The act of shopping has undergone radical transformations in recent years. Indeed, it can be hard to get a handle on what we even mean by shopping any more. Is it primarily an activity conducted hunched in front of a laptop screen? Or on a mobile phone? Is it dominated by chain shops in giant shopping malls as local high streets wither and die? Or, on the contrary, is it characterised by a recent renaissance of local independent retailers and original brands – a kind of rewilding of the natural retail ecosystem.
While the pandemic caused a huge surge in online shopping, it also prompted a resurgence of local shopping as customers sought a retail experience that was more sustainable, more experiential, more local and simply more human. A survey by marketing agency Gekko revealed the yearning that people had for the “human” factor that had been absent during lockdowns. What 62% of respondents missed most about physical shopping was the ability to see, hold and try a product, while 52% missed the ability to browse, and 52% were pining for the sheer enjoyment of shopping.
