Unpacking retail trends to watch with Drapers

Changes in retail behaviour have happened faster than anyone could have anticipated. How can we possibly know what to expect next? Well according to Drapers, we’re looking out for hybrid workwear, craftsmanship, and more digital growth.

In our Mindful Shopping report, we learned much about how UK shoppers are feeling about the purchases they make, with some pretty surprising results. The pace of change in retail consumer behaviour is like nothing we’ve ever seen, so looking into the future and predicting trends is a tough ask – but that’s why we have management consultants, right? And according to McKinsey, as reported by Drapers, there are a number of themes we should be looking out for.

Here are a few highlights:

Digital growth – surely the biggest no-brainer trend of all. But with the world and its dog now selling online, retailers need to earn loyalty through outstanding experience and digital service. Any business that wants to stand out in a very crowded space will need to get much smarter about the way they serve shoppers, including the way they use data to recognise customers and to personalise and streamline their shopping experience.

Hybrid workwear – we’ve lived in activewear and trainers for months, and it seems we may not be ready to give them up just yet. Flexible working means flexible dressing, so we should expect to see brands offer hybrid ranges that suit working from home, returning to the office, our re-emerging social lives, and whatever else is thrown our way.

Craftsmanship and sustainability – our Mindful Shopping data showed that provenance and ethics are both influencing shopping behaviour and, along with supporting local, this trend feels like it’s here to stay. How brands demonstrate their values and behaviours in this space will be key, especially to younger demographics who seek sustainability as in important factor in their brand choices.

Interesting stuff! Read the full article by Drapers here and download our Mindful Shopping report to find out more about post-pandemic consumer trends.