For those who think actual retail stores are dead … think again. The Mirror Mirror Imagination Group, a leading global Trend Forecasting Agency, who works with powerhouse brands & retailers, has launched their new Future of Retail & Shopping 2035 Crystal Ball Trend Report and it’s quite interesting. Immersive Experiences + Living Brand Excitement is alive In-Store.
Mirror Mirror’s founder & CEO, Jeanine Recckio, is the visionary futurologist who has trend hunted & crowdsourced from the top futurists + investors + business leaders around the world to predict what’s NEXT.
The NOW is already sending a clear signal: over 80% of US Retail sales still come from physical stores, while e-commerce is aggressively taking over share at a swift pace. Humans are real, and they still love to see + touch + feel + smell. Big and small retailers are stepping up their immersive experiences, giving their in-store spaces some Love and Renewed Life. So retail stores are not extinct … but they certainly need to pivot + evolve + prepare or disappear.
The super powerful Gen Z and Alpha Gen consumers are demanding it … big time. They want experiences. They love the gamification of competitive shopping and surreal Loyalty & Rewards programs … far beyond points. It’s a game for them … it’s the gamification of futuristic shopping. They want crazy access to sports events + parties + pop-ups with influencers. Consumers of Today & Tomorrow are demanding major upgrades from retail stores.
According to Jeanine Recckio of Mirror Mirror, “Clever consumers of tomorrow want curated retail stores that feel more like a travel destination … they desire engaging expectations & experiences they can capture and share with friends and social. Humans actually have more than 7 senses … and the future generation is accelerating this. Surprise & delight beyond the imagination … make them buy something before they know they need it … that is the future.”
Shoppers often DISCOVER a trend or product on TikTok, but then go to Ulta or Sephora to see and smell & buy and then potentially replenish on Amazon. It’s path to purchase hybrid … brands & retailers need to embrace it. At the Mirror Mirror Imagination Group, we call it SHOWROOMING: a customer views a product in one place, yet hits the “buy now” trigger in another.
Consumer expectations are heightened; it’s their world. Therefore, businesses must “Evolve or Remain.” The transition is moving at record speed
“Humans want to engage with a product … they want to feel it on a whole other level. It’s a living breathing thing that they eat, wear, put in their home, sleep on, share with others, inhale … it’s a whole new wave of what it means to consume” – Jeanine Recckio, Business & Beauty Futurologist
In the future retail stores, prepare for bold reinvention, surreal lighting, insane architecture, cinematic involvement & immersive experiences where High Tech engages with Human Touch & Luxury Design Aspirations.
Get a sharper pulse on WHAT’S NEXT with Futurist Jeanine Recckio & the Mirror Mirror Imagination Group. Accelerate your product innovations & future-proof your retail-tainment designs. Navigating consumer signals in an unpredictable world is critical for success. The futuristic landscape is complex, and the future is closer than you think … ARE YOU READY?
