FEBRUARY 12-14, 2019 | HYATT REGENCY JACKSONVILLE
Tom Schwarztrauber
Director, Global Category Management & Strategic Planning
Nestlé Purina
Tom is Sade fan who also does global category management & corporate strategic planning (all in that order). His varied career started in the early 90s, where he specialized in healthcare & workers compensation finance, then transitioned in the mid-nineties commercial lending and category management for GMAC, where he managed all car dealerships in Arkansas and Mississippi. In the early 2000s he joined Nestle Purina, where for the last ten years in particular he has focused on the rapid changes occurring in shopper behavior, the omnichannel retail landscape, macroeconomic shifts, and technological advancements. He has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences, with the subject, almost always, being the future of retail. Tom currently works with C-Suite executives spanning the globe, including retailers and private equity firms throughout Australia & New Zealand, continental Europe, and in particular, pet specialist & eComm retailers within the U.S. and Canada.
Sessions
Wednesday, February 13
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
The Evolution and Revolution of Retail in 2019
In this session, Tom Schwarztrauber will provide a broad perspective on what successful retail looks like in 2019. Which macro factors are impacting retailers and what are some real-life examples of successful retail innovation? What conventional thinking must be thrown out and what still has merit? When and how does “experiential retailing” result in increased success? What is the right approach to in-store merchandising so that it complements mobile commerce and vice versa? The landscape is changing and what is clear is that both retail evolution and revolution is taking place at a faster pace than ever before. Retailers who are not adapting are losing market share and sales. Defining your value, providing a high level of service, and telling the right stories that will appeal to your customers is more critical than ever.