Cotswold Outdoor’s story is not about hype.
It is about discipline.
Sharper assortments. Better service. Smarter stores. Useful media. Thoughtful experimentation. A watchful eye on changing consumer behavior.
In other words, they are doing what strong retailers always do:
They adapt without losing sight of what actually drives trust and conversion.
And in a year when many companies are trying to innovate their way out of weak execution, that feels like a lesson worth remembering.
To catch more from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, be sure to follow Omni Talk Retail on LinkedIn or wherever you get your podcasts.
Be careful out there,
– Chris and the Omni Talk team
*Sponsored Content*
Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.