Growth into international markets is the focus for the ‘Adapt and Expand’ conference stream. Internationalisation is a major concern for many retailers since to succeed over multiple markets, companies must prove themselves to be adaptive both in terms of their resources, staffing strategy, contingency and preparedness for unexpected challenges.
Topics will include defining action points and strategies that satisfy future Brexit restrictions and challenges, agile team structures and modelling when under-going expansion processes, how to develop digital agility in order to structure and accelerate international business, coping with nuances in different international markets whilst sustaining operational efficiency and SEO, in order to maintain high hit rates when entering new markets.
The opening keynote, at 12 noon, is Defining action points and strategies that satisfy future Brexit restrictions and challenges. This will look at how to deal with an often intimidating European market, navigating international policy that may change as a result of Brexit.
Then Georges Bergzal, VP and managing director, global ecommerce, EMEA at Pitney Bowes will be speaking on the cross-border opportunity that international selling now represents. He’ll discuss the complexities of the cross-border buyer journey, the current state and future projections of cross-border ecommerce markets, the latest trends in consumer behaviour, and what it takes for retailers to succeed internationally, profitably. His presentation, Understanding the cross border buyer journey – what drives success in international markets?, is at 12.35pm.
Andy Ellis, former EVP supply chain for Walmart Canada and Asda will be speaking alongside Paul Harvey, head of retail, Newton in a presentation, Beating the discounters: myth busting and the £4bn opportunity in grocery, after lunch at 2pm.
The speaking schedule breaks for conference workshops and an opportunity for coffee and networking with a session from the conference sponsor, at 3.40pm.
Philip Driver, head of ecommerce EMEA at Canon Europe then takes to the stage with a focus on the digitally and technology minded within organisations, and how their skills are best used in appraoching new markets, as well as how digital strategy can be refocused as it moved from one market to another. How to develop digital agility in order to structure and accelerate international business is at 4.15pm.
The closing keynote address, at 4.50pm, looks at differences across the European market in terms of how customers behave and how strategies can help to maximise profitability. SEO and maintaining high hit rates when entering new markets – learning regional catalysts for activity is at 4.50pm.
The InternetRetailing Conference, taking place in London on October 5, is the 12th annual edition of the event and this year focuses on energising retail. It runs alongside sister event the eDelivery Conference, and will be held at the Novotel, Hammersmith, London. One pass gives entry to both events with speakers also including Giles Delafeld, global CIO, Clarks; Bill Hopkins, executive director of operations and logistics, Trainline; and Regis Koenig, director of customer services, Darty.
For further information on the conferences, and to register for your delegate pass, visit www.internetretailingconference.com.
