Featured Session

It is estimated that the Chinese should account for 50% of worldwide luxury purchases by 2025. Luxury brands are seizing the opportunity to tap into this market. In this session, Hilary Milnes from Vogue Business will talk with Rodrigo Bazan, CEO of pioneering fashion brand Thom Browne and Christina Fontana of Alibaba, sharing insight into how they are partnering to design unforgettable and elevated luxury shopping experiences.

Join this educational discussion from retail sustainability experts as they reveal the most effective ways to achieve sustainability goals. Hear how companies have launched successful initiatives as they share ah-ha moments, what worked and what didn't, who should be at the table for these discussions and how to best work with vendors. The lessons these experts are generously sharing will save you time and money, while demonstrating to customers that your organization cares about climate change and related environmental issues.

The global supply chain has been disrupted from end-to-end. Demand for consumer goods and materials has outpaced the available supply of everything (equipment, labor, space, etc.) needed to produce and transport these goods through the system. Join Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO of global logistics platform Flexport,  and NRF’s VP of Supply Chain Jon Gold for a candid discussion of supply chain solutions to solve the current crisis and build more resiliency into the system to help prevent the next one. Expect practical advice and forward-looking ideas as Ryan and Jon address the supply chain's most burning question: what's next?

It is time we rethink the ways in which corporations build a startup acquisition pipeline. The pain points in current models have left corporations unable to source optimally due to internal constraints and leave startups pinched due to unrealistic contractual terms. In this session we break apart the old model and offer a new perspective for corporations to think about and approach innovation in a way that is a win-win.

Session in collaboration with:

Victoria’s Secretshows how controlling their own data has enabled them to better understand and serve customers globally. In this session Brendan Witcher, Principal Analyst at Forrester talks to Ish Patel, Chief Digital Officer, Victoria's Secret and Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, CEO Americas, esw, about the imperatives driving brands to take a DTC global approach.
The session will explore how to break through the complexity of delivering great, consistent customer experiences internationally, from demand generation to customer retention, and every step between – merchandising, localization, checkout, payments, delivery and returns, to ensure that the beautiful brand promise made up front is delivered efficiently and authentically, regardless of where the shopper is located around the world.

Customers return more than $1 trillion in merchandise annually. …And then what happens?  Join us as the experts explore returns management across the spectrum, including the challenges of handling product that is pushed back through the supply chain and how reverse logistics is emerging as the cornerstone of the circular economy.

The slidedeck presentation is now available on slideshare. View now.

GDR Creative Intelligence CEO, Kate Ancketill will deliver inspirational insights from the world’s most resilient retailers. Analyzing the common factors behind these successful business models, Kate will share GDR's predictions of where we’re headed over the coming years.

Please note: Members of the media may take notes but may not record audio or video in this session.

Shopper preferences are constantly evolving - from expectations around shopping and fulfillment to personalization and DE&I initiatives. Join Kantar's Rachel Dalton and The Walt Disney Company's Stephanie Young as they explore the opportunities to better engage shoppers and drive loyalty globally through elevated experiences, story-driven moments and new platforms and ecosystems.

The food industry has been experiencing a dramatic transformation. Communities are not just relying on supermarkets to secure their food. Today, innovators are reinventing how shoppers purchase and secure fresh groceries and ready-made meals through new distribution channels and direct-to-consumer models. In this session two startups at the forefront of this transformation explore these topics and other cutting edge technologies set to dominate the industry in the years to come.

The slidedeck presentation is now available on slideshare. View now.

New York City hosts the opening of many incredible new retail environments each year, and despite global challenges 2020 and 2021 were no exception. Please join the Retail Design Institute’s Cynthia Hirsch Ortiz as she presents some exceptional experiences and enhanced features on a curated, virtual tour of store openings over the last two years. We seek to inspire each of you to physically visit these “must see" spaces as you walk the city of New York.  

The slidedeck presentation is now available on slideshare. View now. 

Emma Chiu, Intelligence Director at Wunderman Thompson explains how immersive internet will shape our future and what opportunities it holds for brands.

Well-known business ecosystems like Alibaba have transformed the Chinese retail landscape. Integrating physical and digital retailing, payments, financial services, marketplaces, media and entertainment, these tightly connected technology platforms are spawning new retail business models that are built on expansive consumer insights. In addition, emerging ecosystems, like Mercado Libre, promise to reshape retail businesses amid competition among established and new platforms.

The slidedeck presentation is now available on slideshare. View now.

Facebook reported a 35 percent increase in the third quarter over the previous year. Meanwhile retailers continue to struggle to understand the real value of social media marketing, and spend more—just to maintain their position. Find out why organizations lack the fundamentals of customer engagement and what they should do differently to utilize data to ignite digital strategies that drive profitability by winning over the customer.

Five to ten years of online growth in only months, evolving supply chain challenges, and new unprecedented headwinds such as labor shortages - the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the grocery landscape. During this session, Sajal Kohli, Global Lead for McKinsey’s Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods Practice, will identify trends in the grocery space and opportunities for grocers to win a higher share of stomach and compete effectively in the future.

The slide deck presentation is now available on slideshare. View now. 

One of the biggest challenges in the supply chain for retailers and cargo owners has been the ocean environment and how ocean carriers have been adhering and delivering on their contracts. As rates and fees have skyrocketed, what can retailers do to protect themselves? Hear from experts about what to expect in the future of ocean contracting and what retailers can do to protect themselves.

How Grove Collaborative is increasing access to sustainable products and helping consumers develop new habits to reduce their environmental impact.

Reining in supply chain challenges is akin to herding cats. Still, retailers are finding the infrastructure investments that prioritize organizational agility and outcomes are delivering plenty of bang for the buck. As companies reimagine fulfillment they’re overhauling warehouses and DC’s with an eye toward improved order fulfillment cycles, increased storage and throughput, and new age robotics that speed processes and lift efficiencies. Join us for a discussion that will span fulfillment technology, predictive AI, and goods-to-person processes and how these upgrades are making companies better aligned to serve changing consumers.

Chief Global Economist Ira Kalish will explore the economic factors weighing on the 2022 economy, how these influences are reshaping consumers’ shopping behavior, and what lies ahead for retailers in an altered world. Ira will share preview highlights from the 25th edition of Global Powers of Retailing, which looks at the 250 largest retailers around the world and how leading retailers successfully pivoted during the pandemic.

The future of ecommerce is fast. How fast?  How about between 20 minutes and two hours. The pandemic has accelerated a shift in consumers’ expectations of immediacy to the point where many now view two-day delivery as unacceptably slow. Enter Ohi, a next generation instant commerce platform that is working with DTC brands to improve the post-purchase experience and increase conversion rates and repeat purchases. What is the ROI of instant commerce, and will the trend stick?

The slide deck presentation is now available on slideshare. View now. 

Physical retail has been blown into a thousand methodologies by the convergence of accelerated technologies and the underestimated effect of the Work-from-Home phenomenon. WD asked thousands of consumers across the spectrum to divulge their new preferences; where they will shop, how they will shop, and what version of physical shopping is most attractive to them given the fluid state of retail. Lee Peterson, EVP of Thought Leadership at WD, will explore current research results and recommend actions from these and other studies done during the last two years.

The slide deck presentation is now available on slideshare. View now. 

Jason Sigala Director of Events & Experiences The Avon Company and Brian Beitler CMO of QVC US and HSN will be sharing insight with Deborah Weinswig at Coresight Research into how they are embracing the latest innovations in livestream commerce to help transform the shopping experience, by blending entertainment with instant purchasing.

A leading global research and leadership firm envisions a future where autonomous vehicles and drones will deliver about 80 percent of all items. If you're wondering who's driving future deliveries or if emerging technologies will fly, join these next-gen thinkers for an eye-opening dialogue on the direction the retail supply chain's last mile is headed. 

One of the most coveted marketing buzzwords is ‘community’. Brands that have managed to create a community of loyal followers who not only buy their products, but act as ambassadors – even evangelists –  have a distinct edge over competitors. How do brands balance content, community and commerce to flourish?