Over 800 companies from nearly 100 countries and regions gathered here on Sunday for the annual expo of the U.S. National Retail Federation (NRF), which offers new ideas, perspectives and technologies to global industry insiders.
The NRF 2020 Vision: Retail's Big Show expects to see some 38,000 people, including exhibitors, industry visitors, experts and speakers, pouring into the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan on Jan. 12-14, according to the organizer.
The global retail industry is experiencing a major transformation driven by shoppers' growing expectations for convenience and personalization. As pioneers in reshaping the retail landscape, over a dozen Chinese companies, including Lenovo, Qingdao Hisense, Sumni Tech, and Wintec System, joined the grand show with high-quality hardware facilities and retail solutions designed to enhance modern user experience.
CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella and Kevin Johnson, president and CEO of Starbucks, are among the over 400 speakers invited by the NRF to share their insights and perspectives at more than 100 panels and speeches during the 2020 show.
The event comes at a time when the brick-and-mortar stores are facing mounting challenges due to the expansion of e-commerce.
According to Coresight Research, Forever 21, Walgreens, GameStop, Gap and other chains closed over 9,300 stores in 2019, the biggest year ever for store shutdowns in the United States.
