SMU Retail Centre of Excellence Asia Retail Leaders Conference 2018 Addresses Industry’s Challenges and Innovations

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 20
September 2018 – The Singapore Management University (SMU) Retail
Centre of Excellence (RCoE) will be hosting its inaugural Asia Retail Leaders
Conference (ARLC) from 18 to 19 October at Conrad Centennial Singapore,
discussing key challenges and strategies to navigate the competitive Asian
retail landscape.

SMU RCoE is a retail insight-sharing hub in
Singapore focusing on generating and disseminating actionable knowledge for
retailers in Singapore, Asia and beyond. ARLC will serve as a platform that
engages retail leaders, industry experts, knowledge partners and senior
managers from around the region.

ARLC 2018 will cover various sub-themes to discuss
the critical issues impacting the retail space today. This includes Adapting and Thriving with Omni Channel
Customers, Retail Innovation and IP, Design Thinking in Retailing, Retailing in
India and China, Managing Retail Brands, Entrepreneurship in Retailing, and Attracting
and Retaining Retail Talent. The opening address will be delivered by Professor
Lily Kong, Provost and President-designate of SMU.

Professor Kapil Tuli, Director of RCoE says, “We
are pleased to organise our first leadership conference to empower retailers to
tackle key industry challenges for their businesses. This year, we are joined
by more than 20 speakers from across the globe who will be presenting their
insights of relevance to business and industry. We believe that this exchange of
ideas will further prepare retail leaders to navigate their organisations in
this challenging yet exciting time.”

The theme of navigating turbulent waters is set
against the backdrop of an increasingly digitised and interconnected world. In
order to remain relevant and meet these new consumer demands, the retail
industry is undergoing significant disruption and trying to play in multiple
formats. The dynamism of the competitive environment, especially with the
presence of large and up-and-coming e-commerce players, have seen online
retailers setting up stores to build local presence. Apart from these external
challenges, the retail industry must also focus on the renewal of leadership,
recruitment strategies, staff engagement and employee performance for the
future of retail.

The conference will feature a combination of
in-depth discussions and talks by leading academics and deep dive workshops
with leading practitioners. ARLC 2018 will include two in-depth workshops
Retail Innovation and IP workshop by Ms. Audrey Yap, a distinguished lawyer and
thought leader in IP. In addition, ARLC 2018 will feature a Design Thinking
Workshop held by Mr. Mark Wee, a pioneer in using design thinking to shape
innovative human-centred experiences across products, services and
environments. The conference is part of SMU RCoE’s on-going effort to provide a
platform for retail leaders and knowledge partners to network, share and engage
in dialogue on growth opportunities and challenges presented by the
fast-changing consumer landscape in today’s digital age.

For interested participants, registration fee is at
SGD750 and available online. Please visit www.arlc2018.sg for more information.