The Retail Conference

The Retail Conference 2010 boasts an incredible 16 workshops / breakout sessions that will run concurrently with the main programme. As a delegate you will be spoilt for choice - so to ensure you can make best use of your time on the day, and not miss out on the aspects that are really relevant to you, we will enable you to personalise your own agenda for the day.

If you are torn between joining a workshop / breakout session or hearing a seminar we would encourage you to choose the workshop. All of the seminar presentations are made available to attendes via a secure area of this website the day after the event, but we can't ever recreate the content, learning and interaction that comes from the discussion, debate and ideas in a workshop - hence why if the topic is of interest to you we suggest you attend a workshop in favour of a seminar.

Some of the details of the 2010 workshops are available below, and more will be added here over the next few weeks. Please click the links to find out more about any of the sessions.

Forecasting and Replenishment: A practical session on how to increase availability and reduce Inventory without expensive system changes...

Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail - What you should know...

The Reality behind Dynamic Retailing: How to leverage SaaS for business systems change with NO Capex!

I WANT IT NOW! Why Retail SameDay delivery is a critical element for multi-channel success

A practical guide to building a Customer Centric Multi-channel business

Forecasting and replenishment is still one area where retailers have great opportunities for improvement.

With the combination of global sourcing, increasing levels of fashion in day to day items reducing life-cycles, and with the impact of multi-channel retailing, the need to predict demand and to plan allocations and replenishments more accurately remains of critical importance to the ability to deliver the bottom line.

In this joint session hosted by Retail Acumen and Exceedra, attendees will get the opportunity to discuss best practice processes around demand forecasting and planning allocation and replenishment. Attendees will also hear some real life case studies that prove how an accurate, statistical forecast can be generated by using sophisticated tools, without the need for the users to be rocket scientists!

In the past advanced forecasting and replenishment solutions have been expensive and complex to implement. Retail Acumen and Exceedra will explain, using real retail case studies, how the key challenges and common pitfalls can be overcome.

If you are interested in attending a practical session on how to improve availability in under 4 weeks then this is the session for you!

www.exceedra.com

Back To Top

---

As a specialty retailer, you know the customer is always right - and that if you can't meet their demands, they can simply go somewhere else. Business success depends on knowing what customers want and ensuring that those choices are available at any time, from any location. You also need to balance inventory, product ranges, and high-quality service while keeping costs down.

Microsoft will be launching Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail in August 2010 to help upper mid-market retailers address these problems. This session will be one of the first opportunities to see this new solution and learn from K3's 18 years of experience delivering Microsoft solutions to retail:

This session will address

• Which types of retailer this new solution will help the most.
• Which parts of your business Dynamics AX for Retail benefit the most
• What are the pitfalls to avoid when selecting and implementing.

The session will be presented by K3's Dynamics AX Business Product Manager, Peter Ward, and Martin Greenhalgh IT Director of 'Buy as you View'. Martin led the UK's first implementation of Dynamics AX for Retail and will share his thoughts on product selection. This informative session will ensure retailers embarking on a systems review are equipped with a clear understanding of what can be achieved with Dynamics AX for Retail.

K3 is Microsoft's strategic retail launch partner and is on the Microsoft Partner Advisory Council for Retail. For more about K3 please visit www.theretailpeople.com/

Back To Top

---

In this workshop, presented by CTS Retail, the discussion will focus on the reality behind 'Dynamic Retailing' (Our conference theme this year is dynamic, defined as continuous change, activity or progress, a force producing motion)....

The workshop will kick off with some thought provoking questions. You will be asked to consider how do you meet continuous change activity, respond to market forces and maintain your cost base whilst growing your business? Is the answer multi-channel? Or is it about embracing new technologies?

This workshop will give you the tools to produce your roadmap for retail agility, ensuring success, from communication to appropriate methodology and much much more... You will:

• Learn from experienced presenters - over 40 years combined retail operations and retail technology experience
• Hear from leading CEOs on the strategic role of IT in their business
• Discover the latest in technology trends and see the future of retail IT
• Join a discussion group based on your specific areas of expertise and interest
• Discover how IT can help you grow profits and reduce costs
• Produce your roadmap for retail agility

This is NOT a workshop for the IT team! This session is absolutely aimed at informing the operational and commercial decision makers about how technology can now better enable them to deliver their core business objectives!

We look forward to meeting you for what is guaranteed to be a lively and interesting discussion.

For more about CTS Retail please visit www.cts-retail.com/

Back To Top

---

"When you look at why people choose not to purchase something online, even if they research it online, the number one reason is because they want something immediately" * Forrester Research

In this workshop, brought to you by CitySprint, you will get the opportunity to hear live case studies, demonstrating the various delivery solutions currently provided to the sector, that are contributing to the multi-channel success stories of retailers such as ASOS and House of Fraser.

The discussion will focus on how offering more flexible delivery options is of real benefit both to the retailer and to the consumer, by giving the consumer more control and flexibility over their delivery and in turn allowing the retailer to really stand out in a highly competitive market. You will get the opportunity to ask questions and hear from a panel of experts, including guest speakers from ASOS and House of Fraser.

In this session you will find out how a SameDay delivery proposition can support your multi-channel strategy by:

• Going the extra mile to meet customer expectation /convenience / demand of " I want it now!"
• Working along side your existing Operational / IT set up
• Ensuring a better and more consistent 'Customer door experience'
• Ensuring delivery options best suit your online consumer demands

This workshop is brought to you by CitySprint whose key focus is working closely with customers to keep ahead of consumer delivery demands.

CitySprints dedicated Retail Sector Team provides flexible and innovative home delivery solutions, 7 days a week including ALL Bank Holidays including the highly regarded SameDay delivery solution which is available 7 Days A week.

For more information please visit www.citysprint.co.uk/retail

Back To Top

---

*** At The Retail Conference 2009 the Charteris workshop attracted over 70 delegates! If this session interests you, when online workshop reservations go live, you should reserve your place. ***

Retailers of all sizes recognise the crucial importance of aligning their business with their customers' needs and wants. However doing so whilst adapting their operations to meet the increasing demands of the digital savvy consumer and the proliferation of channels is far from straight forward. Conceptually, creating a customer centric business should be simple - doing it, cost effectively, in the face of legacy systems, processes and organisational constraints is another challenge altogether!

Join the team from Charteris at this interactive workshop to learn and discuss with like minded colleagues:

• The new retail basics of Customer Centricity in a multi channel world - understanding the customer, making shopping easy, making products and services relevant and accessible, making the customer experience positive and productive
• How the 7 steps of Customer Insight can be used effectively to deliver powerful results for your business
• A practical approach to transforming your organisation to meet the challenge of operating in a multi-channel world

All those who attend this session will receive a FREE copy of the latest Customer Centricity survey from Charteris & Martec International.

This session is a must-attend for those who want to learn more about customer centricity in retail, get an in-depth view on achieving greater Customer Insight, and who wish to discuss practical steps to driving effective business change.

For more information about Charteris please visit www.charteris.com/retail

Back To Top

---