IRX/EDX 2015 PREVIEW More than 7,000 visitors get the inside track on m-retail

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More than 7,000 visitors, including retailers from around the world, are expected at this year’s Internet Retailing Expo (IRX) on 25 and 26 March at the NEC – and there is a lovely mobile track that will explore the latest developments, trends and ‘learnings’ about mobile.


Proceedings kick off by getting straight to the point: Turning Mobile into Money – key challenges and best practices is the mobile keynote from Lysa Hardy, Chief Marketing Officer, NBTY Europe, owner of Holland & Barrett and many other health related retailers. This theme of turning mobile investment into sales is followed through by Nish Kukadia, CEO, Secretsales.com , who is looking at Converting Mobile Traffic into Sales.

Aside from making money, mobile is now widely regarded as a personalized link between comsumers and stores – both online and in the real world, and this makes up the next segment of the mobile track. Annabel Kilner,UK Country Manager, Made.com takes a look at Harmonising Bricks and Clicks, while Jo French, Head of Online, Monsoon Accessorize covers off Mobile as a Gateway to Increased Personalisation.

After lunch we delve into some the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in mobile implementation with a panel discussion with Chuck Cantrell, Head of eCommerce Solutions, Clarks , Sam Hill,Head of Architecture, Tesco .

Then we take a more techy – though no less exhilarating – look at mobile developments that are just around the corner. Stuart McMillan, Deputy Head of Ecommerce, Schuh takes us through responsive design, while Mat Braddy, Chief Marketing Officer, Just Eat peers over the horizon to takes us through the potential of wearable tech, augmented reality and virtual reality and what it may mean for retailers. Quite a line up I think you’ll agree.

Elsewhere across the two days of the event you will hear from scores of other expert speakers hailing from retailers as diverse as John Lewis, ao.com and Selfridges. Keynote speakers at the event, which this year runs alongside eDelivery Expo (EDX) at the NEC in Birmingham on March 25 and 26, will include John Roberts, founder and chief executive of ao.com , Gareth Jones, deputy chief executive of Shop Direct , Lisa Hardy, chief marketing officer at NBTY Europe, Andrew Murphy, retail director at John Lewis , Jon Rudoe, digital and technology director at Sainsbury’s , Martijn Bertisen, director, retail, at Google UK , and John Munnelly, head of operations at the Magna Park Campus at John Lewis Partnership .

As well as attending the conference stream, taking part in a free practically-focused workshops and clinics run by suppliers including Amplience , Adestra and Monetate and Rocket Mill, visitors will also be able to explore the Digital High Street, where suppliers of new and innovative technologies will show just how retailers can bridge the gap between offline and offline. Facial recognition software, contactless payment, smart labels, on-demand delivery, digital changing rooms, 3D printing shops, and robotic assistants are among the innovations set to feature in this area, new to IRX this year.

Retailers will also be able to visit the Digital Payments Village, and the Brands Direct Marketplace Theatre, where retailers, suppliers and marketplaces themselves will share expert insights on making the most of opportunities that marketplaces present.

IRX will also be a place where retailers can learn from international experience. There will be Chinese and Indian pavilions showcasing the cream of technology and expertise from those countries, alongside exhibitors from Brazil, North America and across Europe. Closer to home, more than 250 of the UK’s leading multichannel suppliers will also be demonstrating what they can do.

In the eDelivery Expo, a new Internet Retailing event dedicated to multichannel logistics and operations professionals, speakers from John Lewis, Wayfair , Shop Direct and Deckers will focus on conference themes including bringing online shoppers in-store, best practices and success stories.

The IREU Top500 Footprint will also be unveiled at IRX 2015, extending the work done in the IRUK Top500 into Europe.

Mark Pigou, founder of Internet Retailing Magazine and Events UK, said: “With over 250 exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations that are driving revenue for retailers, as well as the leading names in the sector, both IRX and EDX offer visitors two days of education, networking and relationship building, all under one roof.

“Bigger and better than ever before, with new features such as the Digital High Street, the Digital Payments Village and Brands Direct Marketplace Theatre, we’re looking forward to record numbers of visitors all wanting to learn how best to sell online.”

To find out more and to register for a free ticket, visit http://internetretailingexpo.com/.

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