Please fill in the below online form if you are interested in delivering a focus session at the Charity Retail Conference 2026. Further information about the conference can be found on our website, as well as specific themes we're hoping to include on the programme next year.
Below you will also find further information about the conference. If you have any questions please contact Julia Edwards, Head of Outreach, on julia@charityretail.org.uk
About the conference
The Charity Retail Association is the trade association for charity retailers in the United Kingdom, representing around 80 per cent of the sector, with around 9000 shops within membership.
Our annual conference is taking place at ICC Wales, Newport, NP18 1DE on Tuesday 23 - Wednesday 24 June 2026. This is the only annual conference specifically for charity retailers and in 2025 we had over 370 delegates in attendance.
It attracts a wide audience, including Heads of Retail, Senior Directors and Area Managers, through to shop staff and volunteers. Our focus sessions are intended to be all about learning, where delegates can share their experiences, develop practical tools to help their businesses become more successful, and learn from experts in the charity retail sector and other relevant sectors.
Why deliver a session at the conference?
Delivering a session is a great opportunity to share your expertise and best practice within our sector. We want the best of charity retail to be showcased at the conference and you could be part of that if you deliver a session. We also want to look to other relevant sectors and learn from them e.g. hospitality and commercial retail. Sessions are 45 minutes in length
Key points about focus sessions at conference 2026
Length: Sessions should aim to be 30 minutes long, with 15 minutes for Q&A at the end (45 mins in total)
Consider the outcomes of your session: Learning outcomes for every focus session will be published in the Conference Programme to help delegates decide which session is most relevant for them
Content: Delegates are asking for more 'take-aways' this year and accompanying resources or insight you can provide them, aside from just the 45 mins talk. Rather than ‘we did this and we did that’ the approach should consider ‘if we were to do this again’ or ‘if I were a charity retail, what would my approach be’
Strategic thinking: Delegates are consistently asking for focus sessions to be a ‘higher level’ and more in-depth. Our delegates are already specialists and experts in charity retail and need sessions that stretch and challenge them. The session should give delegates strong action points to take away and start putting into practice, or concepts that will challenge their thinking