What’s next for retail

GROWING & EMERGING TRENDS FOR 2022

As we all step into the next normal in earnest, it’s encouraging to see how shifts in consumer behaviour have changed retail in surprising and positive ways. Join us for a whistle-stop tour of what we expect to see bloom and emerge in the world of design, brand and retail in 2022, starting with some trends we’ve noticed gaining momentum over the past year and we anticipate to keep growing.

Frictionless shopping, the likes we’ve seen up close and personal in LA’s Amazon Go Store, is set to grow – 87% of U.S shoppers prefer touchless or robust self-checkout options. Two thirds now use this method post 2020 compared to just one third in the previous year. It’s not just food retail that’s adopting frictionless shopping as its first method of payment, fashion retail has caught on (and caught up) with several brands opting for a self-serve de-tag and bag counter in store.

Social shopping through apps like Instagram had an unprecedented boom throughout our many lockdowns. 81% of people use it to research products and services with 130 million users tapping on shopping posts… every month. If that’s not enough to convince you, 60% of Instagram’s users already use the platform for shopping. We wouldn’t be surprised if Instagram add a native payment system before too long.

Live streaming is set to increase in 2022 as it caters to both the retail and the shopper, each platform (Facebook, Instagram and newcomer Galaxy) gives brands the potential to link directly to the products they’re talking about. This is another way retailers (and smaller brands in particular) can reach their audience, especially when some of us may not be quite ready for a traditional shopping spree.

OUR BIG THREE PREDICTIONS FOR 2022

There are a number of key trends that have brewed and developed in the last few years (check out our insights series of the key trends of 2021 here) which we predict are going to be even bigger in 2022 and beyond. We’ll be offering our more detailed Tickety Take on these key trends and what they mean for the world of brand and retail very soon.

CONSCIOUS / CONSIDERED CONSUMPTION

The rise (and rise) of sustainable and purpose driven brands, which we’ve seen through everything from plant-based diets to the huge uptake in slow fashion and re-commerce. Not only is it about the brands that we engage with, but it’s also how they’re innovating the retail environment too – flipping the industry on its head when it comes to how stores are laid out, right through to the messaging on display. It’s a rejection of competitive, aggressive (in marketing terms) language and colour. Instead, a wave of ‘calm commerce’ is slowly gaining momentum through soft tones, surfaces and immersive shopping experiences that create a sense of wellbeing.

LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT

Our love affair with local and independent brands shows no signs of cooling off. During and post pandemic saw us all understand the struggles of smaller businesses and wanting to support these as much as possible (instead of massive multiples) became a trend in its own right. The fact that a great many of these brands champion sustainable or charitable initiatives is a key reason we’ve seen this change in consumer behaviour. Beyond that, it’s the human connection we feel when shopping with an independent business. We can see the impact it’s making on the business owner and in turn their transparency helps us feel part of their journey and community.

BACK TO BASICS

On the flip side to the local and independent trend, after such an uncertain time, there’s a yearning to return to the steady and familiar. Supermarkets especially have understood the importance of getting the basics right during the pandemic. As life resumes some of its normalcy it’s those retailers who can offer added value beyond keeping shelves stocked that will come out on top. Customers crave value – through enhanced offers and promotions, certainly, but also a renewed interest in own label products. This is a real opportunity for brands to whip their private label offering into shape. What’s more, customers love to be rewarded for their loyalty. Revamped loyalty programmes with incentives and sophisticated interfaces have become the expectation. How brands leverage these to encourage long term loyalty remains to be seen but we’re loving the healthy competition.

OUR VIEW

While a greater reliance on technology is to be expected given the last 18 or so months, it’s been interesting to see how retail environments have sought to innovate too. Our very attitude to consumerism is also shifting, especially when it comes to non-essential purchases. Having spent our lives somewhat on pause, it’s exciting to see how things will progress. One thing’s for sure, we’ll be keeping a close eye on what happens next. Be the first to know when we share new insights – sign up to our newsletter here