Join our upcoming Virtual Retail Safari® on September 18th: Trends Impacting The Future of Health Now & Next

Explore best-in-class retailers and brands pushing boundaries and challenging health and wellness approaches (and conversations) in bold, disruptive ways with their shopper-centric approaches.

Our innovative research captures the complete shopper experience, from what drives their choices to what inspires them in-store & online

What ensures your retail strategy stands apart goes beyond data. WSL Insights continuously bring you retail innovation trends from around the world to inspire new thinking and growth. We help you predict where your shoppers are headed and build solutions to meet them there.

WSL‘s Top Innovations

Take a world tour of the retail innovations that inspire new thinking. Here’s WSL’s Hot List of the best innovations our Retail Safari^® global scouts have recently uncovered.

Target – St. Louis, MO

Fourth of July shopping is easier and less expensive at Target. Shoppers are welcomed to the sale upon entering, as they shop there are large signs throughout each section highlighting which specific products are on sale, keeping the guessing game out of what’s discounted.

WSL Top Innovator H&M Pre-loved clothing

H&M – New York, NY

H&M SoHo focuses on a conscious yet efficient shopping experience featuring a pre-loved shop with products from a local vintage shop, a recycling program where clothes are exchanged for discounts, and RFID-tagged products for fast checkout.

WSL Top Innovator Gibson Garage community area

Gibson Garage – London, UK

The first international Gibson store has built a community center for pros, beginners, and fans to gather to explore products and discover new artists. With over 300 guitars to play, accessories galore, guitar lessons, live music events, and panels on a stage within the store. There is something for everyone.

WSL Top Innovator ELF Beauty online store via Roblox

E.l.f. & Walmart – Online, Roblox

E.l.f. Up! within Roblox is designed to teach financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills to users. Now, with the help of Walmart, E.l.f. is offering a virtual kiosk that allows gamers to purchase physical goods and receive a “virtual twin” for their avatar, aiming to reach younger shoppers.

WSL Top Innovator the Body Shop Be Seen Be Heard campaign in store

The Body Shop – Toronto, Canada

With the upcoming U.S. election, brands can look to The Body Shop which has a dedicated section to the “Be Seen Be Heard” campaign that promotes the youth voice in politics and engages the community with an area for shoppers to write on sticky notes explaining why they signed the petition.

Rhode Pop-Up – New York, NY

Rhode is back in NYC with another pop-up, offering ice cream, drinks, and an exclusive shade of the recently launched pocket blush while shopping for favorite products. Creator, Hailey Bieber, always appears to engage and take photos.

WSL Top Innovator Elevate Wellness email

Elevate Wellness – Online

Independence Day means BBQs, shopping sales, and honoring our nation - Elevate Wellness sent an email pre-holiday wishing everyone a fun and safe holiday with family, including a link to some of their favorite recipes, and a reminder to “let freedom ring.” A simple yet meaningful message!

WSL Top Innovator New Balance Reconsidered

New Balance Reconsidered – Online/In-Store

Here comes circular footwear! Shoppers can now purchase used shoes or overstock via New Balance Reconsidered, listings feature the MSRP with price so customers can see their savings. Shoppers can trade in gently used shoes and receive a voucher for their next purchase.

WSL Top Innovator Persil hotline on TikTok Live

Persil – Online, TikTok

To connect with younger consumers, Persil hosted a 24-hour “Wardrobe Refresh Hotline” on TikTok Live with designer, Christian Siriano. Viewers could ask Siriano for fabric care tips, washing techniques, and advice on restyling clothing items so they can “wear, wash, repeat with confidence.”

Retail Safari® What it is, How it works.

What is a Retail Safari^®? We bring you retail innovation and inspiration from around the world, every day.

Retail Safari^® is WSL’s proprietary process (yes, it‘s trademarked) that immerses your organization in places you may not think to look for innovation. You will find inspiration from around the world for strategies and programs that will set you apart and help you grow.

It’s a one-stop resource grounded in our proprietary shopper and retail insights, supported with innovation processes and toolkits that an exciting culture of creative thinking that boldly drives your growth. All powered by WSL’s retail research insights and tailored to your goals.

Custom Quote

We customize our Retail Safaris® to your needs.

We curate the best-in-class global retail concepts (physical and digital) based on emerging trends we identify in our shopper research that predict the future of your retail. Our scouts around the world continuously assess what’s new and why it’s relevant. We can customize themes to your specific needs and we deliver all this to you any way you want it. To fit your budget.

Virtual Retail Safari®

We inspire you and your teams with regular curated deliveries to your inbox of what’s next at retail. No need to leave your desk. Or we can bring the Retail Safari® to you in a virtual session where you have opportunities to ask questions, discuss and build ideas, conveniently.

Retail Safari® In a Box

Call it the DIY Safari. We develop everything for you and package it up so you can conduct your own in-market Retail Safari® but with all our guidance and inspiration behind the scenes.

Retail Safari® Photo Library

We catalog all our tours by trend, topic, and category, so you have ongoing access to imagery. Ideal for teams to use for program inspiration, joint business planning, and thought leadership meetings with customers, for internal strategy sessions or corporate training. Housed in our WSL library, it’s easily accessible and customizable.

Retail Safari® Live

We create a live, in-person event, in a market, customized to your specific issues or topics. Our experts collaborate with you to identify the subject, identify and scout the market, build out the tour, and unique tools to inspire before, during, and after the event. Plus, a framework and action steps that deliver bold, differentiated shopper and retail solutions.

`Our proprietary Retail Safaris^® empower you to anticipate the future of retail` through emerging, relevant retail concepts from around the world.

Our Retail Safaris® bring amazing retail concepts to you, in easy-to-follow visual reports, video streams, in person events, and more. From New York to London, from China to California, our scouts continuously search out the latest retail innovations often in most surprising forms – so you’re prepared for what’s next.

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Get our latest thinking on what’s next with shoppers and retail.

The Retail Safari® is a much smarter way to tour stores. We go to stores that make us think outside our walls and using the Retail Safari® guide map taught my team how to look at the elements of a store that impact shoppers. It’s a productive tool to find new ideas we can take to retailers to impact our brands in their stores.

VP Sales // Health Care Company

You used innovative tools to help us create really smart ideas to drive the Bath & Body Works business. The Retail Safari® was efficient, productive and won the respect of our team and senior management.

VP Consumer Insights // Bath & Body Works

Thank you for your leadership during our Retail Safari® last week! You did a fantastic job setting our path and keeping us focused and on track. The debrief at the end is the most important part and while we were all spent at the end of the day, you were able to get a strong list of action items out of us! We were all impressed that you were able to get us to 9 stores in one day and it didn’t feel overwhelming. Great job!

Director, Category Management // Keurig Dr. Pepper

I love your virtual safaris. It’s a way to get in touch with retail innovation in a time-effective way. I learn something new or I’m prompted to think about an initiative in a new way every time I am with you all-thank you!! Great presentation – was very value-added.

Retail Safari® Virtual Event // Attendee

Target is well-known for terrific marketing, but we also know the power of smart ideas from external sources, and that is when we call WSL Strategic Retail.