FORWARD TOGETHER

Featured Session

Monday
June 7
11:00 am–11:30 am

After the great accelerator: Research tells us what customers want from the new physical store

Shopping in the Covid 19 era accelerated features that had been set in motion before retailers faced temporary store closures. Customers were already using the physical space in new ways--BOPIS, showrooms, pick-up-only stores, brand billboards, delivery posts, community centers and of course--shopping online. And these immediately became the most dominant ways we shopped. But will shopping revert back to resemble the past or will it remain in the present?
Monday
June 7
1:00 pm–1:30 pm

Inclusion for all = Design for all

Conversations surrounding diversity, inclusion and social good in the fashion industry have been amplified in the last 12 months, yet the billion-dollar market for adaptive and inclusive apparel remains largely untapped. Big name retailers such as Zappos and Tommy Hilfiger are leading the market forward, while others like The Phluid Project are pushing the industry toward acceptance and values that affirm the queer and transgender community. Join the pioneers in this space as they discuss progress and plans to make inclusivity and more prominent in the near future. 
Monday
June 7
1:00 pm–1:30 pm

The future of the mall: How to survive and thrive

As retailers and landlords react to dramatic changes in consumer buying behavior, we examine how the industry is applying innovative thinking in creating new business models and store formats to make destination shopping relevant for today's digital consumer. 

Monday
June 7
1:45 pm–2:15 pm

Three retailers discuss how one-to-one marketing engagement is being propelled by AI

Online retailers have been chasing the ultimate goal of one-to-one marketing by developing individually-personalized messages for each customer, with clickthrough rates that near 100%...or so the dream goes. However artificial intelligence is now pushing the personalized marketing nirvana nearer to reality.
Monday
June 7
2:30 pm–3:00 pm

Contactless retail: Using robots & autonomous technology

Hands-off has become the operative way of doing business. Drones, robots, autonomous vehicles - retail companies say everything is in play in the quest to deliver product safely, efficiently and in a timely fashion. But with these next generation tools of product fulfillment soon to be routine, will federal regulations and societal norms press the brakes on futuristic retail tech?  
Monday
June 7
2:30 pm–3:00 pm

TikTok: The phenomenon that is

TikTok, the short-video social platform has seen a meteoric rise, being downloaded over 1 billion times. This growth comes largely from a Gen Z audience, at a time when American social media apps have stagnated user growth. As brands explore opportunities to engage and capitalise on this platform, this session will provide insight from brands who have succeeded in building business on the platform and provide practical advice on the approach to take, as well recommendations on the most effective format, look and feel of content for this platform. 
Tuesday
June 8
11:00 am–11:30 am

The consumerization of healthcare: Transforming the patient experience

The next big thing in the healthcare ecosystem will be a customer-centric model of care. Everyday healthcare is evolving from more traditional medical office settings to retail, home and virtual-based options. The goal: to provide a better and more targeted experience for consumers that leverages daily life activities with home and virtual care services. 
Tuesday
June 8
1:00 pm–1:30 pm

How Gap Inc. and Total Wine & More successfully navigated the greatest disruptor of our lifetime, evolved and prepared for future changes

Hear how these essential and non-essential retailers successfully adapted and survived the retail challenges of 2020 as they share lessons learned from the pandemic and share clear examples of pivoting to meet customer requests. Fast forwarding to the opportunities and adaptations that followed, revelations uncovered in the form of new products, processes or ways of looking at adversity, as well as their new trajectory and how they intend to use history to be prepared for the next wave of change.