2026年及以后的全球消费者趋势它们对品牌和零售意味着什么

The

globalretail

agency

Globalconsunmer

Trendsfor2026andBeyond:

WhatTheyMeanforBrands&Retail.

lntroduction.

Consumersarerecalibratinghowtheylive,whotheytrustandwheretechnologyfitsin.Inthenext12-24months,thebrandsthatthrivewillbethosethatreducefriction

withoutlosingthehumantouch,design

aroundincreasinglyfluidlifestages,and

rebuildeverydayinteractionsacrossstoresandonline.Thisreportcapturesthe

strongestconsumersignalsfor2026+andtranslatesthemintoretail-readymoves.

Theconsumer,redefined.

Threetrendschangingretail&whattheymeanforyou.

What,shappening

PeoplewantthebenefitsofAIwithoutbeingboxedinby

opaquerecommendations.Expectdemandfortransparency,opt-ins,andtoolsthatletshopperssteertheirowndiscovery.

Whyitmattersforretail

•Merchandisingwillshiftfrom“MostPopular”toExplainableand

Editable:showwhyaproductisrecommendedandallowuserstotuneinputs(budget,style,sustainability,time).

•Expectgrowthinprivacy-forwardloyalty:zero-partydataexchangeswithclearvalue(exclusiveexperiences,fasterservices)andplain-Englishchoices.

Statsthatmatter

63%

ofUKadultssayAImakesthemvaluethingscreatedbyhumansmore.(Mintel,2025)

wouldtrade

dataforbetterexperiences.

(JackMorton,2025)

48%

ofcustomers

trustcompanieswiththeir

personaldata.

37%

ofconsumersexpectpersonalisedinteractions;76%getfrustratedwhentheydon’t.

(McKinsey,2025)(Credit:Mintelforthe“Anti-Algorithm”framing.)

71%

Whatthey,redoing:H&MisrollingoutAI-drivenstoreupgradesinkeyEuropean

flagships.Accordingtoreports,thebrandisusingAIforin-storemerchandising,heat-maps,RFIDtaggedinventoryandreal-timeproductrecommendationstobringthestoreexperienceclosertotheprecisionofonline.

Whyitmatters:Thisshowsamajorfast-fashionbrandembeddingalgorithmiccontrolinthephysicalspace,notjustonlinepersonalisationbutstore-floor

discoveryandchoice.

Heatmapexamplesource:retailstoreanalytics

StoreImageSource:

/

Whatthey,redoing:TheOrdinary’s“PeriodicFable”campaignplayfullyexposes49emptybeautybuzzwordsfrom“poreless”to“medicalgrade”throughfilm,

interactivetoolsandoutdoorads.Itcontinuesthebrand’slong-runningpushfortruthandtransparency,helpingshopperscutthroughmarketingjargon.

Whyitmatters:Thecampaignturnstransparencyintoaformofshopper

control.Byrevealinghowbeautyclaimsinfluencerecommendations,The

Ordinarygivescustomersthepowertoquestionandadjustwhattheybelieveechoingtheprinciplesofexplainable,editablediscoverythatdefinethistrend.

ImageSource:TheOrdinary

Explainyouralgorithms.Addashort“Whyyou’reseeingthis”notebesideproductcarouselsandrecommendationssoshoppersunderstandhowresultsarechosen.

Giveshopperscontrol.IntroduceDiscoveryModesfilterssuchas“Showmesomethingdifferent”,“Onlysustainablepicks”,or“Under2-minute

reads/videos”.Thesebuildtrustwhilekeepingexplorationfun.

TrainteamstotalkaboutAIsimply.Equipstorestafforchatagentstoexplainhowrecommendationtoolsworkandwhatdataisused.

2030Trajectory

Personalshoppingassistantsbecomemainstream.By2030,digitalAIagentswillcreateshortlists,comparepricesandcheckdeliveryoptions.Retailersthatsharetransparentdataandpermissionswillappearintheseagentsearches.

Trustframeworksmature.“Guardianagents”willmonitorforbias,fakereviewsandunsafesuppliers,retailerswillneedtomeetthesestandardstostayvisible.

Humanreassuranceremainskey.Eveninanagent-ledworld,peoplewillstillwanthumanadviceformajororemotionalpurchases.

?

Areouralgorithmsoptimisingforspeedand

conversionattheexpenseofsurpriseanddelight?

Doshoppersunderstandwhythey’reseeingcertainproductsandcantheychangethoseresultsinrealtime?

?

Wouldwepersonallyfeelcomfortablesharingdataunderourownprivacyandvalue-

exchangemodel?

?

?

Beyondclicks,howarewemeasuringconfidenceandtrustinourcustomerdecisions?

Questionsforbrands!

What,shappening

Longerlifespansandblurredmilestonesareexpandingthe“middle”oflife.Consumersinvestinexperiences,skillsandhealthnow,notonlyforafar-offretirement.

Whyitmattersforretail

•Shiftfromagebucketstoneedstates:energy&recovery,

skill-building,micro-adventures,multi-generationalusage.

•Finance-meets-fun:subscriptionsandbundlesthatmixprotection(warranties,healthchecks)withexperiences.

Statsthatmatter

Europe’s55+

consumersnowaccountfor

33%

ofalldiscretionaryretailspend,aslongerlifespansandlater

retirementsreshape

consumption.(BNPParibasExane,2025)

GenerationX’sglobalspendingpowersitsatUS$15.2trillionin2025,projectedtoreachUS$23trillionby2035the“middle-life”powerhouseofthedecade.(NielsenIQ/WorldDataLab,2025)

ofconsumersstillvisitstoresregularly,while

81%alsoshoponline,signallingthatmulti-

channelretailisnowanall-agesexpectation.

(RSMUKRetailOutlook,2025)

AcrossEurope,

83%

Whatthey,redoing:TheUKhealth&wellnesschainHolland&Barrett

openedanewExperienceStoreinCardifffocusingonhealth-services+retail.ThesitefeaturesdiagnostictestinginpartnershipwithRandox,awellness-

studioofferingPilates,yogaandmeditation,alongwiththeirproductrange.

Whyitmatters:Thestoremovesbeyondsellingvitaminsbyintegrating

diagnosticsandwellnessclasseslikeyogaandmeditation,supportingactivelivingandwellbeingacrosslifestages—reflectingconsumers’shifttoward

lifestyleenrichmentoverpuretransactions.

ImageSource:

Whatthey,redoing:ScandinavianlifestylebrandArketopenedanewDublinflagship(July2025)ina~810m²two-floorspace.Ithousesmenswear,

womenswear,childrenswear,body-care,homegoodsandacaféledbyaScandinavianchef.

Whyitmatters:Bycombiningfashion,homewareandacafé,thestore

caterstofamiliesandmultiplelifestages,turningshoppingintoasharedexperienceandreflectingretail’sshifttowardlongerlives,mixedagesandlifestyle-drivenvisits.

ImageSource:MSN.com

Designforlifemoments.Createbundlesandexperiencesthatsupportnewhobbies,relocationsor“second-act”careers.

Embracemulti-ageusability.Prioritisereadabletypography,inclusivestorelayoutsandflexiblefulfilment.

Linkhealthandlifestyle.Pairtraditionalcategorieswithwellbeingorskill-buildingfeatures(fitness,wellnesstech,orlocalworkshops).

2030Trajectory

Everydaylongevityretail.Productsandservicesmarketedformaintainingenergy,mobilityandwellbeingacrossdecades.

Intergenerationalretail.Sharedexperiences,travel,cooking,gamingdesignedformixedages.

Experience-ledloyalty.Brandswinrepeatbusinessthroughcontinuouslearning,notjustdiscounts.

?

Areouralgorithmsoptimisingforspeedand

conversionattheexpenseofsurpriseanddelight?

Doshoppersunderstandwhythey’reseeingcertainproductsandcantheychangethoseresultsinrealtime?

?

Wouldwepersonallyfeelcomfortablesharingdataunderourownprivacyandvalue-

exchangemodel?

?

?

Beyondclicks,howarewemeasuringconfidenceandtrustinourcustomerdecisions?

Questionsforbrands!

What,shappening

Automationhasmademanyinteractionsefficientbut

emotionallythinner.Consumerscravebrandsthatlowerthe“costofconnection”anddesignforwarmth,spontaneityandcommunity.

Whyitmattersforretail

•Storesneedmicro-momentsthatencouragefriendlyhumancontactwithoutaddingfriction,thinkconciergegreeters,

creatorcorners,localcollaborations.

•Digitalflowsshouldleaveroomforserendipityandstory,notjustspeed.

Statsthatmatter

ofpositivecustomerexperiencesintheUKwere

deliveredsolelybyahuman;only4%weredeliveredpurelybyAI.(Ventricasurvey,UK,2025)

76%

ofUKconsumerssaytheyfeelundervaluedbythebrandstheyremainloyalto,showingacleargapinemotionalconnection.(SAPEmarsysstudy,2025)

83%

ofcustomerssaytheywouldrecommendabrandiftheyfeltanemotionalconnection;experientialretailisnowakeydriverofthat.(BearingPointUKRetailTrends,2025)

71%

Whatthey,redoing:TheParis-basedfragranceandhome-sensebrand

launcheditsLondonconceptstoreMaisonDiptyquewithafragrancelibrary,galleryofbrandheritage,workshopspacesopentothepublicandaParis-stylecafé.

Whyitmatters:Thespaceisdesignedasmorethanatransactionzone,it

fostersconnection,culture,andcommunity.Byofferingcuratedexperiences(workshops,gallery,café)thebrandlowersthe“costofconnection”andbuildsdeeperemotionalties.

ImageSource:W/

Diptyque

Whatthey,redoing:UniqloopenedamajorGlasgowstoreinOctober2025

featuringaRE.UNIQLORepair&UpcyclingStudio,in-storeworkshops,and

collaborationswithlocalcreators.Thespaceencouragescustomerstorepair,customiseandcareforgarments,blendingservice,craftandcommunity.

Whyitmatters:Thisstorebringspeopletogetherthroughsharedactivities,repairing,learning,making,offeringhumaninteractionandlocalconnectionratherthanapurelytransactionalshop.It’sastrongexampleofhowbrandscanbuildemotionalloyaltythroughcommunity-drivenexperiences.

ImageSource:/

ImageSource:/

Createconnectionzones.Addsmallareasforcommunityevents,advicebarsorworkshopsthatencouragedwelltime.

Blenddigital+personal.Usedigitaltoolsforspeedbutkeephumansupportformomentsthatmatter—returns,styling,troubleshooting.

Measureemotion,notjustefficiency.TrackReturnonAffection(communityengagement,repeatvisits,dwellwithstaff)alongsideconversion.

2030Trajectory

EmotionalUXbecomesaKPI.Journeysarescoredonbelonging,confidenceandenjoyment.

Localnetworksstrengthen.Storesdoubleassocialspacesormicro-hubsforneighbourhoodconnection.

Hybridexperiencesscale.Seamlesshandoffsbetweenhumananddigitaltouchpointsbecomestandard.

?

Wheredowedeliberatelyaddahumantouch,andwheredoweremoveit?

?

Howareweempoweringteamstocreate

genuine,unscriptedmomentsofcarein-store?

?

Whichweeklyritualscouldwehostaroundourcategory?

?

Whatrolecanourspacesplayinbuildinglocalconnectionorsharedbelonging?

Questionsforbrands!

To-doListForBrands&Retailers

1

Makealgorithmsexplainableandeditable.

Clarifywhyshoppersareseeingcertainproducts,andgivethemwaystosteerresults(budget,style,sustainability,pace).

2

Designforlongerlivesandblendedlifestages.

Createflexible,multi-ageenvironmentsandproductecosystemsthatsupportwellness,skill-buildingandintergenerationalexperiences.

3

Prioritisehumanwarmthoverfrictionlessautomation.

Introducemicro-momentsofcare,greeters,stylists,workshops,communitycorners.Tocounteremotional“thinning”indigital-firstjourneys.

4

Buildhybridjourneysthatfeelcoherentandconfidence-building.

Shopperswantspeeddigitallyandreassurancephysically.Equipstaffwithdata-driventoolswhilemaintainingmeaningfulhumaninteractions.

5

Centrewellbeing,energyandlifestyleenrichment.

Linktraditionalcategorieswithwellness,localworkshops,careservicesandlearningopportunitiestosupporteverydaylongevity.

6

Measureemotion,notjustefficiency.

Trackindicatorslikeconfidence,belonging,communityengagement,dwell-timewithstaffandrepeatvisits,your“R