As 2019 comes to a close, the Retail Design team at Campbell Rigg looks back at some of the trends that shaped fashion and grocery retail over the year and helped set some of the trends for the next decade.

It was a year when the grocery industry got to work solving some of the biggest issues holding it back, from changing shopper behaviour to e-commerce profitability.

Fashion trends

The expansion of physical stores for digital pure-play brands. While digital brands like Bonobos and Fashion Nova started online, some digital brands have recently contacted us to help them launch brick-and-mortar retail outlets.

Retailers will find new ways of engaging with customers in a way that benefits sales across three broad themes: information, convenience, and entertainment.

They are finding that creating a sense of community can help brands set themselves apart and build stronger relationships with their customers. This, in turn, drives sales and loyalty.

The worlds of fashion and food merge into one-store experiences, and we are seeing the emergence of the style cafes in fashion stores.

Fashion brands are incorporating cafes into their spaces, or creating co-spaces from scratch in which both clothing and food can be purchased and enjoyed. These retail spaces offer the benefit of an experiential purchase journey in which consumers are able to slow down and better appreciate the products being offered. This benefits the brand by enhancing the likelihood of purchase.

Grocery trends

Grocery stores became more of a destination. For example, in the more affluent areas, of the city, customers are allowed to relax at the bar while associates do the shopping. On the other hand, some retailers have scaled down their stores to cut costs and make quick trip convenience shopping easier for the consumer.

Other trends include alcohol delivery, the expansion of grocery pickup and in-store meal kits.

The ‘Experience Economy' may well be something more of a basic requirement in all retail stores of the future.

In 2020, stores will still exist, but their prime function will gravitate over time to customer experience.

Food trends are difficult to follow these days. Just like the hip fashion and tech sectors, the food industry is coming up with its own peculiar terms when describing market shifts.

One of the latest trends is the “grocerant,” a word combining “grocer” and “restaurant.” The term has been around for a few years, but it seems to have gone mainstream recently.

The term “grocerant” is also in fact quite relevant and accurately captures what is happening in the food industry these days. In short, a grocerant is a grocery store that sells in-store prepared meals, to either eat on-site or take home.

The two business models are currently merging in the freshly prepared ready-to-eat spaces in supermarkets and grocery stores. The concept caters to people seeking a meal solution away from home. It can also provide a meet and greet opportunity to enjoy the company of friends whilst eating something that has been freshly prepared from curated menu options. The design of these spaces provides an opportunity to shrink zones within the store by including the in-store a grocerant, offering high-quality ethnic food that is relevant to regional tastes. Increased footfall to the store, convenience, entertainment and increased loyalty to the brand. It has to be a win-win situation for the retailer.

Our internal process of renewal, allows us to continually benchmark and write about the best in class retail trends in many market sectors across the globe. Please take a moment to review other news items linked to this page.

Why not call us and talk about your retail brands or store design renewal programme, digital and social media requirements.