Smu Retail Centre Of Excellence Hosts 2nd Asia Retail Leaders Conference On ‘next-gen Retail

By Author: SMU RCoE
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Following the success of the first Asia Retail Leaders Conference (ARLC) in October last year, the Singapore Management University (SMU) Retail Centre of Excellence (RCoE) will be hosting the second ARLC on 14 November 2019. Held at SMU’s Mochtar Riady Auditorium, RCoE expects to welcome 300 delegates from key retail brands across Asia Pacific.

This year, an esteemed panel of speakers from the industry and academia will delve into the world of ‘Next-Gen Retail: Unravelling the New Norm', with a focus on the challenges and benefits of creating and adhering to a digital-ready retail strategy. These industry leaders will provide delegates with a comprehensive analysis of the current market trends and enable them to create the opportunities to propel them into the future of retail.

Last year’s delegates included marketing and retail directors from 76 companies, including Asia Malls Management, Charles & Keith, Frasers Property, Godiva Japan, Jardine Cycle & Carriage, Mercatus Co-Operative, Johnson & Johnson and Lego. This year’s Conference will see participation from Moet Hennessy Diageo, ...
... Uniqlo, Changi Airport Group, Asia Mall and OUE among many others.

SMU RCoE is a retail insight-sharing hub in Singapore focusing on generating and disseminating actionable knowledge for retailers in Singapore, Asia and beyond. A tent pole event of the Centre, ARLC serves as a platform that engages retail leaders, industry experts, knowledge partners and senior managers from around the region.
Dr Kapil Tuli, Professor of Marketing at SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), and Director of RCoE, said, "We are pleased to present the second leadership conference for retailers in Asia to come together to share ideas and industry best practices that have the potential to help advance the industry as a whole. It’s a challenging yet fascinating time for the retail industry in Southeast Asia and Singapore. For example, the rise of social commerce is providing innovative options for retailers to get closer to customers. Retailers are also re-discovering the great potential of enhancing customer engagement in the physical world with the aid of design thinking and immersive technologies.”

“In addition, the innovations in payment technologies and the rise of online marketplaces are providing consumers with greater options. Against this background, the speakers we have invited this year are all market leaders and trendsetters within their own fields in retail. We believe that their insights and sharing on new retail trends will inspire and empower retailers to do more in embracing retail for the new generation,” he added.

The one-day Conference will be presented in five themed segments, namely, Engage, Design, Enhance, Understand and Imagine:

Engage
What are eminent retailers doing to stay relevant and engage customers? This will be discussed in-depth by a panel of speakers featuring Ms Elaine Heng, Chief Executive Officer, Retail Business, FairPrice Group; Dr Ernst Christiaan Osinga, Associate Professor of Marketing, SMU LKCSB; and Mr Christopher Daguimol, Director/Head of Brand Communications, Zalora.

Design
Another panel will discuss how technology, visual engagement and consumer empathy can be seamlessly weaved together to develop a highly focused consumer-centric retail experience. Mr Mark Wee, Executive Director, DesignSingapore Council; Ms Dione Song, Chief Commercial Officer, Love, Bonito; Ms Richa Menka, Principal, Eight Inc.; and Ms Kim Nayoung, Marketing Officer, Shimano, will share why and how retailers can incorporate design thinking to generate opportunities to better connect with consumers.

Enhance
How do retailers leverage emerging technologies and exploit disruptions and behavioural shifts to enhance the value proposition for their customers? Hear from Mr Sam Too, Head of Corporate and Media Relations, Qoo10; Mr Gary Chan, Channel & Device Marketing Director, Microsoft; Mr Mark Jamison, SVP, Global Head of Innovation and Design, Visa; and Dr Nirmalya Kumar, Professor of Marketing, SMU LKCSB.

Understand
How should retailers refresh their business models to understand their next generation of employees and customers? Ms Gayathri Venkatesan and Mr Pratt Hetrakul, Marketing Science Partners, Facebook, will share how retailers are leveraging the opportunities from social media to drive business results; Dr Sandeep Chandukala, Associate Professor of Marketing from SMU and Dr Yong Chin Tan from City University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will share their research insights into how retailers can leverage Augmented Reality in stores; and Ms Sheryl Woon, Online Traffic Acquisitions Leader, Decathlon, will share insights on engaging the young generation of employees.

Imagine
SMU RCoE will be holding the grand finals of the Inter-Varsity Retail Challenge 2019 where retailers will gain first-hand insights into the mindsets, preferences and behaviours of the new generation. The first-of-its-kind competition in Singapore saw overwhelming response when it opened in August 2019, with more than 80 participating teams represented by a total of 254 students. The students hail from seven tertiary institutions in Singapore, namely National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, SIM Global Education, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore University of Social Sciences and Singapore University of Technology and Design, and SMU.

About Singapore Management University
A premier university in Asia, the Singapore Management University (SMU) is internationally recognised for its world-class research and distinguished teaching. Established in 2000, SMU’s mission is to generate leading-edge research with global impact and to produce broad-based, creative and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. SMU’s education is known for its highly interactive, collaborative and project-based approach to learning.

Home to over 10,000 students across undergraduate, postgraduate professional and post-graduate research programmes, SMU, is comprised of six schools: School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Economics, School of Information Systems, School of Law, and School of Social Sciences. SMU offers a wide range of bachelors, masters and PhD degree programmes in the disciplinary areas associated with the six schools, as well as in multidisciplinary combinations of these areas.

SMU emphasises rigorous, high-impact, multi- and interdisciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance. SMU faculty members collaborate with leading international researchers and universities around the world, as well as with partners in the business community and public sector. SMU’s city campus is a modern facility located in the heart of downtown Singapore, fostering strategic linkages with business, government and the wider community. www.smu.edu.sg

About the Retail Centre of Excellence (RCOE)
RCoE was officially launched by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Trade and Industry on 10 October 2017. It is the first retail insight-sharing hub in Singapore focusing on generating and disseminating actionable knowledge for retailers in Singapore, Asia and beyond. RCoE is based in the Lee Kong Chian School of Business of SMU and supported by two government agencies, the Economic Development Board and Enterprise Singapore.

The Centre aims to empower retailers with the know-how through research and insights, and build an ecosystem comprising retailers, retail experts, knowledge & industry partners, SMU faculty and student talent. Helmed by SMU Professor of Marketing Kapil R. Tuli, the Centre is joined by a group of Founding Members comprising DFS Venture, DBS, Decathlon, Microsoft, Harvey Norman, IKEA, Popular Holdings, Tiffany & Co. and Visa. rcoe.smu.edu.sg/

About the Asia Retail Leaders Conference (ARLC)
ARLC 2019 is an event for retailers to gather, network and get an immersive learning experience from a great selection of speakers and experts whose delivery and discussions will provide you deep insights into the next generation of retail shaping the transformation of the industry.

Entrepreneurs, business owners, marketers, sales leaders, designers and business consultants alike, will all be able to acquire new ideas and gain fresh perspectives on the exciting and evolving retail landscape. smu.edu.sg/arlc2019