“The retail sector is an innovation powerhouse with many new advances shaking up the market and defining what the future shopping experience will look like. At IRX & eDX this May, we’re welcoming established innovators to share their experience as well as showcasing the up-and-coming disruptors in the sector.” Louise Smith, events manager at IRX & eDX, explains the focus on innovation running throughout the show.

IRX (InternetRetailing Expo) & eDX (eDelivery Expo) - the UK’s leading digital retail show - takes place 11 & 12 May at Birmingham’s NEC. Retailers, brands, industry experts and retail vendors are invited to gather at the UK’s leading digital retail event to hear from thought-leaders, discover innovative technology and supercharge their skillset with free learning opportunities.

Industry leaders will share their insight in a dedicated programme of learning taking place throughout the two days of the show – attendees can expect to hear first-hand experience and robust debate around challenges in a comprehensive programme of conferences and workshops.   

“Innovation needs to be at the heart of any online business today to succeed in the digital age. It's not enough to adapt to new technologies – you need to anticipate your customers' needs and develop the new digital strategies to create a competitive advantage.” That’s according to Mike Goodenough, Global Head of e-Retail at Worldline Digital Commerce and Geoffroy Robin, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Livescale who will together discuss How to elevate your customer experience with Live Shopping at the conference keynote.

Current and future innovations making waves in the sector are explored as part of a workshop Shaping retail ambitions: the key trends, behaviours, and innovations defining retail in 2022 and beyond. Experts from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) will unpack the results of their survey of 40,000 consumers and 11,000 businesses around the world.  The tangible benefits of digital transformation, the future of physical retail and the power of connected payment data will all be explored in this practical session.

Gen Z are fast becoming a crucial cohort – they now have their own spending power and have distinctive requirements that retailers and brands need to meet. In Decoding Gen Z – today’s most influential generation of shoppers Graeme Moran, Associate Editor of Drapers, and Alex Rohloff, Co-Founder of Laybuy, uncover the latest evolutions in Gen Z’s shopping habits and ecommerce preferences, as well as why this generation are already defining the strategies of successful retail businesses around the world.

Another speaker who recognises the importance of Gen Z is Craig Neale, CMO of The Sixty Nine who will be discussing Conversational marketing: Personalising the buying experience. When asked to say what will be the next big thing in eCommerce in the next 12 months, he answered “The rise of authenticity! Generation Z are the truth generation and they have more spending power, more influence and more opportunities than the generations before them. They seek the truth and spend based on who they trust. Think more authentication services (like in the luxury pre-owned fashion space), more blockchain services, more reliance on research for purchase and more on their terms!”

Retail professionals at IRX & eDX can gain early insight into the disruptors in the market at the Innovation Hub. New for this year, the Hub showcases up and coming companies from around the world including Advanced Commerce who offer a persona-based merchandising platform that provides the tools to visually merchandise an online store; Upp who automate paid marketing and Google Shopping via cutting-edge AI and machine learning technology; eComaz.ai specialising in eCommerce automation; and Go Live Experts who provide a customer-focused centre of excellence for NetSuite professional services. 

Alongside the opportunities to update their skillset, retail professionals can meet with the full A to Z (well, A to W!) of leading suppliers – from Attraqt; CCL Logistics; Checkout; Fullstory; Klaviyo (headline sponsor); Mollie; Stripe; Trustpilot; Wunderkind – all with cutting-edge technology and innovative services to enhance customer experiences, increase sales and deliver efficiencies across online and in-store operations.  

IRX & eDX 2022 takes place on 11 & 12 May at the NEC, Birmingham.  Register – for free – here. 

#IRX22

www.internetretailingexpo.com 

ENDS

For further information contact:

Emma Blake: emma.blake@cigroup.co.uk / Chris Lewis: chris.lewis@cigroup.co.uk 

Notes to editors:

IRX (InternetRetailing Expo) & eDX is the UK’s number one digital retail show and takes place on 11 & 12 May 2022 at the NEC, Birmingham. 

For more information about travel to the show, click here.