1、Retail Trends Report2019Shop Smarter FOREWORDWill Broome, January 2019Founder & CEO, Ubamarket Ltd. In many ways, 2018 was the year the penny dropped. The bricks and mortar retail industry, largely due to archaic legacy hardware and antiquated systems has, until now, been forced to resist change

2、 as far as feasibly possible. The Death of the High-street was a well-worn mantra last year but, as Amazon has proved, it doesnt have to be this way. A better mantra would perhaps be the re-birth of the in-store experience. If the biggest online retailer is actively pursuing a physical presence on t

3、he high street, weve got to ask ourselves why? Well, its actually very simple. Amazon see a huge opportunity because theyre observing an entire industry sector in which they know they can do better, by removing friction and conventional pinch points. This is greatly facilitated by the fact that they

4、 have no in-store legacy to slow them down. They also know that, if they can deliver this effectively, they can sell even more per head in store than they can online, combining the two for even greater market share. As well as being more discerning about allergens and nutrition, in 2019, consumers a

5、re far more conscientious about waste, whether that be food waste or plastic packaging, as highlighted by David Attenborough in BBCs hugely evocative Blue Planet 2 last year. Increasingly, therefore, consumers are interested (and influenced) by both the provenance and environmental impact of the pro

6、ducts that theyre buying. Moreover, the word Omni-channel became a buzz phrase last year but, perhaps a more accurate way to think of retail is that its now a holy trinity comprising in-store, home delivery and, a hybrid of the two, click & collect. Whats absolutely certain though is that, if yo