Today’s retail market place is undergoing unprecedented challenges. Retailers are facing increased competition from globalization and accelerated market consolidation, resulting in slimmer profit margins. Adding to these pressures are the expectations of Internet-savvy consumers who are demanding greater selection, competitive pricing and a preferred customer experience.

To compete effectively in this environment retailer must execute at a detailed level to deliver a more customer centric shopping experience across multiple channels. Achieving this requires automation that can only be achieved with the latest analytically based business applications that can sense demand, tailor assortments and personalize offers. Retailers must understand these technologies, how they are evolving to best meet your business needs, what to watch out for and how to implement them.

SAS is pleased to invite you to this live seminar to hear about the latest retail trends and emerging technologies that offer retailers a new means to:

• Manage and make sense of the vast amounts of customer data being collected;
• Predict customer behaviour and develop long-term relationships;
• Accurately forecast market demand and improve inventory turnover; and,
• Build an effective IT roadmap and business case.

Featuring:

• Alexi Sarnevitz, Senior Director, SAS Global Retail Strategy and former Research Director for AMR, who will speak about the current retail industry trends and drivers; and
• Ann Calder, Senior Solutions Specialist, Retail Practice SAS Canada, who will address how retailers can best approach these new technologies to deliver measurable business value.
• Ken Brame, retail consultant and former CIO Autozone, will share his experience and insight into building and delivering an effective business case in retail.

What You Will Learn:

• Current industry drivers – threats and opportunities;
• New and emerging technologies for retailers;
• How to develop a business case to move forward; and,
• What a roadmap to success should look like.

Agenda:

8:00 a.m.	Breakfast & Registration
8:30 a.m.	Opening Remarks
8:30 a.m.	Keynote Speaker: Alexi L. Sarnevitz -- Current Trends and Enabling Technologies in Retail
9:00 a.m.	Ann Calder -- How to Drive Business Value from Retail Technology
9:45 a.m.	Ken Brame -- Building the Business Case
10:15 a.m.	Q&A Panel Session
10:45 a.m.	Close