On 7 February retail professionals congregated on the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane City to get the inside knowledge of the Queensland retail sector”s changing landscapes and customer experiences at the 2023 Queensland Retail Outlook.
Retail represents so much more than shopfronts “” it is an important cornerstone of our communities that act as powerful economic multipliers and social hubs.Keynote speaker and retail expert Ian Shimmin, Director – Urbis indicated that there are ongoing and unsurprising headwinds in the form of inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and higher interest rates that the retail sector will continue to weather in 2023, yet there are still favourable tailwinds to be expected.
With a return of migration “” domestic and international, wage growth and a savings war chestsupporting many Australian families, discretionary spending is still likely to occur in coming months despite the interest rate hikes.
Following Ian”s keynote speech, he was joined on stage by Salim Biskri, National Leader, Retail Partner, Audit and Assurance “” BDO, Melissa Hardy, Director, Business Performance and Technology “” QIC, James Stewart, National Leader Restructuring Services “” KPMG; and Moderator Corrine Barchanowicz, Head of Brand Marketing and Experience (Premium) – Vicinity Centres.
The panel, among other things, looked into the impacts of e-commerce and consumer behaviour across the retail sector. he discussion took into account the increasing digitisation of the retail sector, the impacts of macrconomic factors and the new spending habits of consumers.
Thank you to Major Sponsor Mainbrace Constructions and Sponsor Hames Sharley for your support of this important event on the retail sector calendar.