Doug Stephens

The Metaverse is coming: it’s a parallel and immersive digital reality comprised of interconnected worlds and technologies, and it’s set to completely redefine how we work, communicate, entertain and shop.  While still years away from its full potential, today’s astute brands are making already early bets on the importance of the Metaverse and its technological revolution.  Based on first-hand conversations with the companies and individuals leading that revolution, Stephens provides incisive insight into how the Metaverse will shape entirely new consumer experiences, retail revenue streams, and business practices. This talk is essential for any retailer looking to lead their organization into this new reality. 

There has been, perhaps no other time in modern history when so much hinged on effective leadership and communication. In times like these, steady-handed leadership is the only thing that sits between strategic cohesiveness and organizational chaos. And yet the pandemic has also show us how few leaders truly rise to the occasion when the moment demands it. And with Black Swan events becoming ever more frequent, the question is how can leaders hone a new level of skill and effectiveness in preparation for the next crisis?

In this fascinating new talk, Doug Stephens lays out the 4 key principles of effective leadership through any crisis, including COVID-19. Filled with examples from both the current and previous global crises, we show you the surprising secrets of the world’s most effective leaders.

Join author and internationally renowned consumer futurist Doug Stephens for an amazing tour of the future, where every aspect of the retail experience as we know it will be radically transformed.

Since the release of Doug Stephens’ first best-selling book The Retail Revival, change in the global retail sector has accelerated beyond even the boldest forecasts. As predicted, online giants like Amazon and Alibaba.com are growing at a dizzying pace. Hundreds of well-known brick and mortar retailers have closed their doors, and brands and retailers across categories are struggling to understand the shifting needs and expectations of a new consumer. Stephens will show you that this is only the beginning. From online to bricks and mortar, the very concept of what stores are, how consumers shop them, and even the core economic model for revenue will be profoundly reinvented. Changes are sure to affect not only retailers large and small but any business with a stake in the global retail industry.

Drawing on research from his new book, Reengineering Retail: The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World, Stephens will share actionable strategies that will separate the winners and losers in the market and show you what smart brands and retailers are doing today to secure their place in the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s consumer.

Doug Stephens is an expert on retail business strategy, and he brings his wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge to your company in this highly customizable keynote and workshop. What are the latest retail trends within your industry or category? How are demographic and technological shifts affecting your customer base? What can your company do to stay ahead of the curve? To help your company excel in the ultra-competitive realm of retail, manufacturing or consumer packaged goods, Stephens is constantly collecting data and case studies—in a variety of fields—to give you strategies that are broad in scope, yet focused in purpose.

Millennials are now the largest single generational segment on the planet. Their spending will exceed that of Baby Boomers, representing unprecedented opportunities for brands that adapt and innovate to engage them—and an existential threat to those that don’t.  The new generation of Generation Z shoppers, on the other hand, spend less, and they have other surprising habits: they prefer to shop in-store and are less likely to shop online than millenials or boomers.

In this unique and dynamic take on Millennial and Gen Z shoppers, Doug Stephens delivers cutting edge insight into these two generations, their economic reality, social needs, their specific traits and preferences, as well as the surprising essence of their relationships with brands. Stephens also shares the broad generalizations about Millennial and Gen Z consumers that brands would be wise to avoid. This enlightening and unconventional keynote is a must-see for business leaders looking to connect with two vitally important generations of consumers.

90 percent of the data that exists today was created within the last two years. And while the sheer volume and velocity of data is definitely astonishing, what’s even more compelling is our growing capacity to gather, analyze, and make sense of it all. From social media streams, videos, and reviews to weather, traffic, and machine-to-machine communication, each day a virtual universe of data is being created. Smart brands are honing their understanding of that data and its potential impact on every aspect of their customer’s experience with their brand. This talk will provide a clear view into the future of retail by examining this new and amazing data deluge, and how pioneering brands around the world are turning it into a new world of opportunity.

In this fascinating talk, Doug Stephens tackles the future of consumerism. He sheds light on the key shifts in economics, demographics, technology, and media that are completely transforming the consumer landscape, and the very essence of how we buy. Who the consumer is, in addition to how, where, and even why they shop, is changing rapidly and forever. The way our stores look—and how we interact with them—are constantly in flux. Mobile technology, social commerce, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, virtual reality, big data, and a deluge of developing technologies are all conspiring to forever change how we buy. How do we cope with all these transformations? Stephens shares what smart brands are doing today to re-imagine their businesses and capitalize on these historic changes.