Now in its 16th year and 34th edition, State of the Nation has become one of Australian retail’s most established executive forums – the room where leaders come together to challenge conventional thinking, share what’s really happening inside their businesses, and debate what comes next.

It is the voice of contemporary Australian retail.

Not another conference about retail. A conversation between the people actually leading it.

“Retail doesn’t wait for your strategy to catch up,” said Brian Walker, Chair & Founder, Retail Doctor Group. “The advantage increasingly belongs to leaders who can see the change early, make the call, and move. State of the Nation is where we get beyond the headlines and hear directly from the people making those calls: what they’re seeing, what they’re changing, and where they believe retail goes next.”

The leaders. The issues. The best and next moves in retail.

For generations, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has celebrated the creators, thinkers, and visionaries who challenged convention and helped shape the way we see the world.

On 29 October, State of the Nation 34 brings together a different group of shapers and creators – the retail leaders influencing how Australians will shop, live, and experience retail next.

The Lineup Transforming Retail in 2027

From changing consumer behaviour, global best practice, and AI, to productivity, profitability, transformation, and the future of retail, State of the Nation 34 goes beyond commentary to the decisions that matter.

ERICA BERCHTOLD – CEO, David Jones

Rebuilding an Australian Icon

The first woman to lead David Jones in its 188-year history, Erica is now charged with something far bigger than running a department store: reimagining one of Australia’s most recognised retail institutions for its next era.

At the centre is INSPIRE30 – a five-year transformation of the brand, customer experience and commercial engine behind David Jones.

The conversation: How do you transform an icon without losing what made it iconic?

DANIEL AGOSTINELLI – Group CEO, Accent Group

Knowing When to Back a Brand – and When to Walk Away

Daniel leads one of Australia’s most dynamic retail portfolios – including Platypus, Skechers and HOKA.

In a market where yesterday’s growth brand can quickly become tomorrow’s problem, Accent has been prepared to make hard portfolio calls, invest behind winners and exit where the customer has moved on.

The conversation: How do you know which brands deserve more capital – and which have had their day?

BRETT SPINKS – Managing Director ANZ, Swarovski

Taking Back Control of the Customer Experience

Swarovski is one of the world’s great luxury brands. Its move from franchise partnerships to directly controlling its Australian retail network represents a fundamental shift in how the brand reaches its customer.

Brett is leading that transition across Australia and New Zealand.

The conversation: What changes when a global brand decides the customer experience is simply too important to outsource?

CRAIG WOOLFORD – Senior Analyst, Consumer Segment, MST Marquee

What the Market Really Thinks About Retail

For more than two decades Craig has analysed Australian retailers through the lens that ultimately matters to boards and investors – growth, margins, capital and returns.

He opens State of the Nation with the numbers behind the headlines: where retail is creating value, where pressure is building and what investors are seeing that operators sometimes aren’t.

The conversation: Where is retail value being created – and destroyed – right now?