The Australian will today host its second E-Commerce Summit, a virtual event that will explore the continued rise of e-commerce and the evolving digital retail landscape.
Editor Michelle Gunn said: “In the first year of the pandemic online retail grew 40 per cent in the month of December 2020 alone. It is a story of big numbers and extraordinary growth.
“The competition for consumers’ attention has only become fiercer during the pandemic. With cities back open, customer relationships span the physical and the digital leaving retailers to rethink how bricks and clicks will interact.
“Our Summit today features some of the brightest minds in e-commerce and will explore how new consumer behaviours will drive the next generation of e-commerce technology and how small and medium retailers can leverage that technology to compete with larger firms.”
In partnership with Australia Post, The Australian’s E-Commerce Summit will unlock the secrets to success in this fast-changing environment. It will investigate topics including emerging e-commerce models, inventory management in an uncertain world, sustainability and the connected consumer, and changing consumer behaviour and the rise of new technologies.
Australia Post chief executive officer and managing director Paul Graham said: “Since the onset of the global pandemic online shopping in Australia has almost doubled, with over a million more shoppers entering the market and online spend topping $62 billion for the 2021 calendar year.
“For Australia Post it has been a privilege to partner with our customers and help them to take advantage of the opportunities this accelerated e-commerce environment has presented, including supporting many small businesses to come online for the very first time.
“We’re thrilled to again partner with The Australian to deliver the E-Commerce Summit today and bring together some of the industry’s most prominent leaders to share the emerging trends and latest technologies that will undoubtedly shape the next phase of Australian retail.”
The full-day virtual summit will feature over 30 local and international speakers and panellists who will give valuable insights for business owners, entrepreneurs, consumers and policy-makers.
Headline speakers include The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, Treasurer of Australia; Paul Graham, group chief executive officer of Australia Post; Harley Finkelstein, president, Shopify; Pip Edwards and Claire Tregoning, co-founders and creative directors, P.E NATION; Tim Brown, co-founder and chief executive officer, Allbirds; Jo Horgan, founder and co-CCEO, Mecca Brands; Richard Christiansen, founder, Chandelier Creative, Flamingo Estate & Owl Bureau; and Mike Schneider, managing director, Bunnings.
The speakers will be complemented with a series of panel discussions across the day, featuring industry leaders paving the way in the e-commerce space including, Sarah Hunter, CEO of Officeworks; Pejman Okhovat, managing director, BIG W; Amanda Bardwell, managing director, WooliesX; David Shafer, chief financial, chief operating officer and executive director, Kogan.com; Anthony Heraghty, group managing director and chief executive officer, Super Retail Group; Craig Fuller, director of operations, Amazon Australia; Aria Wigneswaran, general manager, Australia & New Zealand, Depop; Susie Sugden, chief executive officer, Love to Dream; and Brett Armstrong, global business solutions general manager, TikTok Australia.
Some of The Australian’s senior editorial staff including Ticky Fullerton, Eli Greenblat, Eric Johnston, Damon Kitney, Glenda Korporaal, David Meagher, Amber Plum, Milanda Rout, David Swan and Glynis Traill-Nash will discuss what the future of retail looks like as consumers continue to embrace new ways of buying in our ever-increasing digital world.