David Roth, CEO, The Store WPP & Chariman WPP BAV 

It’s not often that my name and Usain Bolt’s appear on the same page, but in preparing for the upcoming World Retail Congress in London, I’ve been thinking about what drives champions in other fields. Specifically, sport. 

The theme of the WRC event, ‘Faster. Bolder. Smarter.’ is reminiscent of the modern Olympics motto: ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’, or ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’.  

It’s no surprise to me that the challenges and motivations for growth in business and in sport are so closely aligned. In fact, during my time on the leadership board of DIY retailer B&Q, we sponsored the British Olympic Committee and Team GB; winning medals and winning in business. 

Retail is a deeply competitive industry, and one in which the bar for excellence constantly moves ever higher. Every generation has its Usain Bolt; every few years bring fresh challenges or ‘opportunities’ to retailing. 

Challenger brands, which often exemplify that Faster. Bolder. Smarter. mantra, are not just setting the pace in retail, they’re changing the rules of the game entirely. They’re dynamic, daring, intelligent and visionary. 

I’ve been in retailing long enough to know that established brands can share these qualities. And, in the panel session I’ll be moderating at the World Retail Congress, we’ll be showing how retailers must adopt some of the characteristics of challenger brands if they are to continue to thrive. 

Crunch time – challenge, or be challenged 

The urgency with which this shift to a more dynamic, forward-thinking approach to retailing is revealed in some stark findings from our proprietary WPP BAV brand analytics and global consumer perceptions platform. 

Inspired by the theme of this year’s World Retail Congress, we delved into the qualities consumers associate with retailers. 

Here’s the hard truth: only 2% of retail brands globally are currently perceived as being Faster, Bolder, and Smarter.  

Yet our research – based on the world’s largest consumer perceptions study, with 15 billion data points – shows that companies across may different sectors who excel in these qualities deliver significantly generate greater shareholder returns for their investors.  

Brands seen as Faster or Smarter tend to outperform their peers, delivering up to 252% ROI since 2015. That’s close to 10x the returns of an index such as the FTSE 100. 

A breakdown by market shows that a disproportionate number of these 2% of retail brands come from Portugal, Mexico, the Netherlands, India, and Chile. 

And consider this: while only 2% of global retail brands are seen as being Faster, Bolder and Smarter, that compares to 18% of automotive brands, and 12% of computing/consumer electronics brands. 

BAV’s data is based on 32 years of data, spanning 50+ countries and interviews with 3 million people.  

The message it sends is clear: embracing innovation, agility, and bold decision-making isn’t optional – it’s essential. 

As we look forward to the World Retail Congress in May, it’s worth remembering that in 2021, the International Olympic Committee changed its long-standing motto. It’s now: ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together’. 

At this gathering of senior retail leaders, we can share data, insights and experience to help the industry compete effectively in an ever-more-challenging field. Together. 

Looking forward to seeing you in London. 

David Roth