Former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King CBE has been announced this month (June 2026) as one of the main speakers at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference in January 2027.

The highly respected businessman will speak about leadership, transformation and customer-focused retail on the Monday of the event taking place at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford-upon-Avon on January 24–27, 2027.

GCA Chairman and Operations Director of Haskins Garden Centres, Ben Harrison, who along with GCA CEO, Peter Burks is organising the conference, says: “We’re thrilled that Justin King has agreed to be one of our main speakers at our conference next year. He is widely recognised as one of the UK’s most influential retail leaders, having led Sainsbury’s through a remarkable period of transformation and growth.

“Our conference is designed to inspire and enthuse our members and Justin’s track record of driving significant transformation in a fiercely competitive market, while always putting customers and colleagues first, will strike a chord with our delegates. We’re confident he will be an exciting and fascinating addition to what is developing into a standout roster of speakers for 2027.”

Justin King served as Chief Executive Officer of J Sainsbury plc for a decade, from 2004 to 2014, where he is credited with turning around the fortunes of the iconic British retailer through his widely acclaimed ‘Making Sainsbury’s Great Again’ strategy.

During his tenure, the business delivered sustained growth, significantly improved performance and strengthened its position in the UK grocery sector. His leadership is widely regarded as one of the most successful retail turnarounds in recent history.

Prior to joining Sainsbury’s, Justin was Director of Food at Marks & Spencer, where he led the retailer’s renowned food division between 2001 and 2004, further establishing his credentials as a leading figure in UK retail.

With a career spanning more than three decades, he has also held senior roles at Asda, PepsiCo and Mars, building a wealth of experience across global consumer and grocery markets.

Peter Burks, GCA CEO, concludes: “Securing someone of Justin’s stature is brilliant news for our members. His experience of leading a major UK retailer through transformation, alongside his deep understanding of food retail and customer behaviour, aligns strongly with the challenges and opportunities faced by our members.

“Our conferences are designed to leave delegates feeling inspired and ready to face the year ahead, and Justin’s insights into leadership, strategy and responsible business practice will undoubtedly deliver just that. We’ve more great headline speakers than in previous years and we will be sharing further information about our full line-up of presenters throughout the summer.”

Tickets for the 2027 GCA Conference will officially go on sale at 8am on June 22, 2026, via the members’ section of the GCA website. An early bird 10% off discount will also be available for those booking before the end of July.

The GCA’s annual conference regularly attracts hundreds of members from across the UK, offering opportunities to hear from leading speakers, gain industry insight and network with peers.

The leading industry body represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide and, through sharing information and its inspection programme, helps members achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk