2018 Marcum Retail Symposium: April 19 in Los Angeles
New York City, NY – Marcum LLP, a top-ranked accounting and advisory firm with a nationally recognized Retail & Consumer Products Practice, will present the second annual Marcum Retail Symposium in Los Angeles on April 19, at the JW Marriott Hotel.
The symposium will provide retailers, factors, merchandisers, manufacturers, distributors, investors, mall operators, and service providers with insight from some of the industry’s most prominent voices, about the future of retailing and the business model of tomorrow.
Keynote speakers include Leslie Ghize, Executive Vice President, TOBE, and Beth Goldstein, Executive Director, Industry Analyst & Client Development, Fashion Footwear & Accessories, The NPD Group. There will also be two expert panels featuring the following presenters:
- Ronald Friedman, Partner & Co-Leader, Retail and Consumer Goods Industry Group, Marcum LLP (Moderator).
- Brian Harper, Chief Executive Officer, Brookfield Properties, Retail.
- Marc Heller, President, CIT Commercial Services.
- Brendan Kotler, Development Director, Westfield.
- Louis Mastrianni, President, Long Island/Queens & Apparel Industry Middle Market Banking, JPMorgan Chase.
- Ilse Metchek, President, California Fashion Association (Moderator).
- Andrew Rotondi, Chief Operations/Information Officer, Dynamic Worldwide Logistics USA, Inc.
- Mark Werts, Owner, American Rag Cie.
A Q&A and networking cocktail reception will follow the presentations.
“We are significantly over-retailed in the United States, and as a result, the industry currently is going through a period of right-sizing. We can expect that of the 900 malls in the U.S. today, 300 will be gone in the next five years. The remaining 600 are either already being reconceived, or will be, to create a new kind of destination venue that is less apparel-centric and far more experiential for consumers,” said Ronald Friedman, national leader of Marcum’s Retail & Consumer Products Practice group.
“The battle between Amazon and Wal-Mart epitomizes the current state of retail and its claim on the future. Amazon continues to open distribution centers around the country in order to shorten its delivery cycle, and is returning to brick-and-mortar bookselling while simultaneously investing in new online offerings such as fresh groceries. Wal-Mart is fighting back with free delivery for online orders above a certain threshold, and with their 4700 retail locations, has the built-in ability to deliver very quickly and to give customers the option of same-day order pick-up. It will be very interesting to see how these two industry giants make out, and to hear what our panelists have to say about what retail needs to do to successfully navigate through this remarkable period of market adjustment,” Mr. Friedman said.
The 2018 Marcum Retail Symposium is supported by numerous retail industry and related companies, led by platinum sponsors CIT Group, Dynamic Worldwide, and JP Morgan Chase. For complete sponsorship information, registration, and program details, visit www.marcumevents.com.
About Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP is a top-ranked national accounting and advisory firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurial, middle-market companies and high net worth individuals achieve their goals. Marcum’s industry-focused practices offer deep insight and specialized services to privately held and publicly registered companies, and nonprofit and social sector organizations. The Firm also provides a full complement of technology, wealth management, and executive search and staffing services. Headquartered in New York City, Marcum has offices in major business markets across the U.S. and select international locations. #AskMarcum.
