Ahead of Paris Fashion Week, taking place from 10th to 12th September, the event has partnered with Havas Paris to discover the key retail trends of 2018, discovering that the lines are blurred more than ever between physical and digital trade. The study dispels the binary vision of an all-powerful, all-digital sector and a critically endangered physical sector. The five retail trends identified are:
- From the path to purchase to the path of life – today’s consumer expects retail to be accessible wherever, whenever.
- The conversational age has finally begun – 2018 marks the year of the acceptance and need for voice assistance.
- From customer care to ethical manufacturing – environmental factors are now affecting consumers’ decisions in retail.
- Big data, safe data and dirty data? – due to new data protection laws, data has become the new black gold, even for retailers.
- New trendy discount – a new way of seducing a generation whose financial means are inversely proportional to their power of influence.
The results show the rise of a new paradigm that is being called “Smart Phygital”. David Mingeon, Deputy Director General of Havas Paris comments; “With the multiplication of technological innovations, phygital is imposing itself in retail trade. A hybrid of on and offline commerce is emerging. This reshuffling is opening the way to new alternative players and novel practices.”
In addition to the main zones, Paris Retail Week will also host a Start-Up Area, bringing together young companies showcasing the most innovative retail solutions, as well as the Brand & Innovation Village.
