FuturistU > Retail > Omnichannel Retail > Module 4 / 5

Experience in Retail

Instructor: Ady Floyd
Convenience
Download the Convenience Trend Report
While commodities are always going to be necessary for the average consumer's life, the experience to obtain these things can make or break whether the purchase is made. In the third module of omnichannel retail, Ady will look at how curated shopping experiences can increase your consumers' loyalty and maintain healthy relationships. When considering what curated shopping means, it's important to recognize what consumers value: interactivity, consistency, and memorability.

Consumers crave gamification, education and above all a positive experience and pleasant brand interactions. This module will help you understand why it's important to balance fun interactions with helpful interactions and how you can win your consumers by transforming traditional shopping experiences.
Related Trend Report: Convenience
Workshop Question:
How can technology help you transform the customer experience?
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Featured Insights

Retail Tech Directory
Stores leverage technology to help consumers find and learn about products
Implications - To improve brick-and-mortar retail, brands are implementing advanced technologies like store map apps and navigation tablets. Giving shoppers the power to browse and direct themselves through a store using technology satisfies the consumer desire for quick and easy in-store shopping experiences. Simplifying the consumer’s path to purchase improves omnichannel retail by reinforcing the seamlessness of today's retail landscape.
Workshop Question - How can your brand improve the consumer's path to purchase through technological advancements?
2.4
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Activity
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Retail Gaming
Retailers outside of tech incorporate in-store games to boost engagement
Implications - Non-tech retailers are incorporating gaming in various forms in stores for the purpose of boosting engagement with their brands and products. This shift comes as brick and mortar increasingly relies on the same levels of interactivity that e-commerce incorporates so fluidly, catering to consumers who are seeking the best of both worlds in their purchase journeys.
Workshop Question - How can your brand adopt gamification in its in-person marketing or brick and mortar experiences?
5.4
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Activity
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Insights by Trend Hunter AI

AI Intimacy
Retail brands are using AI to create deeper emotional connections with customers
Trend - Retail companies are deploying AI systems that go beyond transactional interactions to build genuine emotional relationships with customers. These technologies learn individual preferences, remember personal details, and anticipate needs in ways that make customers feel truly understood. AI is being used so every interaction feels like a continuation of an ongoing relationship.
Workshop Question - How could your brand use AI to remember and celebrate the small details that make each customer feel uniquely valued?
7.8
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Megatrends
AI Experience
Brands increasingly use artificial intelligence to power live retail experiences
Trend - Brands are leveraging artificial intelligence to bring personalized, interactive shopping experiences to malls and brick-and-mortar stores. By integrating machine learning and augmented reality (AR), they create immersive, tech-driven demonstrations that connect consumers with branded products.
Workshop Question - How can your brand create stronger in-store connections with consumers?
7.2
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Activity
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Megatrends
Hyperlocal Evolution
Brands strengthen community connections through enhanced physical experiences
Trend - As consumers flock to physical retail spaces, both established and emerging brands are reimagining their local presence through enhanced experiential offerings. This shift extends beyond traditional retail to include direct-to-consumer brands creating innovative physical touchpoints.
Workshop Question - How could your brand create meaningful local connections with or without a permanent retail space?
7.2
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Activity
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Megatrends
Employee-Free Retailer
Brick and mortar stores are turning to AI to mitigate labor costs
Trend - Retailers and grocers are testing fully automated locations to lower costs. By saving on the many complications associated with labor, these retailers are able to offer reduced prices for the benefit of the consumer. These often begin as solo test locations before expanding based on demand.
Workshop Question - How could your brand alter its operations to reduce costs of its products or services for consumers?
6.4
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
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Megatrends
Retail Lounge
Retailers are launching experiential events to enhance connections to consumers
Trend - Retailers in various industries, such as department stores, luxury brands, and more, are launching in-store lounges and experiential events. These events are designed to enhance the comfort of shoppers while deepening the connection between the shoppers and the brand.
Workshop Question - How can we create experiential in-store events that enhance consumer engagement and strengthen their connection to our brand?
7.1
Score
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Megatrends
Visual Aid
Brands are designing packaging to be accessible for consumers with visual impairments
Trend - Brands are creating packaging designs with smart solutions for consumers with visual impairments. These solutions include scannable codes or symbols that interact with smart applications to provide either easier-to-read or audio-based information, more effectively supporting shoppers.
Workshop Question - How can we leverage technological solutions to make our products more accessible for a wider range of consumers?
6.7
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Activity
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Megatrends
AI Kiosk
Smart kiosks that provide recommendations and point-of-sale support are being deployed
Trend - Retailers are deploying in-store kiosks powered by artificial intelligence (AI). These AI kiosks interpret and make recommendations for consumers interacting with them, thus streamlining the retail process. The advent of AI kiosks also reduces the required staff and, thus, costs for retailers.
Workshop Question - How could your brand improve its consumers' experiences by employing artificial intelligence, or other, smart features?
6.8
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Activity
Freshness
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Megatrends
Gamified Storefront
Brands are gamifying brick and mortar stores for the retailtainment trend
Trend - Brick-and-mortar storefronts are adding elements of gamification and entertainment to improve the in-store shopping experience. These 'retailtainment' initiatives add immersive experiences and interactive elements to increase consumer engagement and pull the focus away from simply spending money.
Workshop Question - How can we integrate gamification and entertainment into our physical spaces to create a more engaging and immersive experience for our customers?
6.9
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Activity
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Megatrends
Small-Format Retail
More retailers are rolling out small-format stores with curated offerings
Trend - Retail is entering a "less-is-more" era, driven by consumer desire for curated shopping experiences that simplify decision-making. Consumers, overwhelmed by past excess, now value well-edited selections that simplify decision-making. This trend prioritizes quality and guidance over sheer quantity.
Workshop Question - How can your brand refocus its approach to retail by becoming a trusted curator of products, simplifying decision-making for consumers?
5.4
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Popularity
Activity
Freshness
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Megatrends