Retail in 2021
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The pandemic’s acceleration of e-commerce and global demand for expedited delivery was the inspiration behind Eco-venience Retail, our retail macrotrend placing eco-conscious practices at the centre of future retail operations.

The imperative was to establish systems and processes that are more responsive, streamlined and in tune with shoppers’ ever-more eco-conscious mindsets. ‘We’re going to see a lot of innovation come out of the need to retain convenience without the negative environmental impact that we've had,’ says Tyler Chaffo, manager of global sustainability, intelligent labels at Avery Dennison.

In 2022, retail brands will start to establish supply chains and manufacturing at a neighbourhood level, making last-mile logistics circular. Shoppers’ spending impact will become more transparent than ever, while opportunities to elevate carbon-negative customer experiences will multiply. Eco-venience Retail will offer a fresh framework for supply chains, logistics and consumer reach in the years ahead, as convenience and care for the planet and environment become ever-more intertwined.

In June, we spotlighted a campaign from Toronto, Canada, that sought to protect independent businesses across the city from the continuing economic impact of Covid-19.

Using evocative iconography associated with death, Buy Toronto Time sought to encourage citizens to shop local and keep the city’s smaller businesses alive. Involving more than 400 businesses across the city, the campaign was led by Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) and saw the deployment of city-wide billboards and posters featuring a tombstone bearing each business’s name and opening date, but a blank ‘death’ date to warn of its possible closure.

Through the simple tombstone motif, the campaign evokes the potential loss of neighbourhood retailers – and a sense of urgency for shopper support. John Kiru, executive director of TABIA, explains: ‘With a possible end to the pandemic in sight, Torontonians may think that means all businesses will live on. But the fact is they need support now more than ever.’

The campaign is particularly memorable for the importance it places on cities and local communities to retain Micro-mmunity Retail – a healthy mix of stores and services that celebrate an area’s personality, diversity and history.

While the steady return to bricks-and-mortar retail in 2021 has given rise to Contemplative Stores and Third-space Storefronts – where shops double as leisure spaces – it was Burberry’s remote pop-up that offered a teaser of a far-flung future for retail brands.

Tuning into the potential for globetrotting Nomadic Brands, as explored in Eco-venience Retail, the mirrored structure appeared at the foot of the Hallasan mountain on Jeju Island, South Korea. Combining travel, design and fashion, The Imagined Landscapes Jeju was a temporary installation that sought to attract luxury consumers in search of more immersive, outdoor experiences.

In this vein, the mirrored structure of the building resembled the topographic contours of a map, referencing the theme of travel and exploration, while inside it sold an edited selection of puffer jackets and trench coats. A viewing platform allowed visitors to admire the volcanic island’s landscape, aligning itself with the Liberation Luxury movement, in which brands break free from the traditional tropes of premium retail.

Now that you know what shaped 2021, discover what’s on the horizon. Download our Future Forecast 2022 report comprising 50 new trends across 10 key consumer sectors, insights from our analysts and interviews with global innovators.