Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
The future of innovative retail showcased at university event
The Retail Innovation Symposium will be hosted by The Retail Institute at Leeds Beckett on Thursday 7 May, from 12-5pm, at Old Broadcasting House on Woodhouse Lane.
Delivering the keynote speech will be Mark Simpson, Vice President of Strategy and Central Retail Operations at ASDA, followed by case study presentations from organisations, illustrating the benefits of their successful collaborations with The Retail Institute.
The symposium aims to highlight research in the area of future consumer retailing and how that research benefits from close collaboration between industry and the University. The event is for leading academics and industry experts who will have the opportunity to find out about novel collaborative research and to network with academics and industry professionals.
Professor Cathy Barnes, Director of The Retail Institute, said: “The Retail Innovation Symposium is aimed at both academics and business alike to explore the benefits of working together to advance knowledge and create business value. We are delighted to be launching this initiative and we plan to run it as an annual event to showcase the great innovations that happen when universities and retailers work together. We hope that the symposium will be a platform on which we can build a community of academic experts who can work together on pioneering research that will help shape the retailing sector of the future.”
Mark Simpson is responsible for the development and execution of ASDA's overall company strategy. He leads teams that drive innovation and efficiency in ASDA stores with the aim of increasing the satisfaction of the company's 12 million customers. In his speech, Mark will highlight the importance of academic research in the field of consumer retailing and will show how research can be applied to deliver the greatest value to the grocery sector.
Following Mark’s keynote and an introduction to The Retail Institute at Leeds Beckett by its directors, Professor Cathy Barnes and Professor Raj Nath, three case studies will be presented, illustrating current and recent collaborative projects with the Institute:
- Ardagh, a global leader in glass and metal packaging, will present research which it commissioned from the Institute to measure and improve the sensory experience of consumers when drinking out of a bottle.
- Leeds City Council will share their experience of collaborating with The Retail Institute to create an innovative new Click and Collect app for Kirkgate Market in Leeds, which presents a whole new way of online shopping.
- APS will showcase their work with The Retail Institute to create a business case for promoting commercial investment in new ideas for packaging.
The Retail Institute is the UK’s only academic research centre that leads the consumer experiences of the future in retail, food and packaging. Based at Leeds Beckett University, the Institute combines academic research and commercial knowledge to provide unique insights not readily available for businesses. These findings range from in-depth research reports to interactive workshops or creative presentations.