Jeweller - February Issue 2018

TREND FORECAST
Important
retail trends
for 2018
THERE ARE SEVERAL TRENDS IMPACTING HOW RETAILERS CONDUCT
BUSINESS AND KEEP UP WITH CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS. RICHARD
SHAPIRO SHEDS LIGHT ON THE CRITICAL DEVELOPMENTS FOR 2018.
elcome to the experience economy. By combining customer
research, technology and outside-the-box thinking, independent
retailers and brands have reinvented shopping as a personalised,
participatory experience that few consumers can resist.
For bricks-and-mortar retailers, exciting in-store experiences promises to bring
back customers once thought lost to online shopping; while online retailers are
finding new ways to win more consumers and increase market share.
Against this backdrop, here are the top retail trends for 2018.
SHOPPING CENTRES TO OFFER UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
Great customer experiences happen when a business uses services to set the
stage and goods as props to entertain. Pop-up stores allow retailers to wow
consumers in small spaces with limited investment, and shopping centres
increasingly introduce non-traditional and multicultural retailers to differentiate
and enliven their offerings.
Platform, a Los Angeles-based shopping centre, requires potential tenants
to demonstrate the unique experiences they will provide. Meanwhile, US
department store Nordstrom has launched Nordstrom Local, a clothing
‘store’ that showcases personal stylists, same-day ordering, on-site tailoring
and experiential amenities including manicures and a variety of beverages.
Anticipating the unexpected, shoppers look forward to shopping-centre trips.
Fusing entertainment with shopping has become the mission of many shopping
centres, and analysts expect this trend to become even more pertinent now that
Amazon has entered Australia.
In fact, some shopping-centre operators in Australia are already responding. The
redevelopment of the Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne, for example,
includes a dine-in restaurant precinct, an up-market movie theatre and a
LegoLand Discovery Centre.
Chadstone also hosted a VIP shopping party late last year with special offers, live
performances, in-store events, complimentary sparkling wine, baked Christmas
treats and cheese tastings.
ON-DEMAND DELIVERY TO BE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE
Fast delivery might not be critical but it sure is appreciated given the
convenience it provides. Fetchr, a delivery service in Dubai, uses a consumer’s
smartphone to determine their location, then delivers goods to the exact spot.
New on-demand pickup services are emerging where customers can nominate
a pickup time then collect their goods from fully-staffed kiosks without ever
leaving their cars.
For consumers who crave instant gratification as well as convenience, sameday
delivery is widely available, and is spreading outward rapidly from its
metropolitan test-beds.
February 2018 Jeweller 27