Internet Retailing Conference : The different operational, strategic, technological and business aspects that retailers must deal with

Internet Retailing 2012 (IR 2012), to be held in London on October 9, we take a look at the conference agenda. Stream three focuses on Commercial – and the different operational, strategic, technological and business aspects that retailers must deal with.

Internet Retailing 2012 will be held at the Novotel in Hammersmith on October 9. Registrations for the event open at 8am, and the day’s programme starts at 9am with the keynote speakers. Click here for more information and to register.

Retail is changing perhaps faster today than ever before as ever-evolving technology and customer expectations both work to drive the pace of change. These changes bring knock-on effects for the rest of the business, and in the Commercial track at Internet Retailing 2012 speakers will be considering issues such as how new business models can help traders respond, and how technology can help them to bring about change in their organisations.

Emma Robertson, managing director of Transform, will introduce and chairing the stream at 11.20am, following the keynote session. The first speaker will be Walter Blackwood, director of group logistics at Mothercare. In Moving from the virtual world into physical delivery he’ll be exploring the logistical challenge posed by new models of cross-channel retailing, which mean that operations must now bring together warehousing, delivery, stock and store into a form that works for and satisfies customers. With a long track record in the logistics industry, Blackwood will share insights gained both as a retailer and as a logistics provider.

Putting the rocket into multichannel retail

Ross Clemmow, director of ecommerce and multichannel strategy at Argos follows, at 11.50am. He’ll also be focusing on delivery and how he believes this aspect of multichannel retail is now shaping the future both for Argos and for retail in general in Putting the rocket into multichannel retail. He’ll take a look at Argos’ own solutions to the delivery challenge, including the early adoption of Shutl’s 90-minute delivery solution.

The final presentation of the morning comes from Andrew Gilboy, vice-president, EMEA, Demandware. His presentation, International success – increase your global reach through the online channel, starts at 12.20pm and explores the key strategic and business-critical areas that merchants must consider when expanding to new overseas markets. Gilboy will illustrate his review of international strategy-making with a customer best-practice example. The morning session ends with a question and answer session before lunch.

The stream returns at 2pm with a panel discussion, Towards the cross-channel store environment. Here speakers include Sean McKee, head of ecommerce and customer services at Schuh; Nikos Karaoulanis, user experience design lead at Marks & Spencer; Mark Cody, Tesco.com senior marketing manager for mobile, and Aurelie Ladeuix innovation director at Casino Group. The panelists will be considering the role that digital has to play in the connected store, and what stores of the future might look like. The session is followed by a 10-minute question and answer session, from 3pm to 3.10pm.

ecommerce media

Then after a break, Jody Goodall, head of solutions architecture at Kiddicare and Morrisons.com and Jonathan Opdyke, chief executive officer at HookLogic will be speaking on ways that retailers can use their website for a new kind of advertising, dubbed ecommerce media. Their presentation, Beyond monetisation lies a new advertising, is at 3.45pm and will explore how Kiddicare and Morrisons are using ecommerce media to engage shoppers and give them what they are looking for, while also boosting revenues and monetising the site in ways beyond pure sales.

Stream 3 ends with a panel discussion, Speeding up operations in challenging markets, from 4.15pm. Panellists Jarno Vanhatapio, founder of Nelly.com, Amanda Metcalfe, director of fahion inventory and assortment at eBay, Gracia Amico, head of ecommerce at Topman and Geoff van Sonsbeeck, founder and chief executive of Isabella Oliver will tell how their brands are responding to the advent of faster ecommerce in that most fast-moving of sectors, fashion. All are responding to increased demand for instant gratification, delivered and synchronised across all sales channels in true omnichannel style. The session ends with a question and answer session running from 4.45pm to 5pm.

Alongside the conference stream, there are also eight free-to-enter workshops , featuring leading suppliers to the industry who take an in-depth look at subjects from mobile payments to personalised merchandising and the story of Nelly.com’s fast growth. A packed exhibition hall will feature the latest technology and ecommerce developments from some 45 leading suppliers in the field.

Internet Retailing 2012 will be held at the Novotel in Hammersmith on October 9. Registrations for the event open at 8am, and the day’s programme starts at 9am with the keynote speakers. Click here for more information and to register.