Retail

Author Dan Harfield

It’s that time of year again, folks!

From rapid-rental delivery to AI-powered fit guides, brands are stepping up their game to solve real customer problems. And let’s be honest – we could all use a little innovation to make our shopping smoother this year… 

Here are four retail innovations reshaping how we shop this festive season (and making those last-minute Christmas Eve dashes a little less panicked!)

Here’s a great example of a brand leveraging their sustainability data to drive customer loyalty. In collaboration with Akeneo, Swedish clothing brand Asket is using the power of product information to educate consumers about the environmental footprint of their purchases while encouraging them to make more thoughtful, sustainable choices. For every garment, Asket discloses supply chain traceability, environmental footprint, cost structure, factory details, average salaries, shift lengths, and working conditions imagery for its manufacturing and sourcing processes.

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This clever partnership between fashion rental platform HURR and Deliveroo speaks to those all-too-familiar moments – the last-minute party invite, the spontaneous night out, or when your planned outfit just feels wrong. By connecting pre-loved fashion rental with the convenience of rapid delivery, they’ve created a solution that adds flexibility to our wardrobes without the need to buy new. The real learning lies in how brands can repurpose existing infrastructure to add value to customers’ lives in unexpected ways.

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IKEA’s playful Oxford Street pop-up delivers a masterclass in building anticipation. By celebrating their iconic blue bag in the heart of luxury retail, they make a bold statement about democratic design and accessibility. The timing resonates perfectly: as consumers grapple with cost-of-living pressures, IKEA’s message of affordable, thoughtful design feels especially relevant. Their clever brand positioning turns a humble shopping bag into a cultural conversation piece.

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Let’s face it – buying clothes online is always a minefield. Sizes differ between brands and fit guides can be confusing. Levi’s is tackling this head-on by harnessing Amazon Alexa’s AI to create a clever ’20 questions’ style fit finder. Through simple questions about your preferences and body type, it helps pinpoint your perfect pair of jeans. Better fit recommendations mean happier customers and fewer returns – which is not only great for shoppers but helps tackle the massive environmental impact of fashion waste. It’s a smart example of using AI to solve both consumer frustrations and environmental challenges simultaneously, while creating a more seamless omnichannel experience.

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