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The conference discusses digital competition in the retail sector
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Real shops, experts said, will now focus more on the experience of customers
A conference in Sharjah on Wednesday (May 26) discussed the high level of digital competition in the retail sector, how suppliers will boost direct-to-consumer relationships and the need for traditional retailers to cope with the market transformation to better serve their customers.
The conference titled Future of Retail was organized by the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) and PLM, a global design and technology company, at the recently launched R&D Experience Studio.
The event was headlined by Professor Luiz Moutinho from Suffolk University, who is a member of the Experience Studio’s Scientific Board, followed by a discussion panel on current retail trends and best practices, featuring prominent names in the field, including Pedro Baptista, Head of Own Brands and Partnerships at Worten; Amin Al Zarouni, CEO of Sahab Smart Solutions; Piyush Chowhan, CIO of LuLu Group International; and Mohamed Hilal, Founder and CEO of Mohamed Hilal Group.
Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTI Park, said that the R&D Experience Studio is a huge addition to SRTI Park’s thriving ecosystem.
He said: “The centre will be a main driver in thought leadership of retail innovation in our region. It will be a platform to engage retail sectors, academia and the government to co-innovate and leverage regional retail opportunities and challenges.”
Joana de Almeida Rodrigues, Director of the R&D Experience Studio, explained: “As a joint PLM/SRTIP project, the R&D Experience Studio has the mission of bringing together the five axes of the quintuple innovation helix model: ‘R&D Experience Studio’ promotes the quintuple helix of innovation – public, private, academe, ecology and society.”
“The academy is also involved to bring schools and universities to the centre of the debate and ensure involvement of future professionals,” she added.
Mohamed Hilal Group CEO, praised the efforts of SRTI Park to keep pace with technological development and drive the UAE’s economy.
Amin Al Zarouni, CEO of Sahab Smart Solutions, pointed out that technology has become a means for everything that happens in terms of progress and development in the retail sector, especially the customer’s journey during the shopping process, and the experience that he has to go through in dealing with this sector.
He said: “Some people say that the shops inside the malls will decrease in number, and thus the number of electronic platforms will increase. However, I think that this perception is incorrect because both will continue to exist, with the real shops playing a different role, perhaps they will focus more on the experience of the customer who visits them.”
The R&D Experience Studio reveals PLM’s Science behind Business philosophy and exposes our R&D team and projects to stakeholders, proposing to accelerate the development of existing projects and create others from scratch, taking it in an experimentation format for faster absorption by society and organisations.
Rodrigues said: “We are extremely proud and pleased to partner with SRTI Park with the launch of the retail innovation centre at SRTIP. As design and technology disruptors, we focus on exceeding our customer’s expectations, with our fully integrated range of solutions.”