Deal Making in Retail and Consumer Products

• Looking at transaction trends over the last year- how have valuations and deal terms changed?
• What retail sectors look attractive from an investment standpoint? Where do you see the most growth potential in the future?
• Best practices for managing your retail investment to maximize ROI
• Structuring the deal- what deal structures have worked in the past and what deal structures do you anticipate working in the future? How has the changing retail landscape changed your approach to deals? 
• The future role of PE in Retail
• Strategic buyer perspective and role in future retail investments

Leadership Speaks- Perspectives from Senior Operating Executives

• Top management and board issues facing the leadership of retail
• Driving performance through effective leadership
• Consumer confidence and trust- what do retailers need to do to rebuild and maintain the trust of their buyers
• Supply chain and inventory concerns: The recession left retailers with excessive inventory.
• How can retailers find the right balance of inventory going forward and fix the supply chain issues resulting from the recession?
• As the economy picks up, where should retailers be cutting costs and where should they be deploying capital?

Understanding and Meeting the Demands of the Changing Consumer

• Insights into the latest thinking on customer behavior, engagement and retention
• Building strategies for an era of post recession purchasing restraint
• Will the move to value retailing last beyond the recovery? How should retailers consider the mix of value lines and premium?

The Big Debate- What is the Future of Retail?

• Impact of and increasing relevance of technology to shoppers
• Multi-channel retailing
• The future of social media as it relates to retail
• Changing attitudes towards sustainability and “green” purchases- how retailers should think about incorporating

*Last updated 8/12/10