Hyper-personalisation of the customer experience marks the new era of the retail sector
The retail sector is facing new modernisation challenges thanks to the application of exponential technologies. Artificial intelligence, Virtual Reality, IoT and data analytics solutions, among others, are revolutionising the entire value chain of the industry, from product manufacturing to logistics and customer experience, where we can already envision shopping scenarios in which the virtual and physical environment merge.
Digital Enterprise Show 2024, the largest European event dedicated to exponential technologies that will take place from 11 to 13 June in Malaga, Spain, will host the Retail & E-Commerce Forum, which will feature international leaders who will showcase the digital strategies they are working with in order to adapt their businesses to today's technological consumer.
In this context, the summit will delve into the challenges and opportunities facing retail. It will also evaluate the models that are emerging with the aim of capitalising on trends and leading in a global market characterised by high competition. This will be done by the likes of Sara Lapi, Senior Manager - European Cross-border Trade at eBay, and Antonio López-Esparza, a consultant with more than 20 years of national and international experience in retail and consumer sectors.
Every consumer wants to be unique
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become the technology with the most expansive capabilities due to, among other factors, the hyper-personalised consumer experiences it provides. In fact, market reports reveal that half of retail executives are already prioritising the development of personalised AI-powered product recommendations to boost their competitiveness.
Given the potential of this solution, DES will focus on the future of generative machine learning, as well as its integrations with other technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and mobile platforms, which are generating innovative scenarios such as virtual product showrooms. Gonzalo Illesca, COO at FunkHaus Media, will present the applications of AR and AI in the creation of personalised and immersive shopping moments. For his part, Pablo Manuel García, expert in Data-driven Consultative Selling and Artificial Intelligence at T-Systems Iberia, will provide success stories on the current use of AI in the industry.
The event will also address the issue of meeting the unique needs of each consumer. Experts such as Anna Herrera, Head of e-Business & Digital Ecosystem Development Zone Europe at Nestlé Nutrition; Víctor Del Pozo, Chief Operating Officer at private sales company, Veepee Group; and Jaume Gomà, Former Executive Director at Europe's leading online supermarket, sezamo.es, and Co-Founder of Ecommerce & Tech Barcelona. All of them will explore how companies from different sectors design differentiated services and build customer loyalty through different channels. They will also address data optimisation with a view to getting closer to customers, personalising product offerings and even boosting efficient communication.
The limits of technology
The online environment and the incorporation of exponential technologies in the retail environment, apart from bringing many new opportunities in terms of competitiveness and profitability, also opens a window of challenges. That is why it is so important to be protected against digital threats led by cyber-attacks, which can intensely damage the commercial activity of companies. David González, CISO and CTO at the agri-food cooperative Coren; Antonio Andújar, Corporate Digital & MadTech Director at Palladium Hotel Group; and Juan Diez, Head of Cybersecurity for the Health, Food and Research sectors at the National Institute of Cybersecurity, will explore this issue, sharing the risk scenarios that arise today and the main elements for dealing with them.
DES will also address another important challenge: the considerations emerging from the regulation of e-commerce at EU level. In this respect, the European Commission is moving forward to achieve fair online commerce in which innovation is promoted and the rights and interests of digital platforms and consumers alike are protected. To this end, the body has launched initiatives such as the Digital Markets Act, which came into force last March, with the aim of consolidating privacy rules and protecting users. It has also worked on the revised Payment Services Directive and new rules on cross-border parcels, as well as legislation to stop unjustified geo-blocking. With leading analysts, the summit will examine standardisation serving the e-commerce sector and its implications for business and the customer.
