Voice on Demand - Retail Podcast by MECS+R (MECSC)

Tune in to our latest podcast episode of Let's Talk Retail featuring Fahed Ghanim, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim - Lifestyle, as we bring you behind-the-scenes insights, insider tips, and stories that define MAF's retail success.

Dive into the heart of Aseer Region in Saudi Arabia as Mohammad Alawi discusses 'The Point', a retail marvel set to redefine Abha's landscape. Discover how this ambitious project promises to blend tradition with modern retail innovation. For more detail and to connect with Mohammad, please visit their website at www.thepointabha.com/

In this episode, we welcome Paul Maguire - Head of Retail Delivery at Endava. Paul is a retail technology expert with a wealth of experience in leading organizations like Kingfisher, Harrods, and Estee Lauder. Join us as we explore global retail trends and their reflection in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Paul shares his unique experiences and insights on MENA's projected e-commerce growth to $57 billion by 2026 and its impact on the retail landscape. Learn about the role of ERP and POS systems in creating unified commerce offerings and how companies like Endava leverage composable SaaS products for digital transformation. Tune in for an engaging deep dive into the world of retail technology. For further discussion and to connect with Paul and Endava, please visit their website at www.endava.com/en/about/location…middle-east/dubai

In this powerful keynote speech, trust expert Stephen M.R. Covey, Co-Founder of CoveyLink and the FranklinCovey Global Speed of Trust Practice, sheds light on the transformative role trust plays in the retail industry, particularly in engaging Gen Z, Gen A, and Millennials. As the bestselling author of "The SPEED of Trust," Covey reveals how trust is not just a soft, social virtue, but a hard-edged, economic driver with the potential to revolutionize businesses and elevate performance. Listen in as Covey delves into the impact of trust on consumer behavior, the implications for retailers, and the strategies needed to establish and maintain trust in today's fast-paced retail landscape. Draw inspiration from the global leader in the concept of trust, as Covey shares invaluable insights on harnessing the power of trust to unlock the next great retail opportunity. Don't miss this captivating and informative keynote that will equip you with the knowledge and tools to navigate the ever-evolving retail world and forge stronger bonds with your customers.

We bring you an exclusive keynote speech by Ted Souder at The Retail Congress MENA Event. Ted is a former head of industry for retail at Google, given at the retail Congress MENA event. In his speech titled "Embrace the Digital Change," Souder delves into the importance of embracing digital transformation in the retail industry and shares valuable insights on how businesses can adapt and thrive in the ever-changing digital world. From the early days of the internet to the recent pandemic, Souder takes us on a journey through the evolution of technology and its impact on the retail industry. He also highlights the success stories of businesses that invested in digital before or during the pandemic and how they are accelerating out of it. With the Middle East retail sector experiencing positive growth in both retail sales and e-commerce, Souder praises the region's ability to think big and create remarkable retail experiences. Tune in to be inspired and learn actionable strategies that will help you stay ahead of the curve in the retail industry.

A Shopping Center to be proud of! Join us with Nancy Nese Ozbek, General Manager of Times Square Center. Lets dive into the benefits and significance of shopping mall and how it is important to the community, sustaining family bond, and child development.

In this episode we are joined by Seb Ingram (www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-m-ingram), a digital marketing consultant and former content creator with a wealth of experience in SEO and backlink creation. Seb has produced hundreds of high-quality SEO blogs and created content that was used for outreach to create backlinks, helping his company rank for industry terminology and generate inbound leads. As a digital marketing consultant, he attends networking events and uses his expertise to offer criticism on digital marketing campaigns and create business proposals. Seb also provides advice to individuals looking to generate leads and grow their businesses. Throughout the episode, Seb shares his unique perspective on the role of AI software in digital marketing and SEO. He explains how AI can be used to enhance the effectiveness of SEO and content marketing campaigns, allowing businesses to generate more leads and increase their online visibility. Seb also provides practical advice on how to integrate AI software into your digital marketing strategy, including how to choose the right tools and platforms for your specific needs. With his extensive experience in digital marketing and his passion for AI, Seb offers valuable insights and practical advice for anyone looking to unlock their full potential using AI software.

In this session, we are delightfully happy to have Jing Leng with us. She is the General Manager for this incredible Kids and Baby Apparel Brand, which has taken the globe by storm through its E-commerce platform – Hibobi. And today, we discuss the importance of brand exposure through having Brick & Mortar and its entry into the MENA region.

Together with our long time member Nina Seredai-Udalova, we dive into the reality of the importance of brand purpose and strategy. Nina is the Founder and Managing Director of Ninth Space, a brand strategy and design company which over the years have helped hundreds of companies globally.

Lets dive into the story of one of the biggest loyalty providers in the world, CONIQ and how they plan to conquer the retail world through loyalty. An exclusive interview with Ben Chesser, CEO of CONIQ and Arnaud de Harenne, one of the newest leaders in the team that will support CONIQ's expansion here in the Middle East and North Africa.

How do you turn your desire to improve customer experience for your place from theory into reality? Join us with Alan Robertson, Founder of Air Design to discuss Customer experience for places or otherwise called 'Place Experience' and discover what you need to do to make it.

Featuring the final of 3 parts episode with Michael Ruckman, President & CEO of Senteo. An expert with an incredible background in retail, retail banking, and real estate across all continents of the globe to talk about Customer Experience & Journey, The three faces of Digital for Retailers and the state of leadership in the retail market today. Visit senteo.net to know more.

Featuring the 2nd of 3 parts episode with Michael Ruckman, President & CEO of Senteo. An expert with an incredible background in retail, retail banking, and real estate across all continents of the globe to talk about Customer Experience & Journey, The three faces of Digital for Retailers and the state of leadership in the retail market today. Visit senteo.net to know more.

Featuring the 1st of the 3 episodes with Michael Ruckman, President & CEO of Senteo. An expert with an incredible background in retail, retail banking, and real estate across all continents of the globe to talk about Customer Experience & Journey, The three faces of Digital for Retailers and the state of leadership in the retail market today.   Visit https://senteo.net to know more.   

Middle East is at the forefront of real estate development globally. We have invited Amit Puri, Vice President of DAMAC Properties, one of the leading mixed used developers in MENA to join us and tell us how they see from their eyes the future of our region.

Contrary to popular beliefs, loyalty is not just all about rewards and loyalty per se, it's something more. Let's dive into why Loyalty programs are actually more about Customer Behavior than just simple rewards and retention.  A special episode with Manav Fernandez, from QBF Consulting.  www.qbfconsulting.com

With Bill Kistler, Founder and Managing Partner at urbanOvation. This episode will tackle the causes and effects of disruption for the retail industry and what we can do to face it.

Either driven by passion, demand or the unstoppable trend. We have found our ways to do a new way of retailing, integrating new digital factors that are essential to keep up with the times. With Garry Burrows, Managing Partner of ACR Partners. We will go through what are the new innovative techniques and retail-tech in the market.

With Phil Bedford, Best Selling Author & Owner of Assentive GCC, Shane Philips, CEO of the Phillips Group - In the Panel, David Macadam , CEO of The MECS+R as the Moderator and Richard Dean, Presentor at Dubai Eye 103.8 for the introduction. In this session, we will learn what the employers of today are looking for in their search for only the best of the best talents in the GCC.

An incredible panel session with Phil McArthur - Chairman of McArthur Retail Development Specialists, Paul Firth - Associate Principal of Callison RTKL, Lee Talbott - Retail Portfolio Director of Roshn, KSA, and Amit Puri - Vice President for Leasing, Damac Properties.  To talk about the critical success factors to delivering community as a new format, digital strategy, amenities and wellness.   

Have you ever wondered how travel marketers and tourists approach summer and spring content planning? As the travel restrictions in most regions are now gradually being limited, individuals are now making use of destination marketing strategies to make considerable changes to their messaging plans and content. The significance of destination marketing indeed cannot be denied in the current era. Don't you think so? However, a significant portion of individuals still seems to be unaware of this crucial marketing aspect. This podcast will primarily focus on enlightening the importance of destination marketing, its correspondence with communication skills, and how one can use distinct marketing strategies to gather fresh ideas, inspiration, productivity, and ultimately growth in the long run. So, stay with us as we dive into the various crucial aspects of destination marketing in detail in this podcast with Mr. Waleed Al-Toukhi, Marketing Executive Director from Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Co. ! And you will certainly learn valuable strategies that might help you broaden your horizons and evaluate your long-term progress.

This episode is from the Retail Congress MENA Live Event. In this interesting session, Michael Ruckman, CEO of Senteo, discusses Eyezon, and other current technologies used to enhance the quality of customer contacts and the overall retail experience. These new technologies are already adopted by most forward-thinking companies. Learn how you can improve sales and the quality of customer relationships in this dynamic session with Michael.

While the D2C selling model is becoming popular among brands and product companies, there are several supply chain challenges and complexities involved for businesses in this space. Logistics and supply chain management can make or break a Direct-to-Customers buying experience. On this episode we will cover the challenges, opportunities and threats for a D2C Model. With Raju Dedhia head of Pre-Sales and Enterprise Solution at Vinculum

How do you plan for a rebound that may or may not come? How do you drive your corporate strategy going forward? Technology, changing business models, adapting quickly to pandemics, and updates to services and offerings in the evolving market conditions. The role of a CEO has never been as complicated as it is today. Making strategic decisions based on evolving conditions in the retail industry and consumer behaviors requires a steady vision and faith.

On this episode we have invited two distinguished retail professionals and representatives of Semir Group, Chris Attwel & Lucy Lu. We will talk about the rapid expansion of Semir Group globally and they will help us understand how they were able to do it so fast. Semir Group in 2020, achieved a total revenue of US$2.3 billion and profit of US$124 million. By 2021, their footprint consisted of 3,000 stores for the Semir brand in China, another 4,800 stores for the children's brand balabala and more than 50 POS' outside China.

What changed in the retail business over the last 15 years? We invited Bob Poline, President of Bob Poline Associates Inc. to help us understand what is happening in our industry. Together with his expertise of 41 years as a retail professional, we discuss retail's evolution, future trends, and what kind of people would businesses need to actually "have a future".

Learn in depth of what is Omnichannel Retailing. How the evolution of Omnichannel Retailing impact the retail industry. What are the opportunity / benefits of Omnichannel Retailing from some of the case studies of brands with a brilliant omnichannel strategy. Member Guest: Venkat Nott, Founder CEO, Vinculum Group

FEC's or Family entertainment centres, rapidly became the anchor tenants across the globe in different shopping centres in the past several years. And simply because it became an essential element to provide the experience inside malls. With the advancement of technology, a dream for most people has become a reality recently, and that is Virtual Reality. We invited Mr. Frederic Fittousi - MD of Virtual Centre today, to explain to us the future of retail-entertainment. Frederic@virtualcenter.ae, www.virtual-center.com 

Mr. Phil McArthur, a member of MECS+R since 1996, will discuss on this episode about the best practices and the how to's on developing retail assets correctly. Mr. Phil have developed and advised many shopping centres that are now successful today, including but not limited to, MAF Shopping Malls, Citystars Cairo, Al Futtaim Malls and more.

With Habil Ahmed Khan, Director of Operations for The Gulberg Mall & Signature Living in Islamabad, Pakistan. We had a lovely discussion about the vast opportunities of retailing in Pakistan. How the increasing tourism will affect the retail industry. And why the country is getting more and more attention from tourists in a global scale. Do you want to know more? Contact publishing@mecsc.org

Learn about today's business model challenge, building a resilient enterprise, why resilience is important and how to become a more resilient company. Let's hear from Mohammad Alawi, CEO and partner of REDS Real Estate Development Solutions in Jeddah. REDS thrives to help fill the gaps in the kingdom’s real estate market by introducing unique commercial/mixed-use real estate products that are interlaced with the end user’s day to day life.

FOOD+DESIGN+SERVICE (Excellence) = SALES + MANAGEMENT = ASSET GROWTH Francis Loughran, founding director of Future Food, specialising in Food, Restaurant and Hospitality Consultancy shares his insights on the importance of hospitality mindset to reinvigorate the hospitality industry. -Using solid and relevant data and personal experience to master planning a customer-centric food and hospitality mix -Calculating sustainable volumes of food and hospitality to ensure MAT maximization, a balanced mix and future proofing order to reduce risk -Develop a mix that reflects a range of authentic and passionate-food operators - local, national and international -Proven food and hospitality operators that understand the values and vision of the mall project and implement the business of food approach to the business case and creativity of passionate foodies. Food and design are inseparable – design to succeed and budget accordingly

Bob Phibbs is an internationally recognized business strategist, customer service expert, sales coach, marketing mentor, author of three books, and motivational business speaker. In 1994, Phibbs started his retail consulting company, The Retail Doctor. His clients include some of the largest retail brands in the world including Bernina, Brother, Caesars Palace, Hunter Douglas, Lego, Omega, Hearts on Fire, Vera Bradley and Yamaha. One of the top retail influencers of 2018 and a Top Voice on LinkedIn, Phibbs is also an American Express merchant advisor, IBM retail futurist, and RetailWire BrainTrust partner. He has appeared on ABC, Fox, MSNBC, PBS and he and his work have been featured in articles in Entrepreneur, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He performs business makeovers for the Los Angeles Times. With over 30 years experience beginning in the trenches of retail and extending to senior management positions, Phibbs has been a corporate officer, franchisor, and entrepreneur. He received the highest increase in sales from South Coast Plaza, at that time the highest grossing mall in the USA.

How did the covid-19 pandemic changed customer’s behavior? On this episode with Alyssa Almaiahi, Creative Director of Mint Stalk Creative and Digital Agency, let’s explore the changes and effective marketing strategies to which combines online and in-store tactics to drive sales and loyalty. Brought to you by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres and Retailers. Do you want to know more? To reach out to Alyssa, contact their Mint Stalk UAE office on +971 58 504 8627 or send her an email directly at Alyssa@mintstalk.com

David is the author of the book ‘Why Customers Leave (and How to Win Them Back)’ In his session, he will talk about your changing customers with the recent shift in mindset and expectation, how it has affected the retail industry and provide solutions and strategies to drive, retain and attract customers.

This episode with Albert Correya from Becomap. Know how business can revive and prevail despite the on-going challenges and how omni-channel presence is going to be the future of retail. Understand how proximity marketing is going to be a game changer. And explore why it has an incomparable increase in conversion rate for retail when compared to other model. www.mecsc.org www.retailcongressmena.com

This is Part 2 of our episode with Shannon Alter, CPM. On this episode we will talk about what to expect for the Retail Industry globally in the next few years. How should retailers and shopping centres interact with one another and what should be their focus? Brought to you by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres and Retailers. Shannon Alter, CPM is a Member of the MECS+R, to reach out to her, contact us at publishing@mecsc.org or visit www.mecsc.org

On this episode with Shannon Alter, CPM let us explore her journey in the Retail and Real Estate Industry and get inspired. Let us take this opportunity to learn from her experiences and be prepared in Deal Making, building long-lasting relationships! Establish your path to success by learning the fundamentals to deal with your clients. Brought to you by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres and Retailers. Shannon Alter, CPM is a Member of the MECS+R, to reach out to her, contact us at publishing@mecsc.org or visit www.mecsc.org

Explore retailing in Iraq and its opportunities with MECS+R Member, Ihsan Zangana, Managing Director of IZ Developments. Ihsan heads the development of the upcoming Mall of Kirkuk in Erbil, Iraq. With the recent developments in the economy of the country, retail has seen significant changes in its trends. Consumers are also seeking more options for brands. How do we take advantage of these opportunities? Let us explore this topic today, only at the VOD Retail Podcast by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres & Retailers.

This is Part 2 of our last week's episode on Virtuous Consumption! To promote the well-being for residents, lets explore how shopping centers and small and medium retail centers acts as catalysts to not only increase local economies but participate in shaping a healthy ecosystem. With Garance Choko, CEO & Founder of Coda Societies, Firm based in NYC that specializes in shaping social and economic infrastructures promoting equity worldwide. For more updates, follow us on www.mecsc.org or email us at publishing@mecsc.org

To promote the well-being for residents, lets explore how shopping centers and small and medium retail centers acts as catalysts to not only increase local economies but participate in shaping a healthy ecosystem. With Garance Choko, CEO & Founder of Coda Societies, Firm based in NYC that specializes in shaping social and economic infrastructures promoting equity worldwide. For more updates, follow us on www.mecsc.org or email us at publishing@mecsc.org

Another exciting episode with Mostafa Diga, Operations Manager at Abdul Samad Al Quraishi Perfumes Company. An exclusive, with a 150 year old company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Learn how they grow from 3 --> to 370+ branches around the world. And whats in store for them next! For more details or/ to connect with Mostafa and Abdul Samad Al Quraishi Co. contact us at MECS+R, or contact Justin Espiritu at publishing@mecsc.org www.mecsc.org | Follow us on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram www.facebook.com/MECSC.org?ref=ts www.youtube.com/channel/UC1SJQottYoV5RtqFcO6lDMw www.instagram.com/mecsc/ www.linkedin.com/company/696103/admin/ twitter.com/MECSC_ORG

Special Episode recorded live during the webinar series hosted by the MECS+R. Discussion Points ► E-learning launch for the MECS+R augmenting GVS by end of April/May. ► The MECS+R Directory 2020 launch digitally at the end of April. ► The Retail People Magazine digital launch for May edition at the end of April. ► The Voice on Demand Retail Podcast and Video On Demand Retail Channel to feature more episodes related to the shopping centre and retail industry. ► Insights on how landlords should support the retailers and how the retailers can survive during store shutdown. ► Does a retailer have the legal grounds to break out from the lease or renegotiate the terms using the force majeur clause? ► Tenant / Landlord relationship during the current situation and how landlords might address the retailers. ► Insights on how online retail is affected. ► Insights on the effects of COVID-19 and rebound in China retail. ► Request for rebound plan from the government and government assistance. ► Comments on the changes in the habits of consumers resulting to changes in retailer mix. ► Comments on malls going virtually online. ► Comments on rental rebates, commission or percentage rent.

Sustainability will be the only way to do business and those who didn’t incorporate in time are going to be left behind. Small changes matter, and it starts from our behavior as consumers. The access to information and the fact that we are more conscious about our impact is doing its part too. Join us today with Vikram Malkani CEO and Founder of The Albex Group.

Retail Evolution Across The Middle East (Pre-COVID-19) In this episode we have the honor of having a globally acclaimed and highly regarded expert in the retail and real estate industry, Anthony Spary, Director & Head of Retail at CBRE Dubai. We talk about relaxed licensing laws, direct corporate entry, APAC retailers in the Middle East and new franchise opportunities. As a listener and a retail stakeholder, ask yourself, how do you think the retail landscape will be in the next 5 years?

Furqan openly talks about the dynamism in the region where problems such as oversupply, lack of planning, cohesiveness, oversizing of malls, shortage of brands among others are not the same everywhere, but the solutions are. He also shared his thoughts on CAPEX and retailer support as one of the biggest issues faced by the industry today and how we can navigate through it. The goal is not being congruent, having synergy, getting it balance nor the customer experience, it is all about maximization.

In this session learn from the creator of Valuegraphics, David Allison, how you can predict and influence the behavior of your customers and audience by managing Big Data. Bringing messaging, science and motivational data to every idea to every interaction in everything in business and in life. What does data say about customer experience? Change the way you look at the world. How to engage with your audience, client, stakeholders, shareholders and anyone in your life by looking at data differently.  

Iyas Khatib talks about the importance of having established procurement department for shopping malls, connecting shopping malls who spend in similar categories of indirect spend, aggregate their spend and negotiate better pricing from a group of carefully selected suppliers. In the time of tight margins, it is time to look for new ways of savings and achieving the best value for money. Guest Expert: Iyas Kathib, Partner, Procurement Plus

In this podcast Scott explains how the leading retailers and creators of game-changing innovations are leveraging Design Thinking to transform their organisations and their approach to innovation, and seeing huge impact on customer experience and bottom line financials as a result. He introduces the key components of Enterprise Design Thinking and explains how after listening to this podcast, listeners within the leading retail portfolio businesses in this region can get Design Thinking accredited and start to make an immediate impact in their role and organization.

Learn about low-cost funding programs which are available to international companies looking to expand opportunities to market and sell US retail and food services brands. Know how this alternative funding can supplement current funding abilities to expand sales and to acquire new franchise opportunities. American Franchise Export Services (AFES) with David and Robert Junk have enabled the expansion of this important franchises globally. Reference: Website: https://en.afes-fund.com/ Email: djunk@afes-fund.com Mobile: +1 913 219 5358

In this episode, Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, CEO of Novo Cinemas – a movie theater chain owned by Gulf Film LLC talks about ways on how to build a successful team. Its very important to have a multi-cultural team for a diverse kind of audience specially in the retail entertainment industry. Debbie shares some of the best practices they have in place to promote team work at Novo Cinemas to give people the best and the most innovative entertainment experience everyday.