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Retailers Think Outside Traditional Box This Holiday Season
Innovation and consumer choice are fueling the most significant trends shaping this holiday shopping season. A new CBRE Group, Inc. report found a proliferation of “rogue” retailing and the refinement of e-commerce distribution and returns.
Four of this season’s trends centered on improvements in e-commerce logistics, as well as shoppers’ demand for new and unique options, including:
- The mainstreaming of “rogue retailing”: Featuring unusual concepts that make each visit to the mall or store different. Expect to see temporary, pop-up stores and more independent, craft stores.
- Expanded e-commerce: Online sales are again expected to outpace in-store sales this season. Surprisingly, the driver of clicks are brick-and-mortar retailers.
- Improved logistics beget e-commerce profits: Technology, analytics, delivery networks and past retailer and shippers experience coalesce to produce ideal holiday logistics, and profitable e-commerce.
- The holiday promotions shuffle: A proliferation of landmark shopping days allows retailers to spread promotions and shopper traffic across the entire season rather vs. a few key days. This will help retailers better manage inventory and shoppers should enjoy absence of hectic crowds.
CBRE’s Carrie Bobb says, “Over the past several years, holiday shopping has evolved while technology has enhanced the way we shop and has created an opportunity for consumers and retailers to communicate.” One such example Bobb cited is The Mint Studio. People can create Pinterest-like projects at the unique new retail concept in San Diego’s The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch.
CBRE’s Carrie Bobb
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Kaiser
