Retail Asia 2018 RA September.October 2018 (Online) | Page 63

REVIEW
9-10 August 2018
SMX Convention Center,
Manila, the Philippines.
www.nrce-ph.com
FIRAE chairman Massimo Volpe (top) and
Thailand‘s Central Pattana deputy CEO
Wallaya Chirathivat (above), retail experts
and leaders from different parts of the
globe talked about the latest trends and
innovations in the industry during the
25th NRCE on August 9 and 10 at the SMX
Convention Center, Pasay City, Philippines.
Sharing the latest
insights on reinventing
retail in the region
“WITH all the challenges the bricks-
and-mortar stores face today, especially
from the emergence of the online digital
retail channels, it is now time for retailers
to step up the ante in their business.
Keep up with the pace of the industry
and create strategies to meet the current
consumer demands, as well as achieve a
perennial advantage in an increasingly
demanding industry,” Rosemarie Ong,
president of the Philippine Retailers
Association (PRA), said in her welcome
address at the 25th National Retail
Conference and Stores Asia Expo
(NRCE) in August.
Anchored on this year’s theme of
Reinventing Retail, Ong called on the
delegates to revamp their strategies
to keep up with the times and stay
ahead of the game. Over 800 retailers
— including CEOs, presidents and
top-level executives — trooped to the
SMX Convention Center in Manila,
Philippines, for this year’s NRCE to
listen to the latest insights and updates
on the retail industry from global and
local experts.
Globally-recognised author and
futurist on retail and e-commerce
Wijnand Jongen led the roster of
speakers as this year’s keynote speaker
Day 1. He gave insights on The End
of Online Shopping and detailed how
consumer behaviour and technology
are shaping the current retail landscape
worldwide. He also shared how online
and offline retailing can marry seamlessly
to serve the consumers’ needs. Jongen
is the co-founder and chairman of the
Executive Committee of E-commerce
Europe, the European umbrella
organisation with more than 75,000
merchants and author of the best-selling
book, The End of Online Shopping.
Newly-appointed Philippine Tourism
Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat also
delivered a keynote speech on the first
day and shared how retail is a vital aspect
and driver of the local tourism industry.
Thailand’s Central Pattana deputy
CEO Wallaya Chirathivat set the tone
of the conference on Day 2. She shared
insights into the changing role of
malls from being a place to shop into
becoming a destination, where people do
not only buy stuff, but gain experiences
as well. Central Pattana is Thailand’s
largest retail property development and
investment company.
Her talk was followed by Massimo
Volpe, chairman of the Forum for
International Retail Association
Executives (FIRAE), who discussed the
Global State of Retailing, including the
latest trends in retailing in various parts
of the world.
NRCE 2018’s breakout sessions — Supermarket and Digital Track — were jampacked during its two-day run in August.
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