The 2022 Programme

This opening address will examine the theme of building trust with customers from new exciting experiential strategy to going back to basics to meet customer needs successfully. Our speaker will discuss how past customer interactions can drive today’s omnichannel strategy and how to embrace digital within traditional/operational businesses.

• Who is the new digital shopper and how to build their trust?
• The use of social media to gain the trust of customers
• Supporting omnichannel management in a changing environment

Graham Johnston, Senior Director - Omnichannel Customer Support, Asda

Panel Session 1: Changes in consumer behaviour - how do omnichannel retailers respond?

With already-changing purchasing behaviours having been accelerated due to COVID19, combined with a digitally disruptive Gen Z consumer - it is time to rethink how you engage with your consumer and integrate new paths to purchase. This session looks at how retailers are mastering a strong omnichannel offering by creating a seamless end-to-end experience in a new era and implementing it quickly in response to consumer behaviour.

• What new shopping habits have consumers adopted and which will remain?
• Emerging technology and trends in consumer behaviour
• How to respond to new post pandemic consumer behaviour and boost engagement, sales and retention rates?
• Social commerce - use of live / digital selling to increase engagement and attracting a different audience
• Optimising end-to-end digital experiences for an increasingly demanding consumer
• What does CRM look like following the accelerated, pandemic-led step change in customer behaviour?
• Creating detailed insights about your consumer and their behaviours - ensuring relevance and personalisation across all channels
• The use of conversational commerce

Capturing attention of today's consumer is getting more and more difficult - join our panel who will share their expertise on how to successfully transition to the new eCommerce reality. We will examine building an engaging website, strategies for keeping customers coming back to the website time and again, maintaining a premium customer experience online, and best practices for optimising customer journeys from homepage through to basket.

• Preserving customer experience online
• AI and automation - how to succeed
• API integration - the benefits of headless architecture
• Seamless online connectivity that allows retailers to enhance their use of data
• Accelerating digital transformation by using AR to dive customer engagement

With the pandemic having shifted more shoppers to online, how can stores maintain consumers’ attention and drive footfall post-COVID? We discuss how to effectively integrate the store into the omnichannel experience and connect the dots to ensure smooth interplay between web and store. This session will explore solutions to bring the convenience of online shopping instore via the latest omnichannel innovation.

• Re-adjustment of high street shopping – should it be more experienced-led going forward?
• Capitalising on customers in real life through physical retail pop-up ventures
• Understanding the changing role of bricks and mortar - captivating and connecting the consumer
• The use of RFID - could cashless / cardless checkouts genuinely change the customer experience for the better?
• Using VR to deliver what customers will buy
• Walk in, walk out technology - worth the investment?

This session will discuss the various approaches to meet the customer wherever and whenever, to ensure that retailers are ready to interact with their brand. Our speaker draws on his experience of re-positioning and revitalising of retail businesses to ensure future retail longevity.

• Optimal brand experience in an omnichannel landscape
• How should retailers respond to their market with authenticity?
• Using tech to build brand loyalty and customer engagement
• Are ‘partnerships’ a vital lifeline for brands - how to remain relevant
• Can brands afford to ignore social and mobile commerce?
• Revitalising the customer proposition to ensure brand dividend
• Moving from the high street to being an aspirational global brand