Future shop Archives - WSL Strategic Retail

The Future of Wellness in Retail: 6 Trends

February 17, 2023 by WslAdmin

Good-health practices – including wellness products, services and treatments – are now a staple of many retail formats, and consumers are increasingly taking them for granted. We looked back at our WELLness research of the past year to see what The Future of Wellness holds. Following are our five predictions. Retail Wellness is Healthier Than ... Read more

The Next Frontier in Retail Strategy: Planned Disruption

November 24, 2023February 6, 2023 by WslAdmin

Planned Disruption blog banner featuring Report cover and three images of 2023 retail shopper trends

Massive disruption in where shoppers buy is underway, but in WSL’s new report, “Planned Disruption,” we help you make sense of it so you can meet consumer expectations and create your strategic plan. WSL surveyed consumers across the country to learn how they are discovering new products using new channels, like the metaverse and social ... Read more

The Biggest Consumer Shopping Trends of 2023

February 6, 2023January 30, 2023 by WslAdmin

2023 Trends blog banner featuring collage of shoppers and new trends such as metaverse, drive thru shopping, and innovative self-checkouts

WSL has been following the path of consumer shopping for decades. And through 2022, shoppers led us on a more focused, lifestyle-specific retail trip. To prepare for 2023, we culled through our How America Shops® and Retail Safari® market research, and zeroed in on seven big trends that predict what’s next for retail. Some will ... Read more

Retail Breaks Rules to Follow Shoppers Into the Holidays

November 24, 2023December 5, 2022 by WslAdmin

Blog banner featuring red background with female and male shoppers smiling with several shopping deal coupons floating around them

Retailers are barreling into the height of holiday shopping season, and many are following a new playbook, from Black Fridays that jump the gun to secret sales for reward members. Retailers and brands are following the shoppers wherever they want to go, and getting good at the game. This Holiday Season, Retailers Follow Shoppers, Not ... Read more

Dollar Chains are Setting New Standards in Happy Shopping

November 24, 2023August 25, 2022 by WslAdmin

What can shoppers get for $1 to $5? An experience that’s happy, attractive and digital. These are the words that describe today’s dollar chains, and their creative value-priced sister chains. Our latest Retail Safari® explores several of the latest efforts by this burgeoning sector, from Dollar General to Five Below. It’s Not About the Dollars, ... Read more

Meet the Struggling Shopper – It’s Not Who You Expect

November 24, 2023June 20, 2022 by WslAdmin

Collage of young people struggling while online shopping banner

Nearly two-fifths of adult shoppers are having trouble buying the basics while covering their bills, our latest shopper research shows. This may be expected, due to a price crisis, but what we didn’t expect was the broad scope of their demographics. Retailers and brands, meet what may be the greatest challenge of 2022: The Struggling ... Read more

Improve the Store Experience Category by Category WSL Has an Index to Help!

February 7, 2023June 13, 2022 by WslAdmin

Hand placing stars down to represent categories banner

WSL recently asked thousands of shoppers what they value most in a brick-store shopping trip and what makes a good shopping experience. The answers, we learned, vary by category. So we measured how well various retailers deliver what shoppers want, by category, and reported the results in our Retailer Performance Index. Here’s how we do ... Read more

How to Make Shopping an Experience – Category By Category

February 7, 2023May 19, 2022 by WslAdmin

Retail 5.0 Technology and adult shoppers banner

Yes, we live in an omni-shopping world, but the store is still part of it. In November 2021 we reported that two-thirds of shoppers went into the store to shop after picking up their online orders; 78% chose to go to the store when they felt energized and upbeat, and half said it was easier ... Read more

The Role of the Store in Retail 5.0 Research Report

February 7, 2023May 12, 2022 by WslAdmin

Digital connections overlaid on shoppers at the mall banner

The self-serve store has not changed since the 1950s. Tweaks have been made but the basic format of walking the aisles, squinting at the shelves to find the right item, and then waiting in line to pay has not changed in 3/4 of a century. The pandemic has drawn retailers’ attention to honing online ordering ... Read more

How 3 Big Retailers Link Sustainability to the New WELLness

February 7, 2023May 5, 2022 by WslAdmin

Recycling and sustainability retail banner

For many shoppers, wellness doesn’t end with their minds and bodies; it extends to the entire planet – the air they breathe, the water they drink and the open spaces and oceans that surround them. Our research shows that more shoppers expect companies to accept more responsibility for sustainability. Here are examples of how Dick’s ... Read more