2026年零售趋势：重塑零售格局的五大力量

5 forces reshaping theretail landscape Five powerful trends are reshaping the future of retail, redefininghow customers discover, decide, and buy. To lead in 2026 and beyond,organizations must not only recognize what’s changing, but also 1. Moments over merchandise What started as a wave of post-pandemic “revenge spending” on experiences has The World Travel & Tourism Council projects that global travel will grow at anaverage annual rate of 5.8% through 2032, more than double the pace of overalleconomic growth. On the other hand, while U.S. retail sales have hit a 20-year high, As consumer behavior evolves and retail growth plateaus, retailers must ask: howcan we sustain margins and find new growth in an experience-led market? Retailers shouldn’t think of the experience economy as anopportunity. It’s a necessity. Jessica Leitch, Head of frog - North America 3 ways retailers should respond to the experience economy Capitalize onorbital purchases: Experience over ownership Travel and hospitality experiences are the top spending category, outpacingfashion, cars and beauty among high and ultra-high net worth individuals. That great experience you had? Don’t try to replicate it. You can’t copy and paste your way to a great experience. To create meaningful brand moments, retailers need to align theirunique identity with what they know about their customers—focusingon participatory, community-oriented experiences that feel genuine Back to top 2. 2026: The year of the private label Private labels are no longer just budget buys—70% of shoppers earning over$100,000 now choose their grocery store based on them and millennial and GenZ shoppers are nearly twice as likely as Boomers to spend more on private label But while growth is strong today, it may be slowing, which means retailers need totake the next step to solidify their position and widen the lead. Now is the time todip into the data to find ways to innovate, expand assortments, and premiumize, of shoppers are buying private-label or low-cost brands over name brands Private labels go premium Shoppers don’t turn to private labels just to cut costs—they’re looking for better value.When switching to a lower cost alternative, the real decision drivers are quality and trust For retailers, private labels shouldn’t be a race to the bottom, but an opportunity to levelup. Early findings from our 2026 consumer trends report indicate that when switching to acheaper alternative, the most important factors for consumers are: 62%Positive user reviews 62%Free trial/sample 67% Money-back guaranteeor return policies 3 ways retailers can capitalize on the shift to private labels Analyze shopper needs and trends:Retailers can leverage deepshopper insights to launch targeted private label products that Pilot and iterate based on feedback:Ongoing innovation andquality upgrades are the key to transforming private labels from Prioritize quality and differentiation:Winning private labelsexcel by focusing on distinct value-based niches like sustainability, Scrimp vs splurge: Today’s consumer is always trading off. Early findings from our 2026 consumer trends report indicate that 7 in10 consumers say small indulgences help them cope with financial stress(71%)—proof that today’s shopper isn’t cutting back across the board, The challenge for retailers is knowing when shoppers want to save, andwhere they’re willing to splurge. To keep up, retailers need to harnessbig data to fine-tune assortments by store and segment, blending Back to top 3. The future of retail is searchless One in five of Walmart’s referral clicksin August came from ChatGPT, up 15% fromJuly. For many retailers, the implication is clear: the industry is rapidly moving fromSEO (search engine optimization) to GEO (generative engine optimization). In this landscape success isn’t about being found through keyword searches, butchosen by an algorithm in the right context, at the right moment. are willing to order products via AI tools(e.g., Perplexity’s Shop like a Pro) Strengthen backendsystems so productsshow up seamlessly inAI-powered experiences Use shoppable content,live commerce, and timelypush notifications to sparkspontaneous discoveryin the right context andchannel. Retail’s tipping point? In October, Walmart announced a groundbreaking partnership with OpenAI,enabling customers to shop directly through ChatGPT using Instant Checkout.While the capability has yet to be formally rolled out, this announcement could Retailers are investing in AI as a way to redefine discovery, decision-making andpurchase. But will shoppers embrace the algorithmic recommendations? Early adoption of AI-powered search is surging, but it may stall—or even retreat—if AI recommendations fail to meet expectations. Dreen Yang, Global Lead, Consumer Products and Retail, Capgemini The next wave of AI is coming. Today’s AI is offering personalized recommendations, predictive search, We are rapidly approa