Elisa Servais was in Paris for the second edition of NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe. Naturally, in this episode of the Retail Influencer, we take a look at what she saw, heard… and, above all, what caught her attention.
Here are a few highlights for the impatient ones. Otherwise, the full story is in the new episode of the Retail Influencer.
First observation: keynotes can genuinely fuel reflection.
The opening keynote, dedicated to the need for retailers to become more “futurists”, notably highlighted the importance of looking beyond your own sector, seeking inspiration from multiple sources, learning from past experiences and testing in order to learn.
But Elisa also came away with some more mixed feelings. In particular, about the way some examples linked to current crises and fears were used to illustrate the opportunities of the future.
And then there is the show itself.
Attendance seemed to be quieter than expected, even though several exhibitors also mentioned having fewer conversations, but more qualitative ones.
What place should NRF Europe have in the European retail events ecosystem?
With Tech for Retail, EuroCIS, VivaTech and many other events, NRF Paris still needs to build its own value proposition and clearly explain why people should come to Paris rather than simply go to New York.
Behind the scenes, the question of the future of the format is already being raised: should it stay in Paris or become a travelling event? And why not strengthen the approach with satellite events in other European cities ahead of the show?
Another point raised by Elisa concerns physical retail and visitor profiles. If NRF wants to reach the entire retail ecosystem, consultants, agencies and experts who influence the decisions of retailers and brands also represent an important audience.
In short, this is not a criticism for the sake of criticism. Rather, it is a very open conversation about an event that still has potential, but that needs to continue finding its positioning in Europe.
And perhaps that is ultimately the most interesting point: the questions are there. And the NRF teams seem ready to listen to them and think about the next steps.
All the details are in this episode.
