Now in its 28th year, Retail Solutions in partnership with EDS is returning to its roots in London and teaming up with Retail Week to offer the highest-quality learning and networking opportunities through conference streams, workshops and focused briefings. Retail technology is still at the heart of the exhibition, featuring an eclectic mix of suppliers with solutions suitable for all of today’s retail formats and that provide benefits to a range of departments through the supply chain, to the store and, of course, the head office.
Sustainable retailing is now mainstream and research has shown that consumers are willing to either pay more for socially responsible products or to turn down those that aren’t. In response to this, Retail Solutions, in association with BT and its partners, has developed a sustainable retailing feature for the event, which aims to provide retailers with a range of technologies that can support their corporate and social responsibility programmes.
Visitors will have the opportunity to discover how they can reduce their staff ’s carbon footprint and the environmental impact of stores, combat lost sales because of competitors’ better sustainability records and how to empower employees to help communicate their commitment to responsible retailing to customers.
Through the addition of six Retail Week conferences, delegates will be able to hear more than 50 speakers from the UK’s leading retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Argos, Asos, Boots, Woolworths and many more. Delegates can choose inspirational content from six market-leading conferences covering supply chain, multichannel retailing, retail technology, business intelligence, merchandising planning and fraud/loss prevention.
These conferences will deliver insight into how other retailers are facing specific business challenges and guide the implementation of new strategies to defend your competitive advantage.
Strategy drivers
Complementing strategic streams such as ‘How outsourcing can drive retailer agility and efficiency’ there will also be more practical insights from case studies of retail technology at work, for instance, ensuring that you ‘Merchandise effectively through your online offering’ as well as in stores. The goal of these presentations is to provide scenarios for the future and explore how technology can drive your retail strategy.
We have also introduced a series of technology tours, facilitated by Martec and Fieldworks, that will lead delegates around the exhibition, giving impartial advice on suitable suppliers for their needs. For those who have planned their own time at the event there is the IBM VIP lounge, offering the opportunity to network, hold meetings away from the show floor and take advantage of IBM’s hospitality with complimentary refreshments and wireless internet connection.
Visitors will also be able to meet and socialise in the Retail Suite bar sponsored by Itim. The Retail Suite bar this year features both food and drink, as well as information kiosks providing users with up-to-date event information on exhibitors to visit, that day’s conference and workshop availability.
Finally, the European Retail Solutions Awards will now be held on June 25 within the elegant surroundings of Old Billingsgate Market, located beside the Thames. This year, there was a record number of entries, which caused real debate among the judges when collating the shortlist, with the eventual winners to be announced on the night. To see the shortlisted entries and to book your place to attend, please visit www.europeanretailsolutionsawards.com.
With all these events taking place over the three days, I sincerely hope that you will join us and I am confident that you will find your visit worthwhile.
Tim Edwards, event manager
CONTENTS
HIGHLIGHTS 5
FEATURE: BUSINESS DRIVERS FOR IT ADOPTION 6
FEATURE: GREEN IT 9
CONFERENCE INTRODUCTION AND PROGRAMME 12
ERSA SHORTLIST 22
EXHIBITOR LIST 24
VISITOR INFORMATION 26
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