Design Forecast 2016

Gensler Design Forecast 2016
Retail Centers
Tech yes, but the
destination is all
Urbanization is driving small neighborhood
store strategies like Walmart Express,
City Target, Home Depot, and others. It’s
also accelerating the growth of neighborhood
lifestyle shopping villages and small
independent shops in urban areas.
As retail centers expand into urban markets,
they’re increasingly catering to tech-savvy
customers. With every mall, store, and brand
sitting comfortably in consumers’ pockets
(on smartphones), successful retail centers
will play by that mobile, 24/7 playbook. At the
same time, they’ll use that playbook to
identify shopping patterns and preferences.
the consumer wants them to be; they should
be entrepreneurial and engaged. Payment
systems capable of integrating other layers
of information will create richer, more
personalized interactions between retail
centers and their customers. Cashless
payments and augmented reality can help
tie them together with a smaller footprint.
Retail centers will still need to deliver
experiences that justify the customer’s
journey. As with mixed use, their destination
value is a differentiator. Events and
other draws will leverage tech’s reach to
find audiences and cue up followers.
In order to thrive, retail centers must
proactively embrace technology to be
accessible whenever and wherever
COEX, Seoul
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