Today’s customers seek inspiration from authentic brands and emotionally invest in their success. Customers develop affinity with brands that are faithful toward themselves, true to their consumers, keep their promises, do good in support of their communities, and lead with conviction. From social responsibility to ethical sourcing and hiring practices, to transparent supply chains, consumers hold brands accountable for their actions — they expect brands to “walk the talk.” Proud consumers reward brands with brand loyalty and brand trust — the ultimate currency in an ever changing retail landscape.

Consumer behavior is constantly changing, challenging retailers to adapt to engage their consumer in the most meaningful ways. To thrive amid uncertainty, retailers should adopt a “test and learn” approach to evaluate how shopper engagement is evolving and how performance measurements may be affected. The insights gleaned from these tests can help retailers make informed decisions about operations, activations, cross-channel engagement, and real estate portfolio diversification strategies, providing retailers with insights that can help them pivot and adapt to maintain relevance.

As retailers reposition for the future, brand partnerships enable differentiation and flexibility. Consumers are switching brands at unprecedented rates, looking for alignment with their lifestyles, convenience, product availability, and value. Retailers that want to elevate their brand perception should explore partnerships with brands that complement their consumers’ lifestyles. From retailers with large portfolios of physical space who partner with digitally native brands to leverage their capabilities, to brands aligning to those with similar causes, curated partnerships can drive value in growing consumer relationships.

Consumer demands for same-day or faster delivery, accelerated by the pandemic, are poised to continue to grow. “Last mile” logistics — the final step in delivering product from a distribution point to the end user — is a critical factor to meeting the needs of the consumer while also reducing operating costs. By leveraging stores as distribution hubs or converting shuttered big-box retail into last-mile logistics centers, retailers can get products to consumers faster and in a more cost-effective and sustainable manner.