International Data Corporation (IDC) is pleased to announce the launch of its ‘Digital Retail Summit 2017’, which takes place at the NG Hotel in Sapanca on October 23–24.
With a roster of industry experts sharing their own experiences on the transition from single-channel retailing to the provision of digitally-enabled omni-channel experiences, the event will provide a unique platform for discussing the latest global retail trends and gaining a clear insight into the industry’s future here in Turkey.
“Digital transformation investments are set to triple over the coming years, drawing funds away from store capital and profoundly changing the retail industry as we know it,” says Nevin Çizmecioğulları, IDC’s country director for Turkey. “Brands are struggling to meet the expectations of today’s sophisticated consumers, and it is now widely recognised that the brands of the future will compete on customer experience. To create the ultimate customer experience, retailers should leverage digital transformation to create a one-to-one intelligent customer journey that enables a connected shopping experience and secures the brand’s place in the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s consumer.”
With more than 400 industry executives in attendance, last year’s edition of the Digital Retail Summit attracted sponsorships from a broad range of retail-focused IT vendors and partners. The event featured a mix of informative presentations, interactive panel discussions, and vertical-specific sessions, providing a unique platform for networking and sharing insights around retail analytics, customer intelligence, ecommerce platforms, point-of-sale systems, mobile commerce systems, retail revenue management, supply-chain execution, and next-generation security.
The 2017 edition will run under the theme ‘Discover, Invent, Lead’ and will focus on strategies for implementing game-changing digital transformation initiatives. A raft of industry experts will be on hand to explain how emerging digital technologies are reshaping Turkey’s retail sector as innovation and the customer experience take center stage. As well as CIOs, the invitation-only event will host marketing leaders and business decision makers, reflecting the increasing fusion of IT and marketing in the retail industry. And with 7 panel discussions and more than 40 speakers, the Digital Retail Summit 2017 is sure to be one of the biggest and most influential industry gatherings on the Turkish retail calendar.
“Retail is transforming forever,” says Ramazan Yavuz, research manager at IDC Turkey. “No matter the stage or speed of a retailer’s transformation journey, it is a process that is both complex and dynamic. Those retail leaders determined to disrupt the industry and create a sustainable competitive advantage recognise that omni-channel digital transformation requires a holistic redesign of strategic leadership, business processes, human engagement, information monetisation, and technology implementation. A critical success factor over the coming years will be the ability to incorporate groundbreaking innovations at scale so as to rapidly deliver results for the organisation, and such ideas will feature prominently on the Digital Retail Summit’s agenda later this month.”
