In 2026, we accurately predicted that retailers and brands would have to adapt to fast shifts in AI, international brand influence and demand for “new” value. What’s next? We mined our latest shopper research, met with inspirational retailers and other executives around the world, and immersed ourselves in emerging retail experiences (physical and digital). Here’s what you need to know now as you prepare for 2027-2028.

WSL Strategic Retail’s mission is to accurately foresee what’s next in retail through our shopper insights, retail analysis and executive consultations. As we do every year, we took a deep dive into our proprietary research to detect emerging patterns and behaviors that we expect will shape shopper expectations in 2027 and beyond.

Here are our “High 5” shopper trends for 2027 and 2028:

It used to be that shoppers remained loyal mostly to a few retailers, but not anymore. Today, consumers instead approach their shopping task as a “job to be done,” then they pick a retailer depending on when they need something, what that something is, where they are at the moment and the tools and channels at hand. In 2027, expect this job-first shopper journey to continue evolving. The big challenge for brands is whether they have to be everywhere at once to match shoppers’ needs, moods and timeframes. And for retailers, the challenge is meeting shoppers where they are. It’s time for retailers and brands to accept the shopping trip is no longer a linear passage, but an abstract and oftentimes sudden venture. Hear more about the “hot mess” of retail transformation on our Future Shop Podcast.

Don’t throw all your tech resources into AI yet. Yes, more than four in 10 (44%) consumers used AI for overall shopping in 2026, our How America Shops® research shows. However, AI is not shifting the shopper journey on its own. Rather, it is part of a network of technologies, including social shopping, that’s encouraging shoppers to explore unanticipated paths in their journeys, to reconsider what they want to buy and to seek the most efficient ways to make the purchase. This smart tech is intertwining with a shopping environment that’s changing very, very fast. And as shoppers test and experiment with these technologies, our research reveals significant trust gaps. Shoppers told us they visit more stores and sites and spend more when using AI. Access our 2026 report, “How America Shops® With AI” here.

In our 2026 predictions we called out (loudly) the importance of “wellness” to shoppers and how it had the power to drive growth across many categories and retailers. For 2027-2028 we cannot be more emphatic: attention must be paid. Shoppers tell us they are trying to take control of their own wellness because they can’t afford to be sick. They strive for longevity because they want to live better longer. And (thanks in part to better-available brand and retail information) shoppers understand that sexual health is a factor of everyday life and life stage. Men and women are embracing wellness in different ways – men more holistically, while many women feel they are falling behind. GLP-1s and other peptides are redefining how shoppers think, and buy. (So ask: What are the next quick fixes?). Technology is giving people more control (or will). Beauty, as well as non-traditional categories like travel, entertainment and spiritual growth, now figure into overall wellness. As such, shoppers expect retailers and brands to recognize their very personal journey and support them where they are. Brands and retailers that are part of the broader conversation will win. Read our blog to learn where wellness shoppers are headed.

We’re tracking more than the usual generational shifts in retail. Finessed identities – from longer-living populations, lower birth rates, fewer or later marriages, finance-related relocations, cultural identities, and so on – are poised to disrupt traditional retail and brand opportunities. And technology is enabling – heck, it’s accelerating – this disruption. The much bigger story in 2027 and beyond will be how gender, self-identification, rural, urban, cultural, health and socioeconomic factors are forming fluid communities of shoppers. This fluidity will test how brands and retailers reach shoppers, because “community” is no longer merely a matter of local or national presence, but a situational and relationship-based concept. As we noted in 2026, shoppers want to see their retail brands as trusted partners in their life passages, not just traditional chains. Read how retailers are turning their stores into neighborhood destinations.

Innovative brand experiences from abroad are swiftly rocking the foundations of our big box, multi-chain retail culture. And the calls are coming from right here in our homeland because these global brands have learned to approach our many geographies as separate cultures. Potentially block-buster brands such as Miniso (China), Muji and Uniqlo (Japan) and a suite of Korean retail brands (Olive Young, CosRX, Innisfree) are turning not just shopper heads, but smart retailer heads. In 2026, we saw more savvy U.S.-international partnerships and co-opting: Sephora has added Olive Young (South Korea) in its Time Square store; Ulta now owns Space NK (UK), and U.S.-based Asian supermarket 99 Ranch Market has joined the Temu online platform. Such partnerships succeed when retailers first identify the cultural opportunity to innovate, or the need to look beyond their walls to see where and now to innovate. Our tip: Just follow the shopper. Read how to find inspiration in Asian beauty in our blog.

Now! When Considering These 5 Trends, Keep 2 Drivers in Mind

Two overarching factors influence shopper attitudes as they shift behaviors. Retailers and brands should do so in the context of these considerations:

• Social media’s wavering role as a major shopping outlet. Social media and influencers stand at a critical point when it comes to their leveraging power, evidently because shoppers remain dubious of their reliability in certain important categories. For example, just 17% of shoppers trust influencers and social media for wellness information (more men than women), our research shows. Social media and its influencers might continue to gain momentum, thanks to AI, or lose traction as they struggle to find meaning in the shoppers’ lives.
• The complex challenge of making value relevant continues. It remains a must to understand that shopper value today entails way more than mere price and quality – it is a multi-faceted concept. Understanding this is an imperative for success. Shoppers now balance needs to save money and time against merits such as rewarding experiences, easy accessibility (including clear information) and responsible ingredients. Retailers and brands need to show explicitly why they’re worth engaging with – across all touch points. Knowing “how, what and for whom” is and will be the everyday task for 2027. Are you ready? Sign up to learn about WSL’s upcoming study on the New Value Shopper.

Do You Know Where Your 2027 Shoppers Are? Will Be? We Do.

Retailers and brands that understand their shoppers’ lives – by learning why they do, not just what they do every day – have the edge in 2027 and beyond. Why and what you do to learn that today will shape your own future.