The Set List: Retail 2018 Trends and Predictions

Retailers have given customers a voice providing them with a place to share their brand experiences. Image © Ian Schneider.

Retail isn’t dying; the industry is going through a metamorphosis. We’ve seen this happen a few times in history—the dot com boom of the early '00s being the last time retail experienced a massive transformation. The biggest changes we’re seeing now are challenging the fundamental notion of what retail is. Retail used to be a place where people bought stuff. Now it is a state where a person experiences a brand and its offerings. As customers blur the lines, so must brands.

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Retail in India: Complex, Contradictory and Full of Opportunity

Mumbai coastline. Photo: Dhurandar.

In 2017, retailers in Europe are focusing on accelerating change in the business, while a major retail restructuring has been gathering momentum on the American horizon. If you look halfway around the world, a steady rise in consumption has been underway, and is being projected for the next decade in the higher growth economies of China and India (Source: OECD Interim Economic Outlook March 2017).

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A New Breed of Fast Fashion Experience in Asia

Image © Blackstation.

From H&M to Zara, the fast fashion sector has enjoyed rapid growth over the past few years, largely driven by consumer demand for affordable, on-trend clothing. In a world where the retail experience is as important as the product, consumers are craving a more elevated, curated shopping environment, with brands seeking to remain relevant and engage in new ways.

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Changing an Automotive Retail Paradigm

Image © Carvana.

Billed as “the world's first fully-automated, coin-operated car vending machine,” Carvana vending machines are starting to “protrude” from high visibility properties around many urban areas lately. Beyond visual interest, this belies a subtle shift we see in the automotive retail typology moving forward. It’s much less about advertising as in the past, and more an all-out assault on the conventional car buying model, which traditional dealerships are being forced to address.

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Top Retail Trends of Interest 2016

Cadillac House. Photo: Eric Laignel.

If 2016 taught us anything, it was that change is inevitable. As we kick off a new year and reflect back upon 2016, let’s take a look at some of the top retail trends we saw take shape last year, and how some retailers are embracing everything from augmented and virtual reality to artificial intelligence, robotics and unconventional partnerships in order to draw consumers, customize offerings and stay ahead of the curve.

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