[gallery size="full" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="54259,54260"]DUBAI — According to Abu Dhabi based Business DNA, the region's retail sector is far from being saturated, and expects the industry to see a growth of 7% to 12% in 2017. The company sees 2016 as a correction year for the industry, even as it looks to drive growth of Abu Dhabi's underrated retail market. Business DNA has signed up for the regions' first Smart Stores Expo, taking place in ADNEC Abu Dhabi from Jan. 23-25, 2017. The company who specializes on future technologies, will be showcasing its breadth of offering for the retail industry, including its very popular Souq Planet, the first digital supermarket in the Middle East. Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to leverage on i-Sell, Business DNA's most comprehensive Restaurant & Hospitality Management Software. The company will also be offering and end to end solutions, that will enable business owners the prospect to design a store from a concept level to a complete 360-degree co-management system that can be managed and monitored remotely. "Abu Dhabi has the highest per capita income in the region, and a retail exhibition might just be the catalyst needed to drive growth of this highly underrated market. We see 2016 as a correction year, and an exhibition in the early part of 2017 will be the perfect opportunity for us, and other industry players to showcase to the industry all the ground breaking technologies that are available in the market," commented Tarek El Goweiny, CEO & founder — Business DNA. Smart Stores Expo is attracting the right exhibitors so that the region's retail industry can leverage off the industry leading products and solutions that will be on display. This exhibition is ideal not just for big retail chains, but also for individual store owners, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, and SME and family business owners who are looking for cost effective solutions and products to revamp, grow or even start a new venture. Management capabilities will take centerstage at Smart Stores Expo, and the organizers behind the exhibition are confident that the benefits to the industry will be robust and lasting. Already the interest in the exhibition is tremendous. 2017 is widely expected to be the year when the regional retail sector will start to see increased investment and growth. Companies like Business DNA are gearing to this fact and remain confident that when the up-turn does happen they will be able to provide products and solutions that will help the retail industry sustain this growth trajectory. "Within the retail sector, business owners have now begun to realize the cost benefits of viable Information Technology solutions that provide real time analytics. At a time of consolidation, more are more business owners are looking for future technologies that can help them sustain and then ultimately grow their business. Smart Stores Expo is the ideal exhibition for any business owner to come and see, under one roof all that the industry has to offer," added Jayaraman Nair, chairman, VIS Exhibitions and Conferences. Smart Stores Expo 2017 is categorically designed to offer 4 broad categories of exhibitors' profile: Smart Store Design, Smart Store Technologies, Smart Store Services and Smart Virtual Stores. This broadly means that A to Z solutions ranging from Architecture, Commercial Design, Audio Visual Equipment to Retail Logistics & Store Simulations will be addressed at the expo. This expo itself is a networking platform, and the Conference area and the Business Lounge provide space for holistic networking sessions. Participating exhibitors can also maximise mileage as part of the extensive marketing campaigns being carried out by the organizers of the Smart Stores Expo. Exhibitors will be part of their social media campaigns, monthly newsletters & press releases, business matchmaking sessions along with pre-event coverage in industry publications. This can be leveraged as a platform for parallel or future marketing activities too. Smart Stores Expo is an ideal platform for investors to launch, showcase & present their latest innovations, services and products; along with meeting industry peers, building brand awareness and meeting prospective clients. Both exhibitors and visitors will have a unique opportunity to stay up-to-date with emerging trends in the dynamic retail industry, locally, regionally, and globally. As the dynamics of running a retail store evolves, owners now have to get out there and keep track of industry trends and this expo seeks to serve that purpose, by being a one-stop-retail solutions providing the latest in technology, trends & equipment.
