Mike Anthony and Toby Desforges, prominent shopper experts, will discuss the transformative effects of the pandemic, e-commerce, and retail media on the shopping landscape. They’ll dissect crucial retail trends, exploring their influence and the hurdles retailers and brands face. Drawing from global experiences, they will showcase real-world examples and case studies. They’ll reveal how industry leaders tackle these fresh challenges, shedding light on the evolving retail environment.
Data from Cushman & Wakefield will show how the Czech market looks in terms of representation of (not only) foreign retailers. They will present the trends of recent years and recall some success stories. But above all, they will outline the future. Which brands are planning to expand to our country, including the gastro segment? Which locations are they considering? How do shopping centers today compare to high streets and retail parks? What does the customer expect from a store – do they want a traditional shop, a showroom, or just a place to pick up an online order? What impact does the choice of location and the tenant mix in the area have on the customer profile? Which locations in the country still have expansion potential?
A brand can satisfy consumers if what it offers intersects with their expectations. From an Ipsos R&D study, it emerges that an even more crucial factor is the correct interpretation and work with the context in which consumers find themselves. What are their everyday needs? What are their concerns in these uncertain times? How does the perception of context vary among generations? How to work with their different motivations?
How to work with different customer groups and generations? What role does technology play in the shopper experience? How far are we in the Czech Republic with the use of data and personalization of offers? What works and what doesn’t?
The rapid developments in society in recent years, where many certainties have been thrown out the window and everyone is faced with completely new situations that require new solutions, have accelerated the plans of many companies, and the retail market has undergone significant technological change in just a few years. How have these innovations been put into practice and how have they been received by the market? How are they being received by customers and what is the next step? Both solution providers and retailers will have their say.
The word sustainability is now used in every sense and often seems to be a cliché. Yet we all know that it is a topic that every company has to address these days, and in a commercial area like retail, this is especially true. How do companies manage to behave responsibly in practice and which projects deliver real results and are not just green marketing?
How to attract customers to a store, whether brick-and-mortar or e-shop, and get them to buy? What else do they listen to in a time when everyone is mainly concerned with price? How do retailers try to differentiate and build uniqueness in their brand? Are they succeeding in creating lovebrands? Where specifically is the battle for the customer being waged today?
Czech Retail Days will host the gala evening of the 24th edition of the Consumers’ Choice – Best New Product program. The best new products of the year in dozens of categories will be announced.
A day packed with information and inspiration will end with an informal social gathering on neutral ground for representatives from the full range of retailers, FMCG manufacturers, distributors and their suppliers. The evening party is an ideal opportunity to network, exchange views and discuss current market issues.
Weather is a significant factor influencing sales. There is a high correlation between outdoor conditions and the demand for goods, as well as the willingness to pay for them. Adform’s state-of-the-art advertising technology, coupled with Vision Thing’s digital outdoor advertising, allows you to leverage current weather conditions to promote products at the right time. How did KFC take advantage of this in their summer digital billboard campaign where weather was the main driving element?
A queue number like at the post office – Datart introduces terminals intended to not disadvantage any customer group. In some stores today, it is common for those picking up an online order or handling a warranty claim to mingle with those shopping in person. The pre-Christmas rush was the impetus for the retailer to implement a system that regulates the flow of customers. How has it proven effective, and what kind of feedback about the store does Datart receive from it? What processes can be improved based on this, and what other potential uses are they looking into?
While some companies are just getting acquainted with artificial intelligence, the Czech fashion search platform Glami has a department that has been dedicated to its development for many years. It uses AI both in internal processes and to improve customer experience. How does enhancing a customer-focused approach reflect on sales and the efficiency of the search engine, and what specific results does it bring?
The clothing chain H&M uses the Tymbe app to recruit employees. This quick method of filling shifts, as well as finding workers for special events such as inventory, particularly appeals to the younger generation. The entire administrative process takes place exclusively online, allowing coverage across the entire Czech Republic. How does H&M manage to work with young people and then recruit them on a permanent basis?
Hybrid and 24/7 stores are becoming an integral part of the Czech market. These formats are not only solutions for maintaining service in rural areas but also have their place in city centers, tourist regions, and more. Initiated by the Coop Group, this new shopping method is gradually being adopted by other retailers. What experiences do they share? What advantages do they see in this new technology? And what challenges, including legislative ones, are they facing that will need to be addressed in the future?
As part of its sustainable activities, Kaufland Czech Republic implements many measures within its stores to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption. It has replaced interior and exterior lighting with LEDs, uses heat recovery for heating, and has fitted doors on refrigerated units. It is installing photovoltaic panels on the roofs of its first stores and expanding its network of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles. What specific savings do these improvements bring?
In July 2022, Alza.cz launched the “No Packaging” project in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, aimed at transforming the handling of packaging materials in logistics and reducing costs. This initiative, inspired by the company’s vision that ‘the only sustainable packaging is no packaging,’ focuses on minimizing packaging for shipments headed to AlzaBoxes and directly to branches. Plastic stackable crates, which are continuously in circulation, are used for deliveries. Thanks to these measures, the company has saved nearly 78 tons of plastic and an average of 4.3 tons of packaging material monthly
As part of their sustainability and cost-saving efforts, many retailers are gradually switching to electronic receipts, which they link to their loyalty applications. What is the difference between an electronic receipt and a digital receipt? In the Czech Republic, the Digital Receipts Association has been established to introduce a new format of fully digital receipts. Find out more about plans to create a universally accepted open standard for digital receipts and how it can be used. How does the Ministry of Industry and Trade view the issue? Discussions are underway about legislative changes that would give consumers the right to a digital receipt and how it will be delivered to them.
Tesco is motivating its suppliers to work together to reduce the impact of the food industry on the planet. One of its strategic partners is La Lorraine. At the congress, they will present how both sides of the supply chain measure and reduce food waste and emissions in practice.
In its CSR strategy, Lidl focuses on health. In its purchasing policy, Conscious Nutrition combines emphasis on customers’ healthy lifestyles and the sustainability of food production. It increases the share of plant-based protein sources or whole grain products in its assortment, reduces the amount of sugar, salt, or artificial flavors and preservatives, and focuses on clearer food composition labeling. It has also adopted new standards in marketing targeted at children.
The Nestlé project, which tested returnable merchandise racks in ten Penny stores, addresses the dismal state of POS materials that generate a huge amount of paper waste. The reusable, collapsible, and repairable rack, on the other hand, circulates like pallets in a pooling system between the client, the chain, and the owner for at least 50 cycles. What did the pilot test show, and what challenges will need to be addressed in the further development and implementation of the project?
In the past year, the word “marketplace” has become even more prevalent, especially with the visible entry of Allegro and Kaufland Global Marketplace into our market. This method of selling allows Czech e-shops to expand, even internationally, and reach many more customers. How successful are they in this endeavor, and to what extent do they perceive marketplaces as competition?
The Visa Czech Top Shop project recognizes the best brick-and-mortar stores from across the retail spectrum every month. Last year’s three winners will talk about what they are building their customer experience on, how they are using digitalization and new technologies to connect offline and online sales, and what they see as the biggest challenges for brick-and-mortar stores this year.
Despite the growing pressure for sustainability and a shift towards digitalization, inflation has once again brought paper leaflets to the forefront. It seems that Czech consumers are not ready to give them up just yet. How are retailers approaching the optimization of their distribution? To what extent are mobile apps replacing them, and which platforms are most effective for distributing digital leaflets? What role does the selection of the promotional assortment play in reaching customers? What should the right mix of benefits for customers look like today?
In cooperation with Visa Czech Top Shop, retailer representatives will guide you through the award-winning stores from last year’s project. GymBeam’s flagship store in Prague’s Karlín district is also a community center where customers can meet. It impresses with packaging-free sales of nutritional supplements and the opportunity to make your own nut butter. Rock Point on Havlíčkova Street is located in a historic building, sensitively combined with modern interior elements and technologies. It offers a range of services, such as rental of running shoes and climbing equipment, and the opportunity to try out the goods on the climbing wall or rock bridge. Alensa on Lazarská Street is a great example of the connection between the offline and online worlds. Customers can see the complete e-shop offer on screens, scan the displayed glasses into their account, and further manage their orders. Electronic shelf labels are also available.
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Get ready for modern production facilities with the highest degree of robotization and digitalization. This excursion offers a unique opportunity to glimpse the future of manufacturing in the packaging industry and learn about the latest technologies and innovations that are pushing the boundaries of efficiency and quality. A state-of-the-art corrugating machine and a unique corrugated board processing machine with digital laser cutting, not seen anywhere else in the Czech Republic, will be presented. Participants will have the chance to see for themselves the benefits that digital technology can bring to packaging production.
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A year ago, Plzeňský Prazdroj put into operation an automatic sorting line for returnable glass bottles at its brewery. It is the only installation of its kind in the Czech Republic, and you will be able to see it with your own eyes! The machine can sort the brewery’s own brand bottles from those of other manufacturers and detect any damaged pieces and crates. It inspects the bottles directly in the crates and can check and then sort 4,050 crates, or 81,000 beer bottles, in one hour. Additionally, the bottling line will also be on display.
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