Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2018 to begin next month

Sri Lanka Retail Forum that has now become the nation’s leading retail sector forum has returned for a second consecutive year, and registration for the forum opens today (September 10t).

Owing to the overwhelming success seen at the forum held last year, with 450 participants, the Sri Lanka Retailers’ association (Guarantee) Ltd.

SLRA is organizing the forum once again. This year’s theme is ‘Towards a Dynamic and Evolving Retail Sector’ and is scheduled to be held from 17th to 18th October at Cinnamon Grand Colombo. The SLRA is the sole industry body for this sector, representing nearly 40 leading and national level retail firms, with countrywide reach across various product segments.

Sri Lanka is adopting an open strategy to trade, with the recently implemented National Export Strategy, and signing of FTAS, therefore local retailers not only need to gear up for emerging challenges, but they need to take hold of the opportunity of going-to-market. Fresh strategies of increasing competitiveness and opening up to the global market is essential, which is the thought behind this year’s theme. The Forum brings together the frontrunners of both the local and international retail industry, sharing their insights and leading deep-dive discussion on strategies that Sri Lankan retail companies can adopt and further build on, to sharpen their processes from supply chain management to customer services, etc. The discussions will have a synergistic effect – inspecting from various angles the shortcomings of the industry at large, and suggestions of how they can be tackled from individuals who have already achieved success in the industry.

The forum will focus on 4 thematic sessions: reshaping customer engagement, driving tomorrow’s retail today, new models challenging the status-quo – brands-culture-sustainability, and where retail in the region is heading. These sessions will explore tools such as data analytics, sustainable practice, a tourism – retail nexus, and digitization strategies. E-platforms for retail and how the industry can evolve into the digital ecosystem will also be a key discussion at the forum.

“A dynamic and evolving retail sector should be a device that Sri Lanka can boast of as contribution to its economic growth, and this will establish the goods and services of local companies as superior products in the global market. The goal in which the forum is held is that Sri Lankan Retailers will learn strategies that will boost their performance, the performance of the industry, and ultimately the performance of the whole nation,” said Charitha Subasinghe, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2018.

This forum is ideal for those keen on learning new trends and innovations in the retail industry, and it will cover a wide range of challenges and new insights across the 4 thematic sessions that will be held over the course of 2 days.

Registrations are open until 15th October. If you wish to take part in this event, call 115588852 or email niroshini@chamber.lk.