A Journey Through Today’s Retail Trends

Which trends will help retailers succeed during the pandemic and onward? And what can retailers do to create great customer experiences during a challenging environment?
John Federman, CEO of JRNI, a leading organization in experiential relationship, shared his thoughts and the results of JRNI’s Rewriting the Rules of Retail Engagement Research study.

There is much consumer anxiety in the marketplace over the concerns of COVID-19. Still, Federman assured that retailers are doing everything they can to make the experience approachable and safe for shopping.

“Those retailers who are well-positioned positioned themselves for an omnichannel customer journey before the pandemic,” Federman said. “Retailers now suffering are those who didn’t make experiences essential to how they engage with their prospects and customers. So, what we are seeing are trends that mitigate the concerns of fear.”

Federman said one trend gaining momentum during the pandemic, and JRNI’s research backs this up, is appointments. Offering appointment services is an excellent way for retailers to differentiate.

“It’s a means for both social distancing and creating one-to-one experiences for a consumer where they have the opportunity to manage how much they are around groups of people,” Federman said. “Combined with all the other tools like curbside pickup, occupancy management, remote appointments; all of these are coming together to allow a retailer to have a relationship in this really unusual season.”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

CFO
From Public Accounting to CFO: The Leadership Wake-Up Call
February 25, 2026

The CFO seat is being rewritten in real time. Today’s finance leaders are expected to drive growth, lead enterprise-wide systems transformations, and shape AI strategy—while still keeping the close, controls, and capital story airtight. Gartner reports that 59% of finance leaders are already using AI in the finance function, underscoring how rapidly the role is…

Read More
restorative practices
Building Safer Schools Through Restorative Practices
February 24, 2026

School Safety Today podcast, presented by Raptor Technologies. In this episode of Principals of Change, host Dr. Amy Grosso sits down with D’Jon Pitchford, Assistant Principal at Kelly Lane Middle School in Pflugerville ISD, to explore what school safety really means. Pitchford reframes safety as more than physical security—emphasizing trust, restorative practices, campus culture,…

Read More
continuous improvement in education
Continuous Improvement in Education: If You Want Different Outcomes, Change the System
February 24, 2026

School systems across the country are under mounting pressure to improve student outcomes while navigating shifting standards, staffing shortages, and rising expectations around accountability. Yet many reform efforts fall short because they are fragmented and short-term. According to Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning, sustained and job-embedded professional learning is linked to improved educator…

Read More
growing with sales
Get Vertical! Growing with Sales for Success
February 24, 2026

Buying behavior has shifted dramatically. Today’s B2B customers do most of their research before ever speaking with a salesperson. In fact, 61% of B2B buyers say they prefer a rep-free buying experience, according to a 2025 Gartner survey. At the same time, U.S. retail e-commerce sales exceeded $1.192 trillion in 2024. Growth still depends…

Read More