SHOPTALK 2023: be part of retail's biggest conversation
SHOPTALK dates
During 3 days (May, 9-11) the European edition of the North American Shoptalk fair will be held in Barcelona, not far from Loyal Guru’s headquarters.
Three days with hundreds of presentations and an exhibition area where a good number of leading companies will show their proposals to modernize and digitize retail business management: from warehouse robots to emerging Retail Tech or strategies for retailers to thrive in a challenging global economy.
Technology, at the center of the fair
It is clear that digitization is a high priority for the retail sector.
Customers of supermarket chains are leading an increasingly digital life, and a vibrant discussing is expected around how to reach them, and mainly, how to stay relevant among the large amount of news and messages they receive.
Naturally, there will be also a lot of talk about the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to have the right products in stores at the right time.
The pure players will have a prominent presence, with presentations by Robert Gentz, co-founder and co-CEO of Zalando, or Stefano Perego, VP of Global Operations Sevices of Amazon.
Also, recognized companies like Auchan Retail, Camper, Mango, Decathlon, M&S, IKEA will be sharing how they modernize and digitize retail business management at the highest levels.
Anwers to the most burning retail questions
At Shoptalk Europe you’ll learn that innovation isn’t a luxury – it’s business critical.
That’s why their industry-crafted agenda has one powerful purpose: to expose razor sharp insights and actionable takeaways from 175+ leaders who are pioneering retail’s digital transformation, tackling business critical questions including:
- What does best-in-class customer engagement look like?
- How shoppers search for and discover products is changing.
- What platforms and capabilities companies need to ensure they’re present where their shoppers are, including social commerce, visual search, livestreaming and shoppable video, and generative AI.
- Which tech investments will boost my revenue and profitability? Driving operational efficiency is even more important in a tough economic climate.
- What organisational changes will help me win?
Successful businesses must keep evolving their structures to enable digital transformation and not be left behind. You’ll hear how retail companies are breaking down barriers and processes to share data and insights across the organization, discover tools to better equip their workforce, and get firsthand advice from leaders on how to inspire and enable your teams during disruption.
BUILD OR BUY?
Another topic that will be discussed is collaborations, compared to the decision to develop everything internally.
Some chains like Ocado develop practically everything internally, or go on the market to buy start-ups that they think have interesting solutions.
Ahold-Delhaize opted for the purchase of the Fresh Direct pure player in the USA, and how they integrate it into their local chain in New York to offer an omnichannel service.
Carrefour values agility, which is why it decided to collaborate with companies such as UberEats and Cajoo, and thus quickly launch an ultra-fast order delivery service.
In short, technology has invaded the world of retail, and we will be able to listen to cases and see companies in the exhibition area that cover the entire life-cycle of the retail business: from the analysis of new locations, to helping consumers with the waste generated by their consumption.
Exclusive Retailers & Brands Networking Dinners
Loyal Guru has sponsored a Shoptalk Europe hosted, invitation-only premium restaurant experience in the city of Barcelona, bringing together a curated group of retailer and brand peers. Collaborate with your industry peers and move the needle through shared insight on the topics that matter most.
SHOPTALK agenda
SHOPTALK Keynotes:
The stage for mic-drop headline speakers. All attendees are invited and no other activities are scheduled at this time. Speakers are retailers, brands or customer-facing tech companies, at CEO or C-suite level.
SHOPTALK Speakers:
Shoptalk agenda is divided into 4 themes, called “Tracks,” hosted across multiple stages. Each track is focused on overarching topics across different functional roles, ensuring you find the speakers and sessions that matter to your business.
SHOPTALK Workshops:
Interactive sessions in which an industry moderator interviews retail or brand leaders with an audience Q&A and polling ensuring you get the answers you need.
SHOPTALK Tabletalks:
Be part of the conversation with subject specific peer group discussions, only open to retailers and brands.
Check out Shoptalk agenda for more info!
Loyal Guru’s Shoptalk TOP PICKS
SHOPTALK AGENDA: DAY 1 recommendation
TRACK 1: Meeting Heightened Consumer Expectations
The role of data in creating a cohesive and enjoyable customer experience has never been more important. Brands and retailers have a wealth of options when it comes to collecting and acting on data, whether to personalise individual shopper journeys or create seamless omnichannel paths to purchase. In this session, three brand and retailer executives will share recent initiatives that have leveraged data to create exceptional customer experiences, including how they moved the needle around acquisition, retention, sales and more.
Alex Williams, Head of Growth & Personalisation, M&S
Stacia Carr, VP, Size and Fit, Zalando
Frédérique Cochi-Beyot, Chief Marketing Officer, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
SHOPTALK AGENDA: DAY 2 recommendation
TRACK 1: New and Effective Applications of AI and ML
The past few years have seen a fundamental shift in AI capabilities and adoption, with brands and retailers leveraging AI-based tools across the entire business, from marketing to supply chain to the back office. Meanwhile, new foundation models transcend data analysis and inference, performing creative tasks like generating text and images and holding human-like conversations. This Track Keynote will feature a retail leader speaking to how they are applying leading-edge AI and machine learning in specific areas of their business. They will highlight the ways AI is adding value, while also pointing out things companies must keep in mind to maximise their returns on their data infrastructure investments.
Jérôme Dubreuil, Chief Digital Officer, Decathlon
TRACK 1: Leveraging Data Effectively Throughout the Organisation
Companies today have vast and growing data repositories, and many have also invested in analytics tools to convert that data into useful insights. However, firms sometimes find themselves challenged on the human capabilities side, as they need to ensure that employees have access to, and training to use, the data resources that will help them work effectively and productively. This session will examine how companies are enabling their employees to unlock the full value of their data resources.
Tom Betts, Global Data Director, Kingfisher plc
Etienne de Saint Martin, Deputy Chief Information & Data Officer, Auchan Retail
SHOPTALK AGENDA: DAY 3 recommendation
Track 1: Outstanding Retail Experiences: In-Store
Consumers shopping in stores today seek two contrasting types of experiences. Sometimes they wish to be inspired–to discover new products they love, at a leisurely pace–while at other times they want or need to enter, purchase and leave as quickly and easily as possible. In a series of presentations and a panel discussion, leaders from three companies will discuss how they are effectively striking the balance between providing both inspiration and ease in stores by designing new store formats, experiences and services, and by implementing new technologies to cater to these divergent paths.
Richard Lems, Director, Format & Design, Rituals Cosmetics
Christoffer Sellin, Managing Director, Europe, COS (H&M Group)
Lauren Barrie, Group Head of Luxury Retail, Frasers Group
Melissa Gonzalez, The Lionesque Group, Principal, MG2 (Interviewer)
TRACK 4: Leveraging Zero- and First-Party Data
If data is the oil of the digital economy, recent privacy-focused shifts by browser and operating system makers have sparked an energy crisis. Companies are rethinking data resources and capabilities, including paying close attention to first-party and “zero-party data,” the data people voluntarily share with retailers and brands. This workshop will offer a primer on first- and zero-party data and how companies are weaving it into their larger data strategies. An expert will share best practices, and then two retail or brand executives will bring the topic to life in a conversation including real-world examples from their work.
Marc Hernandez, Digital Product Director, Mango
