The World Retail Congress took place in April 2017 in Dubai. A report on the congress has now been produced. It give some details of presentations, some videos, and a summary. The ten main points to takeaway:

1. The transformation of retail is taking place now.

1. Retailers are not selling stuff but selling experiences.

1. Data is everything.

1. By 2020, most retailers will have a digital stage.

1. The next technology age is that of machine learning.

1. Change is taking place at an unprecedented speed.

1. Do not forget the basics of retail: emotion, people, service and product.

1. Consumers now expect sustainability from retailers.

1. Think Gen Z and Gen α (those born entirely in 21st century).

1. The future will see a total integration of online, offline, logistics, and data.

see WRC report

Next meeting: 17-19 April 2018, Madrid, Spain