For too many reasons consumerism as we know it is over. The problem we have got (besides the fact that our economies still revolve around shopping for stuff from China) is that the consumer landscape has stood still, content to wheeze towards a slow death, unable to embrace the shoots of 21st Century prosperity. Well we think that’s not good enough. Say hello to retail reset. We want retail be the hub of a many-spoked plan to save our cities with creativity, experiences, collaboration and learning. With lots of deep research and inspiring thinking we want to show you that the future of retail is out there and it’s beautiful.

Here’s a small chunk from a longer article on what we think the future of retail is all about:

It’s not that hard to imagine Oxford Street as a hub of mass collaboration where people descend in droves not as 20th century shoppers but as 21st century citizens, ready to be inspired, exposed to new ideas, to learn and participate in something they are passionate about, and connect with others.
Being a responsible retailer in a new economic reality isn’t just about watertight sourcing, me-too environmental 
credentials, some taxes and a few jobs. Those are in fact bare minimum requirements for existence. It’s about aspiring to give your customers more and actually taking a a role in wider economic fortunes. If you want my money, you are going to have to prove to me that you are worth it. These days I can now spend my (even harder) earned pennies on something unique that also gives me a personal connection, is beautifully crafted or locally made, rather than see my cash pay for your chief executive’s hired help at his winter sun bolthole in in the Seychelles. I want you to use your considerable heft to bring together totally amazing experiences, possibilities and opportunities that inspire me and help me achieve my dreams. Please, try harder or you will never see me again. I have enough options to keep me busy for five lifetimes so make it memorable.
So with this in mind, where are the amphitheatres in Topshop with round the clock lectures from fashion industry players teaching me about how to get my foot in the door? Or the social enterprise upcycling concessions in Primark that show me how to transform last season’s jacket into this summer’s must-have item. Why can’t I take part in an Ikea hack workshop (turning my old Ikea purchase into something new) when I’m actually at Ikea?
When I pick up a shiny gadget why am I not suddenly be immersed in an augmented reality world that takes me on a journey across the globe to witness the raw materials being sourced in Bolivia, to the factory where it was put together in Shenzen, then on to the innovation lab in Bangalore and to the marketing gurus on Madison Avenue? Why can’t I take out my phone and find out where I can connect with people meeting up in real world makerspaces up and down the high street who are into the same things I am and forge new bonds, friendships and alliances. If I’m going to by my food an Iceland (shop not country) why can’t I find out how to make the most nutritional meal possible for my family dinner that night at a hands-on micro seminar in-store? Read More…