Retail Summit 2012

Retail Summit in its 18th year enters the phase of maturity, together with Czech retail. The parallel between summit history and Czech modern retail is very strong – this most important expert and social event was born in the moment when retail, after a short period of atomization, started to concentrate again, the first big retail companies arrived and started a huge wave of building large-scale stores on the green fields. After a relatively long and almost easygoing childhood, typical of consumer demand growth and its predominance over the offer of new attractive stores, a “difficult pubescence” came.

Retail Summit and the whole Czech retail is entering the door of maturity at a time that is really not suitable for any wild celebrations. Quite the other way around – after a short revival, the retail market starts to suffer again by the drop of demand. On the horizon there is another challenge in the form of expected negative impacts of extensive reforms that will result in further reduction of available purchasing power and pressure on price growth. Further development on the highly saturated and demanding “adult” market will not be easy. The main stress will be laid on the fact that it is necessary to think and act in a wider context. Because maturity means also responsibility, respect towards partners and interest in what is going on around us. Therefore in the summit program there will be not only key retailers, but also their suppliers, analysts representing opinions of shoppers, macroeconomic experts, politicians and renowned businessmen from sectors, which can be inspirational for retail in many aspects. In the opening session moderated by Jakub Železný the following experts promised participation: Jan Bureš - analyst from ČSOB – Poštovní spořitelna, Karel Janeček - businessman and initiator of anti-corruption fund, Michal Mejstřík - forecaster and member of NERV, or Andrej Babiš -CEO of Agrofert Holding.

Presentation of the key note speaker Dr. David Bosshart, CEO of Swiss institute GDI – one of the European leading think tanks for business and society - will be very instructive in this aspect. He will speak about Future of Success considering what to do and what to avoid in the current mature market.

An integral part of the process of maturity is the change of summit venue - for the first time the conference will take place in Clarion Congress Hotel in Prague on 31st January and 1st February 2012. Those who plan their time and resources responsibly and in long-term can use very advantageous offer of registration as „Early Birds“.

On behalf of organizers we are looking forward to meeting you

Zdeněk Juračka
President of Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism, Chairman of COOP

Dana Zadražilová
Dean of Economic University, Prague

Barbora Krásná
Partner Blue Events



Conference organizers: