In this special “Five Things Friday: APAC Edition,” Alex from The Retail Podcast and Laura from Neat sit down with Ryf Quail, Managing Director of NRF APAC, to unpack the biggest trends shaping retail in Asia-Pacific ahead of NRF APAC in Singapore.🎙️ Topics covered:
- Ryf’s top insights for APAC retail leaders
- Digital transformation: AI, 5G, and cloud
- Shopify Editions: Key updates, global e-commerce, new “Horizon” theme
- The future of agencies and AI-driven retail
- CEO Club at NRF APAC and leadership networking
Chapters:
00:01 – Welcome & introductions
01:00 – What’s ahead for NRF APAC
03:00 – Shopify’s latest moves: AI, global markets, and new themes
08:00 – The agency landscape: how AI is reshaping service
13:00 – Digital transformation trends in APAC: AI, 5G, and more
16:30 – Ryf Quail: Economic outlook, CEO Club, and what’s different in 2024
21:00 – Networking for retail leadership
22:00 – Closing thoughts
Useful Links:
Notable brands & technologies: Shopify, NRF, Grab, GoJek, FairPrice, LottePlus: The real impact of generative AI, what’s driving optimism in the region, and why Asia-Pacific is setting the pace for global retail.Don’t miss this candid conversation packed with actionable insights for retail executives, technology leaders, and anyone shaping the future of commerce.Connect:Follow and share for more expert interviews from the world’s top retail leaders.3. Episode Show Notes
If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Retail Podcast, leave a rating, and share with your network. For more interviews with retail’s top thinkers, visit theretailpodcast.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello welcome to five things Friday in quotes APAC edition.
Now I appreciate the region is huge, but we've got NRF coming
up in less than two weeks, NRF APAC that's taking place in
Singapore. My lovely Co host Laura is based
in Sydney, Australia. So it would be a miss of not
(00:21):
doing a a regional focus as opposed to trying to.
But as Laura quite rightly just pointed out to me is that some
of these e-commerce issues are global issues or digital issues
are digital are global digital issues.
In today's show we're going to carve off into three specific
areas. We're going to have a special
(00:42):
guest and that's Reef. Reef is the managing director
for NRF APAC. He's going to, I filmed with him
yesterday on the top two things that are top of mind for him
given that his show is in less than two weeks.
And then we're going to do 2 things with Laura.
And then I'm going to do an AI Co host, new retail podcast Co
(01:04):
host called ChatGPT. But anyway, Laura, why don't we
hand over to you and you, you tell us what's been top of mind
for you. The first one I think I cannot
not talk about as Shopify editions just dropped so this is
global. All the Shopify Bros are
definitely in full swing of really reading every part of
(01:27):
that report and picking the bestbets.
For me, there's a couple, a couple of themes that are quite
important. I'd say the the one of them as
they've released a new theme template called Horizon, which
will have everyone starting to question or should they be
redesigning their theme? It's a lot to do with AI, how
(01:49):
you make it. It's going to be super easy.
They're really, really leaning in a natural language and this
so really cool new theme template is going to be super
intuitive to make, customise andbuild.
Then the second one is market. So that's really how you go
global, how you go global. And Shopify has changed a few
times and they've just been iterating and getting it right.
(02:12):
But markets seem to be the the now the standardised best way
for going global. For every region that works with
Shopify and point of sale, they have been kind of doubling down
in this. It hasn't really been enterprise
level, but they're definitely making some plays into it.
(02:33):
So they're making improvements there.
Couple of couple of good ones. And then the Sidekick, which is
their generative AI tool. So I would say that one of the
things that kind of really stands true to me as they're
really leaning into how natural language is going to be a big
part of how people use Shopify in the tool.
(02:54):
And yeah, it's, it's going to beinteresting to see how it plays
out. So I would definitely say for
me, that new theme is interesting.
So around the pause, they've definitely made the the
interface a lot better. They're constantly, they've made
a lot of upgrades in this, the additions, the interfaces is, is
a lot stronger. So there is a lot of changes.
(03:15):
And one of the things that I read was a big issue that
they've kind of surfaced is if you're in the store and you buy
four things and let's say one ofthem isn't in your size.
So you want to, you want to buy the four things, but three of
them you're going to take home and 1 is going to be shipped to
your home. What they've had to do up to now
(03:36):
is basically give you 2 invoices.
So you could still do it, but itwas a little bit clunky from a
customer point of view. You're then getting 2 invoices,
2 orders probably from the retailer point of view, then
you're you're getting a skewed data set.
So that has now been changed. So I'd say that as one of the
main announcements and just thatkind of interface is really
(03:57):
improved. Yeah, and optimised.
And one thing that's interestingthat I think this happened the
last time they were selling a lot of the hardware.
I think they thought their hardware would be a big benefit
and what they've decided to do is scrub, scrap that, let the
retailer decide what hardware they want, whether it be
tablets, iPhones and really makethe interface or programme it
(04:20):
the way they want to do it. So that's a little bit of a, a
shift. So there's there's quite a few
pivots. So that's cool markets really
good that we're kind of moving to a best practise way to go
global. That's what what we mean by
markets is it's just going to bea lot easier to manage opening
up in multiple countries, but also settling in that currency.
(04:43):
So it was always about that settlement and the and the
currency and how how you know the retailer is getting the
money back to them and the sidekick, right?
You're talking about now you canactually, you know, you get a
sales spike, you can actually ask in natural language.
Can you give me a breakdown of why you think this happened?
So really, really cool things. The one thing for me from coming
(05:05):
from Agency Land is this new theme.
I would definitely say I play inthat more mid to enterprise
retail space. You don't have to use it.
There'll be a lot that jump in it.
I would probably more wait to see how that pans out.
And I think we're going through the next couple of months.
We'll see. I think for me, the big question
is some of these upgrades, who are they aimed, who they aimed
(05:28):
at, right? Are they aimed at more that
entrepreneur? They're definitely feel that
they're aimed at more that entrepreneurial seller and not
necessarily for the the top end of town that they're they're
going after, but definitely moving in that vein.
So that's the first one. Shopify editions, everyone who's
in the who's who of the agency, Shopify land, we'll be talking
(05:50):
about it and I think in two weeks there's a Toronto one day
big conference with the agencies.
So I'm sure we'll I'll have moreto talk about in that in a
couple of weeks. The second one I want to talk
about and I'll try and I'll try and I'll try my best I'll
probably be as clear as mud. But the second one that's really
(06:11):
in my mind, I'm very aware that I'm a little bit biassed because
I've just finished up. I was partnered in an agency for
6 1/2 years scaling a mid marketShopify agency.
But as I feel it, I feel it's not just my bias, but I think
the future of agency really is going to shift significantly in
(06:32):
the next 12 months. I feel like a lot of the agent,
the mid market agencies are already, they're already aware
of this and they're probably looking for how they adapted
approach. So when speak about that, what I
mean is a really successful agency from the past would be
you've got new projects in and you've got a really healthy
(06:53):
managed services retention, retainer based business.
I feel now in the the with AI and even the key platforms,
right? So generative AI, all the chat
GPTS, but plus even like the drops from Shopify, it's really
pushing agencies to rethink about how they do business.
(07:14):
And I, I think there's a big risk for the, the agencies who
play in that really small end oftown, who do, you know, quite
like, you know, theme based designs and you know, quick
builds to get them up. Really what's happening in the
Shopify land is you're, you're probably going to take that in
(07:36):
house, right? Like direct to consumer brands.
It's becoming a lot more intuitive, but even the bigger
end of town, it has to be a lot more about being that business
partner rather than an order taker.
You you're going to have to comewith your philosophy to the
client, explaining why really have that that subject matter
(07:57):
expertise and probably start to go a little bit deeper with your
clients rather than broader so much more strategic play coming
up an agency. And that's from the agency
angle. When I look at the retailers I
advise to one of the new kind ofquestions, I would be kind of
pushing up my list of questions to ask an agency if they were
(08:19):
looking for one would be tell meabout what your approach is to
AI. How are you being more efficient
with the use of my retainer and my money?
What processes are you doing? But also how can you build how,
how can I make sure I'm spendingmy money in the most optimised
way? So yeah, there's, there's
(08:40):
definitely a little bit of a pivot there.
But I, I think it's, I think it's a great 1.
And I think that some agencies will do really well from it.
But yeah, I think the the volumeof smaller Shopify agencies
we've seen come up, it's like that adapt or die next 6 to 12
months. We've went through the wave of
(09:00):
like we've moved a lot of peopleoff of quite custom platforms.
Maybe that more, you know, the magenta world.
We've moved a lot of people intothis more SAS environment,
whether it be like a big commerce or a Shopify.
And now with these new tools, I mean, I was getting annoyed with
the AI thing. I was like, oh, wow.
(09:21):
But you can't ignore it. It's, it's really transforming
the way we're doing everything. And I, I think now what I would
say is being a generalist isn't really going to cut it.
Now you have to have deep understanding the technology
they use and how, how they're going to market and be almost
like a strategic advisor now rather than taking a Jira board
(09:43):
of tasks and doing them that that isn't going to be the way
that you're going to grow your agency.
So I think it's driven by technology.
I think the mid market tech havereally good teams that can be
more agile and they're they're rolling out these tools, they're
changing the game and the retailers that have smart people
(10:05):
in house are going to start asking a lot more questions to
their agency partner. So technology, I would say is
driving it more than like, you know, pulling the push strings a
bit tight. I think it's more driven by the
tech. Got you.
Got you. Yeah.
I mean, listen, it's a good segue into like my one thing is
(10:26):
like I I was experimenting with doing a show with AI and seeing
what that what what that would look like.
And you know, I asked chat CBT what would be the top five
trends just to get a feel. I think three of them I agreed
with and two of them were like, I don't know because one of them
(10:47):
it says 5G. OK, and and you'll see it here.
Absolutely. Let's break it down.
Here are the top five digital transformation trends sweeping
across the Asia Pacific region. First, AI and machine learning
integration. Companies are rapidly adopting
AI and machine learning to enhance everything from customer
(11:09):
service to supply chain management.
This is driving efficiency and creating more personalised
consumer experiences, particularly in e-commerce and
fintech. 2nd, 5G roll out and adoption.
The rapid deployment of 5G networks is transforming
connectivity, enabling innovations in smart cities, IoT
and real time data analytics. This leap in infrastructure is
(11:31):
positioning the region as a global leader in ultra fast
connectivity. Third, e-commerce and digital
payments boom. The region is witnessing a surge
in e-commerce platforms and digital payment solutions.
Super apps like Grad and Go Jackare becoming one stop
ecosystems, integrating payments, delivery and financial
services, reshaping consumer behaviour. 4th, cloud computing
(11:55):
and SAS growth. There's a significant shift
toward cloud adoption and SAS solutions, driven by the need
for scalability and remote work capabilities.
This trend is empowering businesses to innovate faster
and reduce operational costs. Fifth, digital health and
telemedicine expansion. The pandemic accelerated the
adoption of telemedicine and digital health platforms.
(12:16):
Countries like Singapore, Japan,and South Korea are leading the
way in integrating digital health solutions into mainstream
healthcare, improving access andpatient outcomes.
These trends are not only shaping the future of the Asia
Pacific region but also setting benchmarks for global digital
transformation. Let's explore each of these in
more detail and see how they're influencing the market
(12:36):
landscape. Yeah, I the, the, The thing is,
I was watching this diary of ACEO, Stephen Bartlett thing and
you know, they, it was a real sort of like we are sleepwalking
into like the AI taking over everything, right?
And, and, and I sort of like sort of ran that through my
(12:57):
mind. I was thinking, OK, if they say
that, would podcasts be replacedif you can get like a
conversational AI like the one from ChatGPT to be able to to
get it. We're not there yet, but I
definitely think it's not, it's not five years away.
It's not ten years away, 1824 months you'll be seeing and I
(13:19):
don't know, maybe maybe that'll be my claim to fame, the first
AI generated podcast, but I don't know how many people want
to listen to that. But anyway, that's my, my, my
looking glass into the future about I think we're still not
capitalising on what AI can do for us, specifically within
(13:39):
retail. Yeah, and, and even the stats,
like when you hear them, I definitely think some of the big
guys in the Asia Pacific region are actually further ahead than
even some of the US retailers, right?
Like some, you know, some, some of the ones you're going to meet
in NRF Asia are going to blow your mind, you know, they're,
(14:02):
they're so far ahead. And I think that's where the
divide is getting wider, right. And yes, and there's a lot of
people that are relying in the tech to drive the AI adoption
and then there's others that aretaking matters into their own
hands. So it's.
I just, look, I think we're on the cusp of it and and it feels
(14:22):
like no one wants to talk about it because no retailer wants to
come out and say, yeah, we're going to cut our workforce by
50% in merchandising, operations, finance and
marketing because we've just created an AI model that can do
the first five things. It's a human in the loop.
(14:43):
And they keep saying AI won't take your job, someone working
with AI will take your job. But I just feel given the
margins in retail I, it feels like it's going to be a a bit
faster than we think this transformation that we're a. 100
and and probably leaning back into that point of agency, I
think the fractional piece, the fractional people are going to
(15:06):
become like we, we had the buzz everyone was fractional, which
was just consultants calling themselves fractional.
But I feel now we're moving in areal fractional expertise is
going to be what drives that AI adoption.
So you're still going to need kind of that real senior
fractional consultant or agency.But I think everyone else will
(15:30):
be very much where can you use AI and where do you need the
human? And within that pathway of
people don't know where a lot ofthe mid tier, they're a bit
lost. So they still need expertise and
they're leaning on their agencies or their their best
partners. But how long will will that
take? Or will it just keep changing so
(15:52):
rapidly that, you know, we we won't become obsolete?
You know they'll still they'll still need to listen to a
podcast and not ChatGPT isn't going to be your podcast.
I. Hope so, yeah.
But anyway, let's go over to Reef and listen to Reef.
The top 2. The top.
Two, number one thing right now is the, the heats come out of
(16:13):
there's, there's really the geopolitical situation, which
was being we've seen over the last of sort of, I don't know,
100 days has has calmed. And I in my, in my home market
of Australia, we've had the consecutive rate drops, the
reserve and we're starting to see the green shoots of
optimism. Even though we've obviously the
(16:34):
US has drawn a lot of creative, you know, it's drawn a lot of,
you know, ire. I think that ultimately for the
region, the we're seeing a real,you know, feeling like we're
emerging from the mist. Australia certainly, certainly
has, is turning a corner. Inflation's back under control.
The region of this, the Southeast Asian region really
(16:56):
has always been chugging along. But I feel like it's when there,
there's certainly, certainly there's certainly growth in the
region. And I think in other parts of
the region, I think, you know, people are beginning to turn
their heads from batting down the hatches to thinking about,
you know, where their next bet is going to be.
(17:18):
Their expansion's going to be, their opportunity's going to be.
And that's, that sort of all goes well for us in.
And that's how my number 2 is. I have a show coming up in 2
weeks. And, and, and I think, yeah.
And I think what that's what what the, the global context has
done has given us real focus forthis region.
(17:38):
And that focus is one of, and our role.
And that focus is, it's about intra Asia Pacific trade.
And I think for me, that's really neat because it's a, it
is a great place to do business in this region.
It's, you know, all when, as I've always said, as I travel
around the region, there are a lot of friendly faces and a lot
of people willing to collaborate.
We don't have a lot of barriers between us in terms of trade
(18:01):
barriers. And I think that, you know, and
what we've found this year from the show is that leaders have
been very, very keen to participate.
And so I think for our show, the, the outcome of that
positivity has been the fact that, you know, our 11 keynotes
this year are all C level execs.You know, they're not, they're
(18:23):
not heads of department. We've got executive directors,
we've got, we've got chairs of Australian businesses, we have
presidents of Filipino businesses, we've got global CEO
of Latte and, and, and fair price from Singapore.
So it's those, those CEOs are coming towards us and they're
coming. They don't come and speak at a
show like ours without a, a considered purpose.
(18:46):
And I think that purpose to put out their shingle and say we're
ready to do business. And so that's really neat.
And, and, and then on the on sort of building on that thought
around, you know, it's really strong programme and certainly
stronger than 2024, which which was great in itself is that the
CEOs are coming together. So this year we're launching the
NRF AIPAC CEO Club and it's it was it's really from the
(19:11):
learning that, you know, we needto facilitate some networking
through the region for, you know, intra Asia Pacific trade.
And we've got roughly, excuse me, we've got roughly.
I knew the phone would ring. We've got OK, it's just two
weeks for a show. If one breathe, where was I now?
So yeah, so we're going to have over 100 CEOs who are coming to
(19:33):
the show to be part of CEO club to meet other peers from the
region, you know, and that, you know, that means CEOs aren't not
looking inward, they're looking outward, which is a really good
sign, a really good sign. And so I'm excited about about
that because you know that's we're seeing that geographic,
(19:53):
that number one thing is geographic lifting of the tide
in terms of economic conditions that is leading to a much
stronger participation in the show from leadership this year
than 2024. And as in 2024 was no, was, was,
was not, was no slouch. But this year we've been it's
another, it's gone another level.
And I think that that participation is a really
(20:15):
reflection of. You know, optimism and
positivity about trading within the region.
The thing that we realised last year when we looked at our show,
we replicated a lot of programmes from the US and
through through that journey, welearned quite quickly that in
the US when they run their format called the Red Carpet
Club, the CEOs are domestic. So they all know each other.
(20:37):
So when you know the CEO of Walmart, John Ferner walks into
BJ's and it's Bob Eddy, they know each other and they walk in
and they run and they, they chat, right?
And both lovely men. But when you come to this part
of the world, as you say, it's so diverse.
And so we, we, our role and purpose for leadership became
(21:01):
really clear. We need to have a forum that
allowed the networking and connection to take place.
So you answer your question, yes, we're having a mixer on the
first night. And that mixer will be a bit of
a welcome from us, but also sometechnology which will allow them
to connect with each other at the show, create meetings with
each other in an exclusive environment that's partitioned
(21:23):
away from the main show. And then they've got a lounge
they can retreat to. They can have meetings in.
They can, you know, they can, they can retire and do a few
emails or do a few bits and pieces because then we know
that, you know, these people arebusy that they and they're going
to cherry pick content and quiteoften it's what happens on the
sidelines. It counts for these guys.
(21:44):
So creating a place, a safe place away from the hubbub of
the Expo and conference, which allows them to to retreat,
regroup, have a meeting, find a partner, those type of things.
So, but we've that that mixer upfront will allow them to, you
know, take the first step of connecting with others in the
room. I might need a hug next week on
(22:05):
Friday. You never know.
It's just it's going well, you know, you know, when you're on a
show, it's waves of my mind. It's waves of emotion.
So we're on a bit of a roll and it's all good.
It's exciting. It's really exciting.
OK. Thank you, Alex.
Cheers. So that was the wonderful reef
and giving his his top two. OK, well listen until next week.
Have a lovely week. Bye Alex, have a lovely day.
(22:26):
Bye. Cheers.
Hello welcome to five things Friday in quotes APAC edition.
Now I appreciate the region is huge, but we've got NRF coming
up in less than two weeks, NRF APAC that's taking place in
Singapore. My lovely Co host Laura is based
in Sydney, Australia. So it would be a miss of not
(00:21):
doing a a regional focus as opposed to trying to.
But as Laura quite rightly just pointed out to me is that some
of these e-commerce issues are global issues or digital issues
are digital are global digital issues.
In today's show we're going to carve off into three specific
areas. We're going to have a special
(00:42):
guest and that's Reef. Reef is the managing director
for NRF APAC. He's going to, I filmed with him
yesterday on the top two things that are top of mind for him
given that his show is in less than two weeks.
And then we're going to do 2 things with Laura.
And then I'm going to do an AI Co host, new retail podcast Co
(01:04):
host called ChatGPT. But anyway, Laura, why don't we
hand over to you and you, you tell us what's been top of mind
for you. The first one I think I cannot
not talk about as Shopify editions just dropped so this is
global. All the Shopify Bros are
definitely in full swing of really reading every part of
(01:27):
that report and picking the bestbets.
For me, there's a couple, a couple of themes that are quite
important. I'd say the the one of them as
they've released a new theme template called Horizon, which
will have everyone starting to question or should they be
redesigning their theme? It's a lot to do with AI, how
(01:49):
you make it. It's going to be super easy.
They're really, really leaning in a natural language and this
so really cool new theme template is going to be super
intuitive to make, customise andbuild.
Then the second one is market. So that's really how you go
global, how you go global. And Shopify has changed a few
times and they've just been iterating and getting it right.
(02:12):
But markets seem to be the the now the standardised best way
for going global. For every region that works with
Shopify and point of sale, they have been kind of doubling down
in this. It hasn't really been enterprise
level, but they're definitely making some plays into it.
(02:33):
So they're making improvements there.
Couple of couple of good ones. And then the Sidekick, which is
their generative AI tool. So I would say that one of the
things that kind of really stands true to me as they're
really leaning into how natural language is going to be a big
part of how people use Shopify in the tool.
(02:54):
And yeah, it's, it's going to beinteresting to see how it plays
out. So I would definitely say for
me, that new theme is interesting.
So around the pause, they've definitely made the the
interface a lot better. They're constantly, they've made
a lot of upgrades in this, the additions, the interfaces is, is
a lot stronger. So there is a lot of changes.
(03:15):
And one of the things that I read was a big issue that
they've kind of surfaced is if you're in the store and you buy
four things and let's say one ofthem isn't in your size.
So you want to, you want to buy the four things, but three of
them you're going to take home and 1 is going to be shipped to
your home. What they've had to do up to now
(03:36):
is basically give you 2 invoices.
So you could still do it, but itwas a little bit clunky from a
customer point of view. You're then getting 2 invoices,
2 orders probably from the retailer point of view, then
you're you're getting a skewed data set.
So that has now been changed. So I'd say that as one of the
main announcements and just thatkind of interface is really
(03:57):
improved. Yeah, and optimised.
And one thing that's interestingthat I think this happened the
last time they were selling a lot of the hardware.
I think they thought their hardware would be a big benefit
and what they've decided to do is scrub, scrap that, let the
retailer decide what hardware they want, whether it be
tablets, iPhones and really makethe interface or programme it
(04:20):
the way they want to do it. So that's a little bit of a, a
shift. So there's there's quite a few
pivots. So that's cool markets really
good that we're kind of moving to a best practise way to go
global. That's what what we mean by
markets is it's just going to bea lot easier to manage opening
up in multiple countries, but also settling in that currency.
(04:43):
So it was always about that settlement and the and the
currency and how how you know the retailer is getting the
money back to them and the sidekick, right?
You're talking about now you canactually, you know, you get a
sales spike, you can actually ask in natural language.
Can you give me a breakdown of why you think this happened?
So really, really cool things. The one thing for me from coming
(05:05):
from Agency Land is this new theme.
I would definitely say I play inthat more mid to enterprise
retail space. You don't have to use it.
There'll be a lot that jump in it.
I would probably more wait to see how that pans out.
And I think we're going through the next couple of months.
We'll see. I think for me, the big question
is some of these upgrades, who are they aimed, who they aimed
(05:28):
at, right? Are they aimed at more that
entrepreneur? They're definitely feel that
they're aimed at more that entrepreneurial seller and not
necessarily for the the top end of town that they're they're
going after, but definitely moving in that vein.
So that's the first one. Shopify editions, everyone who's
in the who's who of the agency, Shopify land, we'll be talking
(05:50):
about it and I think in two weeks there's a Toronto one day
big conference with the agencies.
So I'm sure we'll I'll have moreto talk about in that in a
couple of weeks. The second one I want to talk
about and I'll try and I'll try and I'll try my best I'll
probably be as clear as mud. But the second one that's really
(06:11):
in my mind, I'm very aware that I'm a little bit biassed because
I've just finished up. I was partnered in an agency for
6 1/2 years scaling a mid marketShopify agency.
But as I feel it, I feel it's not just my bias, but I think
the future of agency really is going to shift significantly in
(06:32):
the next 12 months. I feel like a lot of the agent,
the mid market agencies are already, they're already aware
of this and they're probably looking for how they adapted
approach. So when speak about that, what I
mean is a really successful agency from the past would be
you've got new projects in and you've got a really healthy
(06:53):
managed services retention, retainer based business.
I feel now in the the with AI and even the key platforms,
right? So generative AI, all the chat
GPTS, but plus even like the drops from Shopify, it's really
pushing agencies to rethink about how they do business.
(07:14):
And I, I think there's a big risk for the, the agencies who
play in that really small end oftown, who do, you know, quite
like, you know, theme based designs and you know, quick
builds to get them up. Really what's happening in the
Shopify land is you're, you're probably going to take that in
(07:36):
house, right? Like direct to consumer brands.
It's becoming a lot more intuitive, but even the bigger
end of town, it has to be a lot more about being that business
partner rather than an order taker.
You you're going to have to comewith your philosophy to the
client, explaining why really have that that subject matter
(07:57):
expertise and probably start to go a little bit deeper with your
clients rather than broader so much more strategic play coming
up an agency. And that's from the agency
angle. When I look at the retailers I
advise to one of the new kind ofquestions, I would be kind of
pushing up my list of questions to ask an agency if they were
(08:19):
looking for one would be tell meabout what your approach is to
AI. How are you being more efficient
with the use of my retainer and my money?
What processes are you doing? But also how can you build how,
how can I make sure I'm spendingmy money in the most optimised
way? So yeah, there's, there's
(08:40):
definitely a little bit of a pivot there.
But I, I think it's, I think it's a great 1.
And I think that some agencies will do really well from it.
But yeah, I think the the volumeof smaller Shopify agencies
we've seen come up, it's like that adapt or die next 6 to 12
months. We've went through the wave of
(09:00):
like we've moved a lot of peopleoff of quite custom platforms.
Maybe that more, you know, the magenta world.
We've moved a lot of people intothis more SAS environment,
whether it be like a big commerce or a Shopify.
And now with these new tools, I mean, I was getting annoyed with
the AI thing. I was like, oh, wow.
(09:21):
But you can't ignore it. It's, it's really transforming
the way we're doing everything. And I, I think now what I would
say is being a generalist isn't really going to cut it.
Now you have to have deep understanding the technology
they use and how, how they're going to market and be almost
like a strategic advisor now rather than taking a Jira board
(09:43):
of tasks and doing them that that isn't going to be the way
that you're going to grow your agency.
So I think it's driven by technology.
I think the mid market tech havereally good teams that can be
more agile and they're they're rolling out these tools, they're
changing the game and the retailers that have smart people
(10:05):
in house are going to start asking a lot more questions to
their agency partner. So technology, I would say is
driving it more than like, you know, pulling the push strings a
bit tight. I think it's more driven by the
tech. Got you.
Got you. Yeah.
I mean, listen, it's a good segue into like my one thing is
(10:26):
like I I was experimenting with doing a show with AI and seeing
what that what what that would look like.
And you know, I asked chat CBT what would be the top five
trends just to get a feel. I think three of them I agreed
with and two of them were like, I don't know because one of them
(10:47):
it says 5G. OK, and and you'll see it here.
Absolutely. Let's break it down.
Here are the top five digital transformation trends sweeping
across the Asia Pacific region. First, AI and machine learning
integration. Companies are rapidly adopting
AI and machine learning to enhance everything from customer
(11:09):
service to supply chain management.
This is driving efficiency and creating more personalised
consumer experiences, particularly in e-commerce and
fintech. 2nd, 5G roll out and adoption.
The rapid deployment of 5G networks is transforming
connectivity, enabling innovations in smart cities, IoT
and real time data analytics. This leap in infrastructure is
(11:31):
positioning the region as a global leader in ultra fast
connectivity. Third, e-commerce and digital
payments boom. The region is witnessing a surge
in e-commerce platforms and digital payment solutions.
Super apps like Grad and Go Jackare becoming one stop
ecosystems, integrating payments, delivery and financial
services, reshaping consumer behaviour. 4th, cloud computing
(11:55):
and SAS growth. There's a significant shift
toward cloud adoption and SAS solutions, driven by the need
for scalability and remote work capabilities.
This trend is empowering businesses to innovate faster
and reduce operational costs. Fifth, digital health and
telemedicine expansion. The pandemic accelerated the
adoption of telemedicine and digital health platforms.
(12:16):
Countries like Singapore, Japan,and South Korea are leading the
way in integrating digital health solutions into mainstream
healthcare, improving access andpatient outcomes.
These trends are not only shaping the future of the Asia
Pacific region but also setting benchmarks for global digital
transformation. Let's explore each of these in
more detail and see how they're influencing the market
(12:36):
landscape. Yeah, I the, the, The thing is,
I was watching this diary of ACEO, Stephen Bartlett thing and
you know, they, it was a real sort of like we are sleepwalking
into like the AI taking over everything, right?
And, and, and I sort of like sort of ran that through my
(12:57):
mind. I was thinking, OK, if they say
that, would podcasts be replacedif you can get like a
conversational AI like the one from ChatGPT to be able to to
get it. We're not there yet, but I
definitely think it's not, it's not five years away.
It's not ten years away, 1824 months you'll be seeing and I
(13:19):
don't know, maybe maybe that'll be my claim to fame, the first
AI generated podcast, but I don't know how many people want
to listen to that. But anyway, that's my, my, my
looking glass into the future about I think we're still not
capitalising on what AI can do for us, specifically within
(13:39):
retail. Yeah, and, and even the stats,
like when you hear them, I definitely think some of the big
guys in the Asia Pacific region are actually further ahead than
even some of the US retailers, right?
Like some, you know, some, some of the ones you're going to meet
in NRF Asia are going to blow your mind, you know, they're,
(14:02):
they're so far ahead. And I think that's where the
divide is getting wider, right. And yes, and there's a lot of
people that are relying in the tech to drive the AI adoption
and then there's others that aretaking matters into their own
hands. So it's.
I just, look, I think we're on the cusp of it and and it feels
(14:22):
like no one wants to talk about it because no retailer wants to
come out and say, yeah, we're going to cut our workforce by
50% in merchandising, operations, finance and
marketing because we've just created an AI model that can do
the first five things. It's a human in the loop.
(14:43):
And they keep saying AI won't take your job, someone working
with AI will take your job. But I just feel given the
margins in retail I, it feels like it's going to be a a bit
faster than we think this transformation that we're a. 100
and and probably leaning back into that point of agency, I
think the fractional piece, the fractional people are going to
(15:06):
become like we, we had the buzz everyone was fractional, which
was just consultants calling themselves fractional.
But I feel now we're moving in areal fractional expertise is
going to be what drives that AI adoption.
So you're still going to need kind of that real senior
fractional consultant or agency.But I think everyone else will
(15:30):
be very much where can you use AI and where do you need the
human? And within that pathway of
people don't know where a lot ofthe mid tier, they're a bit
lost. So they still need expertise and
they're leaning on their agencies or their their best
partners. But how long will will that
take? Or will it just keep changing so
(15:52):
rapidly that, you know, we we won't become obsolete?
You know they'll still they'll still need to listen to a
podcast and not ChatGPT isn't going to be your podcast.
I. Hope so, yeah.
But anyway, let's go over to Reef and listen to Reef.
The top 2. The top.
Two, number one thing right now is the, the heats come out of
(16:13):
there's, there's really the geopolitical situation, which
was being we've seen over the last of sort of, I don't know,
100 days has has calmed. And I in my, in my home market
of Australia, we've had the consecutive rate drops, the
reserve and we're starting to see the green shoots of
optimism. Even though we've obviously the
(16:34):
US has drawn a lot of creative, you know, it's drawn a lot of,
you know, ire. I think that ultimately for the
region, the we're seeing a real,you know, feeling like we're
emerging from the mist. Australia certainly, certainly
has, is turning a corner. Inflation's back under control.
The region of this, the Southeast Asian region really
(16:56):
has always been chugging along. But I feel like it's when there,
there's certainly, certainly there's certainly growth in the
region. And I think in other parts of
the region, I think, you know, people are beginning to turn
their heads from batting down the hatches to thinking about,
you know, where their next bet is going to be.
(17:18):
Their expansion's going to be, their opportunity's going to be.
And that's, that sort of all goes well for us in.
And that's how my number 2 is. I have a show coming up in 2
weeks. And, and, and I think, yeah.
And I think what that's what what the, the global context has
done has given us real focus forthis region.
(17:38):
And that focus is one of, and our role.
And that focus is, it's about intra Asia Pacific trade.
And I think for me, that's really neat because it's a, it
is a great place to do business in this region.
It's, you know, all when, as I've always said, as I travel
around the region, there are a lot of friendly faces and a lot
of people willing to collaborate.
We don't have a lot of barriers between us in terms of trade
(18:01):
barriers. And I think that, you know, and
what we've found this year from the show is that leaders have
been very, very keen to participate.
And so I think for our show, the, the outcome of that
positivity has been the fact that, you know, our 11 keynotes
this year are all C level execs.You know, they're not, they're
(18:23):
not heads of department. We've got executive directors,
we've got, we've got chairs of Australian businesses, we have
presidents of Filipino businesses, we've got global CEO
of Latte and, and, and fair price from Singapore.
So it's those, those CEOs are coming towards us and they're
coming. They don't come and speak at a
show like ours without a, a considered purpose.
(18:46):
And I think that purpose to put out their shingle and say we're
ready to do business. And so that's really neat.
And, and, and then on the on sort of building on that thought
around, you know, it's really strong programme and certainly
stronger than 2024, which which was great in itself is that the
CEOs are coming together. So this year we're launching the
NRF AIPAC CEO Club and it's it was it's really from the
(19:11):
learning that, you know, we needto facilitate some networking
through the region for, you know, intra Asia Pacific trade.
And we've got roughly, excuse me, we've got roughly.
I knew the phone would ring. We've got OK, it's just two
weeks for a show. If one breathe, where was I now?
So yeah, so we're going to have over 100 CEOs who are coming to
(19:33):
the show to be part of CEO club to meet other peers from the
region, you know, and that, you know, that means CEOs aren't not
looking inward, they're looking outward, which is a really good
sign, a really good sign. And so I'm excited about about
that because you know that's we're seeing that geographic,
(19:53):
that number one thing is geographic lifting of the tide
in terms of economic conditions that is leading to a much
stronger participation in the show from leadership this year
than 2024. And as in 2024 was no, was, was,
was not, was no slouch. But this year we've been it's
another, it's gone another level.
And I think that that participation is a really
(20:15):
reflection of. You know, optimism and
positivity about trading within the region.
The thing that we realised last year when we looked at our show,
we replicated a lot of programmes from the US and
through through that journey, welearned quite quickly that in
the US when they run their format called the Red Carpet
Club, the CEOs are domestic. So they all know each other.
(20:37):
So when you know the CEO of Walmart, John Ferner walks into
BJ's and it's Bob Eddy, they know each other and they walk in
and they run and they, they chat, right?
And both lovely men. But when you come to this part
of the world, as you say, it's so diverse.
And so we, we, our role and purpose for leadership became
(21:01):
really clear. We need to have a forum that
allowed the networking and connection to take place.
So you answer your question, yes, we're having a mixer on the
first night. And that mixer will be a bit of
a welcome from us, but also sometechnology which will allow them
to connect with each other at the show, create meetings with
each other in an exclusive environment that's partitioned
(21:23):
away from the main show. And then they've got a lounge
they can retreat to. They can have meetings in.
They can, you know, they can, they can retire and do a few
emails or do a few bits and pieces because then we know
that, you know, these people arebusy that they and they're going
to cherry pick content and quiteoften it's what happens on the
sidelines. It counts for these guys.
(21:44):
So creating a place, a safe place away from the hubbub of
the Expo and conference, which allows them to to retreat,
regroup, have a meeting, find a partner, those type of things.
So, but we've that that mixer upfront will allow them to, you
know, take the first step of connecting with others in the
room. I might need a hug next week on
(22:05):
Friday. You never know.
It's just it's going well, you know, you know, when you're on a
show, it's waves of my mind. It's waves of emotion.
So we're on a bit of a roll and it's all good.
It's exciting. It's really exciting.
OK. Thank you, Alex.
Cheers. So that was the wonderful reef
and giving his his top two. OK, well listen until next week.
Have a lovely week. Bye Alex, have a lovely day.
(22:26):
Bye. Cheers.
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