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World Retail Congress 2026: Retail’s Roadmap to 2030

World Retail Congress 2026, Berlin

Germany – In Berlin, retail leaders, policymakers and brand executives have gathered for World Retail Congress 2026, where discussions centred around retail’s roadmap to 2030.

In his opening address, Ian McGarrigle, chairman and director of World Retail Congress, framed today’s landscape as one shaped by continual disruption, arguing that ‘rare black swan moments have become the norm’ as retailers navigate economic uncertainty, AI acceleration and shifting consumer confidence.

Throughout the day, speakers repeatedly returned to the idea that retail is no longer confined to channels or storefronts. Karsten Wildberger, federal minister for digital transformation and government modernisation, described a customer journey increasingly shaped by social media, AI agents and seamless fulfilment systems. He noted that retail is ‘evolving into a hybrid infrastructure [spanning] media, logistics, services and technology’.

Many discussions framed trust as retail’s key differentiator. During an exclusive research presentation from global advisory firm Brunswick Group, insights drawn from a study of 5,000 consumers across five markets unpacked how trust is being reshaped by decentralised media environments.

According to the research, 74% of consumers trust large retail companies to provide fair and accurate information, although this trust remains relatively shallow: 49% said they trust retailers somewhat, while 25% expressed a great deal of trust. Speakers argued that trust is no longer owned by any single actor, but assembled across a network of influences, from friends and family to creators, reviews and AI assistants.

These dynamics align closely with themes explored in our New Codes of Value, which explores how consumers increasingly judge brands through emerging measures of value beyond price or convenience. As trust becomes distributed across platforms and communities, retailers are being challenged to demonstrate care, connection, transformation, resourcefulness and enoughness – proving value through how they support consumers within an increasingly complex retail ecosystem.

Strategic opportunity

Build trust across every touchpoint, not just owned channels. Align creators, reviews, AI interactions, staff and community experiences around consistent values so credibility is reinforced wherever consumers encounter your brand

Japan pays singles to swipe as birth rates hit record lows

Japan – A rural region in Japan, Kochi Prefecture, is subsidising dating app use as part of efforts to address the country’s deepening demographic crisis.

Residents aged 20 to 39 can receive up to £93 ($125, €107) to use certified matchmaking platforms, including Tapple, Japan’s largest match-making app.

The initiative reflects a broader cultural shift, with increased state intervention to address the loneliness epidemic and declining population levels, alongside the growing mainstream use of dating apps.

A 2024 survey by Japan’s Children and Families Agency found that one in four married people under 39 met their partner via apps, making online platforms more common meeting places than workplaces or schools.

Japan recorded just over 705,800 births in 2025, marking a tenth consecutive annual decline. Rural regions like Kochi, with a population of about 650,000, have been particularly affected by youth migration to cities.

Critics argue that structural issues, including long working hours, economic pressure and childcare costs, remain bigger barriers to family formation.

Read our Emerging Youth: Japan report to understand how the youth population are quietly rebelling amid political unrest and social fragmentation.

SwipeMart by Tinder, Japan

Strategic opportunity

As Japan’s youth population face growing social isolation, there is a clear opening for brands to create new social infrastructures – from physical venues to hybrid digital communities – that actively foster connection, belonging and real-world interaction

Stat: Britain’s health declines as wellbeing gap widens

Age Without Limits by The Centre for Ageing Better, UK

UK – Britain is experiencing a decline in public health, with new analysis from the Health Foundation thinktank showing healthy life expectancy has fallen over the past decade, diverging from improvements seen across other comparable nations.

Between 2012–2014 and 2022–2024, healthy life expectancy dropped from 62.9 to 60.7 years for men and from 63.7 to 60.9 years for women, according to Office for National Statistics data.

This decline means a growing proportion of life is spent in poor health, with more than 90% of the population now experiencing illness before the state pension age of 66. The UK has also fallen from 14th to 20th place in a 21-country ranking, with only the US performing worse.

The findings signal mounting economic and social pressure, as poor health increasingly limits workforce participation and long-term productivity – challenging the health industry’s focus on Longevity Lifestyles by exposing a widening gap between aspirational narratives and lived reality.

Strategic opportunity

Move from longevity-led narratives to immediate, measurable health outcomes as lived experience deteriorates. Brands targeting everyday consumers must prove impact in real time – energy, recovery and mental clarity – rather than rely on abstract promises of extended lifespan