What: IADS’ Partner GDR quarterly report on innovation in retail.

Why it is important: a series of retail examples gathered by GDR from all segments and categories.

GDR identifies 5 trends this quarter: Culture Club retail, The online arms race, Category-busting for Gen Z, Life in the Metaverse and Designed with Data.

Culture Club Retail: how to get omnichannel customers spending time in physical stores:

• With a clubhouse approach, such as Diesel with a bar and restaurant, Kith Paris, Browns, Miele and a kitchen to be rented, cycling brand Ribble and a museum/showroom, Old Spice and a barber,
• By emphasizing art, wellness, nature and culture: Hyundai Seoul mall, Rituals concept store, Chinese bookstore Zhongshuge, L’Occitane, Louis Vuitton, Green Pea,
• By providing tech: Vans, Japanese telecoms company KDDI, Gentle Monster.

The online arms race : how to incrementally use tech to improve the overall experience and services provided to customers:

• By being speedy and convenient: Walmart’s smart box for home delivery, german Gorillas delivery company with 10 mn delivery delay, Inpost and label-free returns, Amazon smart shelf,
• By providing superior services: Harper concierge or Toshi’s ‘you try we wait’ service, La Moda’s logistical fleet, Louis Vuitton itinerant store, Amazon Prime wardrobe service, Breitling’s rental platform, Walmart’s shoppable cooking videos,
• By using tech to improve sustainability: skincare Ace of Air’s rented packaging, vegan sneakers and fashion, Ulta circular packaging, slow fashion initiatives.

Category-busting for Gen-Z: rethink the offer and experience to better suit their needs:

• By rebranding: CO by Colgate, Singular society by H&M, Neon Zebra by Pepsico,
• By emphasizing sustainability: JOI’s plant milk, non-alcohol bars, Touchland’s fashion hand sanitiser,
• By emphasizing wellness: Pejoy’s beauty snacks, Xiaoxiandun’s collagen ice creams, Mountain Dew, Siggi’s yogurts, Molson Coors’ non alcoholic mood boosting beverages,
• By providing new services: Coca Cola vending machines subscription.

Life in the metaverse : how to preempt the virtual world ?

• By building bridges between worlds: DressX overlays digital garments onto photos,
• By using tech: Nike’s use of blockchain, Microsoft’s holoportation,
• By going full speed: RTFKT’s premium digital fashion for virtual worlds, Decentraland’s virtual casinos, Buffalo’s digital only sneakers, virtual furniture.

Designed with data : how to use this resource to create products and optimise production:

• Preorders: Amazon build it, Bosch’s or Reebok’s crowdsourcing initiatives,
• Special stores designed to collect data: Indian beauty store Myglamm in Mymbai, Kayak’s first physical store,
• Special apps designed to use consumer imputs to design products: Finesse, Vizit, Algorithmic Perfumery, Beiersdorf’s made to measure cosmetics O.W.N.

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