Impact of COVID-19 on e-commerce discussed
12 Dec 2020 Panellists during the forum. The Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) held the 38th edition of the quarterly Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec) Forum, powered by Entrepreneur ME, titled ‘Realities of Retail in 2020: Offline to Online’.
At the opening Hans Christensen, Vice President of Dtec, said: “Every Dtec Forum edition focuses on a trending topic and tackles issues that are affecting technology and entrepreneurship industries. We aim to explore, educate, and provoke discussions that pave the way for knowledge exchange and potentially yield collaborations beyond the forum. The year 2020 has been challenging for everyone across the globe, and crucial for the e-commerce industry in the Mena region.”
the headlines scream retail apocalypse. we expect more pain ahead for retail. it s not as if we didn t talk about the decline of the mall. investors waking up to a retail wreck. retail is dead makes for a great dramatic headline. it does. is it true? i don t think it s dead. retailers really need to think outside the box on how they want to appeal to consumers to get them back into the malls so they ll buy. what s driving them away? you guessed it, the e-commerce boom. do i not need to have the mall experience where i m going through racks of clothes in the 50% off area? i think the discounts that online is offering outbeat the store and so consumers aren t shopping at the mall anymore. the ripple effect of a single anchor store closing can be devastating. when this macy s shut down in new jersey, 107 people were laid off. and while job creation is clearly a priority for president trump we are going to bring back your coal industry and your steel industry.