Philippine Retailing 2019 Q3 *New format! | Page 4

BANNER STORY PHILIPPINE RETAILING TOP RETAIL STAKEHOLDERS REIMAGINE RETAIL More than 800 retailers composed of CEOs, presidents, and top-level executives listened to some of the newest insights and freshest ideas from global retail experts at the 26th National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE) last August 15-16 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. W ith the theme “Retail Reimagined” the 26th NRCE gathered the best in retail business, market research and intelligence, and technology and innovation to create a hub of knowledge in a two-day event and give practical tips to attendees on how they can reimagine their respective retail businesses. There is a paradigm shift in a pace that has never occurred in history. Whatever the trend today, may be outdated in the next few weeks or months. So, it is imperative that we always try to be on the lookout for something new, but at the same time, these “new” additions should be relevant to the people we serve, Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) President Rosemarie Ong said. 4 “Having witnessed both the beauty of genuine care and technology in providing excellent service and experience for the customer, I realized how wonderful the potential of combining the Filipino brand of service and global innovation. This will help our industry flourish and become more powerful,” she added. PRA is the recognized trade association of retailers and retail suppliers in the country that organizes the NRCE annually. Global tech evangelist on today’s retail state Technology Evangelist Jesus Vega opened the NRCE 26th edition with emphasis on the importance of collecting and analyzing data to give customers personalized and customized experiences. He said that retailers should treat consumers as friends and give them unique treatment according to their needs. PLDT Alpha First Vice President and Head Vic Tria talked about the retail practices of the next generation; while Amazon Web Services Head of Digital Innovation Jaspal Johl shared the journey of innovation in the company, with the goal of easing some pain points for the customers.