Tuesday - 23 / 4 / 2024
Registration
Workshop
The Power of Brands in Retail
The Power of Brands in Retail
What will it be about?During the inflation crisis, many buyers changed their buying behavior. Private labels in particular benefited from this situation. Have buyers become accustomed to private labels or will they return to branded products in better times?
Private labels as well as branded products of suppliers are fighting for the attention and wallet of the customer. The playing field is uneven, but it's not a losing battle.
How can they grow better side by side? What are some positive examples of distinctive branding on both sides? Do private labels help get Slovak products on the shelves? And how to play this game fairly and make the most of the power that brands have not only in store.
During this workshop, you will hear both sides and their arguments. You decide for yourself who has more power.
- Ľubomír Tuchscher, Executive Director, Slovenské združenie pre značkové výrobky
- Marc Knuff, Global Retail Director, Consumer Panel Services GfK
- Michal Pastier, Co-founder, Darwin & the Machines and GoBigname
- Emil Huraj, CCO, Dr.Max Holding SK
- Tomáš Králik, marketingový manažér pre SR, I.D.C. Holding
- Martina Schmidt, CMO, Alfa Bio
Get Together / Networking
CEO Dinner (invitation only)
Wednesday - 24 / 4 / 2024
Registration and Breakfast
Part A: What to prepare for
Bread and politics: the impact of inflation on retail
What will it be about?Food prices in Slovakia reached over 20 % year-on-year growth at the beginning of 2023, ranking them among the highest places in EU countries. These developments have revived the debate on various regulatory interventions in the food market. The presentation will offer a brief analytical summary of the situation with prices and sales of food in Slovakia. It includes a description of some regulatory interventions abroad, existing and proposed regulatory interventions in Slovakia and their negative effects on the market and consumers.
After previous cooperation, he joined INESS as a new member in 2012. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Administration of MU in Brno, then completed his master's studies at the University of Aberdeen. He deals with economic policy, the business environment and competitiveness, especially in health and energy. His regular projects include the Bureaucratic Index and the Health for Money Index.
Keynote: The future of grocery retail in Europe
What will it be about?Let’s unveils the insights from McKinsey's latest research exploring the dynamic landscape of grocery retail across Europe. The research conducted in collaboration with EuroCommerce, offers a glimpse into the future of the industry and the trends top of mind for industry leaders today. We will introduce trends poised to redefine grocery retail in 2024 and beyond, urging executives to reassess and adapt their strategies.
Marcin is a local partner at McKinsey Warsaw office, co-leading consumer and retail sector in Central Europe. He is an expert in marketing and sales, with focus on retail trade, consumer packaged goods and agriculture. Marcin primarily advises executives in these sectors, as well as private equity on growth transformations and commercial excellence. He is one of the co-authors of McKinsey’s ‘State of Grocery in Central Europe 2023’ report.
What path are your customers and buyers taking?
What will it be about?Slovak households have faced several challenges in recent years. From the perspective of shopping in the FMCG market, it was inflation that was reshaping our buying behavior. To what extent has it transformed ourselves and individual types of buyers in Slovakia? Let's remember and evaluate together what has happened in recent years. Which shopping trends will persist and what can we expect in the near future?
- Ladislav Ambrovics, Managing Director, Minit
- Jakub Kacera, Head of Commercial, Wolt SVK
- Martin Krajčovič, predseda, Slovenská aliancia moderného obchodu (SAMO)
- Štefan Mácsadi, Chairman of the Board, COOP Jednota Nové Zámky
Open discussion: How are new business formats changing the market?
What will it be about?New business formats are emerging rapidly in Slovak retail. Big players are going into smaller formats, franchising, online food sales and a new discount player is expected to enter. How will the retail market change customer behaviour? Will competition push big players out into municipalities? How can specialised shops or establishments in small municipalities succeed in the competition? Will automated stores help shrink food deserts?
Coffee Break
Part B: Where to move?
The competition of three projects nominated by the expert jury will be introduced by
Martin Dolejš, Business Development Director CZ/SK, Mastercard
Order by midnight, you have it in the morning in AlzaBox | Andrea Slaná, country manager, Alza.sk
On the way to zero waste | Lucia Vargová, Head of Corporate Communication, Kaufland Slovak Republic
Availability of the book in the library directly in the product detail | Tomáš Ulej, Manager of Explore Team, Martinus
Mastercard Retailer of the Year 2023: Inovation of the year
What will it be about?Alza.sk: You order by midnight, you have it in Alzabox in the morning
Alza.sk offers customers the opportunity to order goods until midnight and pick them up the next morning at one of more than 670 AlzaBoxes located throughout Slovakia. This service ensures fast and convenient delivery, increasing customer satisfaction while reducing the carbon footprint. With AlzaBoxes, customers can also return or claim goods 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The project was unveiled in December 2022 and is gradually expanding to other countries.
Martinus: Availability of the book in the library in product detail
The Martinus bookstore has added to each book sold on its e-shop the possibility to find out its availability in the library. This gave customers the opportunity not only to buy the book, but also, if they wanted, to borrow it for free from a library in their area. After selecting from one of hundreds of libraries, they are redirected directly to borrow a book online in the library. The aim is to promote reading regardless of the business dimension. Customers especially appreciate the service with sold out books. Innovation emphasizes customer care and goes beyond sales alone.
Kaufland: On the road to zero waste
Thanks to process optimization and employees, Kaufland is able to reuse and recycle on average up to 94 percent of its own waste. It became the first and so far the only retail company in Slovakia that managed to reach this level. It was also the first in Slovakia to receive the silver certificate "Road to zero waste" from TÜV SÜD based on an audit. Up to 10 % of the waste produced consisted of contaminated plastics and films from service counters. Thanks to a unique project with a Slovak company that is able to clean foils from food residues with the help of the larva of the Black Fly, it managed to reduce the amount of municipal waste by up to 1,500 tons per year.
Super Dr. Max – modern way of care
What will it be about?The market leader in pharmacy care Dr. Max brought to Slovakia a new concept of a large-format pharmacy under the brand Super Dr. Max. The basic pillar of the most modern and largest pharmacy in Central Europe is the professional advice and care for patients' health. However, Super Dr. Max is much more than a traditional pharmacy, bringing novelties and innovations to improve customer experience. At the area of 865 m2, Super Dr. Max offers new services, a wide assortment, state-of-the-art operating technologies and streamlines the omnichanel approach.
Marian Jánoš joined the management of Dr. Max Holding SK, operator of more than 400 pharmacies in Slovakia, on June 1, 2023. As the CEO, he is responsible for achieving Dr. Max's business and financial goals, as well as for the wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical products and medical devices of ViaPharma SK. From 2001 to 2023, he served on the management of international companies Mars and Danone for the markets of the Central European region.
How to digitize HR processes in retail: Pepco case study
What will it be about?The Pepco retail chain has introduced the TULIP online attendance system without terminals in all its operations in Slovakia and the Czech Republic and digitized selected HR processes. How such digitization takes place and what its impacts are, both positive and negative will be told by representatives of both companies: from the position of the supplier of TULIP Solutions and from the position of the client Pepco.
Viktor has extensive experience in project management of ERP implementation projects in various European countries. In 2012, he joined Accace as the Group IT Manager. His responsibilities included project management and leading extensive projects for implementing employee portals for the company's global clients. During these years, he also actively contributed to the development of the innovative cloud solution TULIP, an international platform for automating and digitizing corporate processes. Currently, he is one of the partners at Accace and the managing director of TULIP Solutions s.r.o. Viktor holds a master's degree in Applied Informatics from the Faculty of Informatics at Masaryk University in Brno.
How to better manage your business with data
What will it be about?Robotization, automation, and digitization are key challenges that businesses face today. While these breakthrough innovations were once primarily the domain of large corporations, it is essential for small and medium-sized enterprises to adapt to new trends. The development of 5G networks represents a potential breakthrough for businesses, enabling them to significantly increase efficiency and productivity while achieving savings. Why is it important for companies to modernize even when they are doing well? What opportunities are many local companies missing out on, allowing foreign competition to outpace them? Why invest in improving infrastructure, updating machinery, automation, digitization, and streamlining work organization right now?
He works at T-Mobile Czech Republic as the Director for Industry 4.0 within the T-Business division. As an expert, he is also responsible for building 5G campus networks, automation and robotics, IoT (Internet of Things), big data, virtual, and augmented reality. In the past, he worked for Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
How to develop in a declining market?
What will it be about?The building materials market in 2023 was falling across the whole Europe, by an average of 15-25% in our region. How did the SIKO Bathrooms & Kitchen group maintain practically the same turnover? How does it adjust its strategy and where does it see opportunities for the future?
Since 2015, Tomáš Vala has been the CEO of the family company SIKO, the strongest seller of bathroom, kitchen and interior furnishings on the Czech and Slovak markets. The company has a turnover of CZK 6 billion, has more than 50 stores and 1000 employees. He took over the baton from the founder of the company, Jaroslava Valová. He successfully digitized the company. Through investments in the French e-shop LIVEA, SIKO develops e-commerce activities in Western Europe and wants to be the first choice in digital inspiration in interiors. Thanks to the entry into the Swiss company Aqua Technologies, SIKO expands into the global market through own patented products delivered to more than 70 countries around the world. In 2020, Tomáš Vala won the Visionary of the Year award in the prestigious Manager of the Year competition.
Business Lunch
Part C: Pathways to growth
Digital success. Supporting local brands in their cross border expansion
What will it be about?Thanks to Zalando, fashion brands can reach approximately 50 million customers across 25 markets and scale internationally using the company's fast and cost-effective logistics. Learn how fashion brands and retailers can take advantage of new technologies and discover how Slovak customers differ from other Europeans in their shopping preferences and behaviours.
How to open an automated 24/7 store
What will it be about?Modernization and automation are a natural part of the development and new direction in trade. Their influence also has a positive impact on the development of traditional trade. Sophisticated innovations require changing and adapting internal processes, bringing customers new possibilities, greater comfort, but it takes more courage and a change in consumer behavior. How do customers of the largest home network benefit from news in the field of digitization and technological innovation? Automated stores 24/7 provide customers with the opportunity to shop around the clock, which is undoubtedly a great advantage and another step towards increasing customer comfort. How is the traditional Slovak retail system COOP Jednota preparing for the implementation of the new store concept?
During his six-year tenure at Mastercard, he has been developing key activities to expand card acceptance and digital payments in the traditional and non-traditional segments across the Czech and Slovak markets. He builds long-term partnerships with leading retailers to support card payments, increase sales efficiency and increase their revenue. Prior to that, he worked for many years in business development at O2 and T-Mobile at the beginning of his career.
Since 2004, he has been developing and implementing information systems in the field of production, IT services and trade. In 2007, he became part of the team of COOP Jednota Slovakia, where he worked as the Director of the IT Department since 2018. Since 2022 he has held the position of Director of the IT and Services Section. He actively participated in the implementation of the Automated System of Temperature and Humidity Measurement in Stores, which was awarded by the J.A. Segner award by the Office for Standardization, Metrology and Testing of the Slovak Republic. He is the initiator of a modern dynamic approach within traditional Slovak retail. He coordinates the implementation of digitization and automation projects in the COOP Jednota system, such as central e-shop, digitization of the loyalty program, e-document and others. From 2024, he also holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of GS1 Slovakia.
Success is no coincidence, we did not become number one overnight
What will it be about?Prazdroj became number one on the Slovak beer market last year, thanks to long-term growth of sales and sales in the retail segment as well as strengthening of positions in the HORECA segment. What was the path to this and what obstacles needed to be removed?
He has been in the brewery business for more than 30 years. He started his career during his studies at the Radegast Brewery, where he led the key customers department. After the merger of the brewery with Plzeňský Prazdroj in 2000, he held various business positions within off-trade, and subsequently he was also director for retail for several years.
Eight years ago, he was appointed Sales Director and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Plzeňský Prazdroj Slovakia. He is in charge of the management of the company and is responsible for its business results. He is a holder of the Golden Radegast Lifetime Achievement Award for this popular Czech brand. He is also one of the founding members of the Board of Directors of the successful Slovak deposit return system.
How to revive a brand after 50 years
What will it be about?The most famous Slovak grape beverage was first produced in 1974 with the aim of competing with beverages from the capitalist world. It soon became a scarce commodity. What makes Vinea still attractive even after 50 years? What helps it maintain its position in a world of constantly changing trends? What risks does building such a strong love brand entail?
She graduated in International Business from the University of Economics in Prague and McGill University in Montreal. After her studies, she interned at the Committee on International Trade at the European Parliament in Brussels. She gained experience in brand management by managing local and international brands at companies such as Savencia Fromage & Dairy, Mattoni 1873, Ferrero, and Kofola, where she currently oversees the premium lemonade category.
Early evening networking
Dinner Buffet
Galaevening
Special Guest: Korben Dallas
