This year the retail industry will be coming to Melbourne to meet face to face and experience the latest retail technology and shop fitting ideas.

Retail Expo is held in conjunction with the National Retail Forum from 11-13 August at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Exhibition Manager Peter O’Flynn says the show will address the current retail downturn as well as peer into the future.

He says “these challenging times mean the show is more important than ever. When times get tough you have to be efficient and relevant. This show will present practical ideas on improving your business and cutting costs”.

New features such as Retail 2020 - Store of the Future and Retail Design Studio guarantee that visitors will see things they have never seen before. There will also be major displays from Pronto, Futura, Beonic, Powerfront, Polyflor, Wanzl, Checkpoint, Switched On Innovation, Gerflor, Active Display Group and many more.

This year the National Retail Forum will bring together the best minds in the business in Melbourne from 11-12 August to discuss how to defy the downturn, work smarter and come out stronger.

Keynote speakers have just been announced and include Ruby Anik (Senior VP Marketing, JC Penney), Graeme Samuel (Chairman, ACCC), Bernie Brookes (CEO, Myer), Alan Oster (Chief Economist, NAB), Warren Wilmot (CEO, 7 Eleven) and Jill Puleri (Global Industry Leader, IBM).

There are so many sessions that dual streams will run for the first time. There will also be field trips through the Melbourne CBD and Docklands. Delegates can choose who they want to see over two packed days.

If you are looking for ideas on how to lift turnover and do more with less then now is the time to register for the National Retail Forum. Book before 30 June and secure a two day package with lunch and notes for only $995 + GST.

Close your eyes and imagine walking into a retail store in the Year 2020. What will it look like and what can we learn from it?

This year visitors to Retail Expo will have the opportunity to travel through time and walk through that store. A life size model will be built on the show floor and visitors will be able to walk through and experience the ideas for
themselves.

If your company has a product or idea that you think deserves to be in the Store of the Future then or you are looking to exhibit in Retail Expo then know is the time to contact the organisers for more information.

A recent report commissioned by the Australian Institute of Marketing confirmed that almost every business has been impacted by the global financial crisis. It says almost every company has seen cuts in revenue and one in three are looking at downsizing.

The surprising part of the report is the optimism shown for the future. The vast majority of business leaders agreed that the downturn is a good opportunity to gain a competitive advantage and build market share while their competitors are in retreat. Many will actually increase their marketing activity.

The Australian Retailers Association will be announcing the Retailer of the Year at Retail Expo in Melbourne on 12 August.

Executive Director of the ARA Richard Evans says the awards recognise excellence in individuals and businesses in the $128 billion retail sector.

The main awards to be given include Independent Retailer of the Year, Young Retailer of the Year and of course Retailer of the Year.

The grocery sector is one of the few retail channels holding up well in the current downturn. However times can turn quickly and all of us need to keep up to date with the new trends and make sure we are buying well.

This year the Fine Food trade exhibition will be running from 7-10 September in Sydney. It will fill all six halls of the exhibition centre and is great chance for food retailers to taste all the new food and beverage trends.