In Design, the ‘New’ Normal is Anything But – Pratt Design Symposium 2019

[ Photos by Rebecca Smeyne, courtesy of Pratt Institute ] WSL joined leading designers at Pratt Institute’s Design Symposium to discover the “new normal” in fashion, home design and retail and how to reach increasingly educated shoppers. Hint: Get out of the studios and design around the new shopper values. It’s Time to Redesign Design When consumers have unprecedented ... Read more

Retailers are Hiring for the Holidays, but for the Store?

Shoppers beware: Retailers are planning to hire more seasonal workers this season, but that doesn't assure better in-store experiences. Many of those workers will be fulfilling online orders far from the store. Retailers should make 2020 the year of the in-line-online balance. Retailers better watch out: If this holiday season’s in-store experiences are anything less ... Read more

Beauty & Wellness With Purpose: Shoppers Expect It, How Do You Bring It?

More shoppers are demanding beauty and wellness products that are clean, environmentally safe and serve a global purpose. Yet getting such products on the shelf can be a Herculean task for the many startups creating them. In Chicago this October, we’re offering an opportunity to change that. A growing number of women are willing to ... Read more

Grocers are Right-Sizing the Shopper Experience: Giant, Hy-Vee, Publix

Socializing in the store aisle is sooo 2017. Today, experiential retail increasingly centers on efficiency rather than entertainment. The trick is understanding the changing definitions of each. For grocery brands Giant, Publix, Hy-Vee and others, it comes down to right-sizing the experience. Here’s what all retailers could learn from them. Aiming to hit the bullseye ... Read more

Apple, Google, are the New Authorities in Healthcare. Is Retail Ready?

If one device can pinpoint the moment in which wellness transitioned from a preference to a retail necessity, it would be the Apple Watch. We look into what Apple, along with tech companies like Google and Microsoft, have in store for consumer healthcare, and how it is changing the retail landscape for health and wellness. The ... Read more

Gen Z is Already Telling You How They are Changing Wellness. Get Ahead!

It will be five years before retailers and brands experience the full economic force of Gen Z, but already this group of shoppers is dropping hints of how things are going to change. And a lot of that change involves their perceptions of wellness. Here’s a heads-up, from our How America Shops® research. Gen Z ... Read more

3 Ways to Get Voice-Activated Devices to Pay Off (Hint: You Need a Screen)

Can we talk about voice technology in retail? If retailers are investing in VA technology, they need to be doing so in areas beyond saving time and easy refills. These qualities are building blocks, but growth follows sales, and sales follow browsing. And that browsing must be displayed as well as heard, hands-free. Based on ... Read more

Costco Quietly Becomes a Destination for Clothes

By Abha Bhattarai // The Washington Post, July 1 2019 Kelly Davis has started doing something she once considered unthinkable: buying clothes at Costco. The 31-year-old had long resisted the warehouse chain’s clothing aisle; it just felt weird buying dresses and shirts at the same place she bought groceries. Plus, she said, “It’s where my mom shops." ... Read more

Gen Z Is Ignoring Your Loyalty Program – Here’s Why

Retailers count more reward program memberships than any other industry – 1.6 billion in the U.S. Keeping those members active is another matter, however, and the challenge may be even greater among young Gen Z members. Here’s why, and four insights into how to click with Gen Z. There are 78 million of them. And ... Read more

Online Isn’t Enough, Disruptive Brands are Opening Stores

Big news! Not everyone is a regular online shopper. In fact, no more than half of people shop online in an average of three months. As a result, many online-first brands have found it necessary to open stores. Here are seven familiar sites that have joined Main Street. It looks like someone has thrown a ... Read more

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