“JD Daojia On-Demand Retail Seminar” is a think tank forum launched by Dada Group, aiming to offer a platform for industry partners to share new cases, exchange new thoughts and create new opportunities together.

“From omni-channel marketing to omni-channel supply, we are at a new stage in the collaborative development between on-demand retail platform, brands and retailers.” Jun Jiang, Deputy General Manager of JD Daojia stated at the event. The platform is committed to providing solutions in efficiency improvement and optimization of omni-channel supply, so as to solve the industry pain points and achieve greater development with retailers and brand partners.

Omni-channel supply optimization marks a new phase in China’s on-demand retail

With the omni-channel strategy being a new growth driver for brands and retailers, optimizing the supply chain of offline and online channels and meeting the diversified needs of consumers is a key way to promote greater growth for players in on-demand retail industry. As the channels are increasingly diversified, the demand of consumers also presents differentiated characteristics.

Meanwhile, it is of great significance to promote new products through the omni-channel supply optimization. The features of on-demand retail platforms, such as consumer insights and online and offline integration, are important to solve the pain points for brands in new products promotion.

Wenqi Yang, General Manager of FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) Business at JD Daojia, said that the key solution is to match supply and demand more accurately and efficiently through digital capacities, and to build a more in-depth brand cooperation ecosystem. JD Daojia plans to further share its robust omni-channel capability and infrastructure with its brand and retail partners in an effort to achieving omni-channel strategy, category operation, marketing upgrades, and win-win results.

JDDJ creates a new growth engine for brands and boosts sales of new products

In terms of the platform’s digital capabilities, JD Daojia has continuously improved its grid system operation capacity and launched a grid system operation tool to enhance supply efficiency while reducing cost. This helps brands promote the optimization of supply chain efficiency in the field of precise supply, inventory management, sales boost, and price control.

Besides, JD Daojia continues to expand and optimize supply resources. The platform has established partnerships with 82 of the Top-100 supermarket chains in China, including 9 of the top 10. With its deep partnership with over 200 global brands, JD Daojia has secured its leadership in the on-demand retail industry. Furthermore, through the strengthened strategic cooperation with JD, it will enrich both product supplies and delivery services, providing consumers with a better shopping experience.

Based on its digital capacities and omni-channel ecosystem, JD Daojia also partners with brands and retailers to create diversified new product marketing campaigns. The platform has introduced a new marketing program called Super New Product Day for product launch promotions. In August 2021, Unilever launched a campaign under this new program and extended new product coverage to 600 offline retail stores. As a result, the new product’s sales increased by 200% from the previous week.

The post JD Daojia Seminar: Omni-Channel Supply Optimization is the Focus of On-Demand Retail appeared first on RetailToday.

McMullen shared the company’s continued focus on leading with fresh and accelerating with digital by leveraging its complementary assets to create innovative solutions for customers, a continually improving workplace for associates, and a more sustainable operation for the planet.

“Kroger’s ability to proactively and strategically leverage our assets has positioned us to lead and thrive,” said McMullen. “Our relentless focus on serving our customers, uplifting our associates, and living our purpose to feed the human spirit has guided us through the many unknowns of COVID-19 and these principles will continue to shape our culture and operations as we continue to transform and capitalize on the momentum we’re experiencing.”

“Groceryshop is honored to have industry giants like Kroger join us for this year’s conference,” said Krystina Gustafson, senior vice president of content for Shoptalk and former CNBC retail reporter, who interviewed McMullen for the keynote conversation. “The sector has evolved immensely in the past 18 months, and Rodney McMullen’s perspective emphasized just how much consumer behavior has changed and how retailers are responding and evolving to meet new expectations.”

McMullen shared the following five insights at Groceryshop:

1.  The Customer is Going to Win
In today’s highly competitive and dynamic grocery retail environment, the customer is going to win. Kroger continues to expand and enhance its seamless ecosystem to create a model where customers will not have to compromise on freshness, quality, selection, pricing, convenience, or speed – no matter if they want groceries now or tomorrow or want to shop in-store or online. Kroger doubled its digital business in 2020 and has committed to doubling its digital business again and profitability by the end of 2023. Kroger’s digital business continues to grow, as does Kroger Precision Marketing, its retail media business. McMullen emphasized the company currently has nearly 11 million daily retail customers and four million daily online customers.

2.  Think Food. Think Kroger.
Kroger understands customers’ meal and food needs shift by day, week, and even hour… and surely by occasion. To solve for this, the company is continually innovating and scaling its industry-leading assets, including associates, stores, supply chain, fulfillment network, fleet, technology systems, and data and insights, as well as strategic partners, all to advance its seamless ecosystem that combines traditional shopping solutions with strategic innovation. As an example, last week Kroger introduced Kroger Delivery Now in collaboration with Instacart. The 30-minute delivery solution complements Kroger’s existing assets by leveraging the retailer’s network of stores and Instacart’s on-demand fulfillment network to provide customers what they want when they need it. The new offering meets the customer need for immediacy without compromising on freshness, selection, value, experience, and speed, a retail industry first.

3.  Kroger Enhances the Associate Experience
Kroger continues to invest in its nearly half a million associates who have done an extraordinary job leading and operating stores, e-commerce operations, pharmacies, supply chains, and manufacturing facilities through the COVID-19 public health crisis. Kroger’s proactive approach to uplifting associates over recent years is helping the company navigate the challenging labor market. McMullen remarked that the company entered 2021 by planning to invest $350 million in hourly wage increases for associates this year, in addition to the $800 million the company invested in wages between 2018 and 2020. The company’s average hourly wage is now more than $16 an hour and with comprehensive benefits factored in, the wage will be approaching $21 by the end of 2021. McMullen commented 70% of current store leaders began as an hourly associate, emphasizing Kroger is a place where you can come from a job and stay for a career. He also highlighted associate benefits like the company’s education assistance program that provides up to $21,000 for both part-time and full-time associates – over the course of their career – and covers a GED to PhD. Kroger is currently hiring for more than 20,000 positions in advance of the holiday season and will host a nationwide hiring event on October 13 to recruit for store, e-commerce, corporate, manufacturing, logistics, and pharmacy talent. Kroger invites individuals to apply at jobs.kroger.com.

4.  Kroger Celebrates Four-Year Anniversary of Zero Hunger | Zero Waste
Through Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social and environmental impact plan—the centerpiece of the company’s environmental, social, and governance strategy—the company continues to break down barriers to food access and capture the full value of food produced across the U.S. food system. Through the plan, Kroger is committed to creating communities free of hunger and waste by inspiring associates and customers, investing resources, and activating partnerships. Over the past four years, Kroger has donated 1.8 billion meals to communities – 641 million meals in 2020 alone – provided $1.2 billion in charitable giving, and drove a 20% reduction in retail food waste generated. During the conversation, McMullen announced a special donation of 10 meals on behalf of every attendee at Groceryshop, totaling 25,000 meals to Three Square, Southern Nevada’s only food bank and the area’s largest hunger-relief organization.

5.  Kroger Looks Ahead to What’s Next
Kroger’s vision is to serve America through food inspiration and uplift, and it remains focused on where its customers, as well as broader food market, will be in 10 years. Through its growing seamless ecosystem, the company will continue to expand its reach and enter additional new geographies by leveraging assets like Kroger Delivery customer fulfillment centers. McMullen shared the new Kroger Delivery operation in Florida has ramped up faster than expected, unlocking additional ways of executing and operating and resulting in high customer repeat rates and net promoter scores.

He also predicts there will be a sustained trend of customers choosing to cook at home versus restaurant dining because it presents a way to better stretch food dollars, eat healthier, and prepare household favorites as well as new recipes.

The post Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen Delivers Opening Keynote at Groceryshop appeared first on RetailToday.

“Shoptalk’s advisory board brings together a diverse group of visionaries who are committed to shaping the future of retail,” said Krystina Gustafson, Senior Vice President, Content at Shoptalk. “They challenge the status quo and inspire fresh ways of thinking about the most pressing issues facing retail today that will shape both our in-person events and our upcoming virtual events: Groceryshop Spring Meetup, Shoptalk Meetup for Women and Shoptalk Fall Meetup.”

Shoptalk’s advisory board members are:

• Anshu Bhardwaj, Corporate VP & GM, Technology Monetization, Walmart
• Barkha Saxena, Chief Data Officer, Poshmark
• Charlie Cole, CEO, FTD
• Ethelbert Williams, Head of eCommerce, The Boston Beer Company
• JuE Wong, CEO, Olaplex
• Prama Bhatt, Chief Digital Officer, Ulta Beauty
• Ray Cao, Startup Founder Advisor, Clearbanc
• Sarah Engel, Chief Marketing Officer & Chief People Officer, January Digital
• Stuart Landesberg, Co-Founder & CEO, Grove Collaborative
• Sonja Moosburger, Managing Director, MediaMarktSaturn N3XT, MediaMarktSaturn
• Vidya Jwala, CEO, RugsUSA
• Krystina Gustafson, SVP Content, Shoptalk (Board Chairperson)

Advisory board members will have a meaningful say in Shoptalk and Groceryshop’s blockbuster in-person events, providing guidance on the agenda to create the most compelling conversations in retail and grocery ecommerce, and contributing to the creation of a superb on-site experience for attendees. The next in-person event is Groceryshop 2021, scheduled for September 19-22, 2021 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.

They will also provide guidance on Shoptalk’s new series of Retail Meetups and contribute to the Shoptalk Original Content that complements these online meetings programs. Shoptalk Original Content includes a multiweek deep dive into The State of Women Working in Retail, which will bring a unique perspective ahead of Shoptalk Meetup for Women in May 2021.

“We are at a unique intersection of technology-driven innovation. Both Shoptalk and Groceryshop have demonstrated an unparalleled ability to bring together the industry’s preeminent thought leaders and drive momentum towards the future,” said Anshu Bhardwaj, corporate vice president and general manager of technology monetization at Walmart.

“I have always found Shoptalk and Groceryshop to be on the cutting edge of innovation and to deliver flawless execution,” said Stuart Landesberg, co-founder & CEO of Grove Collaborative. “I’m thrilled to play a role in shaping these events and helping them continue to provide the utmost value to participants and to our industry.”

The post Shoptalk And Groceryshop Announce Creation Of Advisory Board To Help Lead Retail’s Innovation Narrative appeared first on RetailToday.

During the virtual event, Infor retail experts and customers will demonstrate how the company’s “smart” solutions, powered by innovative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) functionality, help retail companies make the right decisions for their business, inventory and customers.

Further, they will discuss how Infor retail solutions are designed to optimally “move” goods through the supply chain, from source to end-customer, and help create the optimized movement of people.

“We help customers obtain greater visibility, both within and outside the enterprise, to ensure that the ideal goal is achieved: the right product, at the right place, at the right time, and at the right price,” said John Gularson, Infor SVP of retail. “We also aim to arm businesses and their employees with the intuitive workforce solutions that help get the right people, in the right place, at the right time.”

Infor’s conference sessions, and related announcements, include:

• Infor Big Ideas session, Tuesday, Jan. 19, at noon Eastern Time, featuring Rachel Grogan-Cook, senior director of global supply chain at Burton Snowboards, one of the world’s leading snowboard and outerwear companies, and Ryan Bezenek, vice president of IT at Ariat International, a leading footwear, apparel and accessories brand for equestrian sports, work industries and other outdoor activities.

Grogan-Cook and Bezenek will discuss how Infor solutions enabled their companies to become more agile and resilient by automating business processes and providing better visibility and access to real-time data. The ability to make faster and more-informed decisions has helped Burton Snowboards and Ariat International navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and better serve the ever-changing needs of their retail customers.

The report describes Infor’s Demand Management planning platform as enabling “organizations to seamlessly perform demand forecasting, replenishment, and assortment planning with its infused data science and machine learning capabilities” and “allows various vendors to simultaneously access and work collaboratively on the platform.”

Infor provides retailers with a full portfolio of strategic, back-end solutions that address forecasting consumer demand, supply chain planning and collaboration, warehouse operations, the modern digital workforce, corporate control and finance, and more. 

The post Infor to Showcase Why It Offers “The Smart Move for Retail” at NRF 2021 appeared first on RetailToday.

CFLP is the only social organization in the logistics industry approved by the State Council in China, and is authorized by the government to perform functions in foreign affairs, science and technology, trade statistics and standards drafting and revising. CFLP’s mission is to promote the innovation and development of Chinese logistics and supply chain technologies.

At the 11th annual “China E-Commerce Logistics Conference” hosted by CFLP, representatives from governments, associations, media and business shared their thoughts about innovation and ways to promote the sustainable development of the logistics and on-demand delivery industry. Mr. Yang delivered a keynote speech entitled “Efficiency First: How On-Demand Delivery Empowers Local Retail.” He discussed the rapidly increasing demand for online retail and the explosive growth of store-to-person and person-to-person delivery in product categories including supermarkets, fresh vegetables, medicine, pick-up and retail services. He also explained how Dada Now, the local on-demand delivery platform of Dada Group, empowers retailers by cutting costs and improving efficiency.

“Efficiency is a crucial driver for the development of the on-demand logistics industry,” said Mr. Yang. “Dada Now plays an important role in improving efficiency and shaping the sustainable development of the industry, and as a partner to many brands and retailers, Dada Now is committed to exploring new opportunities to strengthen its platform and technology.”

Dada believes that in the age of on-demand retail, each brick-and-mortar store needs a system for customized order fulfilment. This requires delivery platforms to instantly match the capacity, supply and demand based on the store situation. To meet this need, Dada Now has established a “crowdsourcing and stationed” capacity model, in which Dada Now uses big data to not only dynamically match crowdsourcing capacities and mixed capacities for delivery, but also account for factors such as time of day, intensity of demand and order type to ensure timely delivery. According to Dada’s data, stores that adopt this customized mixed capacity model are 10-20% more efficient at delivering orders – saving them both time and money.

In addition, Dada Now also offers a premium “Dedicated Delivery” service, which provides stores all-round operational support services, including customer service response, data analysis and personnel support. Partners also have the option to request specially trained riders who must complete a training and pass an evaluation before being permitted to process the store’s orders.

Dada pays close attention not only to its partnered stores and products, but also to the quality of its riders. Since the first half of 2020, Dada Now has used a smart logistics system and big data to identify riders with high performance. These elite “Credit Riders” then become the main candidates to deliver high-value products orders, such as digital goods, mobile phones, documents, invoices and wine.  

At the conference, Dada Group also received the annual “Safety Management Award,” and Dada Now’s Credit Riders program won the “Innovative Practice Award.” Can Deng, Dada Now’s Logistics Manager at the Wuhan station, was honored as “Anti-Epidemic Pioneer” by CFLP.

The post Dada Group’s Jun Yang: On-Demand Delivery Empowers Local Retail by Cutting Costs and Improving Efficiency appeared first on RetailToday.

Shoptalk’s Retail Meetup will take place online on Tuesday-Thursday, October 20-22, 2020 at 12:15 pm-4:30 pm ET (9:15 am-1:30 pm PT), and will be the retail industry’s biggest event for the rest of the year.

“Shoptalk’s Retail Meetup is completely different from the other virtual retail events we or anyone else has produced,” said Anil D. Aggarwal, founder and chairman of Shoptalk. “Rather than focus on interviews and speakers, Shoptalk’s Retail Meetup is a productive way to connect with the people you know and meet the people you don’t, in a friendly and open digital environment. Our objective is to empower the retail industry with three months worth of meetings in just three half-days.”

Shoptalk’s Retail Meetup utilizes proprietary technology, workflows and scheduling algorithms, integrated with interactive video capabilities, to allow attendees to:

1. Reach out to thousands of retail industry professionals to share ideas and request meetings, and hear from others about how they’d like to work together,
2. Participate in up to 36 mostly 15-minute one-to-one and group video meetings and conversations, and
3. Get unlimited post-event introductions for high priority mutual matches that weren’t scheduled as meetings.

More than 2,500 individuals from over 1,000 companies are expected to participate, including from Established Retailers & Brands, Direct-to-Consumer Startups, Large Solution Providers & Tech Companies, Startup Tech Companies, Investors, Media & Equity Analysts, Real Estate Developers, Agencies, and Consulting and Analyst Firms. 

“Thousands of your customers, partners, vendors, prospects, coworkers and friends will be participating in more than 20,000 meetings as part of Shoptalk’s Retail Meetup,” added Aggarwal. “They’re joining to do what every community does to move forward–work together, learn from each other and collaborate. With the limited ability we’ve had to do these things in-person this year, we believe our industry needs this now, more than ever.”

The post Shoptalk Launches “Shoptalk’s Retail Meetup” appeared first on RetailToday.

Shoptalk Virtual Events will initially focus on the impact of COVID-19 on retail and ecommerce, and will be offered in three distinct formats:

• Shoptalk Virtual Tabletalks
• Shoptalk Virtual Conferences
• Shoptalk Virtual Meetings

“For five years, Shoptalk has consistently pioneered important new initiatives that have led to our in-person events becoming the fastest growing in the retail industry,” said Anil D. Aggarwal, founder of Shoptalk. “We’re proud to announce the launch of a broad range of virtual events at a time when they can most help the industry adjust to entirely unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances. As with our in-person events, the formats of our virtual events will bring people together for everything from large-scale learning to small group conversations and one-to-one collaboration.”

Shoptalk Virtual Tabletalks

First to launch will be Shoptalk Virtual Tabletalks, which will take place on April 23, 2020 and initially be open only to retailers and brands registered for Shoptalk’s in-person September 2020 event. Virtual Tabletalks will be held via video conference and will bring together hundreds of individuals from retailers and brands in small groups of 4-6 individuals to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on retail.

Virtual Tabletalks are similar to Tabletalks held during Shoptalk’s in-person events and will utilize Shoptalk’s custom technology, workflows and personalization algorithms, integrated for the first time with interactive video capabilities. Virtual Tabletalks are free to attend and, as with onsite Tabletalks, invite-only.

Shoptalk Virtual Conferences

Shoptalk Virtual Tabletalks will be followed a week later by the first half-day Shoptalk Virtual Conference, which is open to all at no cost and will take place via live stream on April 30, 2020. The event will include a 12-session agenda featuring more than 20 speakers. Topics include the many ways COVID-19 will transform the retail industry, ranging from changes in consumer behavior and workforce dynamics to radical reassessments of marketing spend and ecommerce. The event will also include a spotlight on the retail technologies set to accelerate in this changing environment.   

The first Shoptalk Virtual Conference will have a speaker lineup that reflects the full range of perspectives that Shoptalk’s in-person events are known for, including leading retailers, brands, investors, research analysts and more. Confirmed speakers for the virtual event to date include:

• Mike Edwards, CEO, Hanna Andersson
• Lauri Kien Kotcher, CEO, hello products
• JuE Wong, CEO, Olaplex
• Stu Landesberg, Co-Founder & CEO, Grove Collaborative
• Suzanne Hader, Chief Marketing Officer, John Hardy
• Ben Sun, Co-Founder & General Partner, Primary Ventures
• Matt Nichols, General Partner, Commerce Ventures
• Deborah Weinswig, Founder & CEO, Coresight Research
• Melissa Gonzalez, Founder & CEO, The Lionesque Group
• Nithya Thadani, CEO, RAIN
• Chris Walton, CEO, Red Archer Retail, Omni Talk
• Wendy Liebmann, CEO & Chief Shopper, WSL Strategic Retail
• José Vicente Aguerrevere, Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Takeoff Technologies
• Daniel Laury, CEO & Chief Product Officer, udelv
• Michael Gabay, Co-Founder & CEO, Trigo Vision
• Richard Schwartz, President & CEO, Pensa Systems
• Adam Levene, Founder, HERO
• Liyia Wu, Founder & CEO, ShopShops

“We’re thrilled to offer the same, high quality content we’re known for in a new, virtual format that reflects today’s changed environment,” said Zia Daniell Wigder, chief global content officer at Shoptalk. “Speakers at the upcoming Shoptalk Virtual Conference reflect the diversity of perspectives that are so critical to understanding the acute challenges facing brands and retailers today. The virtual format will also allow us to offer shorter sessions that will enable the audience to learn about a range of topics in just a few hours.”

Registration for Shoptalk Virtual Conference: COVID-19 is open at www.shoptalk.com.

Shoptalk Virtual Meetings

Finally, Shoptalk Virtual Meetings will be expanded, video conference-enabled versions of Shoptalk’s highly regarded and incredibly successful Hosted Retailers & Brands Program, which brings thousands of individuals from hundreds of retailers and brands together with thousands of individuals from hundreds of sponsoring companies for upwards of 10,000 onsite, one-to-one meetings each year.

Shoptalk Virtual Meetings will also incorporate the many other networking and collaboration initiatives traditionally conducted in connection with Shoptalk’s in-person events, creating the ability for individuals throughout the retail industry to engage with each other across a wide range of use cases at unparalleled scale in distributed and digitally interactive environments.

The post Shoptalk Launches Groundbreaking Virtual Events appeared first on RetailToday.

Ruby Has, one of the fastest growing ecommerce fulfillment companies providing enterprise-level services to DTC brands acquires EasyPost Fulfillment.

Ruby Has Founder and CEO Rafi Zakinov said: “We are thrilled to have acquired EasyPost Fulfillment Services. This gives us a national footprint by adding the Midwest to our bi-coastal presence and the expansion builds on the significant organic growth we have been experiencing. Most importantly, this acquisition adds major efficiencies and benefits to the ever-growing portfolio of capabilities we offer the ecommerce industry.”

“This decision is a continuation of the commitment that the EasyPost Fulfillment Team has shown our customers over the past four years. With Ruby Has’s stellar reputation for providing accuracy and on-time delivery at scale for hundreds of prominent DTC companies, we know our customers will be in the best of hands going forward,” said Paul Vinuelas, EasyPost’s Chief Logistics Officer.

The acquisition is effective immediately, with EasyPost Fulfillment Services becoming fully integrated into Ruby Has, and the transition for EasyPost customers will be seamless

The post Ruby Has Ecommerce Fulfillment Acquires EasyPost Fulfillment Services appeared first on RetailToday.

Celerant’s 2020 client conference, originally slated to take place April 26-28 in San Antonio at Hotel Contessa, will now be made available to clients virtually, through an online event. The conference will be held as an online virtual event during the same week as the originally planned physical conference.

“The decision to cancel our physical event wasn’t easy; the safety and well-being of our employees, clients and partners is our main concern,” stated Ian Goldman, President and CEO of Celerant Technology. “While we will miss the face-to-face interaction this year, we are confident that by hosting our event virtually, clients will still benefit from our training and break-out sessions, and learn about new partner integrations, as well the new features within our latest software versions.”

“While we will miss the face-to-face interaction this year, we are confident that by hosting our event virtually, clients will still benefit from our training and break-out sessions, and learn about new partner integrations, as well the new features within our latest software versions.”

Celerant is currently coordinating efforts for this change in plans, and will send out additional details to clients as they become available.

About Celerant Technology 
Founded in 1999, Celerant provides innovative, multi-channel retail commerce solutions and expert consulting to mid-market retailers across all industries. Celerant is ranked as the #1 retail software provider, and has been recognized as a top-five vendor for the past eleven consecutive years on the RIS Software LeaderBoard. Celerant supports retailers through point of sale, inventory management, eCommerce, vendor integrations and ‘endless aisle’, marketplace integrations, CRM and shopper incentives, ERP, email marketing and more. To learn more, subscribe to our blog- http://www.celerant.com/blog.

The post Celerant Technology’s Upcoming Client Conference Moving to a ‘Virtual Event’ Due to Coronavirus appeared first on RetailToday.

Unique diversity of products

The world’s leading toy fair is forever adapting to the rapidly changing industry. Trade visitors have many opportunities at the Spielwarenmesse to enhance their own business success and rise above their competitors. Ernst Kick, CEO Spielwarenmesse eG, comments: “All the important exhibitors and brands are powerfully represented at our fair. This comes with the right measure of quality and good service, allowing our visitors to plan their stay in Nuremberg very efficiently.” Twelve product groups across 18 Halls create a unique selection of trends and innovations. Featuring no fewer than 1 million products, the Spielwarenmesse is a true reflection of the entire toy market – all in one location.

New exhibitor services

Retailers can bring a breath of fresh air to their ranges by visiting the start-ups at the Innovation Made in Germany pavilion and the first-time exhibitors presenting their new ideas at the New Exhibitor Center and around the exhibition site. To ensure the products are “marketable”, the German Toy Industry Association DVSI is offering exhibitors at both pavilions a free additional service in collaboration with the Spielwarenmesse: The association can perform a toy safety check on their products and provide advice on toy safety. Another interesting new service is available to all exhibitors: The Leadtracking service and corresponding app help exhibitors to record customer contacts quickly and efficiently. Explaining the system, Florian Hess, Director Fair Management, states: “It’s really simple to use on a smartphone and it enables exhibitors to collect customer information digitally.”

Action-packed special areas

The activity and special areas at the Spielwarenmesse are major attractions for visitors. They give retailers and buyers the opportunity to immerse themselves in various theme worlds and to tap into lucrative and individual sources of additional sales. Showtime, the most recent addition in Hall 8, provides exhibitors from the Festive Articles and Carnival product group with an exciting platform for showcasing their products at fashion shows or demonstrations. The popular Tech2Play activity area in Hall 4A, featuring the Flight Cage and Robot Run, has been improved and is appearing in a new look. The established special areas Baby and Infant Articles between Halls 2 and 3 and Toys meet Books are to be continued. Situated in its tried-and-trusted location in the busy Entrance Mitte, the zone for booksellers features attractive theme worlds. The highly relevant talks have been extended to four days and start on the Wednesday.

Outstanding trends

With 120,000 innovations on display at the Spielwarenmesse, the TrendGallery is a source of valuable guidance. In Hall 3A, the three trends identified every year by the international TrendCommittee, are presented together with corresponding products: ideas that fall within the “Toys for Future” trend encourage environmental awareness or are produced sustainably from ecological materials. In “Digital goes Physical” children meet the physical versions of the stars and content they know and love from the digital world. Toys from the “Be You!” trend promote the individual abilities of people with illnesses and disabilities whilst also encouraging tolerance. In addition, the TrendGallery shines a light on the nominees and winners of the ToyAwards. The coveted industry accolade is awarded in the festive setting of the Opening Show in the categories Baby & Infant (0-3 years), PreSchool (3-6 years), SchoolKids (6-10 years), Teenager & Adults (from 10 years) and Startup (companies that have been trading for less than five years). 422 companies have entered 772 products.

Industry and licensing insights

Trade visitors can improve their business expertise at the Toy Business Forum. In the presentation area in Hall 3A, high-profile speakers from Germany and abroad shed light on current market developments and trends. The daily topics are #trend (Wednesday, 29.1.2020), #change (Thursday, 30.1.2020), #digital (Friday, 31.1.2020), #retail (Saturday, 1.2.2020) and #marketing (Sunday, 2.2.2020). In the mornings, the LicenseTalks provide informative insights specifically from the licensing world. The expert talks on a wide spectrum of topics such as “Sustainability and Licensing” and “Sequels & Co.” have been extended this year by one day and take place from Wednesday to Saturday. The importance of licensing at the Spielwarenmesse is underlined by the fair’s continued collaboration with the world association Licensing International which has a stand in the foyer of Hall 12.0.

New visitor services

The wide spectrum of services offered by the Spielwarenmesse contributes to a successful experience at the fair. Christian Ulrich, Director Marketing, states: “In our role as organiser, we want to make our visitors’ stay here as enjoyable as possible which is why we’re continually extending and improving our services.” This includes, for example, the new experience zone in the passageway between Halls 3A and 4A, featuring an interactive Social Media Station, entertaining games and a catering area with seating. Dotted around the Exhibition Center are another five VisitorLounges with free water dispensers and mobile charging points. The online catalogue, the interactive hall plans and the Spielwarenmesse app are useful tools for planning each day at the fair. Admission tickets can be used for free travel on all local public transport for the full duration of the fair. This paves the way for business conversations to be continued after hours in the relaxed atmosphere of the ToyCity Nuremberg.

Concluding, Ernst Kick states: “The Spielwarenmesse offers all industry members a unique environment for discovering trends, finding innovative ranges, gaining new knowledge and promoting communication and networking. In a nutshell: The world’s leading toy fair gives them the tools they need to meet the challenges of the future.”

The post Innovative Products, Valuable Toy Expertise and Extended Services – 71st Spielwarenmesse Takes a Big Leap Into the New Business Year appeared first on RetailToday.