Retail gab to boost customer experience

NEW avenues for elevating customer experience will be the focal point of this year's 21st National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE), which will be held on August 9 to 10 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

This year's staging of the NRCE is also set to differentiate retailing in the Philippines as it declares "Shopping. It's More Fun in the Philippines."

Organized by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) and supported by PLDT Alpha Enterprise, SM Department Stores, Robinsons Malls and HP Philippines, Araneta Center, Ayala Malls and Meralco, the NRCE is the country's biggest retail industry event.

The conference is expected to be attended by over 700 retail owners, suppliers, CEOs, and top level executives from all over the country.

Its twin event, the Stores Asia Expo, is the country's premier exhibition of retail suppliers and service providers.

This year's NRCE takes its cue from the Philippine government's well conceived "It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez will be speaking on the campaign's synergy with retail industry growth.

William Schultz, president and CEO of Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc., will deliver the conference keynote message.

Coca-Cola's participation in this year's NRCE is expected to further elevate the "fun" aspect of the conference as the brand celebrates "100 Year of Happiness."

Meanwhile, Emmy award-winning television producer of The Tyra Banks Show and the widely popular fashion reality show America's Next Top Model is set to share the newest developments in marketing and branding and global opportunities for Filipino brands.

Acknowledging the value of customer service to the overall shopping experience, the annual event gathers the people behind the companies that have excellent track records in customer satisfaction.

The plenary sessions will provide insights on the changing demands and tastes of consumers: from retail entertainment, using store design to improve shopping experiences, successfully engaging new generation shoppers to personalized branding.

On the conference's first day, the morning panel discussion will delve into digital marketing and online commerce. Another panel discussion will address the influx of international brands in the Philippines.

"Global Brands in Local Shores: How Local Brands Can Compete and Succeed vis-...-vis International Brands" will feature Filipino brands that have remained successful in spite of the challenges posed by international brands.

On the conference's second day, luminaries from retail and property development will be featured in an interesting discussion.

Entitled "Retail Entertainment: Creating a New Level of Customer Experience," the morning panel discussion explores how shopping and leisure are intertwined. The conference's last panel discussion is set to put participants in a hopeful, forward-thinking mood.

Entitled "The New Turks of Retailing," it will feature the young entrepreneurs behind today's hottest brands and franchises.

Other topics include the competitive edge of socially responsible businesses, licensing opportunities for retailers, the retailer’s role in advocating a sustainable lifestyle, and transforming employees into brand ambassadors. There will also be a plenary session on using an initial public offering (IPO) as a tool for retail business growth.

For registration and other inquiries, visit www.nrceph.com, call PRA at 687-4180/4181 and 0919-6481231, or email info@philretailers.com or ebbs@philretailers.com.