Retailers experiment with the role of the store: Gap, Jonathan Adler, and others are testing new retail concepts and tech to determine the best way to leverage their physical presences.

By 2026, nearly 30% of US consumers’ average retail spending (excluding food and beverage sales and ticketing) will be made using proximity mobile payments, as providers look to build on the pandemic-driven adoption of the technology.

Key developments to watch in 2022 include the evolution of in-store retail technology; hotter competition in the paid-for video marketplace; the revival of digital out-of-home ads; and ongoing issues with digital privacy and security.

Nearly 2 in 5 augmented reality (AR) users in the US will shop with the technology this year, for a total of 35.0 million retail AR users. That base is up 18.8% from last year and will continue to grow at double-digit rates through 2024 as shoppers make use of virtual try-on and product visualization features.

Conversational AI is becoming more integrated into consumers’ lives every year, as tech like retail bots and virtual agents continue to improve the customer experience.

The primary 7-Eleven app, which includes rewards and mobile checkout, has 6 million users in Canada, making it one of the most heavily adopted convenience retail apps in Canada. Loblaw. Loblaw Media launched in 2019 to give CPG brands access to its massive loyalty base. Last year, the national grocer acquired Eyereturn, a Toronto-based ad tech firm, to round out its advertising platform.

Personalization is another important target for beauty tech investment. Online diagnostic quizzes and live video consultations with beauty experts are just the tip of the iceberg. Advances in smartphone technology are enabling AI-powered tools that can do much more.

The accessibility of smartphone technology has helped facilitate mobile internet consumption. Nearly nine in 10 internet users in Southeast Asia will use smartphones this year. Smartphone penetration among internet users in the region will range from a high of 98.8% in Thailand to a low of 81.7% in the Philippines in 2022.

JPMorgan kept its eye on technology and the crypto trend—no matter what Jamie thought personally: The banking giant’s 2021 featured a UK digital-only launch, fintech acquisitions, crypto offerings for retail clients, and advocating for staff in branches to become licensed advisors.

Scroll forward: Apple’s mix of savvy marketing, product design, and its retail store user experience were honed during the iPod’s heyday. In context, the iPod owned 76% share of the US MP3 player market at its peak.

Retailers have long had an eye on augmented reality (AR), but it still has unrealized potential for shopping purposes.

‘Green’ energy targets Greenland: Billionaire-backed KoBold Metals begins mining operations in Greenland to secure minerals for EV batteries. But the advent of new battery technologies might make the venture unnecessary.

On today's episode, we explore where hybrid work might be heading, attention-based mobile ads, the circular retail dream, Spotify rebrands Greenroom, why every town has a water tower, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Evelyn Mitchell, Paul Verna, and Blake Droesch.

On this episode of Reimagining Retail, our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian hosts resident apparel expert Sky Canaves. In "Pop-Up Rankings," they discuss several features from the inaugural apparel benchmark study that didn't rank as high as they would have expected. In the second segment, "What's In-Store," Sky and Suzy visit Nordstrom to check out its click-and-collect hubs, the mobile app scan feature, and different store activations.

Learn about remote-controlled stores, the most popular retail membership programs, the right way to rethink your augmented reality (AR) strategies, whether home returns are the future, how many Americans make lots of money, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Suzy Davidkhanian, Dave Frankland, and Paul Verna.