US peak retail lobby group CEO, Matthew Shay, is coming to Australia to discuss the retail industry from a global perspective and how this will impact the market locally.
Shay is the president of the National Retail Federation (NRF), which employs 42 million Americans, and will be sharing his insights at two events in Melbourne this week with along with David French, SVP Government Relations at NRF as guests of NORA.
Shay says he is looking forward to sharing with and learning from retailers in Australia and he will go deeper into his thoughts on the state of the industry, current trends and the importance and role of advocacy at government level.
“The retail industry has become a true cross-border industry and insights from around the world shape its future,” he explains.
“Having an effective voice in government to ensure that retail interests are accounted for takes time and dedication, relationship building and the development of trust. In the last year the industry has seen some incredible success on policy issues that were years in the making.”
The NRF, through the NRF Foundation, is also focused on shaping retail’s future and the long-term development and recruitment of retail talent.
“With the industry’s rapid transformation, the skills needed to propel the industry into the future are also changing. At NRF we are focused on not just making sure the right talent knows retail is a great place to work, but also creating a pipeline of that great talent,” he adds.
By Marion Gerritsen
