Whereas ten years ago digitization and e-commerce set the tone, retail expert Gino Van Ossel now sees acceleration on three fronts simultaneously: technology, geopolitics, and sustainability. “The only certainty is the ever-accelerating pace of change,” he said in his annual review at RetailDetail Night.
Technology forces new models
Digitization remains the engine of transformation. According to Van Ossel, Ikea is a striking example: although the furniture chain has had a webshop since 2000, the big breakthrough only came in recent years. Online sales now account for 30% of turnover. This is forcing retailers to redesign their stores and rethink their logistics — as exemplified by Ikea’s new flagship store on Oxford Street in London.
