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

Texas
Policy, Patients, and the Future of Healthcare: How Texas Plans to Fix a Strained System
May 4, 2026

The U.S. healthcare system is under real strain—and it’s something both patients and physicians are feeling in everyday care. In Texas, those pressures are even more visible, where rapid population growth, rural access challenges, and regulatory complexity are making it harder for patients to get timely care and for doctors to focus on medicine…

Read More
adaptive learning
Scaling Career-Ready Skills: How Adaptive Learning and Generative AI Are Transforming Higher Education
May 4, 2026

Skills-based learning has moved from buzzword to mandate as colleges face mounting pressure to connect credentials, employability, and measurable learner outcomes. Employers are increasingly using skills-based hiring practices, and NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 notes that students need to demonstrate concrete examples of skills in action during hiring processes. At the same time, higher education…

Read More
Gen Alpha
A Gen Alpha Take on Experiential Retail: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Missing
May 4, 2026

Gen Alpha is no longer a future consumer segment—they are already shaping how retail and entertainment experiences are designed today. Research from MG2 shows that a whopping 70% of Gen Alpha influence what adults in their lives purchase, reshaping brand decisions faster than many companies are prepared for. As experiential retail continues to evolve—with…

Read More
TGR Foundation
Tiger Woods’ TGR Foundation Is Reimagining Education Through Learning Labs and Hands-On STEM Experiences
May 4, 2026

Education systems around the world are under pressure to evolve faster than ever, especially for underserved communities. In the U.S. alone, millions of students in low-income households still lack access to STEM resources and career pathways—fueling a widening opportunity gap. For more than 30 years, the TGR Foundation, founded by Tiger Woods, has worked…

Read More