By Dave Rodgerson
We all want to see and visit tomorrow’s store. The only problem is that without time travel we‘ll just have to wait for its arrival. That wait may not be as long as you might think. On May 30-31, Retail Council of Canada will host RCC STORE 23 at the Toronto Congress Centre, where the very people who are helping to define tomorrow’s retail experience will gather to present, demonstrate, and discuss these exciting new opportunities.
Speakers like Doug Stephens (The Retail Prophet), will share his message about how technology driven innovation will revitalize the Art of Retail. Rob Garf, from presenting sponsor Salesforce, will talk about how Salesforce’s technology will enhance the customer experience by providing new and deeper insights to meet their shopping needs. Working in tomorrow’s retail environment will also be different. David Sheng, (Digital Prophet), will present his forecast that looks at how new technologies will impact the employee experience in the blended physical and virtual work world. Speaking of virtual worlds, social media has become an integral part of the shopping experience and Jen Burkey, TikTok’s Creative Strategy Director, will showcase creative examples of how brands can come to life on TikTok to entertain as they grow and connect with audiences. Leave this session with actionable tips on how to grow both paid and organic content.
It’s not just internationally recognized thought leaders on the main stage. The speakers list also includes an impressive group of retail business leaders who will share their own experiences from the leading edge of Omni channel – a great way to gather insights for your own digital transformation. Michele Guimond, the VP of Marketing for MEC will share how this iconic Canadian retailer’s remarkable revival continues to put MEC at the at the top of the trusted brands list and on a strong and sustainable growth trajectory.
Stories about the store of tomorrow are just the beginning of what you can expect at RCC STORE 23. An amazing group of retail partners will also give attendees live demonstrations of the cutting-edge technologies that are available to move the store experience and operations to the next level. The exhibitor floor is like a retailer’s playground, jam-packed with all kinds of brilliant new solutions on everything from loss prevention tracking, integrated communication platforms, real time automation, customer profiling and segmentation, new tools to enhance digital shopping experiences, new digital payments offerings, supply chain logistics, and unified commerce solutions. Some of this year’s retail partners include: 3si, Bell, Brainbox AI, CHASE, Cisco, Eaigle, Environics Analytics, Flipp, Fractal.ai, Goco, Motorola, PayPal, RLG, Salesforce, Signifi, Telus, Thinkmax, Toshiba, TRG and others.
For me, the most interesting part of STORE – Canada’s biggest retail event of the year – is the opportunity to network with peers and industry colleagues from across the country and around the globe. Plenty of time has been allocated to meet and discuss; everyone at STORE can learn from one another! By the way, the tasty snacks throughout the day, buffet lunches, well as the cocktail receptions at the end of each day are prepared under the consultation of world-renowned chef Mark McEwan.
RCC STORE 23 will bring all of this together May 30-31 at the Toronto Congress Centre. Come see what tomorrow’s retail looks like here.
Dave Rodgerson is an industry insider having more than 20 years of executive experience with Canada’s leading retailers. His work with both IBM and Microsoft gives him a unique perspective on the role of technology and digital transformation.
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Partner content as submitted by a guest author. To work with Retail Insider, email craig@retail-insider.com
