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The Digital
Future of Retail

An immersive 5-day program for retail executives and Senior Managers

Available Online and In Person

What Is The Program About?

Buyers or sellers, for everyone in the world of retail the landscape is changing. For consumers, new options abound. Where once we had self-checkout, soon we won’t have checkouts at all, as computer vision and artificial intelligence track purchases to make the in-store experience more seamless than ever. For those who prefer to shop online, a range of new tools to personalize the process mean less returns and more completed purchases. For retailers, meanwhile, tracking inventory, fulfilling online orders and understanding and responding to consumer sentiment are all becoming tasks to be carried out through digital platforms.

Some of the biggest names in retail are leading the market in this digital transformation. Their partners are tech-savvy startups whose mission is to disrupt the status quo. As these changes become more widespread, all retailers, regardless of size, face the need to embrace innovation in order to survive and prosper.

Our immersion program will educate you in all of these trends, connect you with the companies pioneering groundbreaking solutions and inspire you to turn your own company into a leading innovator for the long-term.

As With All of Our Programs, The Digital Future of Retail is available both online and in person

startup innovation map in retail

What Will I Learn?

Brick-and-Mortar Retail

Shopping at physical stores is still how the majority of purchases are made. With this in mind, a great many startups focus on using technology to improve the in-store experience. HEROFi falls into this category. The company provides display and device-based automated marketing that reacts to real-time data such as sales, inventory and weather. Percolata, meanwhile takes a different approach. It uses sensors as well as video and audio to collect data that provides retailers with insights into shoppers’ behavior. The other major trend in in-store optimization is in the checkout space. Several startups operate in this area, including Standard Cognition.

E-Commerce

A clutch of startups is building solutions to these challenges, not least among them Bold Metrics, which predicts shoppers’ body measurements using artificial intelligence to help them purchase clothes at online stores in the right size and fit. Savitude is another startup operating in this space. Ditto, meanwhile, offers a similar service but focuses on eyewear. The company’s software, which operates both online and in-store, lets customers virtually try on glasses frames and makes recommendations. Other online shopping optimizations come from startups such as SupplyAI, whose platforms helps consumers track orders and simplifies the returns process.

Data Analytics for Retail

Another major trend in retail is the move toward greater usage of data. Companies operating in this vertical include Vue.ai, which is applying image recognition and data science to provide retailers with insights into a variety of business functions including marketing, product and customer experience.Startups Skupos and Wiser, meanwhile, offer big data platforms to track and analyze sales in real-time.

Inventory Management

Tracking inventory and optimizing merchandising is another growth area in retail technology. Stitch is a leader in this area, offering automatic syncing of orders, sales and inventory across channels to give retailers a holistic picture of their operations. Bossa Nova, meanwhile, is taking a different approach, using robots scan store shelves to capture data on which products are needed in which locations. Companies operating in this area are typically using a mixture of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies.

Program Agenda

This schedule is tentative and features past speakers and participating companies.
Subject to change without prior notice

Day 1

The World of Retail Technology

What is retail technology and where is it taking us? Why is it exploding now and what are the forces driving its expansion? These are the questions we answer on day 1 of our immersion program on The Future of Retail. We explain how entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the emergence of new technologies as well as trends in both online and in-store shopping to create new companies that are transforming the retail experience from all sides. Meet with startups such as Nuro, a pioneer in  autonomous last-mile delivery, and Allure, which is using computer vision and virtualization to enable fashion retailers to create diverse, inclusive images of their products. At Retail Zipline, another potential participating company, we see how a cutting-edge communications and workflow tool can boost retailers’ profitability and in-store performance. Other possible participating companies: RetailNext, B8ta, Shopkick, CommerceIQ, DynamicAction.

Day 2

Exploiting Market Niches

The journey continues on day two with an exploration of the limits of the retail technology space as they exist today. How many areas of retail operations are being disrupted? What is the nature of this change and how fast is it moving? We answer these questions through meets with startups operating in a wide range of niches. Possible meetings include Mashgin and Standard Cognition to learn how they do smart self-checkout. MakerSights, another potential participating company, show us the product decision engine that gives development teams insights into what to make and when to make it. Other additions to the day 2 agenda can include Analytics platforms DynamicAction and Wiser, both of which convert data from sources as diverse as sales, weather and traffic into actionable information for in-store teams. Other possible participating companies: Stitch Fix, Dote Shopping, Brandless, Everlane, NatureBox

Day 3

The ‘Tech’ in Retail Technology ​

Day three of the immersion program is dedicated to the technologies fueling the disruption of retail. We hear from experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics and blockchain to learn what these technologies can currently do and what they will offer in the future. Meet with companies such as SupplyAI and Eversight to see how they use emerging technologies to create competitive advantages and provide innovative, market-disrupting products and services. Other possible participating companies: Alloy, Euclid, Stockwell, Tophatter, Prism Skylabs, Glyde

Day 4

Corporate Innovation in Retail ​

Having seen and heard how digital is disrupting the retail industry on days 1 to 3, on day 4 of our immersion program we challenge attendees to turn words into action. Participatory workshops with leading Silicon Valley experts on design thinking, design sprints, venture capital and open innovation provide executives with the blueprints and frameworks they need to deliver innovation within their own organization. We analyze how prominent retailers like Zara, Macy’s, Amazon and Nike are experimenting in areas like chatbots and advanced manufacturing to reinvent their customer journeys while embedding mobile and smartphone technology deeper into the fabric of their stores. Meet with companies such as Walmart Labs and Amazon that offer insights into how some of the biggest players on the market are deploying advanced shopping technologies. Other possible participating companies: Ebay, Apple, Forerunner Ventures, Google, Index Ventures

Day 5

The Future of Shopping ​

What’s next for the world of online and offline commerce? Day 5 brings the program to a close with its sights firmly set on the future. We learn about trends still in their infancy and meet the companies seeking to capitalize on those trends. Possible participating companies include Robomart , where the team is developing on-demand, self-driving stores, as well as Pinterest and Superfish, where retail applications of visual search are among the areas being explored. We discuss the trend for localization of products and inventory and learn which areas of the retail industry are next in line to be reimagined by the application of emerging technology. Other possible participating companies: Storr, ThredUP, MakersPlace, Avocado, Hopstack, The Reel

Download Full Sample Agenda

Why Should I Join?

Inspiration

Meet the Silicon Valley innovators passionate about using the latest technologies to create new value. Learn the frameworks and methodologies of the experts and embrace innovation with confidence.

Company Meetings

Get Privileged Access To Silicon Valley

Connections

Turn motivation and knowledge into concrete actions with the business development opportunities that make an established business a world-class innovator.

Partnerships

Open Pathways To New Business Opportunities

Education

Gain insight into the digital disruption of retail and see how startups are applying emerging technologies to redesign the online and offline shopping experience.

Technology Insights

Master Emerging Technology Trends

What Companies Will I Meet?

Revenue optimization SaaS platform for physical retail, hospitality, and venues

All-in-one hardware and software solution that helps retailers predict in-store traffic and staff employees accordingly

Artificial intelligence platform that allows buyers to grab what they want without having to go to a cashier

Innovative travel startup that helps your trip ideas in one place

Helping retailers deliver great post-sale experience to shoppers, leading to high margins & higher revenue

SaaS solution for retailers and brands to gather intelligence about their customers and personalize.

Enterprise software development company providing software solutions, a suite of complementary services

Online hub and daily e-mail service that enables users to find latest news about an interested sector, market, or project

Leading provider of real-time, on-shelf product data for the global retail industry

Visual search company that algorithmically analyzes an image and delivers similar and identical images in real-time

Transforms retail using AI hyper-personalization to build intelligent assortments so shoppers can instantly find their best choices

Technology company that aims to accelerate the benefits of robotics for everyday life

Helping retailers tackle their biggest challenges through deep learning and computer vision

Provides Offer Innovation solutions that help retailers and consumer goods manufacturers.

Retail’s fastest path to connected, profitable decisions from each click to every brick.

Actionable product intelligence. Make more confident decisions about your products and future concepts.

Helps salespeople close more deals and be more responsive. Stitch is mobile-first, sales productivity - starting with mobile email

Robomart has built the first new retail channel since e-commerce through its fleet of on-demand, self-driving stores

Technology division responsible for Walmart’s global e-Commerce initiatives

SaaS internal communication and workflow solution that helps retailers optimize profitability and store performance

Leader in data analytics for the convenience retail ecosystem

International e-commerce website for consumers, sellers, and content creators

Makes Computer Vision and A.I. based self-checkout systems.

Visual bookmarking tool for saving and discovering creative ideas.

Retail management and point-of-sale platform that helps legal cannabis retailers grow their businesses

Mobile app that enables an expedited mobile checkout for grocery stores. Plan | Scan | Fly

Helps retailers find and buy wholesale merchandise for their stores

Provides comprehensive return solutions for leading online and omni-channel retailers and their customers

End-to-end retail automation platform that is redesigning the future of fashion retail with Artificial Intelligence

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Price starts at: USD $8900

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