The Retail Conference

Seminars for The Retail Conference 2010 have not yet been confirmed.

All the seminars will be delivered in the main auditorium - an impressive tiered theatre with over 220 seats.

At The Retail Conference 2010 you will hear from 8 engaging Seminar Speakers - all guaranteed to be retailers, all delivering insights and real-life case studies from their own experiences.

As an example of the kind of retail seminar content you can expect at the event, details of some of the 2009 seminars are below. Please click the links to find out more.

How the Internet can fuel growth and deliver benefits through improved sales, service and efficiency

The Changing Face of Charity Shop Retailing in the 21st Century

Value Driven AND Convenient

Serving the Customer: The Multi-Channel Opportunity

BrightHouse: Providing Credit in a Credit Crunch

How Supply Chain Visibility can really Save your Bacon!

Alan White, Chief Executive of N Brown Group.

N Brown Group are bucking the down-turn trend, consistently reporting strong figures. But how?

In Alan's seminar the audience will hear about the latest thinking on home shopping in a multi-channel retail environment, and, learn about some of the secrets of N Brown's success!

Alan will focus the discussion on how the internet has fuelled sales growth at N Brown and how it is benefiting the business through improved sales, service and efficiency.

As a traditionally catalogue based retailer, the rise of internet use has been fundamental to the growth and success recently reported by N Brown.

Alan will comment on how his organisation has harnessed the opportunity presented by the increasing confidence of consumers in online shopping, and give delegates some insight as to how other retailers may be able to do the same, to their benefit!

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Sally Brighton, Community Giving Director, Save the Children

The changing economic environment brings both challenges and opportunities to charity retailing.

In this presentation Sally will explore how charities are responding to these changes and the results they are seeing.

Following their recent experience during the filming of 'Mary Queen of Charity Shops' with Mary Portas, Save the Children is learning how to reach out into our communities and make charity retailing part of the everyday shopping experience.

Sally will talk about how charity retailing will rediscover its relevance in the 21st Century as issues such as ethical trade and environmental responsibility become front of mind with UK shoppers.

This seminar is followed by a workshop that will enable delegates to explore the topics touched on in greater detail.

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Hussein Lalani, Commercial Director, 99p Stores.

99p Stores has been successful right from the beginning, but recently this has accelerated, proving that when times are tough it's chic to be cheap!

99p Stores Ltd began life as a single North London store in 2001. Just five years later Fast Track 100 hailed it as the fastest growing retailer in the UK. Today there are 73 stores, including seven ex-Woolworths' outlets. The company's relentless expansion will take them to 100 stores for 2009, with annualised turnover topping £250 million.

Hussein's presentation will focus on how 99p Stores are taking advantage of the current economic crisis by opening new stores and trying out new products to win over credit crunched customers.

As Hussein has in the past worked at Whistlestop Food & Wine (one of the family's companies that was sold in 2000) he has acquired a great working knowledge of convenience retailing - that knowledge is now being implemented into 99p Stores, creating a great, low-cost, convenient retail model - ideal in the current market.

From store layout to product range and promotional offers, many of the stores have been transformed to offer a local, value, convenience store proposition.

This doesn't only apply to their food offering but also categories not typically associated with convenience retailing - such as hardware and stationery. Hussein believes that there is a market for such an offer - after all, who wants to go all the way to an out-of-town retail park hardware superstore for a pair of pliers and some cable ties when your local 99p Stores stocks these products?

This seminar will explore the changing demands of the consumer and how 99p stores is one retailer who is responding well to that.

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Gillian Berkmen, Group Brand and Commercial Director, Mothercare plc. Mothercare has been a true pioneer in multi-channel retailing in the UK and its Direct channel now represents nearly 20% of UK sales.

The success of its online business has been driven in part by a deep understanding of the unique needs of the Mothercare customer. Mothercare now has extensive ranges available on its web site - in some cases its online ranges are five times the size of the ranges it stocks in store.

Gillian will talk about the growth of Mothercare's online business, how Mothercare responds to the needs of its customers through its online offer, as well as Mothercare's latest online joint venture, the popular social networking site gurgle.com.

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Hamish Paton, Commercial Director, BrightHouse Stores.

Through the shop window, BrightHouse looks like any other retailer. It sells all the products that you might want or need for your home. The big difference though is that customers tend to buy in installments, usually making their payments in store, every week.

The model is more relevant in today's economic climate than it has ever been. However, the management team has needed to work hard to make sure that the proposition - originally imported from the US - responds to the changing needs of the customer.

Hamish will reflect on the changes that have underpinned a 50% growth in customers and over 200% upsurge in profits in the last three years. He will explore what has worked, some of the things that haven't, and where some difficult choices have needed to be made.

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How Supply Chain Visibility can really Save your Bacon! - Jonathon Bayne, Head of Technical Services, Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs, Musgrave Retail Partners GB.

Although Jonathon's presentation has a light hearted title He will be telling the story of the Irish pork crisis that hit the headlines in December 2008 and how, through exceptionally rigorous supply chain visibility and traceability, Musgrave, and their suppliers, were protected from major costs due to excellent processes.

He also will cover the importance of having robust systems in place and the ability for them to cope with such incidents outside of the normal working week.

How important it is that you have adequate traceability systems as well as effective communication processes in place?

This incident began at 9.30 am on a Sunday morning when the first telephone call came through. In just 24 hours this crisis lead to 16 separate product recalls being received all of which had to be dealt with, and in many cases simultaneously.

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