Fnac Darty, one of the leading Consumer Electronics and Appliances retailers in Europe, has been transforming both its commercial and operational model in the light of climate change and sustainable development.
After having successfully evolved towards an omnichannel retailer during the past decade, the Group intends to lead the way on the disruptive evolution of the whole ecosystem.

As we rebound from a disruptive couple of years and transition into a new era of consumer commerce, customer experience needs to evolve. Retailers must consider and create messages, experiences, and offers that resonate with individuals’ unique needs and expectations – whether that’s online, in-store or through social. A successful pivot to an agile customer experience channel strategy is key to meet customer needs as they unfold.

Today, ecommerce is valued at around $4.2 trillion (Statista 2021). The accelerated shift in online is here to stay and there is a renewed importance to an organisation’s need to adapt and keep pace with improving technology and evolving consumer expectations in the online space.
Choice, convenience, price, experience, all play a part in online conversions and that’s not limited to a single digital channel. It’s predicted that mobile sales will account for 73% of all ecommerce sales by the end of 2021, and whilst 37% of users use social media to research products the rise in direct social shopping is set to take the biggest bite of the eCommerce pie by the end of year (Global Web Index). Platforms introducing features that manage everything from in-app purchasing to customer management are gaining maximum exposure for retailers. Not only are customers more receptive to buying products via a brand’s social channel but they’re also becoming more reliant on it as part of their omnichannel journey where choice is paramount.
The scope for growth in the online space is not just exciting, it’s necessary for retailers that want to survive. During this roundtable session the group will explore some of the following challenges and opportunities:

This roundtable will explore the following key questions:
• How do you align your digital strategy to your business strengths?
• What experiences are affecting conversion and how do we resolve these blockers?
• What customer insights do you need to optimize your digital presence and offer personalised experiences?
• How can stores support eCommerce acceleration?
• Are you making the most of social?
• What role does eCommerce fulfilment and returns play in online conversion?
• What transformative tech will enhance your digital commerce roadmap?

Nearly all retailers are planning to invest to make their supply chains more agile (96%) and resilient (90%) by 2022, according to research by Gartner. It’s now a sprint to get product from manufacturer to customer, but a nationwide shortage of truck drivers, a lack of available warehouse space, and rising demand means leaders must be flexible and innovative in their approach to operational challenges in order to reap the rewards.

This roundtable will explore the following key questions:
•How does a supply chain operation need to change its mindset to prepare to meet hyper-local fulfilment needs?
•How is automated technology helping retailers manage labour shortages?
•What impact is the “everything is convenient” expectation of shopping having on business operations and the omnichannel journey?
•What are the biggest drivers of customer satisfaction online?
•Is your organisation exploring highly connected supply networks that can be dynamically planned, tracked and directed?
•What does the future hold in terms of fulfilling customer demand?

A new era of digital, technology-driven retail is fast emerging. From till-free checkouts to inventory forecasting, fulfilment to in-store facilities, retailers must adopt bold digital transformation strategies to succeed in a competitive landscape. Providing a frictionless retail experience across multiple platforms is key and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain are aiding this transition.

This roundtable will explore the following key questions:
•What digital technologies have you implemented successfully across your organisation and what business value have seen as a result?
•Cashierless shopping and “beacon network” technology is on the rise. How is in-store technology helping to remove friction throughout the bricks and mortar shopping experience?
•The latest breakthroughs in NLP (Natural Language Processing) have made it possible for voice assistants to become a great ally for retail. In what way is this assisting customers in finding products and making purchases?
•What are the key challenges retail organisations faces in adopting new technology? What strategies can they put in place to overcome these?

Brands are built on trust. But in a world where photo-reality is cheaper than reality, brands mirror the customer and technology is undermining conventional security, how can authenticity survive and thrive.

The metaverse isn’t a thing of the future – it’s already moving retail beyond the physical restraints of reality. Many of the world’s biggest brands are already engaging with the metaverse, through NFTs (non-fungible tokens), virtual stores and digital items for avatars. What does the future hold for retailers in this sphere?

Will Web3, Metaverse, NFT, blockchain… revolutionize retail?
Where and when to invest? How to leverage new Web3 experiences to maximize reach and future revenue opportunities without risking your brand, ecommerce business, and current development roadmaps?
Sharing examples from experiences at Burberry and Sony, the session will be a reflection and discussion around the importance of strategic planning and how user-driven innovation methods can help prioritize the right investments and development priorities.

What has Asda done with its service modelling front-end and digitisation of service desks? They are 80% self-serve as a model which is market-leading. Customers are changing the way they shop and embracing it more.