2025 Agenda

Payments are no longer just about transactions, they are a strategic lever for innovation, efficiency, and cost savings. Join Ben Wong and a leading global retailer as they explore how payment technology is shaping the shopper experience of tomorrow.

Companies face challenges with market shifts, network and planning complexity, industry requirements, and ambiguity about what AI is and how it functions. Join this session to learn how strategic application of AI in supply chain and retail technology drives faster ROI for reinvestment in growth opportunities, scales easily with business growth and market demands, and delivers rapid and actionable insights that protect margins and boost profitability.

We've entered a new era in retail, fundamentally powered by the rapid advancements in AI. Join us as we decode the future, focusing on moving beyond the buzz to drive real retail value with Generative and Agentic AI. Discover how AI delivers tangible transformation across the entire value chain, enabling hyper-personalised experiences & intuitive search that sells, conversational support that connects, and operations that scale. Get inspired by the latest breakthroughs and get practical perspectives in a special conversation with Vipul Chawla, Group CEO of FairPrice Group, as we explore real-world applications to accelerate innovation and navigate the AI frontier. Don't just adapt to the future – learn how to build it. 

In today’s saturated markets, where every brand is fighting for consumer attention and action, the real differentiator lies in how we show up in every interaction. To futureproof retail and commerce, we must shift our focus from just transactions to creating value at every touchpoint — by making every customer experience truly count. 

Join us as we discuss with industry leaders how they are redefining customer interactions to generate meaningful value — enhancing both customer loyalty and business outcomes. 

Explore ways to connect with evolving consumer needs and stand out in a saturated market.

Learn how data and technology can be leveraged to deliver personalised experiences across customer interactions.

Make every stage of the customer journey - from first impression to lasting loyalty - valuable and rewarding.

Join Bharati Balakrishnan, Country Head and Director, India and SEA at Shopify, for an exclusive luncheon at NRF APAC. This session will explore strategies essential for driving innovation and sustainable growth in today's dynamic retail landscape. 

Gain first-hand insights from a leading APAC retailer using Shopify on how to navigate economic pressures and shifting consumer behaviors effectively. 

Key takeaways include: 

• Innovating Amid Economic Shifts: Understand how consumers prioritise value and seamless experiences by leveraging digital innovations to enhance loyalty. 
• Driving Efficiency: Discover how unified commerce platforms streamline operations and allow tech teams to focus on innovation instead of maintenance. 
• Creating Unified Experiences: Learn the importance of integrating online and offline channels to meet evolving customer expectations for a holistic shopping experience. 

Equip your organisation with actionable insights to thrive in the future of retail. 

In today's economic landscape, retailers face significant challenges in maintaining and enhancing profitability. This panel will explore innovative strategies and practical solutions that retailers can implement to navigate economic uncertainties, optimize operations, and drive growth. Join industry leaders from Cegid, TecRetail and Shouqianba (WOSAI),  as they will share their insights and experiences.

In an environment where consumer expectations evolve at breakneck speed, global trade is constantly shifting and competition is relentless, harnessing artificial intelligence and connected data isn’t just a tactical move—it’s cornerstone of modern retail supply chain excellence. Join Blue Yonder and our customers as we explore real world success in boosting efficiency, demolishing silos and delivering shopping experiences that keep your customers coming back. ​ 

As AI reshapes digital commerce at unprecedented speed, the difference between success and stagnation lies in how retailers orchestrate intelligent experiences across the shopping journey. Discover how retail pioneers are revolutionizing online shopping through innovative AI implementations today - from personalized discovery to predictive merchandising - while building towards a future where agentic AI creates intuitive experiences that anticipate and adapt to each customer's needs.

While many brands and retailers are still responding to disruption, leaders like Unilever International are rethinking their operations to get ahead — proactively, efficiently, and at scale. 

In this fireside chat, Dany Krivoshey, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Unilever International, joins Gavin Watson, Senior Industry Lead, APJ at monday.com, to explore how modern retail organisations are turning complexity into competitive advantage. Through connected workflows, real-time data, and automation, they’re reducing risk, unlocking capacity, and adapting faster to ever-changing customer demands. 

This session will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how Unilever International structures large-scale campaign planning and delivery across global markets — and why agility today is about more than speed. It’s about visibility, alignment, and control. 

In this session we will dive into the world of creative production content ecosystems and the key to unlocking creative excellence, with Singapore’s leading loyalty program. Experience is built on everyday brand and customer interactions, but how do these different interactions come together to create loyalty and drive growth? Where connected commerce is the name of the game, staying connected at every step of the customer journey is paramount. This requires content, across multiple channels and consumers are more demanding than ever before. We will explore the partnership and journey that Tag and Yuu rewards have gone on together to create a retail-led content production ecosystem that fuels their everyday content needs. 

APAC expansion isn't just about opening a new store in a new city, but learning a new language, culture and regulatory framework. Yet in these challenging circumstances, many retailers have found a new audience thanks to online marketplaces and new partnerships.

Join us as we sit down with leaders from two of the region's most renowned marketplaces, Zalora and Coupang, as they offer insight into:-

• What are the most important aspects of a retailer's operations when it comes to possible expansion
• Understanding the platform tools available to retailers that want to make the cross-border leap
• How brands can leverage the wealth of knowledge available from marketplaces to finetune their sales and marketing strategies

What will the store of tomorrow look like?

This question will be discussed by an all-star panel that will seek to answer the following questions and more:

• What are the new demands of hybrid consumers?
• How do retailers incorporate bleeding-edge technology?
• Where do retailers need to start when re-imagining the retail journey?

With NTUC investing heavily in its grocery store of the future concept since 2021, and Mecca Brands on the cusp of launching their largest ever (and most technologically advanced) retail store in Melbourne, Australia, our panelists are uniquely positioned to offer insight into the future of store formats, while offering advice on how to navigate the challenges of building the retail experience of tomorrow.

Imagine having the latest iPhone delivered to your desk at work in 8 minutes. Try to conceive of a world where you can get financing on a refrigerator and having it sent to your home in half an hour. Can you see it? Well, in many cities in India, this is their reality.

Join us as we get onstage with BigBasket, one of India's largest quick commerce retailers, to answer these burning questions:-

• What goes into building a successful Quick Commerce business?
• Why should a brand consider upending their business model for this disruptive concept?
• What can the world learn from India?

With India seeing the launch of over 4,000 fashion brands on social media in the last 12 months, and 1 in 10 Thai's identifying themselves as a content creator in the social commerce economy, APAC is seeing phenomenal growth in the arena of social commerce. Why?

Because launching a brand in today's market couldn't be more straightforward, with a plethora of manufacturing, distribution and logistics solutions available. However, the true democratization of retail starts with social media and how it has enabled brands to reach the most engaged audience in human history. Our panelists will seek to answer the following questions, and more:-

• What are the trends in social commerce that brands need to be aware of in 2025 and beyond?
• How can they leverage the tools that social media offers to be more agile and to stay ahead of the competition?
• What are the pitfalls that retailers need to be aware of on their journey to embrace the power of social?

Note: This is an Invite-only session.

Think Retail is back! This year, we're thrilled to host it in conjunction with, and at, NRF 2025: Retail's Big Show Asia Pacific – APAC's biggest industry event. We thought it would be a great experience to combine Think Retail with the incredible display of the latest technologies in the retail industry at the NRF. With this year's theme as Retail Unlimited, NRF will spotlight the limitless possibilities in retail, from enhanced customer experiences to digital transformation strategies. Here’s what awaits you at Think Retail:

• The latest insights on the Omnichannel Consumer and their shopping journey: Understand the trends and shopping behaviours that are shaping the future of retail in APAC.
• Google vision for enabling seamless shopping and commerce experiences: You will hear from Global Google executives, Ori Greenberg, Senior Director, Shopping Platform, and Vivek Rao, Vice President, Retail Ads, who will share about our organic consumer experiences for shopping on various Google surfaces as well as new ad products that deliver industry-leading advertiser value.
• Perspectives from Industry Leaders: Fireside chat moderated by Sapna Chadha, Google’s Vice President of Southeast Asia.
• Retail Innovation Showcase: Visit the Google Booth for immersive demos and the main exhibition floor to discover cutting edge innovation for retail.

Today’s customers expect seamless, fast, and personalized experiences, putting marketing at the center of both engagement and growth. But delivering on these expectations requires more than great campaigns; it demands deep collaboration across the entire business. From fueling customer insights to driving retention and revenue, marketing plays a critical role in connecting IT, sales, and service to create a truly customer-first organization. In this session, an industry leader will share advice on how to break down silos, align teams, and turn marketing into a driver of both business success and exceptional customer experiences.

We're in the era of the new-age employee - workers that prioritize mental health, skill development and being valued. Employees are an organizations most important resource, and keeping them happy has shown to have tangible results, with happy employees resulting in happy customers and better retail outcomes.

Our panel will come together to discuss:-

• What are some of the best employee management strategies in retail?
• How can you strike a balance between management and empowerment?
• Why is it important to get employee buy-in for retail success?

Each country spotlight will look at that market's socio-economic, demographic and legal context from the perspective of retailers. They will serve as guides to businesses looking to expand into these territories, providing much-needed understanding and depth for decision makers. With cross-border expansion an important pillar of retail growth across APAC, these sessions will be invaluable for brands with regional aspirations.

One of the biggest challenges of any brand looking to grow beyond its home borders is staying true to its values and roots. However, this creates uncertainties and doubt about how such expansion will be perceived in a new market.

With insight from one of Malaysia's most successful companies, Royal Selangor, this panel will discuss the following and more:-

• What should retailers do in preparation for entering a new market?
• How much of a compromise, if any at all, should brands contemplate when looking to expand?
• Should retailers look to expand on their own, or find a local partner?

Each country spotlight will look at that market's socio-economic, demographic and legal context from the perspective of retailers. They will serve as guides to businesses looking to expand into these territories, providing much-needed understanding and depth for decision makers. With cross-border expansion an important pillar of retail growth across APAC, these sessions will be invaluable for brands with regional aspirations.

In an era where customer expectations evolve at lightning speed, brands like Groupe Rocher, a French, family-owned, mission-driven company,bringing together several beauty and well-being brands rooted in botanical expertise, must go beyond transactions and embrace meaningful, data-driven relationships. This talk brings together leading voices in customer experience, CRM strategy, and clienteling to explore how organizations can create truly personalized journeys across every touchpoint. Whether you’re leading a digital transformation or refining your approach to clienteling, this talk will help you stay ahead of the curve in building connected, customer-centric organizations.

Today's most resilient retailers are those who rethink the foundation of their operations, trusted and connected data. KCC recognized that to drive operational excellence, protect margins, and scale for the future, they needed to move beyond fragmented inventory records and siloed processes. Their journey to strengthen data governance and visibility across the business became the catalyst for empowering teams, improving efficiencies, and setting the stage for long-term growth. Join this fireside chat to hear how KCC is building a stronger foundation for smarter retail, turning better data into better decisions and operational excellence in today’s dynamic environment.

Against the backdrop of market uncertainties and volatility, it is important for businesses to focus on understanding and adapting to a rapidly evolving consumer landscape. In this fireside chat featuring Daniel Hagmeijer, we will explore how economic trends are shaping the business landscape and how brands can leverage insights, analytics and disciplined experimentation to help build clear and connected strategies to unlock greater efficiency, agility, and return on investment in a dynamic market. 

In this session, Amanda Green, GM Digital & Innovation at Treasury Wine Estates, and Stephanie Rogers, Director Retail at TransPerfect, will unpack the critical role localization plays in creating personalized and culturally relevant customer experiences that foster loyalty, trust & brand growth globally. 

Learn the impact of a real localization strategy, how to create yours, & balance your all-important brand voice & integrity with efficiencies of AI. Whether non English speaking markets or the UK, US & Australia – an effective strategy underpinned by a scalable technology framework ensuring you are truly speaking your customers’ language, is crucial to driving growth. 

Localization is more than just translation—it's the key to building long-term customer loyalty across borders and sustainable growth in an ever changing global market. Important especially for D2C retailers – it’s more than just your website. This session will equip you with actionable insights to proactively engage global audiences, navigate cross-cultural communication, and deliver seamless, loyalty-driven customer journeys tailored to diverse markets.

Join fellow retail executives for an intimate leadership lunch where we'll explore how forward-thinking organizations are building business resilience through innovation. In a landscape shaped by new tariffs, evolving consumer expectations, and supply chain dynamics, discover how industry pioneers are leveraging cloud, analytics, and artificial intelligence to create more adaptable, resilient, and profitable retail enterprises.

Retail is at a pivotal moment, with market dynamics shifting rapidly due to online retailers, generational shift among shoppers, tech advancements and workforce evolution. What will shape the future of retail in APAC and how retailers can stay competitive, engage next gen consumers and thrive in an AI-driven economy?

Join Ben Wong, General Manager of SEAHK, for an exclusive luncheon where we’ll explore how smart payment solutions can drive new revenue and create opportunities for retailers.

Retailers today are scaling fast—but so are their costs. As expectations grow and margins tighten, fragmented payment systems are holding back efficiency, customer experience, and growth. 

Alongside retail experts who will also join us on panel we’ll discuss macroeconomic forces, payment innovations, and the ways businesses can streamline operations, reduce fraud, and create seamless customer journeys.   

Be part of this conversation and learn how payments can power your next phase of growth. 

In an era where physical retail stands at the cusp of transformation, pioneering retailers are laying the foundation for autonomous stores powered by agentic AI - intelligent systems that can understand, decide, and act independently. Join us to explore how industry leaders are revolutionising store operations today, while discovering a future where AI agents orchestrate key areas like inventory, pricing, and personalised shopping, enabling store teams to focus on what truly matters - creating meaningful human connections that define great retail. 

85% of APAC retailers do not have their house in order. That means their data is either stuck in siloed verticals, or hampered by legacy systems that keep data in a format that cannot be parsed for machine learning or actionable insights.

In this session, our panelists will discuss answers to some pressing questions that retailers from all across APAC need to consider:-

• Why is it important to modernize my data management?
• What do I need to do as a retailer to start the process of organizing the information at my disposal?
• What are the best practices when it comes to data organization so that I am ready for the future?

It's an ADHD world we're living in. With attention spans shorter than ever, yet engagement higher than it has ever been, retail cycles have evolved to match, with online discourse driving shorter and shorter development times. Just as quickly as these products gain prominence, they die out - sometimes going from ideation, execution and phasing out in the span of just three months.

Our panelists will dive into the following issues, and more:-

• Should brands be reactive to trends or proactive in trying to set them?
• What is happening in the social e-commerce space that is facilitating this new frontier in retail?
• How can retailers be successful in capturing and capitalizing on the online zeitgeist?

With many of APAC's retailers still harbouring doubts about the need to adopt AI, and others unsure of what AI even means, the question needs to be asked - are APAC's businesses actually ready to embrace it, or is there a fundamental misunderstanding of what this revolutionary tech brings to the table?

Our panelists will discuss the following topics, and more:-

• Is AI on the cusp of becoming a killer app that everyone should be incorporating into their operations?
• Do brands understand how AI can help them - be it for front-end OR back-end applications?
• What do companies need to consider as they start their AI journey?
• What happens if retailers don't embrace AI and get left behind?

What are the challenges of moving to a more sustainable future? In this session, our panelists discuss :-

• Cutting through the “noise”
• Meeting the ever-changing needs of the customer, and the lack of alignment between customer ideals and behaviour in store
• The ‘corporate confusion’ between identity and politics
• The role of certifications and standards – program execution within corporates while also ensuring transparency for external stakeholders

Brooke and Sharon will share insights about the sustainability journeys that Coles Australia and DFI Retail Group have been on, and the importance of prioritizing collaboration, innovation and the value proposition of sustainability in today's retail landscape.

The next generation of mobile messaging is here—and it’s transforming how retailers connect with customers. Rich Communication Services (RCS) delivers app-like, branded experiences directly in the native messaging inbox, offering a powerful way to drive conversions, build loyalty, and cut through digital noise. 

In this session, we’ll explore how RCS for Business is unlocking new opportunities across the entire customer journey—and how rising expectations are reshaping the way brands communicate. Join Sinch, a global leader in messaging innovation, for a look at how retailers in Singapore and around the world are using RCS to revolutionise customer engagement and lead in a mobile-first world.

Join this essential session to dive into the transformative power of AI in retail and gain a true understanding of its ability to drive value and solve challenges at unprecedented speed. Explore the benefits of a Connected Retail Store enabled by Generative and Predictive AI, and discover how AI empowers merchandising teams to overcome those tough Monday morning trading meetings. Don't miss this opportunity to envision the future of retail!

Welcome to the most connected generation in human history!

As Gen-Z transitions to become the key retail customer demographic of now and tomorrow, many retailers are faced with uncertainty in how best to tackle this blackbox of shoppers. Perennially online, able to mask their digital footprint and adept at curating their feeds, they present a unique set of challenges to today's brands.

With perspectives from a Gen-Z retailer (Dadu's, India) and data insights from one of the world's leading marketplaces (Coupang), our panelists will discuss the following, and more:-

• What are Gen-Z's shopping habits - how different or similar are they to other customer segments?
• What marketing & messaging strategies work best with Gen-Z?
• How important is authenticity, sincerity and word of mouth in this brave new retail world?

The Hybrid Consumer is here. Engaging them is a challenge, one which Popeye-san, Suntory's Digital Innovation chief, and Yuki-san, LVMH Japan's Digital Director, know all too well. With the help of blockchain technology and an understanding that consumers want substantive conversations with brands, and not statements, our panelists have helped lead the charge in adopting bleeding-edge tech and digital engagement techniques as they seek to:-

• Understand what their customers are talking about (and where)
• Re-evaluate
• Improve their insight into distribution patterns for better sales forecasting

Join us for a chat with two of Japan's most compelling leaders in retail today.

Each country spotlight will look at that market's socio-economic, demographic and legal context from the perspective of retailers. They will serve as guides to businesses looking to expand into these territories, providing much-needed understanding and depth for decision makers. With cross-border expansion an important pillar of retail growth across APAC, these sessions will be invaluable for brands with regional aspirations.

Retail should be fun! But as plenty of retailers know, fun is a serious business. With APAC malls being more than just transaction hubs, and brands competing with multiple distractions for customer mindshare, treating the retail journey as an entertainment experience could be the key to unlocking consumer loyalty.

Join our panelists as they discuss:-

• How best to incorporate 'fun' into the shopping experience
• What sort of engagement customers want from brands
• Why brands should work with malls to gamify the consumer journey

Discover how Avery Products and SoftServe are transforming content creation with IP-compliant generative AI. 

In this session, we’ll showcase how AI-trained models generate marketing visuals like packshots with unmatched consistency and compliance. You'll also see how 3D digital twins ensure pixel-perfect product representation across all digital touchpoints. 

Plus, learn how NVIDIA AI Blueprints power automated video storytelling — enabling faster, smarter creative workflows without compromising brand standards. 

Innovation, compliance, and creativity — seamlessly connected. 

The retailer landscape in Australia is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by evolving customer expectations, rising operational costs, and a growing emphasis on seamless technology experiences.

In this exclusive fireside chat, Diebold Nixdorf and RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer will unveil the findings from a latest study developed by IDC that focused on the perspective of Australia’s retailers and the consumers. This research provides rare, data-driven insights into the current challenges and opportunities facing the industry—straight from the voices of both retailers and consumers.

Why Attend?

This session is designed specifically for retailers seeking practical, actionable strategies to future-proof their businesses, boost customer satisfaction, and improve profitability through better checkout and self-service experiences.

Key Takeaways:

· Exclusive first access to IDC’s latest research findings on the Australian retail sector

· Insights into consumer preferences around self-service and tech-enabled checkouts—and how they influence buying behavior

· A clear understanding of what’s driving (and blocking) retailers from successfully implementing next-generation checkout technologies

· A comparative analysis between retailer strategies and consumer expectations—highlighting key gaps and how to close them

· Best practices from local and global retail leaders who are transforming the checkout into a competitive advantage

Over the next decade, technological advancements in AI will fundamentally reshape the retail landscape. It will introduce a new type of shopper with agentic personal assistants, enable true hyper personalization at scale and create unlimited opportunities to drive efficiency in retail operations. It will change the rules of consumer engagement, force a rethink of approaches to loyalty programs and will make way for new operating and business models.

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, CMOs and marketers face numerous challenges in demonstrating the tangible impact of their campaigns on business growth and justifying marketing budgets. 

This session will explore the critical metrics that matter most, transforming complex data into actionable insights that drive business results.

Join Gerald Tjan, Director, Scale at Braze in exploring how brands can transform customer engagement in today's complex retail landscape. This session will showcase how forward-thinking retailers are navigating shifting consumer behaviors while maximizing operational efficiency through unified data and intelligent automation.

Gain actionable insights on how leading APAC retail brands are delivering seamless, personalized experiences that bridge physical and digital touchpoints - transforming the way they connect with the hybrid consumer without overwhelming their marketing teams.

Key takeaways include:

• Unifying the Customer Journey: Discover why leading retailers now integrate customer data into a single profile and how this creates cohesive experiences across online and offline touchpoints. Learn from the success of a leading retail group that migrated 250 campaigns and sent 97.5 million messages in just 50 days by streamlining segmentation with a leaner tech stack.
• Building Emotional Connections at Scale: Explore how successful retailers use technology to add emotional resonance to their communications, and why multichannel engagement drives higher 90-day retention when using two channels versus one. See how a global beauty brand achieved a 125% increase in mobile app usage by expanding to push notifications and SMS.
• Creating a Culture of Experimentation: Learn why retail brands that regularly experiment with their engagement strategies outperform competitors, and how brands conducting weekly cross-functional syncs are setting new benchmarks for customer engagement excellence.

Walk away with proven strategies and real-world inspiration to streamline your operations, deepen customer loyalty, and future-proof your retail engagement.

We're living in a fast-paced, attention-deficit world where online, offline, and social realms are colliding. Trend cycles are accelerating, pushing retailers and their supply chains to adapt rapidly in how they engage customers—and now communities. This comes at a time when global trade is more unstable than it’s been in decades, and consumers are laser-focused on value.

Our panelists will dive into these issues and more:

• What tech and data tools do they use to understand what a trend is, where it's coming from, and where it might be in its life cycle?
• How do they craft their response strategies and measure success and ROI?
• What's ahead in terms of trend cycles, AI and power in the hands of consumers, and how should retailers be gearing up for this future?

As margins get squeezed from all angles, retailers are looking to do anything they can to generate more revenue. Step forward, retail media ; an opportunity for retailers to monetize the space on their platforms and assets! Before everyone decides that retail media is going to be their next big revenue generator, our panel will ask the following:-

• What should the criteria for be starting up a retail media operation?
• Does a brand actually need to start a retail media platform, or should it consider advertising on one instead?
• How can retailers maximize both exposure and revenue as part of their retail media journey?