Retail

From groceries to placemaking, a wide-ranging exploration of the retail industry

Gen Z Stores
Retailers must adapt their strategies to meet the needs of Generation Z.

Surveillance Brands
How consumer surveillance has evolved into a lucrative eco-system to analyse behaviour.

Share and Shop
A trust deficit between shoppers and brands is driving the rise of community-led platforms where purchasing tips and style advice are openly shared.
Discovery Grocers

Discovery Grocers:

Online grocers are putting personalisation at the heart of their offering, from curated shopping baskets to SMS advisers.

 Retail : Food : Technology
Eco-ambitious Retail

Eco-ambitious Retail:

Brands are self-imposing sustainability goals on their businesses that – while initially financially impactful – validate them as...

 Retail : Sustainability : Brand 2020
Consumer Surveillance Market

Consumer Surveillance Market:

Originally created as a means for retailers to generate targeted ads, consumer surveillance has evolved into a lucrative eco-system to...

 Retail : Data : Surveillance
How circular retail could create new cashless economies

How circular retail could create new cashless economies:

Fashion futurist and professor Karinna Nobbs proposes that digital retail experiences can be exchanged for unwanted physical products.

 Retail : Sustainability : Circular Economy
SMS is changing the face of customer service

SMS is changing the face of customer service:

Brands and retailers are using SMS to offer their expertise as a personal service rather than to simply encourage customers to buy more...

 Retail : Customer Service : Technology
Experiential luxury malls

Experiential luxury malls:

Shedding their teen hangout reputation, retail centres are being given an experiential upgrade as operators set their sights on affluent...

 Luxury : Retail : Architecture
Piercing Pioneers

Piercing Pioneers:

Brands are modernising the coming-of-age ritual of piercing for a new generation of teenagers who are keen to experiment with their...

 Retail : Youth : DTC
DTC Directories

DTC Directories:

A crop of third-party platforms are offering new ways to filter through the growing number of digital and direct-to-consumer brands.

 Retail : DTC : Shopping
Generation Z Stores

Generation Z Stores:

A youth boom is set to shake up bricks-and-mortar shopping, so retailers must adapt their strategies to meet the unique preferences of...

 Retail : ​Generation Z : Shopping
Diving into Lush’s phygital experiments

Diving into Lush’s phygital experiments:

Charlotte Nisbet talks about the brand’s phygital retail experiments, from packaging-free stores and recyclable shop fit-outs to machine...

 Retail : Beauty : Technology
Accessible Retail Market

Accessible Retail Market:

Retailers are investing in the accessibility of their physical and digital channels to support the needs of disabled and neurodiverse...

 Retail : Inclusivity : Implicit Inclusivity
Exploring future scenarios powered by 5G

Exploring future scenarios powered by 5G:

As we enter a new decade, LS:N Global speculates about the impact and transformative use cases of 5G across sectors including retail,...

 Technology : 5G : Far Futures
Obsess is upending the e-commerce interface

Obsess is upending the e-commerce interface:

Neha Singh, founder and CEO of experiential e-commerce platform Obsess, on the power of discovery to shape the future of retail.

Retail : Youth : Technology
Circular store design

Circular store design:

Consumers’ increasing interest in sustainable living is reflected in new retail destinations, where materials, design details and...

 Retail : Sustainability : Design
Vegan Home Market

Vegan Home Market:

Consumers are turning to animal-free homewares and services to ensure every aspect of their plant-based lifestyles are aligned with...

 Retail : Sustainability : Vegan
The frictionless future of grocery retail

The frictionless future of grocery retail:

In the wake of Amazon Go, grocery retailers are exploring how in-store technology can streamline the purchasing process.

 Retail : Supermarkets : Technology
The anti-choice homeware movement

The anti-choice homeware movement:

Overwhelmed by choice, Millennials are turning to brands that offer a streamlined, limited approach to homeware shopping.

Retail : Sustainability : Homeware
Home Cleaning Market

Home Cleaning Market:

With the rise of glossy domestic influencers and design-led, eco-friendly start-ups, the mindful act of cleaning has never been more...

 Cleaning : Health : Wellness
Secondary Waste Retail

Secondary Waste Retail:

New retail systems are professionalising the waste sector, transforming it into a consumer-facing currency and future new economy.

 Retail : Fashion : Sustainability
Mirrored Realms

Mirrored Realms:

As reality becomes more programmable, a visual aesthetic is being defined that reflects the artificiality of the virtual world alongside...

 Programmable Realities : Immaterial Fashion : Virtual
Re-usable Packaging Market

Re-usable Packaging Market:

Growing concern about the environmental impact of plastic packaging is driving innovations in re-usable and refill concepts among...

 Retail : Packaging : Sustainability
Are deep fakes the future of personalised advertising?

Are deep fakes the future of personalised advertising?:

AI is enabling a new form of hyper-personal influencer marketing. MSc Strategic Fashion Management graduates Helen Wang and Joanna...

 Advertising : Retail : AI
Peer Platforms

Peer Platforms:

A trust deficit between shoppers and brands is driving the rise of community-led platforms where purchasing tips and style advice are...

 Retail : E-commerce : Peer To Peer
Streamlining phygital retail

Streamlining phygital retail:

Brian Bolke, founder of The Conservatory, on this tech-enabled store’s strategy to assimilate the changing retail landscape.

Retail : Luxury : Digital
Eco-logistics

Eco-logistics:

In a bid to reduce the growing environmental impact of e-commerce, retailers are rethinking their logistics and developing new...

 Packaging : Sustainability : Retail
How mobility is transforming last-mile delivery

How mobility is transforming last-mile delivery:

Autonomous driving technology promises to have a transformative impact on how we receive our purchases.

Retail : Delivery : Automotive
Community Commerce

Community Commerce:

A new wave of decentralised retail concepts are transforming e-commerce as consumers look for alternative ways to access and exchange...

 Retail : Media : Entertainment
China E-commerce Market

China E-commerce Market:

With retail sales set to surpass those in the US in 2019, China is now the largest e-commerce market in the world and is at the...

 Retail : China : E-commerce
African E-commerce Market

African E-commerce Market:

Increased internet access and a booming youth population are driving the continent’s unique and burgeoning online retail market,...

 E-Commerce : Africa : Retail
Is retailtainment the future of e-commerce?

Is retailtainment the future of e-commerce?:

NTWRK is shaking up retail with its pop culture-powered video commerce app. Its CEO, Aaron Levant, discusses why hyper-urgency is the...

 Retail : E-commerce : Media
Prescription Supermarkets

Prescription Supermarkets:

Grocery retailers are assuming a new role as dietary advisers, educating consumers and providing personalised health and nutrition...

 Retail : Healthcare : Nutrition
Physical retail is the key to conscious consumption

Physical retail is the key to conscious consumption:

Slow retail expert Rebekah Matheny on how physical stores need to nurture consumer relationships to create a socially sustainable retail...

 Retail . : Sustainability : Retail
Virtual sonic worlds are the next branded experiences

Virtual sonic worlds are the next branded experiences:

The Spatial Sound Institute is a research centre created by technology platform and artistic collective 4DSOUND. John Connell,...

 Media : Digital : Retail
Are head office staff the new retail influencers?

Are head office staff the new retail influencers?:

To help build consumer trust and product authenticity, brands are starting to focus more on insider advocates than external influencers.

 Retail : Fashion : Social Media
How Coal Drops Yard captures a sense of place

How Coal Drops Yard captures a sense of place:

Chris Chapman, head of art at Droga5 London, on creating the visual identity for Coal Drops Yard, a new retail concept in London’s...

 Retail : Placemaking : Branding
How the world’s largest online shopping mall is shaping our lives

How the world’s largest online shopping mall is shaping our lives:

At Dutch Design Week 2018, designers from Design Academy Eindhoven hosted Geo-Design, an exhibition that examined the growth of Chinese...

 Retail : E-commerce : Dutch Design Week
The studios making virtual retail a reality

The studios making virtual retail a reality:

As mixed-reality commerce gathers pace, a growing community of creative digital studios are facilitating the transition from the...

 Retail : VR : Digital Culture
Department Store Disruptors

Department Store Disruptors:

As stores with outdated value propositions continue to decline, new multi-brand retail formats are emerging that bridge the gap between...

 Retail : E-commerce : Digital
Why flagship stores are the arcades of the future

Why flagship stores are the arcades of the future:

Gaming is creating a new breed of bold retail spaces that transcend language barriers, says Gilles Boissele, creative partner at UNIT9.

 Retail : Fashion : Youth
Furniture as a Service

Furniture as a Service:

With consumers less willing and less able to establish permanent homes, furniture brands are having to develop products and services...

 Retail : Furniture : Hospitality
Rob Wood on why music is essential to brand experiences

Rob Wood on why music is essential to brand experiences:

The creative director of Music Concierge explains how, by creating distinct audio identities for brands and retailers, music and...

 Retail : Leisure : Hospitality
Shoppable Social

Shoppable Social:

Social commerce continues to grow as new technologies and in-platform features transform the way consumers buy and interact with products.

Retail : Socia Media : Digital
Inspiration per square foot

Inspiration per square foot:

The success of bricks-and-mortar retail is no longer determined by sales per square foot but the benefits of creating inspirational...

 Storefront Salvation : Retail
Subconscious Commerce

Subconscious Commerce:

With Internet of Things technology creating newly immersive brand touchpoints and data analytics allowing businesses to anticipate every...

 Retail : Automation : Technology
How malls can survive into the future

How malls can survive into the future:

The malls of the future will cater for specific audiences, appeal to a wide spectrum of ages and join the dots between e-commerce and...

 Retail : Placemaking : Mall
Convenience Stores 2.0

Convenience Stores 2.0:

Corner stores are moving away from sugary snacks to offer fresh, organic and vegan alternatives, accessible to all 24/7.

 Convenience : Retail : Vegan
Data ID Stores

Data ID Stores:

Future-facing bricks-and-mortar brands are personalising the store experience through the use of consumer data profiles.

 Retail : Fashion : Food And Drink
Is there such a thing as a brandless brand?

Is there such a thing as a brandless brand?:

While there are clear imperatives for debranding, businesses still need to think of it as a design exercise.

Branding : Packaging : Retail
Why peer-to-peer lending is the future of interiors

Why peer-to-peer lending is the future of interiors:

Harth co-founder Ed Padmore explains how the furniture sharing platform will benefit both designers and owners.

Hospitality : Retail : Furniture
Are digital payments luring us into debt?

Are digital payments luring us into debt?:

Retailers are increasingly offering point-of-sale loans to pay for non-essential goods.

 Retail : Finance : Apparel
Office Stores

Office Stores:

Through new technological and physical touchpoints, FMCG brands are exploring the workplace as a profitable retail opportunity.

Retail : Convenience : Co-working
Why retailers and marketers need to take VR seriously

Why retailers and marketers need to take VR seriously:

Anita Fontaine and Geoffrey Lillemon, creative directors of Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam's Department of New Realities, blend speculative...

 Retail : Technology : VR
Responsive Wayfinding

Responsive Wayfinding:

Retailers are harnessing digital tools to bring the speed and convenience of navigating an online store to the physical...

 Storefront Salvation : Retail : Placemaking
How can supermarkets cut down on plastic waste?

How can supermarkets cut down on plastic waste?:

The strategies food and drink retailers can use to reduce their reliance on the material.

 Retail : Food And Drink : Packaging
Accessible Premium

Accessible Premium:

From taking the idea of the dollar store online to the rejection of big brands, retailers are exploring how they can democratise...

 Retail : Digital : The American Middle
Storefront Salvation

Storefront Salvation:

Fuelled by an understanding that saving the store relies on a combination of physical touchpoints and digital technology, retailers...

 Retail : E-commerce : Digital
How the retail landscape will change in 2019

How the retail landscape will change in 2019:

With The Future Laboratory hosting its Retail Futures Forum on 3 May, we preview some of the key themes to be unveiled.

 Retail : Technology : E-commerce
Bundled Buys

Bundled Buys:

From helping consumers navigate a seasonless fashion model to combating the resale market, luxury fashion brands are exploring the...

 Luxury : Apparel : Retail
Micro-retail

Micro-retail:

With convenience a key priority for consumers, brands are exploring the potential of dynamic selling spaces in non-traditional...

 Retail : Digital : Technology
Voice Retail Market

Voice Retail Market:

As voice-enabled devices continue to enter our homes, and consumers become increasingly comfortable with the idea of talking to...

 Retail : Technology : Digital
Loyalty Market

Loyalty Market:

As consumers become less loyal, brands are looking to personalisation, cryptocurrencies and mobile-based initiatives in an effort to...

 Retail : Digital : Technology
Should we start taking QR codes seriously?

Should we start taking QR codes seriously?:

Once consigned to internet history, the iconic squares are finally ready for their revival.

 Packaging : Retail : Advertising
Pricing Strategies: Part 1

Pricing Strategies: Part 1:

From price point activism to discounts based on demand, companies are embracing a more dynamic approach to pricing as a means of...

 Retail : Wellness : Drink
Click and Connect

Click and Connect:

With 40% of global shoppers now preferring to purchase clothing and footwear online, brands are exploring new ways to push the buying...

 Retail : Apparel : Fashion
Pricing Strategies: Part 2

Pricing Strategies: Part 2:

Through a combination of data-collection and changing consumer demand, artificial intelligence is bringing new value to the idea of...

 Retail : Fashion : Food
Live-stream Market

Live-stream Market:

From its potential as a tool to promote brand transparency to the integration of Buy Now buttons, brands are tapping into the lucrative...

 Retail : Digital : Technology
How to future-proof the physical store

How to future-proof the physical store:

Natalie Berg, retail analyst and founder of NBK Retail, on why stores should be seen as assets rather than liabilities.

Retail : E-commerce : Phygital
Digital Store Fronts

Digital Store Fronts:

The future of online shopping is being shaped by visual-first digital experiences.

 Retail : Youth : Digital
Grocery AI-sles

Grocery AI-sles:

With 44% of jobs in the UK retail sector expected to be at risk of automation by the early 2030s, according to PwC, grocery brands are...

 Retail : Digital : Technology
Augmented Retail

Augmented Retail:

As augmented and virtual reality continues to grow towards an expected market value of £80.3bn ($108bn, €91.3bn) by 2021, brands are...

 Retail : Digital : Fashion
Liyia Wu on the Chinese live-stream retail revolution

Liyia Wu on the Chinese live-stream retail revolution:

The ShopShops founder discusses how her platform offers a revelatory shopping experience that cannot be replicated by e-commerce.

 Retail : Digital : Media
Ryan Elder on the power of distance in sensory marketing

Ryan Elder on the power of distance in sensory marketing:

The associate professor of marketing at Brigham Young University reveals how the perceived distance of a sensory experience can impact...

 Retail : Advertising : Marketing
Chinese Duty-free Retail Market

Chinese Duty-free Retail Market:

Chinese tourists’ passion for duty-free shopping is making Asia-Pacific the engine of growth for the travel-retail sector.

Retail : Travel : Luxury
The future of airport retail is hyper-personalisation

The future of airport retail is hyper-personalisation:

With vast amounts of passenger data tied up in boarding passes, let’s use it to transform the airport retail experience, says Lee...

 Airport Retail : Duty Free : Customer Data

Related to Retail

Camden sets a new standard for ethical retail News

Camden sets a new standard for ethical retail

Buck Street Market brings eco-retail to Camden.

Food : Sustainability : Drinks
A store that stocks groceries made from carrier bags News

A store that stocks groceries made from carrier bags

Times Square Arts and artist Robin Frohardt have collaborated on a food installation using discarded plastic bags.

Design : Food : Installation
Covid-19 Contingency Planning Big Ideas

Covid-19 Contingency Planning

Learn the immediate impacts of Covid-19 across key sectors, and discover best-in-class case studies and future considerations for your organisation.

Covid-19 : Society : Health
Post-purpose Brands Macro Trends

Post-purpose Brands

Pushing back against purpose-washing and jumping on the bandwagon, brands will embrace imperfection and focus on betterment. With intuitive technologies, new products and services will constantly evolve to meet our needs.

Retail : Branding : Purpose
Vans designs shoes for sensory inclusivity News

Vans designs shoes for sensory inclusivity

Vans’ latest collection embraces sensory inclusivity.

Vans : Retail : Comfort
Covid-19 has brought chaos – and vast new possibilities Opinion

Covid-19 has brought chaos – and vast new possibilities

With existing systems crumbling, businesses will need to quickly recalibrate, using fear as a positive catalyst to create future-fit strategies.

Retail : Society : Covid-19
Stat: Retailers enter the dawn of the discreet chatbot News

Stat: Retailers enter the dawn of the discreet chatbot

Retail chatbots are expected to see exponential growth in the next four years, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

Retail : Technology : Customer Experience
Dazed Beauty curates a beauty counter for Generation Instagram News

Dazed Beauty curates a beauty counter for Generation Instagram

Dazed Beauty has teamed up with Selfridges to create an interactive pop-up retail experience.

Beauty : Retail : Dazed & Confused
Young Britons are choosing to sell, swap and rent clothes News

Young Britons are choosing to sell, swap and rent clothes

Young British shoppers are embracing thriftier habits and choosing to sell, mend, swap and rent their clothes, according to research by Mintel.

Sustainability : Fashion : Retail
State of Luxury: Vietnam Markets

State of Luxury: Vietnam

With a burgeoning affluent middle class, Vietnam is entering a new era of luxury, bolstered by high-end developments and experience-led tourism.

Luxury : Travel : Retail
Ikea opts for green over blue in its car-free store News

Ikea opts for green over blue in its car-free store

Ikea's new store takes its iconic retail model out of the suburbs and into the centre of Vienna.

Retail : Mobility : Sustainability
Skincare minimalism Big Ideas

Skincare minimalism

Salima Issaoui, founder of Barcelona-based Uzza Skincare, discusses how a less-is-more approach could revolutionise the skincare industry.

Beauty : Beauty Industry : Make Up
Amid Covid-19, Lush offers in-store hand-washing News

Amid Covid-19, Lush offers in-store hand-washing

Lush is inviting people into its stores to wash their hands and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Retail : Society : Health
Food Waste Innovation Markets

Food Waste Innovation

From food-sharing to upcycling, the growing need to create innovative and sustainable solutions to food waste presents a range of opportunities.

Food : Retail : Sustainability
Party Chat hacks Grand Theft Auto to unveil garments News

Party Chat hacks Grand Theft Auto to unveil garments

The clothing label revealed its latest unisex collection by hacking into Grand Theft Auto (GTA).

Fashion : Augmented Reality : Gaming
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