“Speak
to any consumer in our major global cities, and they will describe a world of
convenience, from click-and-collect to fulfillment within hours. But they will
also think and express the new face of physical experiential retailing – and
for our island economy, this wave of consumer lifestyle experience is crucially
now on the horizon.”
The above paragraph is from an article by Brian Walker, CEO of Retail
Doctor Group. It was published in Linkedin a week ago and its timing at the
start of a new year and the relevance to all forms of retailing including market trading, makes for compelling reading.
“Retail
specialisation rather than generalisation will be paramount in 2019.”
The emphasis on specialty retail and the importance of convenience are
just two ingredients that will ring bells with some of our recent discussions
on Victraders.
“Specialty
retail will focus on curation, with a greater focus on retail metrics and
customisation. Savvy retailers will be building more ‘play’ into their shop
experiences.”
“…… convenience
in the future may relate to payment technologies, store opening hours, or other
assistive technology in the pipeline. Whatever the case, the drive for
convenience is likely to persist.”
At the completion of his article Brian Walker predicts “At the niche community end, the community
high street, done well, will start its climb back into relevance”
Our success may we depend on how well we excite customers through retail experiences, and meet their need for convenience.
Read the
full article here: A look at the future of retail in 2019 and beyond