January 31, 2019 – The NPD Group – “When we look back on 2019, what will be the big theme? If we were to capture 2018 in one overarching theme, it would be the year that blended retail really took off. Throughout 2018, retailers leveraged the immediacy of online shopping and the personal experience of physical retail stores. Instead of dividing strategy into online/offline components, retailers have been blending this retail divide,” says NPD Chief Industry Advisor, Retail, Marshal Cohen.
Cohen expects 2019 to be the year of “betterment” as a key driver for growth, with consumers focusing on products that truly improve their lives. NPD asked Cohen and their other industry advisors to weigh in on how they see 2019 shaping up for their respective industries. Drawing upon their knowledge of the retail environment during 2018 and deep expertise in their fields, their advisors shared what they expect consumer spending, innovation, and store transformation to look like in 2019.
Read more at The NPD Group.