Top 20 Retail Sector Themes – Thematic Research
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In 2021, the major themes impacting the retail sector will be: COVID-19, mobile, sustainability, ecommerce, digital media, strategic partnerships, virtual and augmented reality, big data, smart supply chain, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, ambient commerce, the future of work, demographics, customer loyalty, cybersecurity, geopolitics, personalization, robotics, and health and wellness.
Scope
GlobalData breaks down the top 20 themes impacting the retail sector in 2021.
Key Highlights
COVID-19 will have long-lasting impacts on retail in 2021 and beyond as consumers will be polarized in terms of their financial positions. Those who were still employed throughout the pandemic and saved money on not commuting or going on holiday will have more disposable income to spend on retail and leisure when restrictions are lifted.
As consumers increasingly spend more time on mobiles, and functionality and continually develops, the use of mobile for retail browsing and purchase will catch-up with, and possibly overtake, laptops or computers.
Sustainability was set to be the most important theme in 2020, and though COVID-19 created a distraction when the pandemic was at its height and retailers had to react quickly, consumer demand for retailers to introduce more sustainable options and offer greater transparency on the ethics of their practices did not wane.
The global ecommerce market grew from $399bn in 2010 to $2.2 trillion in 2020, according to GlobalData. Key to this growth has been the spread of the internet, with the number of users worldwide increasing from 847 million in 2010 to 4.5 billion in 2020.
Reasons to Buy
Themes are disruptive, so it’s easy to be blindsided by industry outsiders who invade your sector. Understanding the themes ecosystem will get you ahead of the curve.
Understand the themes emerging in 2021, allowing you to grasp a wider view of changes in consumer behaviour and how it will impact your markets.
Explore how emerging themes in apparel are allowing industry leaders to evolve, so you can better position yourself for long-term success.
An easy-to-use framework for tracking themes across all companies in all sectors
Companies who invest in the right themes become success stories; those who miss the big themes end up as failures.
Aldi
Alibaba
AllBirds
Amazon
Apple
Arcadia
ASOS
Auchan
B&M
Best Buy
BingoBox
Boots
C&A
Carrefour
Cisco
Co-op
Depop
Dixons Carphone
Dove
eBay
Etsy
Fast Retailing
Fenty Beauty
Gap
Garmin
Glossier
Gymshark
H&M
Home Depot
House of Fraser
IBM
IKEA
JD Sports
JD.com
John Lewis & Partners
Kingfisher
Kroger
Levi's
Li Ning
Lidl
Lindex
L'Oreal
Lowe's
Lululemon
Lush
LVMH
Macy's
Marks & Spencer
Monica Vinader
Next
Nike
Nordstrom
Ocado
Patagonia
Poundland
Primark
Reformation
Safeway
Selfridges
Sephora
SPAR
Sports Direct
Suning
Sweaty Betty
Target
Tesco
The boohoo group
The Ordinary
TJX
Under Armour
Veja
Waitrose & Partners
Walmart
Wayfair
Zalando
Table of Contents
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