The Future of Retail: Main Page

As the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic into an uncertain future, one thing is certain – the world of retail will no longer be the same. Although months of lockdowns, quarantines and social distancing measures have pushed online retail to new heights, it has also fundamentally altered the concept of physical retail. In order to attract customers post-pandemic, brick-and-mortar shops can no longer focus solely on the procurement of products and services, but creating human connection through storytelling and personalized experiences.

Looking to explore the possibilities of post-pandemic future living, Loftwork and FabCafe’s new global initiative FutureCity is hosting a series of events to discover the future of retail.

Under this COVID-19 pandemic, we are relying more on online shopping. But is online shopping the only future for retail industry? How can businesses improve their in-store customer experiences? FabCafe Hong Kong is hosting the next FAB Meetup “The Future of Retail” and we have invited businesses to share their inspiring stories. See event page here.

Loftwork hosted a seminar on the power of design management, where Aya Sengoku, the president of Nakagawa Masashichi Store, spoke about how the hemp cloth business founded in 1716 was able to adapt to changing times through continuous reformation as a result of design thinking. Through internalizing the company’s core values and vision and putting it into language that both company employees and the public could understand, Nakagawa Masashichi Store shifted from “creating products” to “creating a brand” – a fundamental change that enabled employees to act autonomously and revived the business.

Looking to build a stronger, more creative and collaborative corporate culture, L’Occitane Japan looked to Loftwork to help employees to understand and implement design thinking in their everyday lives. The two joined together to hold design thinking workshops that consisted of various activities such as “Mirai Gengo” – the language of the future – where participants are asked to cover their eyes, ears or mouths and communicate with people around them. These activities encouraged employees to break out of traditional mindsets and be more flexible and adaptable, and in turn, more creative – a mindset change that was not only reflected in the internal company culture but in the ways that the company thought about retail and their customers

As part of the Osaka Aquarium Kaikuyan’s annual exhibition, Loftwork joined with the world-class aquarium to reimagine the event as an experiential journey for the over two million people that frequent the aquarium each year. Working with an architect, playwright, illustrator and sound engineer, Loftwork and the aquarium crafted a multi-sensory interactive installation that combined the digital and physical to tell a story. Through interactive projections and simulations of fish and immersive Aquaponics systems, “Dreaming of Life in the Sea” brought visitors closer to not just the marine life that inhabits the aquarium but coexist with humans on the planet.

Baby clothes store FAMILIAR worked with Loftwork to launch “1000 Days”, an on- and offline campaign and consumer experience focused around the first 1,000 days of having a baby. Besides designing and executing an online website and ecommerce platform with content centered around the theme, Loftwork and FAMILIAR took the retail experience offline by creating an in-shop program. Through custom photo shoots, activities such as teaching new parents how to bathe their babies, and a nursing room, “1000 Days” invited new parents to frequent the company’s flagship store in Daikanyama, empowering them to learn and feel more deeply connected with the brand.

Looking to design a holistic experience around its festival celebrating diversity, True Colors Festival collaborated with Loftwork to design a multi-faceted program that advocated for a space where people can coexist and recognize each other’s differences in every aspect of their lives. Alongside a lineup of assorted events centered around the theme, Loftwork and True Colors Festival created merchandise – T-shirts designed by 12 artists from around the world, including Black Eyed Peas member apl.de. Ap, Tom Finland, Ryuchell – that encouraged people to “Wear Your True Colors” and created the True Colors Academy, a series of lectures and workshops focusing on social issues and relationships that are open to the public. Through creating affiliated products and services, Loftwork and True Colors Festival was able to bring the festival and its message beyond the stage and into attendees’ everyday lives.