Episode Details

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin, Chris Walton sits down with Romain Roulleau, Group Digital & Ecommerce Director at Kingfisher, to unpack how one of Europe’s largest home improvement retailers plans to grow ecommerce from 21% to 30% of total sales.

Romain explains why stores sit at the center of Kingfisher’s digital strategy, how marketplaces are transforming DIY retail, and why AI in home improvement requires a very different approach than categories like grocery or apparel. The conversation also dives into omnichannel fulfillment, click-and-collect innovation, retail media, and why project-based shopping changes everything for ecommerce and AI personalization.

Plus, why Kingfisher is prioritizing customer journey support over AI-powered checkout and what retailers still misunderstand about the future of agentic commerce.

Key Topics Covered:

• Kingfisher’s strategy to grow ecommerce to 30%

• Why stores are central to modern digital retail

• How click-and-collect is evolving in marketplace ecommerce

• Integrating third-party marketplace products into in-store shopping

• Why DIY retail is uniquely complex for AI and personalization

• The future of AI agents in home improvement retail

• How retail media differs between 1P and 3P marketplace sellers

• Why Kingfisher sees stores as a competitive advantage vs. pure-play ecommerce

• The operational challenges behind large-scale omnichannel retail

• Why AI-powered checkout may still be years away

Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail’s live coverage from World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin.

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