March 2023, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The Retail Summit, an annual event providing unprecedented access to hear from global retail giants on the future and movement of the retail sector, took place on the 14th and 15th of March, seeing over 900 delegates and 72 speakers come together for an unforgettable retail industry event.
This year’s edition, in partnership with Dubai Chambers, proved a true success with 10% more speakers and 25% more delegates in attendance compared to the previous year. The 2023 event saw a total of 373 brands and retailers sign up for the Summit with 339 attendees coming from international countries. The top five nationalities represented were United Kingdom, India, United Arab Emirates, France, and Lebanon.
The two-day Summit held at Atlantis, The Palm and the newly-opened Atlantis, The Royal saw a wide range of local and international brands unite to discuss the current retail space and what the industry’s future holds. All under one roof the ultimate networking event allowed industry professionals to connect, create partnerships and meet potential mentors.
The event kicked off with an invite-only dinner on the 13th, honouring the fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger for his undeniable contribution to the fashion and retail space. The dinner was for a selection of the industry’s most influential and transformative leaders, who together continue to positively impact the industry.
On the morning of the 14th, Tommy Hilfiger opened the Summit in the first speaking session of the Summit: “Tommy Hilfiger – A Pioneer & Leader Within The Fashion Industry“, where he shared insights and visions throughout his glittering career, along with his long-standing passion for philanthropy and making the world a better place for future generations.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, attended the morning sessions where he engaged with top global retailers at the event, confirming the significance of The Retail Summit as a platform for strategic networking and thought-provoking discussions in the retail sector.
In partnership with Dubai Chambers, President and CEO, Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, also spoke at the Summit and confirmed in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business that the e-commerce and social commerce sector in Dubai is expected to see a 12% growth within the next three years. “Part of the efforts that we have is to attract large multinational companies and SMEs and obviously retail is one of our topmost sectors since it plays a big role in the GDP of the city and has one of the highest contributions that reaches around 24 percent” Lootah explained.
Day one of the event saw 22 panel discussions and session spotlights take place in a two-stream agenda where industry leaders debated the critical issues within the industry. Highlights included Marcella Wartenbergh, CEO of AWWG discussing ‘Building A Truly Customer Centric Operating Model‘, Peter Wood, CEO of AllSaints & John Varvatos talking about ‘Smells Like Team Spirit: The Power Of Sticking To Your Core Values‘, Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of Amazon Middle East and North Africa (MENA) debating ‘Meeting Customer Expectations In Today’s World‘, and David Gandy, Founder of David Gandy Wellwear discussing ‘The Courage To Be Different: Driving Success By Staying Ahead Of The Curve‘.
Following the day of engaging sessions, the networking beach party took place on the pristine beach of the new landmark, Atlantis, The Royal. Whilst soaking in the ultra-luxury location, attendees continued conversations in a more relaxed atmosphere before heading over to Milos restaurant for a sit-down dinner. The Women in Retail session panel attracted a large audience, hearing from inspirational women leaders in the industry, including Jo Malone CBE, Founder & Creative Director of Jo Loves, Halla Al Kassm, Founder & Chairwoman of Carina Wear, and Khadija Oubala, CEO of Sultan Center Group.
Day two continued in high spirits with highlights including Michael Kliger, CEO of Mytheresa.com discussing ‘Inspiration Not Aggregation: Setting New Standards For Luxury E-commerce Platforms’ where he revealed the company has been able to retain most of its customer base, even after inflation hit the global market. The company saw €689.9 million as revenue in 2021 and has seen 100% growth since last year, proving not to be impacted by the pandemic.
In addition, Chris Davis, CMO of New Balance talked about ‘Cultural Credibility: The New Battleground For Retail Relevance‘, Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik delved into ‘Building On A Legacy And Remaining Relevant To A New Age‘, Tom Athron, CEO of Fortnum & Mason debated ‘The World’s Oldest Start-Up – The Evolution Of A Heritage Brand‘, and Michael Ward, CEO of Harrods, discussed ‘When The Customer Comes First, The Relationship Will Last’.
Gary Thatcher, CEO and Co-Founder of The Retail Summit, shares, “This year’s Summit has been a huge success and it was evident that both delegates and speakers were keen to network over the course of the two days. Not only were the speaking sessions filled with knowledge and insights, but the beach party also allowed for more networking and connections to be made with one another. I am very pleased with the response we received and look forward to the next edition”.
