Future Retail Newsletter #147

The shift to contactless retail experiences, which brands are leading the store retail design revolution, and the 8 most innovative cities in the world. This and more in this week’s Future Retail Newsletter.

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RETAIL // COVID and Quarantine Are Driving Contactless Retail Experiences The colossal shift to all things contactless and digital has pushed retailers to redesign the experience they offer their customers. digiday.com Read More

RETAIL // What Does A Government Reckoning With Google And Facebook Mean For Retail? For many, the tech giants are key to customer acquisition online, and they dominate the market for digital advertising, making them all but unavoidable for retailers. retaildive.com Read More

TECH // Don’t Call It A Comeback, QR Codes Never Went Away After years of declining use in the United States, QR codes have become ubiquitous during the pandemic. But in China, they’ve been consistently popular. nytimes.com Read More

TECH // Apple’s New Betas Let You Try Its Watch-Based Solution For Masked iPhone Unlocks Apple will let you use your Apple Watch to authenticate and unlock your iPhone while you’re wearing a mask. But if you want to try the feature now, you can, as Apple has released public betas for both iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4. theverge.com Read More

TRENDS // Trends That Will Shape The Future Of Commerce Maximalism, influencer marketing and the convergence of online and offline worlds are among the top trends that will shape the future of commerce. alistdaily.com Read More

TRENDS // The Most Innovative Cities in the World From Shanghai to Nairobi, designers, architects, and planners are using advanced materials, smart science, and big data to make cities better than ever. wired.com Read More

DESIGN // Nike And IKEA Lead Store Retail Design Revolution Typical store design seems to be going out of style, as brands are working to redesign the physical shopping experience — and big brands are making big moves. pymnts.com Read More

BRAND HIGHLIGHT // Kia Seeks Partners to Build Apple Car in Georgia The South Korean auto maker’s proposal would involve a multibillion-dollar investment, according to people familiar with the matter. If successful, it would thrust Apple into the car business after several years of secretive work. wsj.com Read More

BRAND HIGHLIGHT // SPACE 10 – The IKEA Research And Design Lab Exploring The Future Of Living SPACE10 is focused future solutions to improve people’s everyday lives, and innovating in ways that positively impact people and planet. about.ikea.com Read More

BRAND HIGHLIGHT // Ford Is More Than Doubling Its Investment In Electric And Autonomous Vehicles The automaker will spend $7 billion on autonomous vehicles and $22 billion on electric ones A majority of vehicles will be battery-electric, but the company also has hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. theverge.com Read More

BRAND HIGHLIGHT // Nordstrom Shares Tumble As 2021 Sales Outlook Disappoints With new shoppers patterns, Nordstrom said it plans to focus its investments on smaller-format stores, building its off-price Rack business and e-commerce. cnbc.com Read More

OUTFORM // Newsletter Survey How are we doing? Please take a moment to provide your feedback on our Future Retail Newsletter. outform.typeform.com Read More