Maryann Javier

WSL Strategic Retail Looks Ahead: 7 Shopper Trends for 2026 and Beyond

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What will 2026 bring to retailers and brands? Our extensive library of research provides an instructive narrative of what companies should prepare for in the coming year. We’ve identified seven shopper movements, and the 2026 predictions they suggest, here. Retailers and Brands, We Have a New Year’s Gift for You. WSL Strategic Retail turned to ... Read more

The ‘Toyification’ of Beauty Is Here to Stay

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By James Manso, DECEMBER 23, 2025 || A Publication of WWD (BeautyInc) Brands like Daise and Notewrks are increasingly fashioning their products, packaging and marketing in toy-like ways. “As the world’s gotten more grim and chaotic, beauty has always been in that category that’s not just about holding up in these times, but a moment ... Read more

Can AI Build Shopper Engagement and Emotional Trust?

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Nine in 10 retailers and brands already use artificial intelligence to engage shoppers, but are they missing the opportunity to use AI to build emotional trust and engagement? In this blog, we say “yes” and help you explore how to do a better job to help shoppers solve problems and provide solutions. Retailers and Brands: ... Read more

Why Older Shoppers Matter More in Times of Chaos: 5 Opportunities

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Blog banner featuring older asian woman on laptop, older black man on phone, and older couple shopping
In 25 years, American consumers have endured a succession of social and economic events that have changed how we live and shop – and those changes differ among generations. So we delved into our latest “How America Shops® in Chaos” report to learn specifically how older shoppers are responding. Not surprisingly, we found several challenges, ... Read more

The Art of Using Insights to See the Person Behind the Data

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Blog banner featuring human silhouette made of puzzle pieces next to collage of data windows and a hand with a magnifying glass
Virtually every retailer relies on data to better understand its shoppers. But the human behind the data can be obscured by the quest for more information. More organizations are shifting their focus toward using their data to put the consumer – not product – first. Based on our research, this is where to begin, and ... Read more

Beauty Faces Down Chaos: 7 Opportunities for All Categories

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Blog banner featuring 7 beauty opportunities
After our recent travels to explore the latest in beauty, WSL Strategic Retail’s experts returned to NYC impressed by the category’s resiliency in this time of chaos. Here are seven examples of what beauty can show other business (categories and retailers) in order to grow. Is the ‘Lipstick Effect’ Still Viable During Economic Chaos? The ... Read more

Forget Channels. The Shopper Is the Center of Distribution

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Blog banner featuring people of different ages and ethnicities within circular frames with blurry people walking in the background
Retailers and brands are talking more about the demise of channels as shoppers get whatever they want, when and wherever they want. This behavior is not new, but its imprint is beginning to show profoundly, with many retailers struggling to remain relevant. Is the power of the consumer, as in “branded touchpoints” the answer? It’s ... Read more

How Retail Flagships Can Defy Tariff Uncertainty, Through Trust

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Blog banner featuring Printemps, Lululemon, and Charlotte Tilbury Flagship stores with yellow caution tape that reads tariffs and has the American flag in the background
Thanks to our Retail Safari® global innovation team, we’ve discovered three inventive flagships that illustrate how retailers can attract spending-cautious shoppers not by selling “stuff,” but by bringing their brands to life through trust and connection. We’re sharing ideas on how these examples can be applied in lower-cost, innovative strategies. Take a free Retail Safari® ... Read more

How America Shops® in a Crisis, Yet Again: 2025

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Blog banner featuring hand-drawn side profiles of people with question marks or scribbles in their heads and a magenta background with the word "chaos" repeated
In 2025, just as in 2024, 2020 and 2008, consumers are undergoing major financial uncertainty. WSL Strategic Retail has studied the implications of such crises on American shoppers over the years, so we went back into our How America Shops® data archives to previous “crises” studies to see how those times can instruct brands and ... Read more

Who’s Winning the ‘Digital Titans’ Battle: A WSL Deep-Dive

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Blog banner featuring halftone hand with magnifying glass over a laptop screen. Amazon, Target, and Walmart+ deliveries are floating out of the screen. The top right corner has another halftone hand with dollar bills dropping out of it.
WSL Strategic Retail recently polled shoppers to learn how they use the retail powerhouses Walmart, Amazon and Target online sites. The “connected consumer” results produced several surprising behaviors that suggest the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for the industry at large. We predict what’s next. Face it, Having an Omni Presence Doesn’t Make You Special In ... Read more
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