TheFutureParty
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Sports-products chain Dick’s Sporting Goods is expanding the footprint of its newest concept store, the massive “House of Sport,” which mixes traditional retail with several experiences to test out products and build community. The Big Play: Most retail brands are shrinking their stores — both in size and number — to deal with inflation, slower consumer spending, and […]
A new report estimates that roughly 15,000 US retail stores are set to close this year — a record for modern times — which could reshape how people shop for typical consumer goods. Why It Hurts: The dual forces of a rollercoaster post-pandemic economy and a major shift to ecommerce have upended the business models of many tried-and-true […]
The Future. The Wayne Enterprises Experience wants you (if you’re very rich) to shop for Batman-branded merch as if you were Bruce Wayne himself, exploring a shoppable recreation of Wayne Manor. If the retail experience is successful, studios and streamers may roll out their own versions to tout limited-edition merch collabs, like a shoppable Bridgerton […]
The Future. Over the past year, digital marketplaces, ecommerce retailers, and brands of all shapes and sizes have introduced AI-powered chatbots to make the experience on their sites easier and more interactive. As more and more people use it, holiday shopping may take as much time as a few Google searches. “How may I AI-ssist […]
The Future. 2023 marks the 99th anniversary of Black Friday, but what was once a one-day event has extended well beyond 24 hours, sometimes stretching several weeks. With consumers pointing out many holiday sales begin as soon as Halloween wraps up, Black Friday could be obsolete within 20 years. A month-long “shopping day”Black Friday, the […]
The Future. Even as many companies fall victim to retail theft, their workers believe they could be doing more to safeguard their merchandise… and more importantly, their employees. If companies don’t invest more resources in asset protection, they might have to make up for their losses by cutting staff and employee hours or jacking up […]
The Future. Self-checkout kiosks haven’t turned out to be the time-and-cost-saving wonder they were hailed to be, reflecting the larger disinvestment in the shopping experience. The problem is, the technology exists between traditional customer service and future tech-powered optimization. So, the future of retail may be just walking out of the store with items à […]
Retail therapy becomes a retail nightmare
Some urban businesses hope that remote work is only a fad.
The Future. As self-checkout grows more prominent in retail outlets, consumers are distressed by the proliferation of electronic tipping prompts. While tipping is expected in the American service industry, it’s harder to justify in situations without human interaction– especially because businesses might be exploiting the custom. Gratuitous gratuitiesConsumers complained to the Wall Street Journal that […]