The Retail Bulletin launches the International Expansion Summit 2012
We are also delighted to announce that GfK is Headline Sponsor for the event, where expert speakers will share with delegates how retailers can capitalise on international growth opportunities.
The summit will be hosted at Cavendish Conference Centre, central London on Tuesday, 27th March 2012.
Top-quality speakers already confirmed for the event include:
• Louis de Bourgoing, Director of International Business, WH Smith
• Sandra Leonhard, Director of Web Strategy & Business Development, TUI Travel PLC
• Therese Procter, Personnel Director, Retailing Services, Tesco
• Nigel Darwin, Managing Director International, New Look
• Gail Anscomb, Director of International, Coast, Aurora Fashions
• Darren Gardner, Director of New Business and Store Formats UK & Europe, The Carphone Warehouse Group
• Mohamediqbal Yacoobali, Director of International & Wholesale, The Dune Group
• Lynn Ritson, E-Commerce Director, Karen Millen
• Helen Barnish, Head of International Franchise, The Hamleys Group
• Maddy Riordan, Head of International Marketing, Wiggle
This interactive event, which focuses on the key multichannel international expansion challenges, will enable a peer group of executives the opportunity to drive sales and market share, mitigate risk and strengthen their businesses through effective international growth strategies.
With regular networking opportunities throughout the day you’ll learn how to:
• Reduce risk through choosing the right locations for international retail expansion
• Ensure smoother expansion through effective retail localisation strategies
• Strengthen your growth initiatives through an effective international HR strategy
• Boost profits through developing your ecommerce offer for international markets
• Drive loyalty through delivering a consistent cross-border brand experience
• Improve sales, customer experience and efficiency through an effective, international multichannel IT strategy
• Maximise your growth potential through evaluating which model(s) of international expansion are the best fit for your business
• Drive ROI through cost-effective, international, multichannel supply-chain initiatives
• Ensure compliance through an understanding of the key legislation international retailers need to integrate into their expansion strategies
• Mitigate risk through an effective partnership strategy
“With the UK economy barely showing any signs of growth coupled with British shoppers reigning in spending due to rising prices and an unsecure job market; retailers are increasingly looking to the international marketplace as a key survival strategy” said the summit’s Director of Conference Production, Carl Goodman.
He continues,“Explosive growth in the BRIC population’s disposable income together with an increased demand in other countries for British goods; it’s no surprise that UK based online, bricks and mortar and multichannel retailers are exploiting the massive opportunities in a wide variety of foreign markets”
Karen Howard, The Retail Bulletin’s Business Development Director said “International expansion is a complex business. Many UK retailers have tried and failed in the past but those who get it right, are driving profits and market share even in today’s challenging marketplace”.
Today’s retailers need to think global as was illustrated by recent figures from ASOS whose international sales leapt 160 percent to account for over half of their total whilst their recent UK sales growth slowed to 15%.
In Internet terms the UK is 3 percent of the global opportunity, so you can see where we are spending a lot of our effort and energy, an ASOS spokesperson told Reuters earlier this year.
“This is not an expensive vendor sales pitch led event requiring a number of days out of the office; it’s a one-day, low cost, retailer-focused summit designed to enable you to drive profits and market share and mitigate risk through international multichannel growth strategies” says Goodman.
Ian Sprange, Publisher at The Retail Bulletin said “We’ve made the event as interactive as possible. Delegates will have excellent networking opportunities throughout the day and a chance to ask our international growth experts their burning questions through our interactive conference sessions and Twitter feed”
If you or your colleagues would like to attend this crucial event, please click here for further details.
For commercial opportunities at the event please contact Karen Howard on 01737 647 103 or email karenh@theretailbulletin.com
