Ed King.

NEW YORK—Ed King, a retail innovator and customer experience (CX) expert, will be the featured opening speaker at the VM LIVE session, “Minding the Store: Digital Tech Reinvisions The Shopper’s Experience,” planned for Wednesday Sept. 13 in Las Vegas.

A student of human behavior and natural storyteller, King has engaged retailers like AT&T, Home Depot, Vision Source, Porsche, Reebok, and Shell by taking a scientific approach to understanding why people act, behave, shop, purchase and remain loyal to certain brands. King believes that it takes both data and creativity to craft memorable, meaningful experiences that customers crave. King has worked at Max Media, Chief Storyteller and iris worldwide and is a frequent speaker at leading edge retail/digital events.

Sweeping changes in consumer attitudes and expectations, along with digitization and new tech tools, are impacting all businesses. Brick-and-mortar retailers need to compete with online players; both are adapting techniques from each other. “There are serious issues confronting traditional retailers, but consumers are still seeking reasons to go to a store … or visit their favorite site. In stores or online, they tend to shop a brand that understands their digital lifestyle,” pointed out Marge Axelrad, Vision Monday’s editor-in-chief.


Featuring speakers from inside and outside of the optical industry, “Minding the Store” will explore how digital technologies are being adapted into the retail store. From merchandising ideas and experience displays to sales data capture and customer relationship management systems, VM LIVE will inform attendees about the latest innovations.

VM LIVE is another in a series of Vision Monday’s leadership-driven, special live information-sharing and networking events, targeting top optical retailers, executive decision makers and influential practitioners.

Europa is a Platinum sponsor and ABS is a Gold sponsor of VM LIVE’s “Minding the Store: Digital Tech Reinvisions the Shopper’s Experience.” Registration is now open for VM LIVE, which will be held in Las Vegas from 3:30 to 6:00 pm on Sept. 13.