World Retail Congress news and archive

"Make a lot of mistakes, quickly but above all, inexpensively", taking stock of the first year of Madrid’s Wow Concept

Almost a year ago Europe’s newest concept store Wow Concept opened its doors for the first time, an innovative proposal that landed on Gran Vía boulevard in Madrid. It marked a new chapter in the career of Spanish businessman Dimas Gimeno who is the former president of department store chain El Corte Inglés and now founding partner and president...

Retail |REPORT Featured

WRC 2023: Retail giants share the industry's key insights

For yet another year, this week the World Retail Congress brought together some of the world's most important leaders in fashion and retail as drivers of consumer trends and representatives of the current state of retail. The 2023 edition of the WRC took place in Barcelona. Experts from retailers such as Mango, Primark, Zalando, Sephora, Spanish...

Retail |WORLD RETAIL CONGRESS

British speakers at the WRC 2023, spearheaded by Primark, united against Brexit

If there is one thing the speakers from British companies made clear during the last day of the World Retail Congress 2023 in Barcelona today, it is that they are unhappy with the negative consequences of Brexit, a view that Primark CEO Paul Marchant echoed in his speech yesterday. As well as calling for more recognition for retailers as...

Retail |World Retail Congress

Mango: "We are working on a ‘passport’ that contains details about the traceability of a product"

Within the framework of the World Retail Congress, which brought together the main leaders of the retail sector in Barcelona to tackle the main challenges of this industry, Luis Casacuberta - General Manager of Mango Woman, Kids & Home today announced that Spanish multinational Mango is working on a type of 'passport' that will allow its...

Retail |World Retail Congress

Frasers Group to launch 'Frasers Plus', the new Amazon Prime?

Speaking at the World Retail Congress 2023, a conference that has taken over Barcelona for a total of three days, Michael Murray - CEO of Frasers Group - announced yesterday that the British retail giant is about to introduce ‘Frasers Plus’ to the UK market in what they have dubbed their own version of Amazon Prime. Frasers Plus is to be a...

Retail |WORLD RETAIL CONGRESS

Sephora reinforces its commitment to omnichannel by posting strong results

After having tested the UK market through its online channel, French cosmetics chain Sephora, owned by LVMH group, landed physically in the UK at the beginning of 2023 with a shop in Westfield London. Just a few weeks after its opening, this shop - covering more than 6,000 square metres and created with the aim of "surprising and delighting...

Retail |World Retail Congress 2023

"Retail is a human business" and prioritising technology is dangerous, experts warn

It seems that the fact that physical shops will soon employ fewer humans was a futuristic idea, but with the advent of the internet and other technological innovations, this Matrix-worthy scenario is no more than the reality today. But what does this mean for the average shopper, and for the retail sector? Yesterday we discussed how retailers'...

Retail |ANALYSIS

WRC 2023: Retailers' profits decline as the Internet becomes more important in people’s lives

US-based global consulting and financial advisory firm AlixPartners and the World Retail Congress - a key event for the retail sector taking place from today and running for three days in Barcelona - today released a report that addresses the needs of retailers to evolve in a cost-effective way in today's world, where consumer habits are...

Retail |World Retail Congress

Shein, aware it needs to reduce its environmental impact but with a focus on the consumer

The popular Chinese multinational Shein, a pure digital player that has revolutionised the world of fast fashion, making it even more fast-paced, convinced consumers with a website that is updated daily with new garments at very low prices, as opposed to the two weeks that other companies such as Inditex need to bring new items to their shops at...

Business

World Retail Congress sold to William Reed

Event organiser and trade magazine publisher William Reed has bought World Retail Congress (WRC) for an undisclosed sum. William Reed also bought trade publication Retail Week, which was also owned by WRC parent Ascential. Retail Week reported the news and cited William Reed CEO Charles Reed as saying: “We are delighted to welcome our new...

RetailFeatured

Tendam CEO at WRC 2022: ‘Soft skills will be key for future CEOs’

Jaume Miquel, the president and CEO of Spanish fashion retailer Tendam Group, was one of the attendees of the World Retail Congress (WRC) 2022, which took place in Rome from April 5 to April 7. Miquel gave a presentation about what the post-pandemic era might look like for the retail sector, and explained his role within Tendam, which is the...

People

Aesop chief customer officer awarded Lifetime Achievement award

The World Retail Congress presented Suzanne Santos, chief customer officer at Aesop, with the Isidoro Álvarez Lifetime Achievement Award for the brand’s outstanding contribution to retailing. The award recognises individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to retailing, and Santos was honoured for being “instrumental in the founding...