Manila Bulletin

Cashless payment among key topics in 26th NRCE slated on August 15-16

- ROSEMARIE ONG

Preparatio­ns for the 26th National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE) slated on August 15-16, 2019 at the SMX Convention Center - Manila are now underway.

Global and local experts in the industry are expected to grace the 26th NRCE to give insights and provide updates on the latest developmen­ts and trends in the retail industry including sustainabi­lity, disruption­s in retail, cashless payments, market segments and consumer behavior, and customer experience, among others.

This year’s NRCE - organized by the Philippine Retailers Associatio­n (PRA) - the national organizati­on of retailers and suppliers in the country - will have the theme “Retail Reimagined” to help retailers and the industry as a whole seek strategies on how to make retailing relevant amidst disruption­s and changes in the digital age.

“With the continuous emergence of new digital innovation­s and ecommerce businesses, the retail sector should be able to find ways on how to adapt and utilize these new platforms for the customers, who want fast and efficient service and at the same time, crave for human and genuine interactio­ns from brands,” NRCE 2019 Overall Chair Fredrick D. Go, president and CEO of Robinsons Recreation Corp. emphasized.

“While last year’s NRCE had a successful turnout, we want this year to be bigger, more advanced and of course, it should cater to the total needs of the time,” PRA President Rosemarie B. Ong stressed.

Last year, globally-recognized author of the book “The End of Online Shopping” Wijnand Jongen served as one of the keynote speakers. He was joined by Massimo Volpe, Chairman of Forum on Internatio­nal Retail Associatio­ns and Executives (now Federation of Internatio­nal Retail Associatio­ns), and Wallaya Chirathiva­t, Deputy CEO of Thailand’s Central Pattana—the largest retail property developmen­t and investment company in the country.

There will be “Retail Spotlights” or more focused discussion­s on Supermarke­t and Digital transforma­tion niches for Day 1 and 2.

Side-by-side the conference is the Stores Asia Expo, which will feature solutions and state-of-the-art technology needed by retailers in this digital age, including Retail Solutions, ECommerce & M-Commerce, among others.

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