The Retail Summit 2019: What young entrepreneurs need to focus on
As a budding retail strategy planner, the Retail Summit was exactly the place I wanted to be at! Meeting and greeting CEOs of renowned companies, gaining knowledge about the current global market scenarios and innovative business ideas gave me an insight about what the biggest companies in the world are thriving to achieve and what our focus, as young entrepreneurs, should be!
Two of my favourite interactions were ‘Women Empowerment in Retail’ and ‘Sustainable Development’. I was fortunate to get the opportunity to connect with global business leaders on topics I strongly care about.
I got the chance to interact with the Founder of Virgin Group, Mr. Richard Branson, about how the government can play a role in banning the use of plastic in their respective countries. His response was valuable as he mentioned the example of Scandinavian countries that have taken measures to reduce the use of plastic.
I also got the opportunity to connect with the CEO of Jo Malone Perfumes, Ms. Jo Malone, who shared insights on how women in retail are growing and what challenges they are facing. The discussion included issues such as gender and pay inequality in retail and how to tackle competition within the industry.
These conversations not only gave me a perspective on how to lead my life as a woman entrepreneur but also learn from the mistakes that the past generations have committed and not repeat them. Also, such networking events have always allowed me to bring my thoughts to the table and get feedback from industry experts.
I’d like to thank SP Jain for allowing me to represent our school at such a prestigious event. It was truly a privilege to be there and I would encourage students to volunteer and attend such events in the future.
About the Author: Saumya Gupta
Saumya Gupta is a Global MBA student specialising in Contemporary Marketing Management at SP Jain School of Global Management. Saumya has over 3 years of work experience in Retail and Business Development. She has played basketball for India at the National level and has worked for Decathlon Sports. She is an extrovert, a confident communicator and a versatile leader. Her interests include travelling, networking and food.
