Last updated on April 17th, 2019 at 02:42 pm
Retail industry trade association Global Market Development Center (GMDC) is now an association affiliate of the Retail Analytics Council.
GMDC President and CEO Patrick Spear will represent GMDC for all RAC-related activities.
“It’s an honor for GMDC to be an association affiliate for the Retail Analytics Council,” Spear said. “This is a significant opportunity for GMDC to connect its members with RAC data and analytics in an effort to better prepare them for the future of retail, which involves robotics, automation and artificial intelligence. My involvement with RAC perfectly aligns with the core of GMDC’s Retail Tomorrow initiative by bringing together industry, education and innovation in order to meet the changing consumer needs.”
The RAC is a global initiative between the Medill School’s Integrated Marketing Communications Department at Northwestern University and the Platt Retail Institute. It is regarded as the leading organization focused on the study of consumer shopping behavior across retail platforms and the impact of new technologies. The RAC enhances collaboration among industry leaders and academia to study and advance the integration of technology and within retail in order to lead industry innovation.
As an association affiliate, GMDC, through Spear, will contribute industry expertise to enhance RAC initiatives involving executive education programs, professional workshops and training, industry research and more. Spear’s involvement will benefit GMDC members through RAC’s focus on the alignment of technology with the future of retail.
“As a result of GMDC’s affiliate status with the Retail Analytics Council, Patrick will be providing leading-edge robotics and AI information to GMDC members, both educating them about existing technologies and exposing them to what’s on the horizon,” said Steven Keith Platt, director and research fellow for Platt Retail Institute and research director of the RAC.
Recognizing the importance that robotics plays in the future of retail, GMDC and Retail Tomorrow work to inspire retailers to rethink the shopper experience through cutting-edge, consumer-facing technology.
GMDC connects people and companies to opportunities for growth through events, networking and insights that inspire innovation. For nearly 50 years, it has been the leading nonprofit trade association fostering discovery, continuous learning and uncommon partnerships focused on enhancing the shopper experience. Today it represents more than 125,000 retail outlets.
