40 Retail Innovations No.7 - 2024 Edition

This is the 7th edition of my world tour of innovative retail concepts. In this latest instalment, you'll discover just how much artificial intelligence is the hot topic on the retail agenda this year. Whether it's filling the shelves of a konbini convenience stores in Japan, preparing guacamole in California or inventing some of the craziest virtual pop-up stores using Midjourney... there's no shortage of applications.

At the same time, the journey towards eco-responsibility is becoming increasingly visible, through the construction of a 5-storey underground shopping centre in China or the expansion of second-hand goods to duty free. Trading sneakers, hiring a whole suitcase of clothes on holiday... New practices are emerging. Ironically, luxury brands are suddenly interested in the extreme cold... When the poles start to melt, the yurt becomes a "must" for businesses whose carbon footpring reaches the highest heights.

Retail is a reflection of our society, torn between an insatiable quest for growth and entertainment and the impressive need to opt for wiser ways to buy. It's not easy to switch from the old world to the new, from mass-market to GenZ, and it's in our shops that this transition is most tangible.