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World Retail Congress 2025: Why trust is retail’s strongest currency

Ikea, UK

Ikea Hus of Frakta, UK

A Life at Home at Ikea Festival Milan 2022

UK – The first day of World Retail Congress 2025 in London revolved around the theme Faster, Bolder, Smarter. Opening the day, Ken Murphy, CEO of multinational supermarket chain Tesco, set the tone by stating: ‘In an age of uncertainty, discord and division, trust carries a higher currency than ever.’ His keynote address placed human needs at the centre, emphasising that brand trust will be the most valuable asset for retailers navigating the next economic cycle.

Simon Pakenham-Walsh, chief information officer of multichannel retailer River Island, shared how radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has helped the brand achieve 98–99% stock accuracy. In a standout session on connected retail experiences, he highlighted the roll-out of RFID-enabled smart fitting rooms – now live in 30 River Island stores – which offer shoppers tailored, in-the-moment advice. This elevated touchpoint enhances the consumer’s emotional journey, echoing themes we explored in our EQ-Commerce macrotrend.

Retail growth was a central theme in a panel featuring Stefan Vanoverbeke, retail markets manager at Ikea. He discussed the brand’s new city format strategy, highlighting the recent opening of a concept store on London’s Oxford Street. Vanoverbeke emphasised that every touchpoint is designed with customer-centricity in mind. This aligns with insights from our Modular Retail report, which explored how flexible, modular store formats can help retailers stay agile in the face of rapidly shifting consumer expectations.

Elsewhere, the growing power of the Meno-economy was brought to light by Heather Jackson, co-founder of GenM, a menopause partner for brands. The brand has created the MTick, a universal symbol for menopause-friendly products, delivering choice, trust and visibility to the underserved menopausal consumer. As we explored in our Menopause Travel microtrend report, the global menopause market is experiencing significant growth and is predicted to increase from £14.5bn ($18.6bn, €17.2bn) in 2025 to £21.6bn ($27.6bn, €25.4bn) in 2033, at an average annual rate of 5.1% (source: Global Newswire). Jackson highlighted how this market is underserved, saying: ‘This is about legacy-building, category-making and giving women the power to search, source and shop with confidence.’

Strategic opportunity

Retailers should invest in adaptive store formats, inclusive services and tech-enhanced personalisation to build trust, address underserved audiences and future-proof customer relationships in an era of economic and social flux

Hawaii introduces climate-driven tourist tax

Head & Shoulders by Procter & Gamble, France

Hawaii – Hawaii is making climate history with a landmark bill that raises tourist taxes to fund environmental protection and climate resilience projects.

Backed by Governor Josh Green, the legislation introduces a 0.75% increase to the existing 10.25% lodging tax on hotels, timeshares and holiday rentals, alongside a new 11% tax on cruise ship stays, prorata-ed by port days. Officials predict the initiative will generate nearly £75.4m ($100m, €89.6m) annually, funding projects such as Waikiki beach replenishment, wildfire prevention and hurricane defences.

As rising visitor numbers put a strain on fragile eco-systems, we are entering a new era of purpose-led tourism governance – one increasingly shaped by community-led activism, regulatory shifts and travellers’ appetite for responsible experiences, a topic explored in our Anti-tourism Market. By implementing this new bill, Hawaii joins the ranks of businesses and organisations using legalities and governance to protect the environment and even electing nature as a stakeholder.

Strategic opportunity

Brands and businesses in tourism and hospitality should turn climate levies into visible, participatory initiatives, inviting guests to engage in local environmental projects and transparently showcasing the tangible outcomes their contributions enable

Stat: Gen Z turn to daily supplements as wellness becomes an everyday routine

Gen Z Supplement daily intake, UK/US

UK/US – Wellness is no longer a trend for Gen Z, it’s a daily ritual. According to the latest Gen Z State of Beauty 2024/2025 report from Kyra, 80% of Gen Z in the UK and the US now take between one and six supplements every day, with multivitamins (41%) and vitamin D (24%) leading the pack. Headspace, Bloom, MyProtein, Olly and Lemme are cited as Gen Z’s favourite brands.

Supplements are increasingly viewed as non-negotiable, with 15% of 18–24-year-olds in the UK and the US subscribing to regular deliveries. Social media is a key driver: 36% have purchased wellness products more than once after seeing them through creators, and 5% say they shop from influencer recommendations all the time.

‘Subscription models are working well for Gen Z, and influencer marketing, especially with an educational angle, drives acute discovery,’ the report notes.

As Kyra puts it: ‘There are (literal) gateway drugs for this audience.’ For wellness brands, the opportunity lies in positioning products not as quick fixes, but as enduring lifestyle choices.

LS:N Global has previously explored the growing health supplements market, particularly its focus on longevity and anti-ageing innovations, in our Breakthrough Biohacks report.

Strategic opportunity

Position wellness as an integral daily ritual by offering habit-stacking product bundles and flexible, reward-led subscription models that build long-term loyalty and embed your brand in Gen Z’s everyday routines