As members of the Courvoisier Future 500 Jacob Strand and myself Miriam Rayman were commissioned to research the future of retail. These slides were for the launch of the document, a talk we gave in Autumn 2011 at London's Hospital Club. We first look at two broad and apposing typologies of future consumers and then detail the kinds of retail formats they will be demanding. Pretty fun and visionary I hope you will find.

1. THE RETAIL UPGRADE

2. THE FRAMEWORK
CONSUMERS OF THE FUTURE
Meet the Popbellions and
the New Settlers
RETAIL SOLUTIONS
What kind of retail will
they demand
02

3. THE METHOD
The future has already happened it’s just not that well
distributed’
William Gibson
U R B A N S TA R G A Z I N G O S C A R L H E R M I T T E
03

4. POPBELLIONS

5. ‘THE DIGITAL NATIVES’
DIGITAL VALUES
They share the values of
the digital world
and the web such as
democratisation and
collaboration
TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE THEM
They are masters of
technology not just
users. They hack and
mod their digital tools.
HABERDASHERY TECHNOLOGY WORK SHOP ‘TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE US’
H E L P S E D U C AT E P E O P L E T O D O D I G I TA L D I Y
05

6. NEW MEDIA TOOLS
There are now more
than 5bn mobile phone
connections worldwide.
Wireless Intelligence
By 2015 there will be
2bn personal computers,
775mn will be inRussia,
China, India and Brazil.
Forester Research
I N V I S I B L E C I T I E S , S H O W S R E A L T I M E C O M M U N I C AT I O N A C R O S S N E W Y O R K
06

7. A NEW WORK ETHIC
MERCURIAL WORK FORCE
They are employed on a
project basis. They pull
on their networks for
skills and tap them for
jobs.
NOTWORKING
They blur the boundary
between business and
leisure. Working
becomes fun.
O N L I N E D I G I TA L A RT I S T A N D D E S I G N E R R A FA E L R O Z E N D A A L L O O K I N G F O R
AN ONLINE INTERN
07

8. THE FREELANCE DRAW
“The shift to freelance is
the biggest change
since the industrial
revolution.”
Dr James Bellini, Futurologist
In the UK there are now
4.3mn freelancers an
increase of 28% since
2007
PPH Small Business Review
SHORTTIMEMEMORYLOSS BY JAMES BRIDLE
08

9. PEOPLE POWER
GRASS ROOTS ACTION
They are empowered and
connected, they
collaborate to work on
projects outside of
paid hours often for the
greater good.
COGNITIVE SURPLUS
“A trillion hours / year of
free time/participatory
value up for grabs”
Clay Shirky
THE JOHNNY CASH PROJECT BY AARON KOBLIN SAW OVER 250,000 PEOPLE
F R O M 1 7 2 C O U N T R I E S C O N T R I B U T I N G T O C R E AT E A C O L L A B O R AT I V E M U S I C
VIDEO FOR JOHNNY CASH’S “AIN’T NOGRAVE” 09

10. A NEW IDEOLOGY
84% of 18 – 24 year olds
in China will be active in
working with charities in
the future.
China National Committee for the Wellbeing
of Youth and China
81% of 13 – 25 year olds
in USA volunteered in
2008
Cone Inc., Boston, and AMP Insights
SPARKED, A MICROVOLUNTEERING NETWORK - CONNECTING VOLUNTEERS
W I T H O V E R 2 , 0 0 0 N O N P R O F I T S T H AT N E E D D E S I G N , B R A N D I N G , A N D C O P Y
WRITING HELP 010

11. DISRUPTIVE INNOVATORS
CHANGING THE SYSTEM
Rather than regurgitate
what’s gone before they
want to build something
new.
FEARLESS EXPERIMENTERS
They are doers rather
than thinkers so they are
constantly testing their
ideas always starting
small.
L A P I N K U LT A S O L A R K I T C H E N R E S T A U R A N T, M I L A N B Y M A R T I G U I X Ç A N D
ANTTO MELASNIEMI
011

12. LESS BARRIERS TO ENTRY
“In the 70s if you weren’t very happy about what was
happening, then starting a punk band was a pretty good way
to make some noise about it, but now, three 20 year olds can
get together and start a business and make a noise through
commerce instead.”
Matt Mason author Pirate’s Dilemma
H O U S E D I N A F O R M E R E M I V I N Y L P R E S S I N G P L A N T, T H E V I N Y L F A C T O R Y
T O O K O V E R T H E V E N U E W H E N E M I C O U L D N O L O N G E R S E E A P R O F I TA B L E
F U T U R E I N T H E F O R M A T.
012

13. POPBELLIONS
REMEMBER
They set the rules
They are activists
They are highly playful
and imaginative
F O L LY F O R A F LY O V E R , H A C K N E Y W I C K , L O N D O N
013

14. NEW SETTLERS

15. BACK-TO-BASICS
THEY VALUE INTIMACY
They rejoice in the
tangible and real world
rather than the digital
and virtual.
COMMUNITY CREDENTIALS
They are disillusioned
with globalistaion and
faceless impersonal
brands and are more
interested in community
and the conviviality that
comes with it.
BLEEDING THUMB WHITTLING CLUB AS PART OF B-STORE
015

16. DISTANT LIVES
77% happiest when with
friends and family
5% happiest when
socialising online
Coca-cola Happiness Barometer, 2010
R I V E R S I D E P I C N I C B Y A R A B E S H I D I L AT T E
016

17. THEIR INNER NEANDERTHAL
UPHOLDING THE NATURAL WORLD
They value their
environment and want to
be masters of the natural
world once more.
ALL MAN
They rely on their
instincts and their senses
and celebrate these very
real and human qualities.
POSTLERFURGESON’S NUVEAU NEOLITHIC COLLECTION
017

18. RECONNECTING WITH THE REAL
6/10 respondents
globally say they worry
that humankind has
become disconnected
from the natural world.
Euro RSCG Worldwide, New Consumer survey
AXE BY BESTMADE, US
018

19. AUTONOMOUS
HANDS ON
They make things for
themselves rather
than rely on anything
which is overly
manufactured.
OFF GRID
They harvest their own
power and rear their
own livestock.
COMMUNITY COMMMERCE BY KEIREN JONES
019

20. THE NEW SCARCITY
‘Between now and 2020
there are going to be
some serious power
shortages’
Ian Pearson, Futurist.
2010: 78% of all seed
packs sold by B&Q for
vegetables
2000: 30% of all seed
packs sold by B&Q for
vegetables
UK figures
R U I N A C A D E M Y, S I N G A P O R E B Y C A S A G R A N D E L A B O R A T O R Y & J U T
F O U N D AT I O N A D D A
020

21. RAW AESTHETIC
THEY VALUE THE IMPERFECT
Evidence that something
has been created by
hand, involving time and
care.
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION
They turn to ancient
techniques which don’t
require petrol or heavy
machinery so products
aren’t sleek or
standardised
NEOLASTIC VASES BY SJOERD JONKERS
021

22. SEARCH FOR AUTHENTICITY
2/3 people believe they
would be better off
if they lived more simply
1/4 people believe they
would be happier if they
owned fewer things
Euro RSCG Worldwide, 2010
TA K A S U G I A N , T R E E H O U S E B Y T E R U N O B U F U J I M O R I , J A PA N
022

23. NEW SETTLERS
REMEMBER
They delight in the real
and visceral
They see their home as
a factory
They invest in community
commerce
023

24. RETAIL SOLUTIONS

25. SENSORIUMS
In a reaction to the increasingly virtual lives we are living,
some retailers are turning to the senses and the body to
deliver new and memorable experiences.
T H E M A G I C A L I N T E R I O R O F T H E L AT E N I G H T C H A M E L E O N C A F E – A M I X O F
M A T E R I A L S A N D L I G H T I N G T O D E L I V E R A T O T A L LY O R I G I N A L R E T A I L
EXPERIENCE
025

26. UNTETHERED RETAIL
Whilst many retailers are
now just getting to
grips with the pop-up
concept (a store which
opens temporarily), the
more progressive
of the pack are looking
into the idea of their
store on tour.
CLEMENS AND AUGUST’S COLLECTIONS TRAVELS TO 10 DIFFERENT CITIES
W H E R E T H E Y O P E N F O R J U S T 3 D AY S
026

27. LEARNING SHOPS
Stores which pick up on
the desire for DIY are
focusing on imparting
knowledge to their
customers.
T H E S W E A T S H O P, P A R I S H A S S E W I N G M A C H I N E S L I N E D U P I N S T O R E R E A D Y
F O R G R O U P C L A S S E S A N D H O U R LY R E N T.
027

28. IMMERSIVE RETAIL
After over a decade
of digital innovation,
retailers are finally taking
note and incorporating
these new technologies
into their offering such
as QR codes, Augmented
Reality and gaming
DIESEL QR CODES, SCAN THE QR CODE VIA MOBILE PHONE THEN UPLOAD
I T S T R A I G H T O N T O FA C E B O O K
028

29. AUGMENTED VIRTUALITY
Online experiences are
being improved by real
world features.
3 SWEDEN, A SALES EXPERIENCE WHERE A SALESPERSON AND CONSUMER
I N T E R A C T V I A W E B C A M A S I F R I G H T A C R O S S T H E TA B L E F R O M E A C H O T H E R .
029

30. SUPER-CURATION
Consumers are sick of
being overwhelmed by
choice. Instead they
want seriously edited
collections.
SUBLIME THINGS BY ERIK SCHEDIN. THE ERIK SCHEDIN ONLINE STORE
F E A T U R E S O N LY E I G H T P R O D U C T S A T A N Y G I V E N T I M E
030

31. THE ONE-MAN BRAND
Door-to-door sales will
seem rarefied, even
glamorous, as we
remember the luxury of
individual service.
Reconnecting with the
person at the end of
the product, such as
the butcher or cabinet-
maker.
W I L L S H A N N O N , A R C A D E S I G N G R A D U AT E T R AV E L S A R O U N D W I T H A L L T H E
K I T N E E D E D T O C R E AT E C U S T O M - M A D E C A B I N E T S F O R H I S C L I E N T S
031

32. SHOWROOM LIVING
Try out and test products
before buying.
The world, your shop
window Technology such
as RFID and QR codes
will allow us to click and
purchase in a range of
locations so retail is no
longer confined to the
shop floor.
B E R L I N B A S E D F A S H I O N L A B E L , B L I S S S E T U P A S H O P I N A N A P A R T M E N T,
WITH EVERYTHING UP FOR GRABS
032

33. WHOLETAILING
Communities are starting
to come together to
buy in bulk and cut out
the middle man.
FA R M I G O , H E R E N E W Y O R K E R S C A N P U R C H A S E S T R A I G H T F R O M T H E
F A R M R A T H E R T H A N B U Y I N G F R O M A S H O P.
033

34. HYPER PERSONALISATION
Consumers will share
specific information in
order to enjoy a more
personalised service.
T H E F U T U R E L A B O R A T O R Y ’ S A P P O I N T M E N T O N LY S W E E T S H O P P E F E A T U R E D
S H O P A S S I S TA N T S W H O K N E W P E R S O N A L D E TA I L S A B O U T E A C H C U S T O M E R
WHICH WAS THEN USED THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE. 034

35. RETAIL SOLUTIONS
CHECK LIST
Transparency – we will demand it
Imaginative retailers will survive
Customer involvement will be key
Stores will nurture communities
Smaller and more experimental
retailers
035

36. THANK YOU
JACOB STRAND
jacob@lehmanb.com
&
MIRIAM RAYMAN
miriam@monkeysinthecloud.com