GCC’s retail sector is forecasted to grow to $308 billion by 2023. Furthermore, the World Economic Forum estimates the UAE’s 2020 e-commerce market at $27.2bn, with similar growth across the MENA region.

Change is a constant when it comes to the retail industry, and even further fuelled with the current pandemic and shifts in consumer lifestyle. Because of this, retailers know that E-commerce is not an option, rather a necessity in today’s new world, bearing in mind that consumers are increasingly expecting more when it comes to where they shop, speed of delivery and the overall experience. Consequently, physical retailers, not wishing to be left behind, are rapidly developing their online presence.

While some retailers, started to embrace technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and the internet of things (IoT) before the pandemic, several retailers do not have their physical operations set up to match the digital processes and service requirements for running an e-commerce business. In addition to this, the in-store experience needs to evolve and adapt to the current change in requirements and consumer behaviour.

In lights of this, MENA Digital Transformation in Retail Digi-Conference, will take place to cover the evolution of modern retail, including supermarkets, hypermarkets, fashion, convenience stores, specialty stores, and online retailers and the shifts in how consumers discover, shop and buy through new technologies, trends and business models. The event will also cover all aspects of the business transformation across in-store, logistics, supply chain, last-mile, and delivery.