В Шри-Ланке пройдет форум ритейлеров: обсудят роль ИИ и цифровизации в развитии торговли

News, Business 01 Sep, 2026 The Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA) is all set to bring together more than 500 retail leaders, business decision-makers, entrepreneurs, technology experts, policymakers and investors at the Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2026, scheduled for Thursday, 10 September 2026, at the Lumina Ballroom, Cinnamon Life, City of Dreams, Colombo. The Forum will be held under the theme “Retail Without Boundaries: Building the Next Growth Engine.” The Forum will examine the forces shaping the next phase of Sri Lanka’s retail sector, with discussions covering retail growth, productivity, customer experience, brand transformation, digital commerce, artificial intelligence, data, automation and technology-led business transformation. Soumya Dwibedi, Partner, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, will deliver the keynote address on “Retail as a Growth Engine,” exploring regional and global shifts in go-to-market strategies, business transformation and the structural changes required for retail expansion in Sri Lanka. The speaker lineup features leading regional and local voices including Dr. Roshan Perera, Consultant, Centre for Poverty Analysis; Dr. Asanga Ranasinghe, Director, Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Hansa Wongsiripitack, Senior Vice President, The 1 Central Group; Clehan Pulle, Group Director, Group CEO and Co-Founder, Finetech Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd; Mahesh Wijewardene, Group Managing Director, Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC; and Dilupa Pathirana, Chief Executive Officer, Barista Coffee Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. Their sessions will explore productivity and performance, customer experience and loyalty, AI-enabled customer service, retail transformation, brand modernization, growth strategies and the future of specialty coffee retail. A key highlight will be the Technology and Future Retail panel, moderated by Crystal Nathan, Chief Insights Officer and Executive Director, PepperCube Consultants. The panel will feature Avanthie De Zoysa, General Manager, Marketing & Leasing, Havelock City Mall; Nalin Karunaratne, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ceylon Biscuits Limited; Priantha Fernando, Chief Executive Officer, The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka; and Dr. Romesh Ranawana, Group Chief Analytics & AI Officer, Dialog Axiata PLC. The discussion will explore how AI, big data and phygital customer journeys are transforming retail business models, supply chains and customer interactions. The Forum will also feature Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce as Chief Guest, who will share perspectives on the macroeconomic outlook and national policy vision for trade, commerce and retail growth in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2026 is supported by a broad network of industry partners. Keells and BYD are the Platinum Sponsors, with Singer as Gold Sponsor and Abans and Healthguard as Silver Sponsors. Category Partners include NDB Wealth Management, Samsung, Unilever and John Keells Logistics, while Associate Sponsors include Havelock City Mall, Vision Care, Hameedia, DSI, Cool Planet, Barista SPAR and CBL. Finetech is the Tech Talk Sponsor, P&S the Strategic Sponsor, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce the Event Manager, Lakarcade the Official Gift & Souvenir Partner, Azbow the Digital Partner and Impressions Public Relations the PR Partner. With more than 500 senior industry stakeholders expected to attend, the Forum will provide a platform for knowledge exchange, business networking and dialogue on the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of retail. Through its focus on growth, customer experience, technology, AI, productivity and collaboration, the Forum aims to contribute to a more innovative and future-ready retail sector in Sri Lanka. Tickets are priced at LKR 22,000 for SLRA members and LKR 24,000 for non-members. For registrations and further information, contact 011 558 8892 / 011 558 8852 or [email protected] / [email protected]. Recommended For You Colombo Gazette is a leading news and entertainment website, covering stories related to Sri Lanka. The content consists of text based news, photos and videos and is linked to social media websites including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to provide a wider coverage for its stories. Copyright © 2026 Colombo Gazette. All rights reserved.