Retail Technology Conclave, 2019 explores technology in retail to gain consumer heart, mind and wallet share

Mumbai, September 18, 2019: The Retailers Association of India (RAI) organised the 14th edition of the ‘ReTechCon 2019’ – India’s largest congregation of CIOs/CTOs, business heads, technology service providers and experts in retail, on September 18 and 19, 2019 at The Renaissance Hotel, Mumbai.

Themed Technology Driven Leadership – The Algorithm of Success, the conclave is designed to help retailers understand the rapid changes in technology and adapt to them, for the benefit of their businesses as well as consumers.

“Businesses have had to rethink their relationship with consumers at every stage of the buying cycle—from discovery, transaction right up to post-purchase engagement. Whether they realise it or not, most organisations in today’s connected economy are already going through some kind of a tech-driven transformation,” said Kumar Rajagopalan, Chief Executive Officer, Retailers Association of India (RAI), speaking about the theme.

“What’s required for companies to thrive in this connected age is a leadership that understands change and embraces it. Technology and Leadership are undoubtedly the two pillars of business transformation, making them the focus of ReTechCon 2019;” Rajagopalan added.

The dynamic array of speakers on the first day of ReTechCon 2019 included, Keshav R. Murugesh, Chairman, NASSCOM. Envisioning a future enabled by technology, he says, “We are up skilling millions of IT professionals on an annual basis to be future ready.”

Gaurav Mahajan, President, Apparel, Raymond Ltd, articulated how technology can truly add value to business. “At the least, it can better our performance and help us do things differently but at best it can help us do different things.”

Rakesh Biyani, Joint Managing Director, Future Retail Limited, emphasised the importance of human capital which will never be substituted by technology. He elucidated how RFID technology has helped the group improve stock efficiency and better customer experience. “Technology is a great enabler in scaling business and processes. We wouldn’t have been able to scale our business unless it was enabled using some world-class technologies,” said Biyani, about technology-driven leadership during his session based on the theme.

Various critical aspects of retail technology were touched upon during discussions on topics like:

• Customer Experience: The Competitive Advantage
• Tech-Driven Innovation: Powering Business, Enabling Growth
• Digital Retail Transformation: Successful Customer Experience Strategy through Technology
• Omni-channel Retail: Cross-Channel Strategies that Work for Customer Delight

The first day also included a curated ‘By Invitation Only’ workshop by Microsoft, the presenting partner of ReTechCon 2019. Attended by top business leaders and IT heads, the workshop updated the attendees on the Next Generation in Customer Experience.

Across the two days, the attendees were treated to stories of innovation using technology through stand-alone presentations by leading brands. On the 18^th, Sauvik Banerjjee from the Tata Group Technology and Digital Leadership spoke on ‘Experience Architecture – The Foundation of Consumer-Facing Technology’.

The first day of the conclave culminated into the ReTech Start-up Awards 2019, which recognise start-ups that are set to change the fabric of business with their unconventional ideas.

A fitting finale to the day was the felicitation of Retail’s top CIOs by RAI for their extensive service and invaluable contribution to Indian retail over the years.

Courtesy: Retail Jeweller India News Service