Kate Hardcastle MBE

Founder / Global Head of Consumer Engagement

The future belongs to the consumer and Kate Hardcastle MBE is their voice.”

Fifteen years ago on BBC Newsnight, Kate Hardcastle MBE argued that the high street wasn’t dying, it was evolving. Ten years ago, she fronted her own prime-time ITV documentary showing how years of inconsistency had failed consumers. Today, as Global Head of Consumer for Future Stores, she is shaping the evolution she once predicted. Across the judging year, Kate has played a central role in Future Stores, one of the most ambitious reinventions of physical retail. Her conviction – informed by decades of advisory work with brands including Disney, M&S and Evri – persuaded the company’s US leadership to launch its first flagship in the UK. The Oxford Street site has welcomed hundreds of thousands of consumers, transforming how young and diverse audiences interact with technology, products and data. Future Stores insight this year revealed a breakthrough in female engagement with automotive and tech experiences, a shift rooted in the consumer-first principles Kate embedded from the start. Her influence extends internationally. She has chaired and headlined major global stages including the GREAT Futures 2030 Summit, Cannes Lions, Shoptalk and the Retail Technology Show, bringing the consumer perspective to senior leaders, ministers and CEOs. Alongside this global work, Kate delivered more than 400 national and international media appearances in the judging year, including BBC prime-time investigations such as M&S: Behind the Cyber Attack. Her global book launch, The Science of Shopping, sold out in London, Dubai, NYC