How to survive and thrive when new competition comes to town

Join former award-winning CNN correspondent Paul Tilsley as he interviews retail expert Simon Mathers at a Networking Breakfast to be held at SAITEX. SAITEX takes place alongside Africa's Big Seven, the continent's largest food and beverage trade fair, from 17 to 19 July at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng.

SA retailers will need to up their game

While South African retailers will try to be competitive with Walmart in many areas, they will face a deluge of challenges.

Some major obstacles will be Walmart's global procurement strategy, its state-of-the-art ECR (efficient consumer response) strategy and its unparalleled buying power.

"African retailers will be forced to up their game," says John Thomson, managing director of Exhibition Management Services, organisers of SAITEX.

"Complacency will become a bad habit of the past, and collaboration in the supply chain will be essential. With Walmart's lean pricing structures, local retailers will be forced to focus on driving efficiencies and improving their processes, whilst implementing innovative pricing strategies." Thomson adds that the networking breakfast with Simon Mathers will equip retailers and their supply chain partners with essential tools and knowledge needed to overcome these challenges and build robust enterprises - even with Walmart on the scene.

Secrets of a retail guru

Simon Mathers is a results-driven business leader in the retail industry with a proven track record of 30 years' experience. He has contributed much to advance performance growth and profitability in diverse retail organisations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. He also brought his expertise to South Africa, where he was a director at Massmart.

Mathers is a specialist in reading and understanding trends, strategic planning, start-up operations, sales, marketing, business development, leadership, relationship building and commercial operations.

About Walmart

In 2010 Walmart was the world's largest public corporation by revenue. Headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, it is the largest majority private employer in the US and Mexico, with 2.1 million employees. It is also the largest grocery retailer in the United States. In 2009, it generated 51% of its US$258 billion in sales in the US grocery business.

Walmart's international operations currently comprise 4263 stores and 660 000 employees in 15 countries outside the United States. In the 2010 financial year, Walmart's international division sales were US$100-billion, almost 25% of its total global sales.

Some of the questions Tilsley will be putting to Mathers are:

• How have major players Walmart, Carrefour and Tesco rolled out across Europe?
  
• How have local players fared and survived in the rush for market share?
  
• What are some of the mass merchandisers' weaknesses and how can smaller speciality stores focus on a narrow but lucrative niche?
  
• Why are South African retailers unique compared with their counterparts in the rest of the world?

Mathers and Tilsley will present a special segment on what the new business advantages of Mobile (E/M) Commerce can give African retailers, including:

• International success stories in E/M Commerce and insights into why once great companies who ignored this development are no longer around;
  
• Talk through and demonstrate of some of the latest mobile commerce solutions;
  
• Show how new markets in the Middle East are racing ahead with this new sales and marketing technology.

The event takes place on Tuesday 19 July from 08h30 for 09h00 at the Gallagher Grill, at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand. The cost is R550 ex VAT per person.

Bookings can be made by phoning Linda Kaufman at Exhibition Management Services (Pty) Ltd on 011 - 783 7250 or email moc.acirfasnoitibihxe@6selas

Numbers are strictly limited and will be taken on a 'first come, first served' basis.

Exhibition Management Services Tel +27 (0) 11 783 7250

Website: www.exhibitionsafrica.com