From October 14 to 16, 2025, London will become the global epicenter of retail, franchising, and commercial real estate as it hosts GRO Retail Autumn 2025 at the renowned Olympia London exhibition center. This major international event will bring together the most influential players from across the retail and property sectors, from brand owners and franchise leaders to commercial landlords and PropTech innovators.
Scale and Purpose of the Event
GRO Retail Autumn 2025 is expected to be the UK’s largest franchise and retail property forum in recent years. Organizers anticipate more than 400 exhibitors and over 10,000 professional visitors from across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
The event goes beyond a traditional trade show—it is a business networking platform combining:
- Product and brand showcases
- Strategic conferences and future-focused talks
- Panels on retail transformation and property investment
- PropTech and sustainability forums
- Hundreds of pre-arranged B2B meetings
The core mission of the show is to foster connections between franchisors, retail operators, landlords, and investors, helping shape the future of physical retail spaces.
Who Will Be There
Attendees include:
- Major retail brands: Zara, Marks & Spencer, Carrefour, JD Sports, Lidl, H&M
- Real estate management firms: British Land, Landsec, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
- Franchise networks: Costa Coffee, Greggs, Anytime Fitness, Subway
- PropTech companies: Re-Leased, Mallcomm, VTS, Placer.ai
- Investment funds and developers: LaSalle, Nuveen, Savills IM, Grosvenor
- Legal and consulting firms focused on B2B markets
This diverse mix makes GRO Retail a prime arena to explore new leasing models, discuss commercial rents, showcase innovation, and close strategic deals.
Key Themes and Focus Areas
The event will be organized into focused zones and stages, each dedicated to one of the following themes:
Next-Generation Franchising
Topics include:
- Fast-franchise formats and micro-investment models
- “Franchise as a tenant” concepts
- Legal compliance in international expansion
- Managing franchise networks through digital tools
- Inflation impacts on royalties and franchise packages
The Future of Retail Spaces
Sessions will address:
- How malls are evolving into experience-driven spaces
- Pop-up and omnichannel hybrid formats
- Converting stores into dark stores and product showrooms
- Flexible leasing, turnover-based rent, and dynamic contracts
PropTech and Digitalization
Expect to see:
- Property management and tenant tracking platforms
- Real-time traffic and behavior analytics tools
- Contract automation, AI-driven reporting
- Online-retail integration with physical infrastructure
ESG and Sustainable Retail
Key topics:
- Greener construction materials and energy efficiency
- Smart lighting, carbon footprint monitoring
- Accessibility, community-oriented retail hubs
- Last-mile logistics and urban sustainability
Pricing, Investment Outlook and Market Insight
According to CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield, retail lease rates in prime central London in 2025 range from €2,000 to €6,000 per square meter annually, depending on location and type of retail space. Suburban and edge-of-town locations see more accessible rates of around €900–€1,500/m²/year.
Overall UK commercial property investment is projected to reach €12–14 billion in the second half of 2025, with over 25% allocated to retail assets, including mixed-use leisure and hospitality centers.
Business Opportunities and Networking
Organizers highlight that over 70% of attendees are directly involved in investment or expansion planning. GRO Retail provides the infrastructure for:
- Private matchmaking sessions
- Invite-only Deal Rooms
- Live pitch events and interactive panels
- Co-working lounges for one-on-one meetings
For the first time, the event will host the Retail Innovation Awards, where startups will pitch solutions in smart leasing, personalization, and data-driven retail design.
What It Means for the Industry
In an era of uncertainty and digital transition, GRO Retail 2025 is more than a trendwatcher—it’s a real-time marketplace for scalable, resilient, and future-ready business models.
For commercial landlords, the show is an opportunity to reimagine spaces as lifestyle and omnichannel hubs. For retailers and franchisors, it’s a place to connect with capital and property partners and launch new concepts into the market.
Conclusion
GRO Retail Autumn 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark event for commercial real estate and retail across Europe. As consumer behavior evolves and digitalization accelerates, the forum provides a much-needed platform to align investment, innovation, and strategy.
Whether you are a franchisor, investor, landlord, or technology provider, GRO Retail 2025 offers a gateway to new markets, valuable partnerships, and sustainable growth.
