Retail

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

Trends : Micro Trends

Grocery AI-sles

By Josh Walker and Rachael Stott 18 : 12 : 2017 Retail : Digital : Technology

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 increasingly considering the potential of robots to optimise their services.

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

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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

Retail : Sustainability : Design

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:

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:

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

Retail : Sustainability : Homeware

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:

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

Retail : Fashion : Sustainability

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:

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?:

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:

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:

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

Retail : Luxury : Digital

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:

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

Retail : Delivery : Automotive

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:

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:

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?:

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:

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:

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:

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?:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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

Retail : Leisure : Hospitality

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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?:

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:

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?:

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

Retail : Finance : Apparel

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:

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

Retail : Technology : VR

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?:

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

Retail : Food And Drink : Packaging

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:

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:

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:

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

Luxury : Apparel : 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:

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:

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?:

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

Packaging : Retail : Advertising

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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

Retail : Youth : Digital

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:

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:

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:

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 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:

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

Opinion

The smell of success: scent as the future of engagement

Companies are tapping into the benefits associated with fragrance, and its potential to create emotional connections, drive productivity and boost retail sales.

Branding : Marketing : Retail

Big Ideas

MyBeautyBrand is taking the hassle out of side hustles

Robin Derrick, co-founder of MyBeautyBrand, discusses his peer-driven beauty label, the importance of online communities and future collaborations.

Beauty : Peer To Peer : Retail Experience

News

Stat: UK shoppers say experience will take over product

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has unveiled Westfield How We Shop: The Next Decade, a trends report of retail predictions for 2025.

Retail : Experience : Inspiration Per Square Foot

Markets

The State of Luxury: South Korea

From culturally aware stores to VIP treatment for young male luxurians, all eyes are on South Korea as East Asia’s most exciting luxury market.

Luxury : Retail : Fashion

News

CES 2020: This smart delivery box prevents package theft

With a rise in e-commerce theft a threat to home delivery, lock company Yale has created a secure delivery box that can safely store parcels for home-owners.

Retail : Technology : Delivery

News

Box wants to revolutionise click and collect

Developed by the interior architects at Fyra and commissioned by Finnish postal company Posti, Box symbolises a future for self-service stores.

Retail : Design : Click And Collect

News

This tool inspires book-lovers to eschew Amazon

A new browser extension – Library Extension – is encouraging people to opt for their local library rather than shopping on Amazon.

Technology : Retail : Media

Markets

Healthy Snacking Market

Urbanisation and an increasing preference for convenient, on-the-go food and drink are driving innovation in healthy snack formats.

Food : Retail : Convenience

News

Stat: US store closures outpace openings in 2019

According to estimates by Coresight Research, US store closures increased by more than 60% in 2019 compared to the previous year.

Retail : Stores

News

US shoppers are opting for direct-to-consumer brands

American shoppers are increasingly making purchases from direct-to-consumer brands, with 40% having done so in the past year.

Retail : Digital : Shopping

News

The flagship perfume store stocking just one fragrance

A new Avestan store has opened on Beak Street, offering a physical location for a single unnamed fragrance.

Beauty : Retail : Design

News

The Big Idea: Pre-loved Premium

Luxury brands and department stores are using buy-back and resale schemes to increase customer retention and inspire a circular mindset among luxury shoppers.

Retail : Luxury : Sustainability

News

The Space: Obsess

Despite retailers continuing to integrate new practices into their bricks-and-mortar stores, the virtual realm was where retail has significantly evolved over the past year.

Retail : Digital : Influencers

News

The Trend: Community Commerce

Retail monoliths are defined by the promise of convenience and a frictionless path to purchase, but this efficiency has come at the expense of engagement.

Retail : Community Commerce : Open-source Stores

News

The Interview: Aaron Levant on culture-powered video commerce

We profiled live commerce app NTWRK in February, and CEO Aaron Levant discussed how the mobile only platform combines storytelling, hype and purchasing ability to create a culture-powered retail space.

Retail : E-commerce : Digital

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Grocery AI-sles

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The future of work lies beyond our city centres:

The smell of success: scent as the future of engagement:

The spaces making zero-waste dining luxurious:

MyBeautyBrand is taking the hassle out of side hustles:

The State of Luxury: South Korea:

Data Commerce Market:

Togetherness Travel:

SMS is changing the face of customer service:

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Healthy Snacking Market:

Piercing Pioneers:

Interactive listening:

DTC Directories:

At-home Epigenetics:

Baby Boomer Travel Market:

SMS is changing the face of customer service:

Piercing Pioneers:

DTC Directories:

Generation Z Stores:

Diving into Lush’s phygital experiments:

Accessible Retail Market:

Exploring future scenarios powered by 5G:

Obsess is upending the e-commerce interface:

Circular store design:

Vegan Home Market:

The frictionless future of grocery retail:

The anti-choice homeware movement:

Home Cleaning Market:

Secondary Waste Retail:

Mirrored Realms:

Re-usable Packaging Market:

Are deep fakes the future of personalised advertising?:

Peer Platforms:

Streamlining phygital retail:

Eco-logistics:

How mobility is transforming last-mile delivery:

Community Commerce:

China E-commerce Market:

African E-commerce Market:

Is retailtainment the future of e-commerce?:

Prescription Supermarkets:

Physical retail is the key to conscious consumption:

Virtual sonic worlds are the next branded experiences:

Are head office staff the new retail influencers?:

How Coal Drops Yard captures a sense of place:

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

The studios making virtual retail a reality:

Department Store Disruptors:

Why flagship stores are the arcades of the future:

Furniture as a Service:

Rob Wood on why music is essential to brand experiences:

Shoppable Social:

Inspiration per square foot:

Subconscious Commerce:

How malls can survive into the future:

Convenience Stores 2.0:

Data ID Stores:

Is there such a thing as a brandless brand?:

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

Are digital payments luring us into debt?:

Office Stores:

Why retailers and marketers need to take VR seriously:

Responsive Wayfinding:

How can supermarkets cut down on plastic waste?:

Accessible Premium:

Storefront Salvation:

How the retail landscape will change in 2019:

Bundled Buys:

Micro-retail:

Voice Retail Market:

Loyalty Market:

Should we start taking QR codes seriously?:

Pricing Strategies: Part 1:

Click and Connect:

Pricing Strategies: Part 2: