Dr Azar Jammine, the director and chief economist of Econometrix, will discuss global relevance, the domestic outlook for the future and some scenarios for retailers to plan for or against in the near term. He will provide a brief overview of the South African economy, with reference to the retail and advertising sectors, and will look at how South Africa's retail industry is affected by the global community in general and with a specific focus on the impact of the global recession.
In addition, he will provide insights and signs to look for in the future, to help retailers plan ahead by providing a number of different scenarios with likely macro and micro economic implications.
Mark Andeer, the vice president of brand strategy for OfficeMax, will tell the story of how the company uses fashion, trends, design and private labels to bring new life and energy to an office supplies category. In 2009, he helped reposition the brand to target women with more stylish, creative and affordable products, services and shopping experiences, which led to features on CNN American Morning, Chicago Business and national public radio.
