4th January 2026.

Opening Reflection

I’m going to take a leaf out of my favourite daughter’s book.

(And yes, I love saying that because people look at me in horror — like I’ve just confessed to something deeply immoral. Then I let them off the hook by explaining: she’s my only daughter.)

Scarlett was going through her checklist of targets from 2025 and proudly ticking them off. She achieved every one of them. I looked at her and thought: maybe I should stop pretending that planning is a form of bad luck.

Because here’s the truth: I’ve always avoided long-term plans, partly because I don’t trust the future, and partly because I’ve been scared that once I say a goal out loud, I’ll jinx it.

But in 2026 I’m going to do it anyway.

Not because I’m suddenly optimistic — but because I’m tired of behaving like fear is wisdom.

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My 10 Targets for 2026

So here they are. Ten things I want to achieve this year. Not dreams, not fantasies — real targets.

1. Establish a Farmshop in a Hospital

This one won’t leave my head. Hospitals have some of the worst retail and food experiences I’ve ever encountered — and that’s where people need good food, kindness, and calm the most.

The idea is simple: a peaceful farmshop-style space where staff can decompress, visitors can breathe, and patients can get nourishing food instead of beige misery.

The challenge? Bureaucracy.

But I’ve never been put off by a challenge — I’m more concerned when people tell me it can’t be done. That’s fuel.

2. Open Another Site

We’re built for growth — but it has to be smart growth. Another site means new staff, new systems, new costs, and new headaches. But it also means progress.

3. Increase Online Shop Sales

E-commerce is no longer a “nice extra.” It has to be a core channel. The goal isn’t just more sales — it’s less dependency on footfall and more control over the relationship with the customer.

4. Build Retail Into a Community Space (Not Just a Transaction)

Here’s one of my biggest beliefs going into 2026:

retail cannot survive if it stays purely transactional.

Supermarkets will always be cheaper. Amazon will always be faster. If the only reason customers come to your shop is to buy something, the future is bleak.

So the question becomes:

How do we make retail a community space where the transaction is just part of the interaction?

That’s the exciting part. It’s not just about selling food — it’s about creating an environment people want to return to.

And the bigger challenge:

How do we recreate that same feeling online?

That’s the next frontier.

5. Ride the GPT Wave Better

Learning to surf this wave has become a passion of mine.

AI isn’t “coming.” It’s here. It’s already changing marketing, operations, customer service, logistics — everything. The businesses that treat it like a gimmick will fall behind. The businesses that treat it like electricity will move faster than everyone else.

My prediction:

2026 will be the year AI stops being a tool and becomes a co-worker.

6. Improve Staff Development and Accountability

Great staff are hard to find. Great staff who can grow into leadership roles are even harder. In 2026 I want to get sharper at finding talent, nurturing it, and raising standards without burning people out.

7. Protect the Brand at All Costs

Brand reputation remains everything. One courier mistake, one poor service interaction, one unresolved complaint — and you’ve got damage. The goal this year is tighter standards, fewer weak links, and more consistency.

8. Build More Resilience Into the Business

The future is uncertain. Always has been. But the volatility is accelerating. Costs change, footfall changes, people change.

My prediction:

resilience will beat strategy in 2026.

The brands that survive won’t be the cleverest — they’ll be the most adaptable.

9. Push Bigger Partnerships Without Losing Control

We need growth and scale — but not at the cost of identity. Getting listed is great, but not if it turns you into just another brand on a shelf.

2026 is about partnerships that actually build value — not just volume.

10. Take a Short Holiday (Without Panic)

Here’s the truth:

When you run a business, the thought of taking a break is terrifying. You’re not relaxing — you’re waiting for something to go wrong.

But over Christmas I slowed down and I found it enriching. Being off the frontline made me realise that stepping back can sharpen your thinking. I don’t want to live in a permanent state of reaction.

So yes — in 2026 I’m going to take a short holiday.

And I’m going to try not to feel guilty about it.

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My Predictions for 2026 (Retail + Business)

Here’s what I think is coming, based on what I’m seeing right now:

1. Customers Will Become Even More Price-Conscious

But they’ll still pay for meaning. The businesses that win will make customers feel something: quality, belonging, trust, warmth.

2. Convenience Will Keep Winning — Unless You Offer Connection

If you can’t compete on price and speed, you must compete on experience. That means community, atmosphere, personality, storytelling, and service.

3. AI Will Separate the Fast From the Finished

Businesses that embrace it will move quicker, produce more content, automate more admin, and make better decisions. Others will drown in paperwork.

4. Small Businesses Will Have to Collaborate More

Costs are too high, margins too thin. Lone wolf businesses will struggle. Smart partnerships will become the survival mechanism.

5. Retail That Feels Human Will Win

The future will not be robotic. People are already tired of soulless transactions. Human, warm retail will feel like a luxury — and those who can offer it will thrive.

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Closing Reflection

So 2026, for me, is the year of experiments. Big ones.

A hospital farmshop.

Another site.

A stronger online business.

A deeper relationship with customers.

A business that is more resilient.

And a founder who learns to step back occasionally without thinking the whole world will collapse.

I don’t know exactly what this year will bring.

But I do know this:

Make a friend of uncertainty — or it will eat you alive.

Onwards.