The chief executive from one of the world’s largest fashion groups has been lured to join the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF).
Aurora Fashions chief executive Mike Shearwood, who oversees one of the most successful fashion operations in the world, will join a stellar line-up of industry experts as part of the 2012 LMFF Business Seminar schedule.
The 2012 LMFF Business Events Program, centred on the theme ‘Power to the People’, will address how today’s digitally equipped consumers are changing the way businesses need to respond to the market.
This year, the Business Seminar section of the program has also secured three star guest speakers to take retailers through what it takes to not only survive, but thrive in the new multi-channel marketplace..
Aurora Fashions boasts a network of over 1,280 stores in 33 countries and despite retail difficulties worldwide, the company has expanded significantly.
The group also recently announced the introduction of a new omni-channel retail model that merges digital commerce with physical bricks and mortar retailing to create a seamless customer experience.
Shearwood will share his business acumen and retail strategy secrets as part of the LMFF Business Events Program, along with fellow speakers Alan Treadgold of US-based Leo Burnett Group and fashion analytics duo Geoff Watts & Julia Fowler of Editd.
Based in both London and Chicago, Treadgold is head of retail strategy for the Leo Burnett Group and is responsible for the development of Leo Burnett’s worldwide retail industry practice.
Leo Burnett’s most recent research has included studies into the changing role of the retail store and the need to not only sell product but create experiential spaces, the buying behaviours of multi-channel shoppers and the role of mobile technology and social media in shopper decision making.
Treadgold said the research revealed during his presentation will shed light on the how retailers can prepare their store for the future.
“Leo Burnett felt that one of the most important questions facing retail globally is what the future of the physical store will look like in a multi-channel world. We've asked shoppers across the globe to share their opinions,” he said.
“While it's true to say that it would be premature to write the obituary for bricks and mortar, there's no question that stores must evolve into engaging and inspiring spaces if they are going to continue to thrive.”
Expatriate Australians Watts and Fowler, who together co-founded the UK business Editd, will also provide insight into their research as part of the LMFF event.
Established in 2009, the Editd team analyse social, commercial and creative data related to fashion and retail to provide a real-time resource for the industry.
Watts said the team's presentation at the LMFF business seminar will include information to help fashion brands and retailers understand trends, consumer behaviour and market dynamics.
“Trend forecasters only provide a fraction of the information now available to fashion businesses,” he said.
“By mining freely available online data from retailers, catwalks and tradeshows and monitoring influencers and consumer opinions, live, customized data can be produced. This enables the industry to make the right trading, merchandising and design decisions off the back of data instead of just informed guesses.”
LMFF will run from March 8 to 15, 2012.