Recovery 2021: New strategies to survive and thrive

9.30am-9.35am Retail Week welcome 

The events of 2020 have been a tipping point for transformation, particularly where supply chains are concerned.

As a result of the global health emergency, key areas of retail operations have intensified – such as the need for end-to-end transparency, greater collaboration, brand purpose and sustainable credentials, the adoption of new technologies and data-driven innovation.

Retailers must now shape their strategies in the post-pandemic landscape with a focus on seizing this moment to sustain growth and achieve success in new ways.

Hear from Retail Week head of insight Lisa Byfield-Green as she highlights the top investment priorities from RWRC’s Supply Chain 2021 report and explains why retailers must rethink their operations to meet customer demand, cut costs and ultimately survive. 

9.35am-10.05am Panel discussion

Managing through adversity: Why an innovative mindset is central to retail’s recovery

Moderated by Retail Week commercial content editor Megan Dunsby. Speakers include:

• British Retail Consortium director of insight Kyle Monk
• Capita innovation and data science director Alan Linter
• Co-op head of ecommerce Chris Conway

Margins in retail are notoriously tight and Brexit and the recession is piling more pressure on retailers to find solutions that work for the customer and their bottom line.

In the words of consultancy Gartner: “Retailers have to think about what offerings there are in the market versus what they can actually serve, and what is the profitability of these offerings.” 

So, what innovations are really going to make the difference next year for CX and back end operations, and everything in between? How should retailers prioritise investments as they seek to manage through the uncertain times that lie ahead? 

Join Retail Week as it brings together a panel of retailers and industry experts to discuss where businesses should be placing more of their time, money and energy to prepare for the challenges ahead and mitigate further disruption.

10.05am-10.30am Keynote

Margins, capacity and competition: how to plan for an online Christmas

• 10-minute keynote delivered by Secret Sales director of partner services Dan Ashcroft
• Followed by a 15-minute fireside chat between Dan and Mirakl platform strategy consultant Laurence Greenway

Retailers must find ways of reworking their ecommerce operations to make money this Christmas.

The costs of selling online – from the acquisition of customers in the first place to fulfilling those customers’ orders – are already high, even for pureplays, which are set up for this operating model.

With online demand set to rise further over this Christmas period – Retail Week research from June found that 53% of consumers were more likely to shop online despite stores being open – retailers are going to have to work even harder to drive costs down while meeting customer delivery expectations.

So, where can retailers make easy wins to optimise the most lucrative season for ecommerce? 

Secret Sales’ Dan Ashcroft will reveal how, in the face of what is set to be unprecedented online demand, retailers can deliver a successful festive period without destroying the bottom line.

10.30am-11.00am Panel discussion 

The true value of sustainability to retail’s bottom line 

Moderated by Retail Week commercial content editor Megan Dunsby. Speakers include: 

• Ikea country sustainability lead Hege Sæbjørnsen
• Ethical Trading Initiative executive director Peter McAllister
• Olio co-founder and CEO Tessa Clarke

Consumers want them and the economy needs them, but do sustainable supply chains really have a tangible impact on retail’s bottom line? This is the question our panel discussion seeks to answer.

Spoiler alert: the answer is yes. And some retailers are already reaping the benefits. 

From Selfridges putting repair and resale on the agenda to Primark’s clothing recycling programme, Ikea’s circular economy ambitions and Tesco’s tie-up with OLIO, retailers and brands are driving sustainability forwards to achieve results – in the short and long term.

As retailers plot their post-Covid path and face challenges to their corporate survival, it would be tempting for them to say, ‘Not now, sustainability! Can we really afford to pay attention to this at this moment?’ 

However, our panel will reveal why now is the time for businesses to invest in sustainable supply chains and how they can do so profitably.