RETAILERS SEARCH FOR INSPIRATION FOR FURTHER STRUGGLE

The first "100% European" Czech Retail Summit raises a great interest of retailers and their suppliers.

The Czech retail market has remained outwardly without any big shifts after accession to EU - prices are more or less stable, strong international players set up since longer ago dominate the market. This apparently quiet surface however covers changes incubating underneath.

Structure of suppliers is rapidly changing - market is massively penetrated especially with goods imported from neighbouring EU countries (inc. Poland and other new EU members). Numerous Czech companies on the other hand concentrate more on export. Another wave of retail chains consolidation in Central Europe is brewing - the new series of acquisitions were started e.g. by the recent takeover of Hypernova chain by Carrefour in Poland. Expansion of shopping centres is culminating, as well as the interrelated boom of specialised non-food stores.

Retailers face the new market situation by strengthening of competitive fight and escalation of discount battles. However, they also start to search for inspiration for further development. That is a/o proved by their enormous interest in Czech Retail Summit 2005, first after EU accession, taking place on February 1 and 2, 2005 in Sazka Arena in Prague. Already 1 month ahead there are nearly four hundred participants registered, i.e. by about 25% more than in previous years of the conference. Therefore the intention of organisers to attract about one thousand participants at the 11th year of this traditional event seems to be realistic.

Czech Retail Summit 2005 has the following program focus:

1. Searching for balance between retail market regulation and liberalization
This part will bring opinions of the following experts: Mr. Harjeet Drubra - one of the global top managers of TESCO, Mr. Peter Havlik - macroeconomic expert of Vienna institute WIIW or the Chairman of the Czech Office for Economic Competition Protection - Mr. Josef Bednar. President of Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism - Mrs. Helena Piskovska will present the viewpoint of the branch association.

2. Examples of best practices from the Czech and European market
This program session will gather both examples from retail trade (Managing Director of the Czech Spar Mr. Martin Hruska and the chief of the biggest European buying alliance EMD, Mr. Peter Hampl), and from supplier’s side (Mr. Tomas Kadlec, Chairman of Czech Association for Brand Products). Tips & tricks for suppliers how to get listed in West European market will come from Mike Dawson - representative of the top German trade weekly Lebensmittel Zeitung.

3. Discussion forum focused on prospects of Central European Market
Panel discussion on business opportunities will welcome representatives of national retail associations from Poland, Slovakia and Germany, as well as top managers of 2 key retail systems active in the region (General manager of Ahold Central Europe – Mr. Jacquot Boelen and a representative of COOP structures Mr. Peter Boros from COOP Hungaria). The panel discussion also covers analysis of the Central European market given by Zdenek Skala from INCOMA Research and Tomas Krasny from Fessel - GfK Wien.

4. Gala dinner connected with awarding of Czech and Slovak Prizes Golden Ducate 2005
Evening party will also take place in the attractive building of Sazka Arena. Event of this year is newly organized in co-operation with the journal Moderni obchod.

5. Discussion workshops specialised in selected topics of retail market development
The second day of the summit is fully reserved for intensive discussions and opinion exchange in 10 workshops. Up to now registered participants (mainly top managers) are mostly interested in topics connected with impact of EU accession on retail business, in workshops focused on relations between retailers and their strategic partners (customers and suppliers), and last but not least on discussion how to survive in the market next to discount shops and hypermarkets. Other workshops specialised in efficient use of human resources, logistics/supply chain management or protection of consumers meet above all interest of experts from both production and distribution companies.

The traditional Czech Retail Summit is organised since 1995 by the Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism, Faculty of International Relations of University of Economy in Prague and INCOMA Consult. Summit is given thanks to co-operation with many companies - this year the greatest support was given by Zivnostenská banka (Platinum partner), Eurotel (Communication partner) and SAP (Expert guarantor).

News from conference preparations is published at www.retail21.cz/summit. In case of interest in participation or promotion within the summit, please contact the organisers by e-mail: konference@incoma.cz or by phone: +420 251 117 521.