In September 2019, eXpression Umeå's accelerator program Future Retail Lab starts. The programme is an initiative at the eXpression Umeå incubator, which creates conditions for entrepreneurship in creative and cultural industries. The Future Retail Lab will work with new entrepreneurs and existing owner-operated companies to focus on the sustainable retail of the future.
Already during the spring, together with strong actors such as the Swedish Commerce Federation and the Swedish Trade Council, workshops have been arranged on the subject of skills supply and digital and global transformation in commerce. The events have taken place in Gothenburg and Linköping, and already on 7 May, eXpression and Future Retail Lab invite retailers in Umeå to a similar workshop. The workshop will be based on the fact that Umeå has the best city centre in Sweden, according to the latest survey by the trade magazine Markets.
https://www.market.se/nyhet/snabbklattraren-har-finns-sveriges-basta-cityhandel-pagar-en-omstallning
Magnus Ohlsson from the company We Hunt For Heads has with his experience from retail, including as CEO, marketing and sales manager, held inspirational lectures and run successful workshops where participants in leading positions from Ellos and H&M, among others, together with smaller players discussed the future opportunities and challenges. These have ranged from broadening skills, the importance of the brand, social and environmental sustainability and reviewing outdated business models.
- The experience shows that many of the participants are positive about the future, although they also report challenges of course. We also see an emerging change in attitudes.
As one of our participants in Gothenburg put it,
"You can choose to be a victim of circumstance, but I can't be a victim anymore."
A quote that clearly says that we all need to be part of the journey in retail, not sit still and wait, but drive change ourselves," says Annakarin Nyberg, programme manager at Future Retail Lab.
The Future Retail Lab programme is a joint venture with the Swedish Retail Federation via the Swedish Merchants' Association Foundation and is also part-financed by EU structural funds. In autumn 2019, a pilot will be carried out in Umeå, with a view to opening up the programme to national participation. From 15 April, companies can apply to participate in the programme via eXpression.se.
eXpression Umeå is an incubator that supports the development of ideas and innovations in creative, artistic and cultural industries. eXpression offers an innovative environment for driven creators who are ready to develop their entrepreneurship.
Contact
Annakarin Nyberg,
Programme Manager, Future Retail Lab
annakarin.nyberg@expressionumea.se
Anna Wikholm,
Business Developer, Future Retail Lab
anna.wikholm@expressionumea.se
