Asia retail sales projected to amount to over US$10 trillion by 2018 – 2nd RetailEX ASEAN 2016 / POS & Auto ID 2016 aims to pave the way

Thursday 02 June 2016 12:34
IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd. (IMPACT) has teamed up once again with the Thai Retailers Association (TRA) & Globe International Events Consultancy Pte Ltd (GIEC), the exhibition organizer from Singapore to co-organize the 2nd edition of RetailEX ASEAN, the largest in-store equipment & solutions Expo in Southeast Asia from 25th – 27th August 2016 at Hall 1, IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand. The show organisers will also be organizing for the 1st time POS & Auto ID 2016 which will be co-located with RetailEX ASEAN 2016.

With the Thai Shopping Center Association (TSCA) as a new co-organizer of the 2 co-located shows with TRA, IMPACT & GIEC, RetailEX ASEAN & POS & Auto ID 2016 are set to create the new benchmark in the ASEAN Retailing Industry.

The joint events will be featuring over 200 Thai and international exhibiting companies, showcasing a wide array of retail equipment, fitting design and solutions serving the whole retail industry with the POS and Auto ID technology serving the retail industry as well as other the hotel, restaurant & manufacturing industry. This provides the most complete trade platform for exhibitors to market themselves profitably, increase brand image & create awareness, network & extend customer base as well as identify and tap on new opportunities in Southeast Asia.

The outlook for Asia's consumer goods and retail sector represents a bright spot. Sales growth in the region will be the fastest in the world over the next five years, averaging 8.5% in US dollar terms and 4.6% in average volume terms. This compares to global average rates of 5.6% and 3% respectively and to Western European rates of 0.6% and 0.8% respectively. By 2018, Asian retail sales are expected to amount to over US$ 10 trillion, almost half of the US$ 23 trillion in sales generated by the world's 60 largest economies and twice that of North America, the next largest region. Then there is the urbanization factor. In 2015, the UN estimates that there will be 22 mega-cities with populations over 10 million; 12 of those cities are in Asia. New, more densely-packed city dwellers will fuel a rise in discretionary spending, prompt development of modern retail outlets and require investment in urban infrastructure, while new, modern retail space will in turn bring new retailers to the region. The outlook for Asia looks promising with millions of connected, sophisticated, urban dwellers – consumers who will readily buy products. (source: www.pwc.com) This massive market encourages global retailers looking for new paths to expand in Asia. RetailEX ASEAN, co-located with POS & ID 2016 provides an ideal platform for best networking and business exchange.

Mr. Loy Joon How, General Manager of IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd. said, "Following the great success of the 1st edition of RetailEX ASEAN 2015 which oversaw the participation of more than 200 brands highlighting the latest Retail Technology, Shop Fitting, Payment Solutions and many other related fields with the generation of approximately 1 Billion Baht of trade volume during the show, the 2nd edition in 2016 promises more excitement to solidify its reputation as the leading trade, networking & knowledge hub for ASEAN retail businesses. RetailEX ASEAN 2016 promises more opportunities with the co-location of POS & Auto ID 2016. Both shows are targeting over 6,000 trade visitors from around the region and aim to offer countless business opportunities to the industry players in the Retail, POS & Auto ID industry and also provide updates on the latest trends which are not to be missed."

Ms. Wallaya Chirathivat, President of Thai Shopping Center Association, commented "The retail industry in Thailand has been gaining a lot of developments and growth in recent years and it is without a doubt that the Thai and ASEAN market is now becoming one of the prime regions for investments in the world. The retailing environment in Thailand is expected to become more colourful in the coming years. Not only will new outlets increase, but new modern store layouts and formats will be introduced to match consumers' lifestyles. Digital technology will have an important impact in terms of both sales and promotions. Retail players will have to think beyond only domestic demand as integration of digital advances result in greater connectivity. Domestic retailing will not aim to serve only local people, but international tourists are also expected to contribute to greater value sales, especially when shopping for apparel and footwear, bags, jewelry and etc. Therefore, the TSCA sees RetailEX ASEAN and POS & Auto ID 2016 coming in at the right time to provide a comprehensive platform to assist the Thai & ASEAN Retailing Industry in making the step up towards reaching out successfully to target consumers in this new era".

Dr. Chatchai Tuangrattanapan, Director of the Thai Retailers Association, said, "Since the size of most retail businesses in Thailand are small and medium, we fully hope that the retailers or retail players would be able to take this grand opportunity to gear up and grow their business as well as extend their network by connecting with other regional players by participating in RetailEX ASEAN 2016 and POS & Auto ID 2016. Moreover, the 2-in-1 exhibitions are among the best platforms for better understanding of new trends, innovations and knowledge through the various conferences, workshops and seminars."

According to the research in 2015, it was forecast that in 2016, hotel and restaurant industry will expand around 4 - 6 % with total investments of around THB 949-967 billion, versus 2015's THB 913 billion. In addition, the RFID Market in Thailand (A Key Profile of Auto ID) is expected to reach US$ 120 million in value by 2020. This implies a compound annual growth rate of around 14.5%.

In Thailand & Globally, Automobile/Transportation constitutes the largest end user sector with an estimated US$ 3.5 billion value in 2015 while Healthcare & Medical is projected to be the fastest growing end user sector with 2014 - 2020 CAGR of 21% to touch US$ 620 million by 2020. Retail, healthcare and manufacturing constitute some of the most rapidly expanding sectors that would be instrumental in propelling demand for RFID technology in ASEAN. As a result, Thailand would be the perfect place to launch POS & Auto ID Expo.

Ms. Rosalind Ng, Managing Director of Globe International Events Consultancy Pte Ltd (GIEC), Singapore mentioned, "Bangkok, Thailand was selected as an ideal location to stage POS & Auto ID 2016 in view of Thailand being the second largest economy and second largest consumer market in Southeast Asia. With a market of 67.7 million consumers, consumption expenditure takes up more than half of Thailand's GDP. Together with the co-located 2nd edition of RetailEX ASEAN 2016, I am confident that those in the industry will realize valuable trade, networking & knowledge opportunities this coming August when the 2 shows officially open their doors."

RetailEX ASEAN 2016 is the largest in-store equipment & solution expo in Southeast Asia and POS & Auto ID 2016 is the only international exhibition for both POS and the Auto ID technology catering to all industries, especially the hotel, restaurant and manufacturing industries. The 2 shows will be held from 25 – 27 August 2016 at Hall 1, IMPACT Exhibition & Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand.