RETAIL TRENDS2020 vision to the future in retail & consumer market

The world is changing rapidly and so are consumers’ behaviours and expectations. At Futurice, we have put together a collection of trends that formulates a clearer point-of-view of the future up to 2020, with a focus on the retail sector. By looking at trends from a customer-centric view, we hope to bring a human touch to seeing the future.

In this report, you can learn about • How the world is changing • The innovative breakthroughs around us • What opportunities retailers should pay attention to

Gain a thorough understanding on the implication and impact of the market shift in order to shape a vision for the future. Develop an awareness of consumer behaviour changes in the market in order to build context for new opportunities.

This report aims to inspire retailers when they are setting the strategic vision for customer engagement. The report should help set the vision, while bringing direction both to immediate work and by providing an actionable roadmap for the future. With 2020 just around the corner, this is the best time to plan ahead and challenge the marketplace.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

RETAIL TRENDS

We have developed eight main trends, each with three sub-trends: • Masters of time and space • Machines at your service • Innovation along the value chain • Bringing humanity back • Not your grandma’s currency • Luxjoyment • Power to the people • Shifted Identity

The trends look at broad areas of technical development, human behaviour, and social shifts. If you are expecting to read about the latest developments around disruptive technology, this report is not it. Instead, we are taking a step back to provide a bird’s eye view on how our society is evolving, using a technical anthropological lens. This is an opportunity for us to step away from the technology buzzwords, and look at our world from a human point of view.

The premise of the trends project into short-term customer opportunities in 2020. The trends are what we see as the driving forces in IT, cultural, and social developments running up to 2020. We don’t have a crystal ball but we can reliably predict that these trends will drive mainstream development, based on our research and insights. We have traced the trends back to how similar services or products have developed throughout the years in different markets, in order to pinpoint the point where a viable market begins to develop, and the trends become visible.

INTRODUCTION

RETAIL TRENDS

In today’s multi-channel retail environment, consumers are faced with more options and services than ever before. Retailers are riding the wave of rapid technical development in order to transform their businesses and gain a competitive edge.

WE ARE AT THE AGE OF OF SHIFTING VALUES. THE PERCEPTION OF VALUE IS CHANGING.

The value of time, convenience and emotional engagement. These values are reflected in how companies conduct their businesses strategically and operationally, and in the ways they deliver experiences to their customers.

Change is a continuous path and right now we are at the tipping point just before disruptive technologies reach their full coverage and capacity. What makes this day and age interesting is the fact that we are about to start seeing the maturing process of technologies and new dynamics. These shifting values will soon reach critical mass. Retailers need to react to this transformational time starting now in order to benefit from this uprising wave.

CONTEXT

It’s motivating to be inspired by the changes happening around us. We can use these insights to capture or pursue specific opportunities in the future. For each one of the trends, we have formulated a specific Futurice point-of-view to guide retailers through this thinking in a more actionable manner. We have included:

Short term opportunities Achievable and highly relevant opportunities that we believe no retailer should miss out on. These opportunities will help retailers to stay ahead of the competition today.

Exploratory questions Provocative and important questions for retailers to ask themselves, to brainstorm on different areas of the trend and broaden their thinking.

Trend maturity We have indicated the maturity of each trend. 1 being the least mature and 10 being the maturest. The maturity score indicates how penetrated and readily adopted by the current market (2016) is, and a estimate on how long we believe it will take for the trend to become fully matured.

OPPORTUNITIES

RETAIL TRENDS

Key drivers The key drivers act as a KPI for organisations to create focus and develop a strategy for. Each trend is related to a couple drivers. We believe that these are the pillars for any organisation going through, or starting, a transformative journey or building an innovative business.

1. Customer engagement 2. Cost efficiency 3. Business model innovation 4. New market reach 5. Product / service enhancement 6. Organisational culture shift 7. Operational optimisation

FUTURICE RETAIL TRENDS2020 vision to the future in retail & consumer market

MACHINES AT YOUR SERVICE

MASTER OF TIME AND SPACE

INNOVATION ALONG THE VALUE CHAIN

LUXJOYMENT

BRINGING HUMANITY BACK

SHIFTED IDENTITY

NOT YOURGRANDMA’S CURRENCY

POWER TO THE PEOPLERE

TAIL

TRE

NDS

RETAIL TRENDS

MASTER OF TIME AND SPACE

FLEXIBLE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

BUYING TIME

IMMEDIACY OF NOW

MASTER OF TIME AND SPACE

A winter 2015 survey from digital marketing agency VML Qias found:

“

Source: Euromonitor

70% of affluent Indians aged 18-35 agree that luxury related to how much free time one enjoyed, rather than an individual’s purchasing power.

We no longer function within the constraints of time and space. Customers can now get what they want, when they want, how they want. The customer’s experience is no longer a linear narrative happening at a specific touchpoint, but a flexible customer journey offering freedom and customisation. Value is now placed in buying time rather than goods. Make time for your family? How about buying time for your family? The proliferation of on-demand services has brought immediacy of now to the customer’s experiences. Mastering space and time allows customers to choose what they value and forget the rest.

MASTER OF TIME AND SPACEFLEXIBLE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Unless you’re waiting for a meteor shower, there’s no need for customers to be in a specific place at a specific time in order for something to happen! Flexible services for deliveries, pick-ups, returns of goods recognise that time is valuable and no two schedules are the same. Consumers are taking control of their freedom in life through hassle free deliveries and returns, line-skipping benefits, and subscription services. Going into the shop isn’t always necessary when we have e-commerce magic!

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? By giving consumers the most convenient method of purchasing tailored to their specific needs, retailers create more opportunities for them to purchase. It’s also extremely powerful to have such deep penetration into different untouched parts of the customers’ lives.

In Germany, Amazon Prime is piloting a partnership with Audi to deliver orders directly to the boot of your car.

Swedish ICA customers will soon be able to have their groceries delivered directly into their fridge.

Starbucks allows customers throughout the U.S. to skip the line by ordering and paying in advance on their phones.

RETAIL TRENDS

MASTER OF TIME AND SPACE

BUYING TIME

Micro task services that give consumers more time to do what they want to do, are proliferating.Increasingly popular day-to-day and specialised services are allowing consumers to outsource washing laundry, walking the dog, building Ikea furniture, or choosing their clothes. Services at our fingertips allow us the luxury of choosing how we want value our time. Forget about making time for things, we are buying more time for ourselves.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Time is money. When micro task services takes over time-consuming tasks, consumers receive the most precious value - Time. It’s an intangible yet extremely empowering gift to the consumers.

Mini Fashion Bar is bringing the experience of shopping to hotel rooms to take some hassle out of both packing and shopping, personalised to weather, location and events.

Competition over which laundry app should pick up your dirty laundry is tight in San Francisco, as people are placing more value on their time.

Paw Shake allows pet parents in Australia to connect with trustworthy walkers, so that they don’t need to rush home at lunch every day to take their dog on a walk.

RETAIL TRENDS

MASTER OF TIME AND SPACE

IMMEDIACY OF NOW

Everything is on-demand now. By clicking a few buttons consumers can instantly get the things that they want or need. On-demand services have been so successful because they provide convenience, comfort and instant gratification. Once time-consuming activities such as waiting for a doctor’s appointment or spending hours travelling to a shopping centre can now be done instantly. Netflix style entertainment and Uber-like efficiency all add up to the consumers taking control of their time, while minimising waiting.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? As the concept of waiting becomes a distant memory, attention spans will deteriorate, so from a commercial perspective, goods and services will increasingly need to be instantly available.

Everlane, a transparent online-only clothing company, provides clothing delivery within an hour to consumers in San Francisco and New York City.

Delivery company UPS teamed up with SAP to create an on-demand 3D printing network

Companies like Doctors on Demand are bringing the doctor into the home, providing assessment, diagnosis and prescriptions.

RETAIL TRENDS

2020 OPPORTUNITIES

The concept of location-specific tasks will slowly fade, and the future will heavily encourage lifestyle convenience. Which different activities can be combined together in space / time? How can retailers shift their existing businesses to become lifestyle-centric?

The market is spoiling consumers by offering absolute freedom around purchases: how can retail businesses keep up with consumers’ high expectations? Satisfying spoiled brats may require a continuous effort but it could be the key to undivided devotion from customers.

What are the different things that can be outsourced? On-demand will become a norm and no longer be the premium service, what will be the one-up premium version of on-demand? Could it be something more effortless?

RETAIL TRENDS

FLEXIBLE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

BUYING TIME IMMEDIACY OF NOW

MATURITY

MASTER OF TIME AND SPACE

6

Decentralised supply chain to offer flexible, penetrating, on-demand services

KEY DRIVERS

Customer engagement Cost efficiency

Business model innovation

MACHINES AT YOUR SERVICE

THE ALL SEEING,ALL KNOWING HAL

AUTOMATION

ROBOTICS

MACHINES AT YOUR SERVICE

Machines have evolved from passive objects that require being told what to do, to digital assistants that know our needs before we do. Thanks to analytics and big data, machines are increasingly able to get a good idea of what the consumers want, bringing us one step closer to Space Odyssey’s all seeing, all knowing HAL 9000. Predictive services can help consumers to navigate the sea of content they are presented with. Automation of cars, homes, and work-tasks is lightening our load to allow time to focus on our lives. We have created robotic tools that can perform tasks large and small, cumbersome or repetitive, more precisely and efficiently than we can. With so many tricks up their sleeves, machines are at your service.

“Source: Wikipedia

24% of tweets are created by bots

MACHINES AT YOUR SERVICE

AT&T Employees Automate Repetitive Tasks with Software Bots

We spend a lot of time interacting with the machines, while the machines passively observes our behaviour and our environment. They gather tremendous amount of data about us and use this big data to work out more details about us. Machine learning technology pushes the boundaries of how our technology understands us.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Big data does not only include data from the us, it involves machines talking to each other as well.

Stay up-to-date on your home security and automation devices, so you’ll know what’s happening at home.

Chevrolet is working on releasing Proactive Alerts in their cars, which will predict when certain components need attention.

With so much music, it is difficult to discover anything new. Spotify launched the Discover Weekly playlist, personalised to each user based on their habits, for a perfect personal DJ to successfully and effortlessly bring you music you will love.

Netflix has recently changed its recommendation section from regional to a global system focused on subscribers’ interests.

THE ALL SEEING, ALL KNOWING HAL

RETAIL TRENDS

MACHINES AT YOUR SERVICE

AUTOMATION

AT&T Employees Automate Repetitive Tasks with Software Bots

We have built machines to not only fulfil our human needs, but also to act as our substitutes for those jobs that are tedious and time-consuming. With the rise of IOT services, our machines talk to each other to perform these tasks better and more efficiently than we can ever do. Automated check-out systems in-store are already a norm, but continue to be pushed towards an even more seamless execution, minimising manual labour. Our cars and homes are well on their way to being fully autonomous.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Automating services means less manual labour and safer services. We don’t need to think too much about our lives anymore and our hands are free for different kinds of multi-tasking.

Stay up-to-date on your home security and automation devices, so you’ll know what’s happening at home.

In Australia and New Zealand, Insteon is providing automated home security so you’ll be able to know and control what is going on in your home from anywhere.

Volvo will be testing self-driving cars on the streets on London with real families by next year.

AT&T is making their employees more efficient by creating software bots to complete mundane tasks.

RETAIL TRENDS

MACHINES AT YOUR SERVICE

AT&T Employees Automate Repetitive Tasks with Software Bots

As technology matures, warehouse and logistic systems are already run by robots. This is no longer just a luxury for large enterprises; many SME adopt to the trend. The robots will handle the majority of business logistics as well as some customer-facing operations. Robots are so adaptable that they can make fresh meals, perform surgery, and build houses.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Robotics bring a level of precision to the table that humans cannot compete with. It introduces a more efficient ways to complete tasks, and opens up new opportunities for creating more things, more quickly.

Stay up-to-date on your home security and automation devices, so you’ll know what’s happening at home.

Amazon Robotics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, empowers a smarter, faster, more consistent customer experience through automation.

In Abu Dhabi, a Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot has been successfully performing precise and safe surgeries in vivo, taking us closer to having real life robot surgeons.

Across the world, construction is becoming automated with 3D printers, brick-laying robots, and drones that can work far faster than a construction crew.

ROBOTICS

RETAIL TRENDS

2020 OPPORTUNITIES

What will machines learn about consumers? What other input points can be used as a way for machines to gain more understanding of consumer behaviour?

What other tasks can machines do for consumers? Could they build your next dream house, without having to ask you what you dream of? How would this affect our enjoyment of daily activities? Be mindful of the balance.

As robots increasingly take different forms and serve different purposes, how will this change the way consumers interact with machines? Will we devote our loyalty to machines and cherish them to the end of days, or could it be a complete cold isolation of humanity and machines.

RETAIL TRENDS

THE ALL SEEING, ALL KNOWING HAL

AUTOMATION ROBOTICS

MATURITY

MACHINES AT YOUR SERVICE

7

Using machines to optimise costs while eliminating pain points and human errors.

KEY DRIVERS

Operational optimisation Customer engagement

Cost efficiency

INNOVATION ALONG VALUE CHAIN

PLAYING EVEN BETTERWITH OTHERS

LARGER SERVICE ECOSYSTEM

NEWCONOMY OF COLLABORATION

INNOVATION ALONG VALUE CHAIN

1 + 1 = more than 2. Retailers are forming business partnerships that support better customer experience, by combining services that can leverage strengths to deliver more values and fulfil more of the customer’s needs. Companies may be able to deliver optimal experience to consumers on their own, but they may find that they can be playing even better with others.These partnerships will contribute to building a larger service eco-system in which businesses team up with players from across the customer journey to create a truly flexible network that can serve both the B2C and B2B market. It might even be a way to spark innovation! A collaborative economy has been a continuous trend that is taking over the market, creating a newconomy of collaboration through peer-based systems.

“

Source: Vision Critical

More than 110 million North Americans are now part of the collaborative economy. Participation has grown by 25 percent in the past year.

PLAYING EVEN BETTER WITH OTHERSINNOVATION ALONG VALUE CHAIN

You can now pay for your Wagamama meal whenever you are ready on convenient app Qkr! In partnership with MasterCard.

ASOS and Telefónica’s Wayra have launched an accelerator for those in the fashion tech and ad spaces.

The Mac maker and enterprise software titan SAP have joined forces in a partnership that will see SAP building corporate apps tailored for Apple’s mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad.

Industries no longer need to show competitive advantage by competing head-to-head with each other; instead, collaboration and partnerships are being formed to deliver greater value. Companies come together and leverage each other’s strengths to drive innovation forward. Not only can all parties meet their commercial goals but more importantly consumers end up receiving much greater benefits and get to enjoy better services. It’s a win that keeps on multiplying.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Innovation doesn’t happen in an isolated vacuum. Companies might not be able to achieve all their goals on their own, so why not have a collaboration model? Openness goes a long way, just look at how Tesla has opened up all its patents.

RETAIL TRENDS

INNOVATION ALONG VALUE CHAIN

AT&T Employees Automate Repetitive Tasks with Software Bots

Under Armour has partnered with Residence Inn to create custom two-mile runs at each of its locations across the globe.

Porch.com is launching Porch Retail Solution, a service that allows online retailers to offer installation services for their shoppers. The company’s partnership with Wayfair serves as competition for Amazon, which launched its own home-services division last year.

In 2000, MinuteClinics opened in CVS Pharmacy locations across the US, offering quick healthcare services. By 2007, in-store full-service clinics were popularised by big box stores Walmart and Target. They are just coming around to the UK.

Companies are focusing on delivering one service or product well, but at the same time creating a larger service system by including partners who can deliver added value at specific points in the service journey. Think ‘before, during, after’ moments and micro moments within specific interactions. Think different customer groups. By forming strategic partnerships, a consumer-focused product can be shifted to be more enterprise facings. Retailers no longer need to just think-outside-the box, they also need to think in different shapes and develop new ways of delivering value.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? By combining services that may seem distinct, but which are somehow connected to form a larger system, customers benefits from a lot of added value without having to go to different sources. This represents a new level of convenience and ease.

LARGER SERVICE ECOSYSTEM

RETAIL TRENDS

INNOVATION ALONG VALUE CHAIN

AT&T Employees Automate Repetitive Tasks with Software Bots

Cargomatic is connecting shippers with licensed carriers to revolutionise local trucking.

Fon aims to blanket the world with WiFi, creating hot spots all over the streets of world by crowdsourcing WiFi from user’s homes.

Still White allows brides worldwide to pass on the dress they wore on their wedding day to brides-to-be

You have probably used peer-to-peer services like Airbnb and Uber. These platforms, allow incredibly specific transactions focusing on arbitrary goods and services, and enable customers to double as suppliers. Sharing rather than owning is key. This creates a collaborative economy that empowers consumers to take control.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? “Good services are verbs, and bad services are nouns.” Retailers are becoming a ‘way’ for consumers to buy instead of merely providing a destination that consumers buy from.

NEWCONOMY OF COLLABORATION

RETAIL TRENDS

2020 OPPORTUNITIES

As more coherent service ecosystems become the norm, consumers might stop distinguishing between different service providers. How can service providers ensure the experience stays fluid? Consumers will have high expectations of a comprehensive service system, how would inter-enterprise collaboration work in order to deliver such experience?

Consumers will increasingly expect values to be created around them, or services that enable them to exchange value with others.

Enterprises as a platform or enabler are becoming a norm. How to make sure this enabling-focused business model stays one step ahead? Can this platform business take care of customer expectations without damaging overall user experience. In order to keep up with changing consumer expectations?

RETAIL TRENDS

PLAYING EVEN BETTER WITH OTHERS

LARGER SERVICE ECOSYSTEM

NEWCONOMY OF COLLABORATION

MATURITY

INNOVATION ALONG VALUE CHAIN

Partnership network and platform for both B2C and B2B offerings.

KEY DRIVERS

Operational optimisation

Organisational culture shift

5 Business model innovation

BRINGING HUMANITY BACK

I COMMUNICATE IT MY WAY

THE FRIENDLY MACHINES

EMPATHETIC SERVICES

BRINGING HUMANITY BACK

Looking through the human-computer interaction lens, it's important to acknowledge the emotional exchange that happens between us and machines. In the increasingly technical world we live in, there’s an interesting balance at work when it comes to preserving our human ways. Consumers are claiming “I communicate it my way” and demand understanding from machines. Friendly machines don’t just respond to to our needs, they go one step further by fulfilling our needs without us asking for it. To take this relationship to a two-way emotional exchange, machines will start to provide us with empathetic services that allow us to rely on them. In doing so, our human-machine relationship will take a big step towards with the machines taking care of our emotions.

“

Source: emarketer

the most common types of data used for predictive marketing included

website data (47%) demographics (44%) digital transactions (41%) and social (39%)

According to an April 2015 study of marketing executives in North America from Forbes Insights and predictive analytics vendor Lattice,

I COMMUNICATE IT MY WAYBRINGING HUMANITY BACK

ChatClass is an online tutor tool in Nigeria that uses WhatsApp to send text, audio, images and videos to deliver learning content.

Quartz’s new app texts you the news in digestible text, gifs, and emojis. It’s like your friend texting you highlights from an old school newspaper

Gesture control and its far-reaching possibilities to what it can do.

In the early days of computers we spoke the machine’s language by learning programming languages or carefully typing in search terms in a browser. Now it’s time for machines to learn who we are and how we communicate as humans. Thanks to natural language interfaces such as Siri we can communicate with technology just by speaking normally or by using emojis. Learning a new language can be as intuitive as making plans with friends. Talking with our hands can easily be interpreted by machines and with a point of a finger we become the wizard of our surroundings.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? It’s not just about how machines understand us. It’s also about the different ways in which a machine can understand us. The future seems a lot friendlier knowing that we can keep communicating the way we do, naturally, as humans.

RETAIL TRENDS

THE FRIENDLY MACHINES

Amazon

BRING HUMANITY BACK

IBM Watson Trend helps shoppers understand what is trending and why, creating a smart gift giving guide to make you a holiday hero.

Google can now respond to your emails for you. Or rather, Smart Reply can suggest three responses to emails which you can choose from to edit or send as is!

Retailers are using location based beacon technology to target customers to the areas they really want to see in in-store shopping.

With the extensive knowledge that machines have about us (and also our loved ones), it makes sense for machines to cater to our needs. Services are going one step further than just understanding us; different smart algorithms are being implemented in order to teach machines how to react to us. With the targeting ads and predicting emails, machines are proving to us that they are our friends rather than just a cold technology.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Our relationship with machines is an emotional exchange of give and take. If I have told you that I like blue things, why haven’t you done anything about it?

RETAIL TRENDS

EMPATHETIC SERVICESBRING HUMANITY BACK

Hiya identifies the calls you want to pick up and automatically blocks the ones you want to avoid.

Artificial intelligence taken further with mood detection. Opening up tremendous opportunities in helping people’s everyday lives.

“Hey K.I.T.T, come get me now.” Ok, we are not quite there yet; however, we are heading towards this kind of sci-fi vision where our interactions with technology are extremely tailored. It doesn’t stop at predicting human needs; a certain level of empathy from machines will solidify the relationship. Instead of just reacting to human emotions, machines take one step further by anticipating our needs and taking care of our emotions. We rely on our friendly machines and they open their arms wide for us to feel safe in.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? The next level of emotional comfort with machines is not just about us humans relying on them. Machines will take a proactive role in giving us back more than we have given them.

RETAIL TRENDS

Xiaoice is a virtual girlfriend to thousands of users in China. She’s more than just a chatbot, she remembers information from your past conversations to make for personal and meaningful conversation.

2020 OPPORTUNITIES

While mind-reading is still a thing of the future, what other human actions and behaviour could machines interpret? Remember, sometimes non-verbal signals can be the most important form of communication.

At what point is the friendly machine too friendly? Everyone has different boundaries.This also triggers the delicate balance of privacy concern and trust issues. How can retailers make sensitive advances in this area?

It’s not time to worry about minority report scenario yet, but can predictive technology really take care of consumers? We can barely predict ourselves sometimes, to come to a reliable prediction we must look at data from market benchmark, historical patterns, customer behaviour, and undiscovered needs through one holistic lens.

RETAIL TRENDS

I COMMUNICATE IT MY WAY

THE FRIENDLY MACHINE EMPATHETIC SERVICES

MATURITY

BRINGING HUMANITY BACK

A ubiquitous emotional companion that focuses on listening to humans and building trust proactively. 360 Big data service learning from consumer lifestyle and friends/family activities.

KEY DRIVERS

Customer engagement

Product / service enhancement

4

NOT YOURGRANDMA’S CURRENCY

NEW MONEY

YOU ARE THE PAYMENT

MOBILISE IT

NOT YOURGRANDMA’S CURRENCY

Look Ma! No cash. These days, new money make us see our money in a completely different way and reconsider the definition of “currency”. You are the payment, not your cash. We are seeing different ways to authenticate payments, either via the trusty phone or simply by taking a selfie. A frictionless payment process has become front-and-centre in retailers’ business strategies. Retailers should think beyond just payment and include the auxiliary activities. If you can imagine it, you can mobilise it. Customer loyalty and incentives are reinvented as they become integrated with mobile payments.

“

Source: Bloomberg

About 21% of Starbucks’ U.S. transactions are now done via mobile application.

NEW MONEYNOT YOUR GRANDMA’S CURRENCY

Cash? That’s so 1995. Credit card? That sounds a bit old school. Alternative currencies and forms of transactions are becoming more widely accepted. New systems allow payments to be specific to micro tasks while catering to a global reach. You can pay for your fitness clothes using the miles you’ve just run or you can transfer money between three different currencies in one simple transaction.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? We have come a long way from worrying about the security of online transactions to using virtual currencies.

Imagine Curve is more than just a card, it is a singular card that combines all your other cards to increase rewards and track payments globally.

Spice Time Credit swaps one hour’s volunteering in the community for a time credit for each hour given.

Athena Bitcoin, a bitcoin ATM company in the U.S. has added a digital exchange service so you can physically or digitally obtain the currency.

RETAIL TRENDS

YOU ARE THE PAYMENTNOT YOUR GRANDMA’S CURRENCY

Completing a transaction can already be done through different action triggers and devices. Paying without a password or a PIN is on the rise: transactions can be authorised just by being you. Pay with just a smile or a selfie makes the payment process more human. Biometric and facial recognition are already taking over the secured payment market. Soon enough, just being you is enough for authentication.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Payment is really a series of micro-processes performed in a sequence. Authentication and security play a huge part in it and that is unlikely to fade away soon. We have come a long way from watching retina-scan in Mission Impossible to where we are now.

Citigroup Inc. is testing new technology with automated-teller-machine maker Diebold Inc. that would allow customers to withdraw money with an eyeball scan or a code on a smartphone instead of a card swipe.

Alibaba is testing facial recognition to allow you to make mobile purchases by smiling.

Mastercard is the forefront of different payment authentication methods, including selfies and fingerprints.

RETAIL TRENDS

MOBILISE ITNOT YOUR GRANDMA’S CURRENCY

Mobile payments are still on the rise and have huge market potential. But mobile devices can do more than simply handle the specific moment of payment. All other actions from the wider journey can be handled on a screen in your palm. Think of the magical device in your hand as a tool to facilitate all the other activities related to payments such as customer loyalty.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? The benchmark for mobile payments has been set, but the technology has still yet to reach mass market. Could customer loyalty and added convenience be the key to push the buy-in of the technology to a new level?

Lidl was the first Danish supermarket chain to introduce contactless payments.

In competition with Apple Pay, CurrentC gives big box retailers such as Walmart an app allowing customers to pay from their phones while gaining loyalty points.

Walgreens was the first store to integrate a loyalty program into ApplePay.

RETAIL TRENDS

Product / service enhancement

2020 OPPORTUNITIES

Consumers expect to be paying with whatever method is most convenient and natural to them. What can companies and service providers do to make it even more convenient?

As consumers get more used to different type of currencies, how will their sense of security change? How can customer data be translated into transactional currencies?

Providing mobile payment for consumers is a must. What other services can be included in mobile that are related to payments?

RETAIL TRENDS

NEW MONEY YOU ARE THE PAYMENT MOBILISE IT

MATURITY

NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S CURRENCY

Monetised auxiliary activities around payment that deliver convenience to consumers while building new services.

KEY DRIVERS

New market reach8

LUXJOYMENT PERSONALISED SNOWFLAKE

BRINGING THE 1% TO AVERAGE JOES

INSTALUXE

LUXJOYMENT

Everyone can enjoy a slice of the luxurious lifestyle we see in movies without having to hide our guilty-pleasure yearning for materialistic fulfilment. Everything is a tailor-made experiences in the shape of a personalised snowflake served by our wonderful technology. Our perception of “luxury” has changed while accessible luxury is bringing the 1% to average Joes. Pipe dreams, like riding in a private jet, are only clicks away from becoming reality. Aside from materialistic luxury, consumers are increasingly experiencing luxury in more superficial ways. This is the generation of mass social media, where we can become celebrities of a sort by broadcasting details our lives to our followers/fans on Facebook or Instagram. This is the era of instaluxe, where consumers themselves become the luxury through the power of the internet.

“

Source: Financial Times

Sales growth of personal luxury goods — from handbags and shoes to Prêt-à-Porter — slowed to 1-2 per cent in 2015 from 7 per cent in 2013 at constant currency rates.

PERSONALISED SNOWFLAKELUXJOYMENT

We spend most of our lives trying to figure out our unique personality and we tell ourselves that we are special, why wouldn’t we expect the same from the services we receive? We are individuals who want to feel empowered and in control. The new services are releasing us from being slaves to capitalism or being told how to act. People are getting validation of their uniqueness through personalised services and no longer need to be squeezed into one size fits all experiences.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Everyone likes to feel special. The emotional value of making customers feel special is tremendous.

Muzeums is changing the way we experience museums and destinations by curating tours and games according to the user’s profile.

Never shop for clothes again. Services like Trunk Club pair you with an expert stylist who finds you premium clothes from a range of brands to fit your style, budget and existing wardrobe.

American Express plans to launch a partnership with Facebook Messenger where a bot sends friendly purchase alerts, restaurant recommendations, and benefits directly to their Messenger app.

RETAIL TRENDS

BRINGING THE 1% TO AVERAGE JOESLUXJOYMENT

Luxury has never been more accessible and mainstream. Luxurious enjoyment is no longer reserved for the top 1% and the normal-everyday-folks can now enjoy its essence/aspects of luxury. Options are out there for accessible ways to get on a private jet or to wear top-of-the-range designer clothing. Car manufacturers, hotel chains and restaurants are releasing price-conscious luxury lines to cater to a larger audience base.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? A chance to experience luxury is a great way to use lifestyle as an anchor to sell.

The Opulent Box is the latest luxury subscription service, making buying designer jewellery a fresh surprise every time.

No need to be rich and famous to fly in style, you can book a seat on a private jet for for affordable rates.

Hyundai Motors is planning its release of a luxury electric car under a new brand, Genesis.

RETAIL TRENDS

INSTALUXELUXJOYMENT

The power of the internet has amplified the voice of individuals. Everyone can become an influencer or advocate. Social media gives an equal platform for big box advertisements to exist alongside real human customers. In this culture, real people are as followed / adored as celebrities . Anyone can be famous and enjoy the instant fame and look-at-me-now famewhore rush without being the elite. Influential Instagrammers and YouTubers have a wide reach, and anyone can be the next superstar for that brief 60 seconds on social media. In an instant, life becomes a simulacra of a luxury dream.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? This is a transitional time of exposing humanity to its shallow ends while offering the access to exposure and opportunities like never before.

This six-year-old boy in India was paid $2,000 by Facebook for non-exclusive rights to a video of him making Mickey Mouse Mango Ice Cream.

Lord & Taylor paid 50 influential fashionistas to post a photo of themselves wearing the same dress, which then sold out within days.

A woman became famous after a Facebook video of her wearing a Chewbacca mask went viral, and now Hasbro toy company has made a doll of her dressed up as Chewbacca.

RETAIL TRENDS

Product / service enhancement

2020 OPPORTUNITIES

Consumers will continuously expect personalised services delivered to them, and also to feel special. How can retailers deliver that “special” feeling? How to watch out for the balance of knowing-too-much v.s. Doing-too-little?

Can there be a sustainable business model in delivering luxury to everyday Joes? Is it possible to create affordable luxury services while maintaining the bottomline?

What will we do with this twisted morph of humanity? How do retailers handle this new breed of VIP consumers now that everyone's a VIP? Other than utilising the insta-crowd for financial gains, how can retailers use the democratisation of luxury as an opportunity to promote better social values?

RETAIL TRENDS

PERSONALISED SNOWFLAKE

BRINGING THE 1% TO AVERAGE JOES

INSTALUXE

MATURITY

LUXJOYMENT

Personalised, VIP-like services available to all customer base. Social channels and social PR dominated experience strategy.

KEY DRIVERS

New market reach8

Customer engagement

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

CROWDSOURCED

BE THE ENABLER

GLOBAL LOCALIST

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Things are powered by people. As Aesop once said: “In union there is strength”. By coming together to support common goals, we bring our values to life. Businesses are beginning to realise this by building services that are crowdsourced, that we can all benefit from. By shifting objectives away from a purely commercial focus to include social issues and objectives, companies can enable can build networks to be the enabler for a wider impact than one would expect. Fostering individuality and bringing inclusion to local communities are the key to developing sustainable large-scale business. The future is global localist focused - it’s all about big business providing local services with global support.

Fostering individuality and bringing inclusion to local community are the winning keys to develop sustainable large-scale businesses.

“

Source: fanbridge

In order to have a presence in your local community, you actually need to be present as a part of your local community.

CROWDSOURCEDPOWER TO THE PEOPLE

It’s not just about consumers lending hands to each other, enterprises are building up service platforms using the power of the crowd. The crowd becomes a building block of the business and more opportunities are given to the people to participate.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? The movement towards CrowdSourcing everything is empowering individuals both as consumers and providers. Companies no longer have to own things in order to sell things.

Indian e-commerce site Flipkart is to use the dabbawalas of Mumbai to start delivering goods.

After successful trials in Seattle, Amazon plans to expand their Uber-like ‘Flex’ package delivery service where drivers deliver packages whenever suits them.

Ambriosa Labs sells breast milk to mothers unable to produce milk for their baby in the US from donors in Cambodia in a regulated manner in order to avoid dangerous disease spreading peer-to-peer transactions.

RETAIL TRENDS

BE THE ENABLER

Bringing people together through common goals is powerful. Companies are now utilising their corporate reach and customer base to bring social impact to life. Imagine a concentrated and focused network working towards building something together. Companies will become the platform to enable people, but also a source for these different networks.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Doing good feels good. Instead of just selling to customers, enterprises has the power to become an enabling platform for groups of people dedicated to good causes.

Metro Bank refunds new and existing customers when they rehome a dog or a cat from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

The “buy one, give one” model, made popular by companies like Warby Parker, has helped retailers stand out from the competition.

France is the first country to ban supermarkets from throwing away food. Instead all unsold food must be donated to charities. Tesco in the UK has launched an initiative to donate unsold food to 5000 different charities.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

RETAIL TRENDS

GLOBAL LOCALIST

Bringing global business into the local market is not a drag-and-drop procedure. The outcry against gentrification and the rapid adoption rate for the next Starbucks-McDonalds-Walmart work in separate directions. Building a healthy local economy not only enhances the experience offered to customers, but also nourishes sustainable business eco-systems.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Local businesses do not need to be squashed by global outfits; building a healthy local economy should be supported by the big names. It’s a relationship that’s mutually beneficial.

The Autograph Collection by Marriott International offers independent and unique hotels worldwide that offer local relevance while capitalising on the global resources of such a trusted brand.

When you next travel, take advantage of insiders knowledge on Voyable by booking unique experiences only locals could give you.

The Icelandair travel buddy programme allows passengers to share their stay in Iceland with an Icelandair employee. Ranging from adventure, culture, food, health, lifestyle, and nature buddies.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

RETAIL TRENDS

2020 OPPORTUNITIES

As things become more and more powered by peers, what are the different implications for consumers? What do trust and loyalty look like in a crowdsourced market?

How can corporations use their power and utilise their network better? Putting customers to work can be an active and passive effort.

Consumers trust traditional brands and are simultaneously excited by the boutique / bespoke experiences. The future might bring a flip of the two. This is a shift that companies can start preparing now.

RETAIL TRENDS

CROWDSOURCED BE THE ENABLER GLOBAL LOCALIST

MATURITY

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Decentralised services supplied by crowd knowledge. Boutique / local lifestyle experience offering.

KEY DRIVERS

New market reach4

Business model innovation, Organisational culture shift, Cost efficiency

Business model innovation Organisational culture shift

Cost efficiency

SHIFTED IDENTITY

CONSUMER GROUPS REDEFINED

GENDER ROLE SHIFT

NEW CONVENTIONS

SHIFTED IDENTITY

The construct of a family has shifted. We are seeing consumer groups redefined into more intricate and all-inclusive population segments. Gender roles are on their way out the door, LGBT marriages are legal in over 20 countries, and fewer women are having babies.The growing-old-but-not-grown-up generation and the continuously ageing population have ever-changing needs to be taken care of in the context of new conventions. Say goodbye to our norm. Hello people of the future.

“

Source: Daily Record

the growth in women buyers online has increased by 58 per cent more than double that of men two years ago.

CONSUMER GROUPS REDEFINED

Self-driving

SHIFTED IDENTITY

There is a huge opportunity for businesses to target specific consumer groups outside cliched and outdated socio-economic definitions,especially those previously overlooked by marketers. The edge-case user groups are getting noticed and this movement brings forward a welcome wave of change to social norms.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Retailers who accurately define their consumers in line with current social norms and trends in population, are more likely to keep them happy.

HelloFresh in the UK says that this cardboard box is the food of the future, and such meal subscriptions are curated specifically to the dietary needs and preferences of the household.

Wine lovers can enjoy a glass of wine without corking the bottle using a device by Coravin, who are working on making it work for sparkling wines so you don’t have to drink Champagne by the bottle.

Curated monthly packages cater to the most niche consumer groups, like Nerd Block which delivers toys to unleash your inner nerd.

RETAIL TRENDS

GENDER ROLE SHIFTSHIFTED IDENTITY

Mum doesn’t have all the recipes and wife doesn’t do all the cooking. Men are stay-at-home dads and aren’t necessarily the decision-makers when it comes to buying a car. Gendered tasks and expectations are converging. Being gender neutral is the new wave of campaigning for equality. Services are changing, but they need to continue adapting with the times.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? With gender roles and family dynamics constantly shifting, targeted products and services must start shifting alongside in order to match consumers’ needs.

In the US, nearly half of women between 15-44 are childless.

Gender neutral and fair payment systems are slowly being introduced for haircuts in salons all over the world.

San Francisco will soon mandate fully paid maternity and paternity leave for up to six weeks.

RETAIL TRENDS

NEW CONVENTIONSSHIFTED IDENTITY

The singleton demographic will grow older but they don’t need to grow up. Professional Aunt or Uncle with No Kids (PANK / PUNK) has been coined as a term and enterprises are targeting this growing demographic. The idea of a family trip is no longer the preserve of the traditional mum, dad plus kids. Family dynamics are changing-parents do not necessarily comprise your 70s-picture-ready social unit of a mum and a dad, it could be two mums, two dads and so forth. On top of this we are seeing gender in a whole new way.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Redefining the family - and conventional socio-economic groupings is a slow movement but one that is on the verge of becoming mainstream. Non-conventional family archetypes challenge us to rethink the construct of society. We are forced to open our minds and adopt to new conventions while learning to adapt to it.

Travel companies are targeting Professional Aunts / Uncles with No Kids, as they have money to spend and want to be included in family trips.

The show ‘Grace and Frankie’ is revealing the trend towards a new lifestyle developed by the ageing population.

A transgender man is pregnant by his female transgender partner, though the couple said 'the process to get here was complex’.

RETAIL TRENDS

2020 OPPORTUNITIES

Niche consumers will have niche needs. How can retailers and corporations identify and keep fulfilling these changing needs?

As family needs and structures change, new products / services will have to catch up. How can retailers be a step ahead and predict future customer archetypes? Can the heritage brands bring a modern twist to the ‘family value’ that it has promoted for so long?

Consumers’ sense of convention is being challenged everyday. How can retailers help society progress along this unavoidable wave of change?

RETAIL TRENDS

CONSUMER GROUPS REDEFINED

GENDER ROLE SHIFT NEW CONVENTIONS

MATURITY

SHIFTED IDENTITY

Gender neutral services replacing gender-specific targeting. Services / products for single parents or co-parents.

KEY DRIVERS

New market reach3 New market reach Customer engagement

Rethink customer journey.

Set in motion the machines.

Experiment with business boundaries.

Remember what it means to be human.

Explore new definition of currency.

Create sense of luxury.

Utilise human capital / network.

Understand, really understand customers.

LOOK FORWARD. AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE

RETAIL TRENDS

If you have questions or would like to discuss this report, please contact:

Cathy Wang Director, Business design & transformation +44 7721 164 094 cathy.wang@futurice.com

REFERENCES

RETAIL TRENDS

MASTER OF TIME AND SPACE

Starbucks allows customers throughout the U.S. to skip the line by ordering and paying in

advance on their phones.

https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-mobile-order-pay-now-available-to-

customers-nationwide

Swedish ICA customers will soon be able to have their groceries delivered directly into

their fridge.

http://www.ica.se/infridge/infridge-in-english/

In Germany, Amazon Prime is piloting a partnership with Audi to deliver orders directly to

the boot of your car.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/23/amazon-deliver-parcels-

directly-to-car-boots-audi

Doddle allows customers to collect all of their online shopping from one location.

https://www.doddle.com/

Competition over which laundry app should pick up your dirty laundry is tight in San

Francisco, as people are placing more value on their time.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/techflash/2016/06/washclub-laundry-

locker-washio-rinse-technology.html

Paw Shake allows pet parents in Australia to connect with trustworthy walkers, so that

they don’t need to rush home at lunch every day to take their dog on a walk.

https://www.pawshake.com.au/

Mini Fashion Bar is bringing the experience of shopping to hotel rooms to take some

hassle out of both packing and shopping, personalised to weather, location and events.

http://minifashionbar.com/en

Handy provides cleaners to customers, but also connects to painters, electricians and

plumbers for day-to-day needs.

https://www.handy.com/services

Delivery company UPS teamed up with SAP to create an on-demand 3D printing

network.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-united-parcel-sap-se-3dprinting-idUKKCN0Y90BR

Companies like Doctors on Demand are bringing the doctor into the home, providing

assessment, diagnosis and prescriptions.

http://www.doctorondemand.com/

Everlane, a transparent online-only clothing company, provides clothing delivery within

an hour to consumers in San Francisco and New York City.

https://www.everlane.com/now

Takeaway, parking, haircuts, cleaners -- anything is now available in Uber-style on-

demand apps.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/03/an-uber-for-everything-the-

surge-in-on-demand-apps

RETAIL TRENDS

MACHINES AT YOUR SERVICE

With so much music, it is difficult to discover anything new. Spotify launched the Discover

Weekly playlist, personalised to each user based on their habits, for a perfect personal DJ

to successfully and effortlessly bring you music you will love.

https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/25/playlists-not-blogs/

Chevrolet is working on releasing Proactive Alerts in their cars, which will predict when

certain components need attention.

http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/chevrolet-launches-onstar-proactive-alerts-

predictive-technology-ar173212.html

Netflix has recently changed its recommendation section from regional to a global

system focused on subscribers’ interests.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/17/11030200/netflix-new-recommendation-system-

global-regional?

In Australia and New Zealand, Insteon is providing automated home security so you’ll be able to know and control what is going on in your home from anywhere.

http://www.insteon.com.au/

AT&T is making their employees more efficient by creating software bots to complete

mundane tasks.

http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2016/05/15/att-employees-automate-repetitive-tasks-with-

software-bots/

Volvo will be testing self-driving cars on the streets on London with real families by next

year. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/27/volvo-test-self-driving-cars-

london-2017

Across the world, construction is becoming automated with 3D printers, brick-laying

robots, and drones that can work far faster than a construction crew.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35746648

In Abu Dhabi, a Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot has been successfully performing precise and safe surgeries in vivo, taking us closer to having real life robot surgeons.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160504151855.htm

http://theweek.com/articles/623399/robot-surgeon-could-revolutionize-operations

Amazon Robotics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, empowers a smarter,

faster, more consistent customer experience through automation.

https://www.amazonrobotics.com/#/vision

MIT students invented Spyce, a robotic kitchen that makes fresh meals in under five

minutes, with the goal of revolutionising fast food.

http://www.techinsider.io/mit-students-invented-a-robotic-kitchen-2016-4

Metail and other online garment fitting companies are personalising online shopping, by

allowing users to virtually try on clothes to fit their body type.

http://metail.com/about/

RETAIL TRENDS

INNOVATION ALONG VALUE CHAIN

You can now pay for your Wagamama meal whenever you are ready on convenient app

Qkr! In partnership with MasterCard.

http://newsroom.mastercard.com/press-releases/wagamama-and-mastercard-

launch-qkr-with-masterpass-for-customers/

Asos and Telefónica’s Wayra have launched an accelerator for those in the fashion tech

and ad spaces.

http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/03/asos-wayra/

The Mac maker and enterprise software titan SAP have joined forces in a partnership

that will see SAP building corporate apps tailored for Apple’s mobile devices like the

iPhone and iPad.

http://fortune.com/2016/05/05/apple-sap-partnership/

Porch.com is launching Porch Retail Solution, a service that allows online retailers to offer

installation services for their shoppers. The company’s partnership with Wayfair serves as competition for Amazon, which launched its own home-services division last year.

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/porch-partners-with-wayfair-to-

take-on-amazon/

Under Armour has partnered with Residence Inn to create custom two-mile runs at each

of its locations across the globe.

http://www.travelpulse.com/news/hotels-and-resorts/residence-inn-teams-with-

under-armour-to-help-guests-run-like-locals.html

In 2000, MinuteClinics opened in CVS Pharmacy locations across the US, offering quick

healthcare services. By 2007, in-store full-service clinics were popularised by big box

stores Walmart and Target. They are just coming around to the UK.

http://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/visit/about-us/history

http://www.startribune.com/target-inches-into-medical-clinic-business/102656069/ http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/your-practice/practice-topics/premises/sainsburys-

plans-a-rapid-expansion-of-in-store-gp-surgery-programme/20001839.fullarticle

You can now buy products from Target and Lancôme directly from Snapchat ads. More

ecommerce partnerships to come!

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/snapchats-first-e-commerce-ads-target-

and-lancome-go-live-171157

Cargomatic is connecting shippers with licensed carriers to revolutionise local trucking.

https://www.cargomatic.com/

Fon aims to blanket the world with WiFi, creating hot spots all over the streets of world by

crowdsourcing WiFi from user’s homes.

https://fon.com/

Still White allows brides worldwide to pass on the dress they wore on their wedding day

to brides-to-be.

https://www.stillwhite.com/

RETAIL TRENDS

BRINGING HUMANITY BACK

Quartz’s new app texts you the news in digestible text, gifs, and emojis. It’s like your friend

texting you highlights from an old school newspaper.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/11/10963794/quartz-app-iphone-ios-the-atlantic-

download

ChatClass is an online tutor tool in Nigeria that uses WhatsApp to send text, audio,

images and videos to deliver learning content.

http://chatclass.ng/

Gesture control and its far-reaching possibilities to what it can do.

http://logbar.jp/ring/en

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/bird-gesture-based-tech

Have a two-way conversation with Google Assistant, who will find you whatever

information you need.

https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/18/google-unveils-google-assistant-a-big-upgrade-to-google-now/

IBM Watson Trend helps shoppers understand what is trending and why, creating a

smart gift giving guide to make you a holiday hero.

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/marketing-solutions/watson-trend/

Retailers are using location based beacon technology to target customers to the areas

they really want to see in in-store shopping.

http://app.ft.com/cms/s/658a5f98-0103-11e5-a60e-00144feabdc0.html?

sectionid=stream/organisationsId/T05fYWRkLUV1cm9uZXh0X2Zldi0yMDA4Xzk2OA==-T04=

Google can now respond to your emails for you. Or rather, Smart Reply can suggest

three responses to emails which you can choose from to edit or send as is!

http://www.wired.com/2016/03/google-inbox-auto-answers-emails/

Xiaoice is a virtual girlfriend to thousands of users in China. She’s more than just a chatbot, she remembers information from your past conversations to make for personal

and meaningful conversation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3181882/Microsoft-s-Chinese-

girlfriend-app-huge-hit-Xiaoice-listens-asks-feeling-makes-jokes.html

https://mic.com/articles/123232/this-chinese-chatbot-is-turning-the-movie-her-into-

real-life

Hiya identifies the calls you want to pick up and automatically blocks the ones you want

to avoid.

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/whitepages-spins-caller-id-spam-blocking-app-

startup-hiya/

Artificial intelligence taken further with mood detection. Opening up tremendous

opportunities in helping people’s everyday lives.

Emotional Intelligence Speaker: Emi learns different moods and plays music and lighting

accordingly.

http://www.mymoodbox.com/

Microsoft's new emotion-detecting AI can be hilariously bad at detecting emotions

http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/microsoft-ai-picture-tool-1.3314852

Apple Buys Artificial-Intelligence Startup Emotient

http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-buys-artificial-intelligence-startup-

emotient-1452188715

RETAIL TRENDS

NOT YOURGRANDMA’S CURRENCY

Imagine Curve is more than just a card, it is a singular card that combines all your other

cards to increase rewards and track payments globally.

https://www.imaginecurve.com/

Spice Time Credit swaps one hour’s volunteering in the community for a time credit for each hour given.

http://www.justaddspice.org/about-us

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jun/28/community-currencies-local-

economy-volunteering

Athena Bitcoin, a bitcoin ATM company in the U.S. has added a digital exchange service

so you can physically or digitally obtain the currency.

http://www.coindesk.com/us-bitcoin-atm-network-acqui-hires-exchange-startup-

bitquick/

In Russia, 30 squats can get ou a train ticket http://www.wired.com/2013/11/squats-train-ticket/

Alibaba is testing facial recognition to allow you to make mobile purchases by smiling.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/alibaba-jack-ma-shows-facial-recognition-for-mobile-

payments-2015-3

Citigroup Inc. is testing new technology with automated-teller-machine maker Diebold

Inc. that would allow customers to withdraw money with an eyeball scan or a code on a

smartphone instead of a card swipe.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-eye-scanning-atm-is-here-1445815637

Mastercard are the forefront of different payment authentication methods, including

selfies and fingerprints.

http://techcitynews.com/2016/02/22/mastercard-confirms-biometric-payments-will-

launch-in-uk-this-summer/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/mastercard-selfie-pay-1.3459740

In Kansas, students at Southwestern College are already paying for their meals using a

selfie provided by Lucova.

https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/28112/lucova-brings-selfie-payments-to-college-campus

Walgreens was the first store to integrate a loyalty program into ApplePay.

http://www.macworld.com/article/3002080/apple-phone/you-can-finally-rack-up-

loyalty-points-in-apple-pay-starting-at-walgreens.html

In competition with Apple Pay, CurrentC gives big box retailers such as Walmart an app

allowing customers to pay from their phones while gaining loyalty points.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-wal-mart-mobilepayment-

idUSKBN0TT0E620151210

https://techcrunch.com/2014/10/25/currentc/

Lidl was the first Danish supermarket chain to introduce contactless payments.

https://www.verifone.dk/Global/Denmark/Pressemeddelelser/Swipp%20and

%20Verifone%20testing%20mobile%20payment%20in%20Lidl.pdf

http://scandinavianretail.com/lidl-ready-to-launch-contactless-mobile-payments/

Thai restaurant group Busaba Eathai partners with MyCheck to set the hospitality

industry benchmark for mobile loyalty.

http://www.realwire.com/releases/Busaba-Eathai-and-MyCheck-set-hospitality-

industry-benchmark

RETAIL TRENDS

LUXJOYMENT

Muzeums is changing the way we experience museums and destinations by curating

tours and games according to the user’s profile.

http://muzeu.ms/index.html

Never shop for clothes again. Services like Trunk Club pair you with an expert stylist who finds you premium clothes from a range of brands to fit your style, budget and existing

wardrobe.

https://www.trunkclub.com

American Express plans to launch a partnership with Facebook Messanger where a bot

sends friendly purchase alerts, restaurant recommendations, and benefits directly to

their Messenger app.

http://venturebeat.com/2016/06/23/american-express-and-facebook-into-

messenger/

No need to be rich and famous to fly in style, you can book a seat on a private jet for for affordable rates.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-fly-on-a-private-jet-for-under-200-per-

person-2014-07-01

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e6800d2a-27e3-11e6-8ba3-cdd781d02d89.html

The Opulent Box is the latest luxury subscription service, making buying designer

jewellery a fresh surprise every time.

https://www.opulentjewelers.com/opulent-box/

Hyundai Motors is planning its release of a luxury electric car under a new brand, Genesis.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-genesis-electric-idUSKCN0YP07Q

Residents of the new 111 Murray Street in Manhattan will be the first to enjoy concierge

services including private jet services.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kristintablang/2015/10/26/111-murray-street-new-york-

blue-star-jets-private-plane-concierge/#2ff2c8b11689

A woman became famous after a Facebook video of her wearing a Chewbacca mask

went viral, and now Hasbro toy company has made a doll of her dressed up as

Chewbacca.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/20/us/chewbacca-mom-gets-action-figure/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewbacca_Mask_Lady

This six-year-old boy in India was paid $2,000 by Facebook for non-exclusive rights to a

video of him making Mickey Mouse Mango Ice Cream

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/world/facebook-paid-this-kid-rs-13-000-for-

making-mango-ice-cream-we-can-t-stop-feeling-jealous-257374.html

Lord & Taylor paid 50 influential fashionistas to post a photo of themselves wearing the

same dress, which then sold out within days.

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/lord-taylor-got-50-

instagrammers-wear-same-dress-which-promptly-sold-out-163791

Social media is creating a different facet of reality. Parallel universe of luxurious life are

broadcasted on instagram. Fake vacations can be achieved easily with social media.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/rich-kids-of-instagram-spring-break-2016-3?r=US&IR=T

http://matadornetwork.com/life/hipster-barbie-proves-easy-fake-compelling-travel-

photos/

RETAIL TRENDS

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

After successful trials in Seattle, Amazon plans to expand their Uber-like ‘Flex’ package

delivery service where drivers deliver packages whenever suits them.

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/amazon-plans-to-expand-uber-style-crowdsourced-

delivery-network-to-millions-of-drivers/

Ambriosa Labs sells breast milk to mothers unable to produce milk for their baby in the

US from donors in Cambodia in a regulated manner in order to avoid dangerous disease

spreading peer-to-peer transactions.

http://ambrosiamilk.com/our-donors/

http://www.sltrib.com/news/3340606-155/got-breast-milk-if-not-a

Indian e-commerce site Flipkart is to use the dabbawalas of Mumbai to start delivering

goods

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/04/10/flipkart-to-deliver-using-mumbais-

dabbawalas/

Indiegogo CrowdFunding campaign to help bail out Greece.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/greek-crowdfund#/

Watsi is a platform for patients all over the world to find funding to fit their healthcare

needs.

https://watsi.org/

France is the first country to ban supermarkets from throwing away food. Instead all

unsold food must be donated to charities. Tesco in the UK has launched an initiative to

donate unsold food to 5000 different charities. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/04/french-law-forbids-food-waste-by-

supermarkets

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/tesco-to-give-all-unsold-food-to-

charity-after-finalising-deal-a6925971.html

The “buy one, give one” model, made popular by companies like Warby Parker, has

helped retailers stand out from the competition.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2016/05/19/how-geoffrey-beene-patagonia-

and-warby-parker-gain-by-giving/#3a4aec6f7963

Metro Bank refunds new and existing customers when they rehome a dog or a cat from

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/Discover-Metro-Bank/DogsRule/

The Autograph Collection by Marriott International offers independent and unique hotels

worldwide that offer local relevance while capitalising on the global resources of such a

trusted brand.

http://www.autograph-hotels.marriott.com/

When you next travel, take advantage of insiders knowledge on Voyable by booking

unique experiences only locals could give you. https://www.vayable.com

The Icelandair travel buddy programme allows passengers to share their stay in Iceland

with an Icelandair employee. Ranging from adventure, culture, food, health, lifestyle, and

nature buddies.

http://www.icelandair.co.uk/stopover-buddy/

Maxime Buchi's tattoo revolution comes to Selfridges

http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/20186/1/maxime-buchis-tattoo-

revolution-comes-to-selfridges

RETAIL TRENDS

SHIFTED IDENTITY

HelloFresh in the UK says that this cardboard box is the food of the future, and such meal

subscriptions are curated specifically to the dietary needs and preferences of the

household.

https://www.thememo.com/2016/06/29/we-asked-hellofreshs-uk-boss-whether-a-

cardboard-box-of-food-is-the-future/ http://www.chefsplate.com/

https://www.plated.com

Curated monthly packages cater to the most niche consumer groups, like Nerd Block

which delivers toys to unleash your inner nerd.

https://www.nerdblock.com/

Wine lovers can enjoy a glass of wine without corking the bottle using a device by

Coravin, who are working on making it work for sparkling wines so you don’t have to

drink Champagne by the bottle.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/02/coravin-sparkling-wine-device-our-absolute-priority/

https://www.coravin.co.uk/

In the US, nearly half of women between 15-44 are childless.

http://time.com/3774620/more-women-not-having-kids/

San Francisco will soon mandate fully paid maternity and paternity leave for up to six

weeks.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-04/22/c_135302063.htm

Gender neutral and fair payment systems are slowly being introduced for haircuts in

salons all over the world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35541970

Travel companies are targeting Professional Aunts/Uncles with No Kids, as they have money to spend and want to be included in family trips.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/themes/family/71097432/New-breed-of-traveller-

aunties-with-time-and-money

The show ‘Grace and Frankie’ is revealing the trend towards a new lifestyle developed by

the ageing population.

http://www.btchflcks.com/2015/06/grace-and-frankie-sexuality-for-seniors-and-life-

after-marriage.html

A transgender man is pregnant by his female transgender partner, though the couple

said 'the process to get here was complex'. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/transgender-man-pregnant-female-

transgender-7050883

© 2016