The AER charts the future of retail at its CEOs event & Connection

In a collaborative environment, exchange of ideas and vision of the future, the Spanish Retail Association (AER) has brought together in Madrid the top managers of large, medium and small companies at their CEOs event & Connection, in which the work of the LED lighting specialist was recognized SELF Electronics-Europe.

As part of the activities carried out by the Spanish Retail Association (AER), the recent celebration of your event CEOs & Connection, created so that managers and leaders in this environment share ideas, strategies and synergies around this diverse industry, brought together in Madrid dozens of CEOs and general directors of the main partner companies, from more than ten sectors.

Susana Gilabert, general director of the AER, highlighted the importance of this type of meetings that promote networking among the top representatives of great, medium and small businesses, both national and international that operate in Spain.

The event included the intervention of Olga Ruiz Castillo, general director of Commerce and Hospitality of the Madrid City Council, who highlighted the role of retail “as economic and social engine of the city. “Events like this reflect the strength and capacity for innovation of an essential sector for Madrid.”.

The strategy and future vision of this industry was carried out by Laureano Turienzo Esteban, president of the AER (in the attached image), with the precise exposition Retail Spain, horizonte 2028, in which he analyzed the evolution of consumption patterns, sociodemographic changes and impacts that will define retail in the coming years.

“Retail is the largest generator of employment and the largest social backbone, that it should be a matter of state -he assured-. A sector that must enter massively into Spanish universities and in business schools. The future of this country, “It depends on the future of retail.”.

As the president of the AER pointed out, “retail has generally been poorly defined and poorly observed.”, limited to clothing stores, supermarkets, department stores… but a private museum or a beauty clinic, a hotel, a hair salon, a gym or a bank branch and more… all of them are retail”.

During the event, Alfonso Sebastian Manzanares, vp. from AER, highlighted the contribution of all partners y, on this occasion, that of SELF Electronics-Europe, German specialist in innovation, Led lighting design and production, “due to its ability to integrate technology, sustainability and design at points of sale”.

A recognition that he gave Adela Arroyuelos, business commercial director CaixaBank Payments & Consumer, annual sponsor of the AER, a Andy Liu, CEO de SELF Electronics-Europe (both in the left image), who highlighted the strategic value of the Spanish market and that “it symbolizes the union between technology, emotion and sustainability”.
For your part, Santiago Mera, commercial director for Iberia, Latin America and the Middle East at SELF Electronics-Europe, stressed the importance of opening up in the Spanish market “to be closer to the customer” and the support received by this association.

The day also served to present the new Expert Committee, an organ that, as explained Mar Melero, CEO of FWD Advisors, born with three main objectives: “be a reference in knowledge; develop useful tools for the sector and inform and give value to associates to continue transforming retail: “a business of people who serve and work to solve people's needs”.