Varying economic trends, new technologies, changing tastes and evolving demographics are

driving a constant cycle of transformation across the luxury sector. How should luxury brands evolve to stay relevant? How is sustainable luxury and fashion responding to environmental, ethical and social concerns with new forms of consumption? Does this have to come at the expense of profits?

Laurent Claquin, President, Kering Americas

Alternatives to buying first quality products have grown dramatically. Re-commerce, buying second-hand or renting clothing, is in strong demand. Customers are excited to buy clothes that are unique and different, or, in the case of luxury goods, at a discount. They like having a wardrobe that continually refreshes. At the same time, customers find that re-commerce can be lucrative, with many thinking about what they can command on the rental market when making luxury goods purchases. Traditional retailers are getting in on the game because they see it as a way to get younger customers into the store, where they can be cross-sold merchandise. What’s the role of the brand going forward? Should brands participate or ignore alternative economies? What’s the playbook for traditional retailers? What’s the impact on discount markets and what happens to the gap between discount and full price when alternative markets exist?

John Donoghue, Senior VP, Corporate Development, CaaStle

Jeffery Fowler, President, Americas, Farfetch

Stores were at one point a place where consumers and sellers exchanged goods for money; however, as consumer expectations increase and retailers compete with each other to attract more consumers, stores will have to evolve in regards to how they’ve traditionally fulfilled consumer needs, beyond simply providing a good or service. How have redefined customer expectations forced many physical retailers to evolve from just a place that sells goods to consumers to one that is an engaging experience? How is brand engagement amongst customers redefining how

stores orient themselves? As more and more sales are shifting online, how can stores position themselves to continue to serve as a hub for product innovation and customer engagement?

Shea Jensen, President, Urban Outfitters

Since Selfridges’ famous restaurant in the 1900’s, food has always had a place in retail. It used to be that food was an extension of the shopping experience. Today, food has become a destination activity and an experience in and of itself, with retail stores extending the food experience. What is the role of food going forward? Will it be its own attraction or will it be integrated into the overall retail experience?

Jessica Adelman, Group VP, Corporate Affairs, The Kroger Co.

Zak Normandin, Founder, CEO, Iris Nova, holding company for Dirty Lemon

Jonathan Zabusky, Managing Partner, Bounce Ventures LLC; Former CEO, Seamless; Former President, Grubhub

Mike George, President, CEO, Qurate Retail, Inc.

There’s a lot of pressure on retailers and brands today. Consumers want what they want and they want it now (of course at the right price and wrapped with exceptional service and extraordinary experiences on top of it all), and they can shop from literally all over the world. From same day/ same hour delivery options, to high-touch experiences, today’s new consumers are challenging how retailers and brands do business and forcing them to rethink strategies to meet customer expectations. In this session, we will explore how the demands of these new consumers are changing the face of retail and discuss some of the key areas that should be prioritized in order to keep up, and stay ahead.

Cynthia Hollen, President-US, eShopWorld

Sapna Parikh, Executive Director, Digital, Clarins Groupe

Christiane Pendarvis, Senior VP, Ecommerce, Fullbeauty Brands

As the velocity of change continues to increase and the technology to accelerate that velocity continues to grow in exponential terms, the one constant is that it takes talent to build, execute and grow a business. This talent does not grow on trees. Much like the increasing gaps in the haves and the have nots in retail, the same gap is widening between the top talent and the rest of our labor workforce. As executives, you have the challenge of recruiting, retaining and in some cases training, the very best talent and surrounding them with the very best culture to ensure that this talent thrives and contributes to your corporate vision and mission. This panel explores these challenges and provides approaches to cultivating a best-in-class team.

Nate Checketts, Co-Founder, CEO, Rhone

Chelsea Kaden, Head of People, Warby Parker

Lee Meiner, CHRO, Vince

James Reinhart, Co-Founder, CEO, thredUP.com

Consumers are increasingly more concerned about their well-being. In many cases, consumers care more about their well-being than they do about buying products. This trend poses both opportunities and threats to established brands that must compete with new brands whose core message is “wellness”, while at the same time repositioning themselves to capture this new market segment. Is wellness a fad or is it the new benchmark for a brand? Can established brands incorporate the wellness story authentically? Will drug and pharmacy stores overtake the wellness market or will a new breed of retailer emerge?

Jason Brenner, VP Strategy, Equinox

Ren Menon, Co-Founder, CEO, OrthoFX

Anthony Saniger, Founder, CEO, Standard Dose

Marc Lore, President, CEO, Walmart eCommerce U.S