The aim is to connect retailers with technology companies and foster innovation
The Santa Catarina Technology Association (ACATE) is launching a new vertical to bring together retailers, startups, and large technology companies focused on retail. Partnering with this initiative is Almeida Junior, the largest shopping mall company in the South of Brazil. Vertical Varejo is ACATE’s 13th business group, which aims to foster innovation through technology in different economic segments. The launch event will take place on February 19 at the ACATE – Primavera Innovation Center.
The initiative will operate in the same way as the association’s other Verticals, offering events and discussions about the sector, and already has the support of a major sponsor, Almeida Junior. For the company’s head of corporate marketing, Monique Campos, “the desire for instantaneousness and convenience, as well as changes in consumer behavior and consumption have led retailers to invest in other areas, especially technology.”
“Almeida Junior created the Experimental Innovation Center (AJ.LABS), in-house, and is now going to share experiences and encourage the technology segment to bet on new tools aimed at retail, being a sponsor of Vertical Varejo,” she adds.
About Vertical Varejo
The Vertical Varejo is focused on accelerating the digitalization of the sector by uniting different ends of the retail industry with technology companies. For Daniel Leipnitz, president of the Santa Catarina Technology Association, “Vertical Varejo will facilitate the identification of new retail problems that technology can solve, opening up new opportunities for companies and merchants.”
In this new economic scenario in Brazil, many companies still need to reinvent themselves in order to survive on the market. More than ever, consumers have been looking for value-added products and companies that invest in purchase experiences and efficiency in processes, and that offer the facilities of the digital universe to their customers. “Innovation is required for the sector to start growing again in the coming years, and we are sure that the Vertical Varejo will facilitate this process,” adds Leipnitz.
